Zailiysky Alatau Research Articles

TECHNOLOGY FOR STRENGTHENING SOIL MATERIALS USING TWO-COMPONENT POLYURETHANE MATERIAL GEOPUR

Almaty and its environs are located in the foothill zone of the Zailiysky Alatau, where, given the lack of sites with good soils, many buildings and structures have to be built on weak soils, weak clay or subsidence bases. Another problem is construction in seismically active areas, which imposes certain restrictions on the design of foundations and the construction of structures. In such cases, specialized engineering measures are required, whether it is soil replacement, pile foundations or artificial foundations. In construction, there is a wide range of methods for fixing soils: strengthening with piles, vertical reinforcing elements, chemical fixing with solutions that allow you to carry out activities. This article describes the methods and sequence of work when using a two-component polyurethane material GEOPUR. In laboratory and field conditions to increase the bearing capacity of soils. The result of the application of this technology is a triple effect: increased moisture resistance and sealing; stopping or reducing water inflow to underground structures; stabilizing soil cementation - increasing the stability of the foundations of buildings and underground structures; there is a structuring and strengthening of soil, rocks and structures. Due to the introduction of the Geopur® material, soil structuring occurs, and it passes from the class of dispersed to the class of semi-rocky soils, the strength of which is characterized by the uniaxial compressive strength R. Studies have shown that the value of R in depth varies from 1.94MPa at a depth of 0.9m up to 4.57 MPa at a depth of 4.20 m. In accordance with state standard 25100-2011, such material belongs to a variety of soils with low or reduced strength.

Спектральные характеристики засоленной пашни в предгорной долине Заилийского Алатау (Северный Тянь-Шань) в период 2016–2022 гг. по спутниковым данным Sentinel-2

Introduction. The foothill catchment of the Zailiisky Alatau (Northern Tien Shan), adjacent to the ridge from the north, occupies an altitude range of 475–925 m above sea level and has an area of about 8500 km2. The Almaty urban agglomeration with a population of 2.5 million people is located here and there is a developed agriculture. Crop production in the sharply continental, arid and hot climate of Central Asia is based on irrigation agriculture. For irrigation in the foothill catchment, river runoff from the Zailiysky Alatau Ridge is used. In some parts of the foothill catchment there are salt stores and salt outbreaks in the landscape, which contribute to the salinization of arable land. Secondary salinization of arable land is a negative factor that reduces their quality and productivity. Monitoring the salinity of arable land is practically an important task. The most effective technologies for detailed assessment of soil salinity are based on the processing of satellite data. The purpose of the work. The purpose of this study was to analyze the long-term spectral characteristics of agricultural land potentially susceptible to secondary salinization. This information is necessary to determine optimal strategies in the task of remote assessment of salinization of arable land in the foothill catchment of the Zailiysky Alatau Ridge. Materials and research methodology. The 323 cloudless Sentinel-2 images (10 m resolution) of the period 2016–2022 were selected. Four spectral indices: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI); Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI); Vegetation Soil Salinity Index (VSSI); and Simple Ratio Index (SRI); were used to monitor the test site, which was located in the northeastern part of the foothill catchment of the Trans-Ili Alatau Ridge. The test site included three polygons of irrigated arable land subjected to secondary salinization, and two polygons of saline abandoned land. The satellite monitoring of spectral indices was used to determine the most informative periods within the season, as well as to assess the inter-seasonal stability of the results. Results and discussion. The dynamics of the considered vegetation indices (NDVI, SAVI and SRI) differed most significantly in July-August, i.e., in conditions of the most developed vegetation. The VSSI index was the most informative in April-May and December-February. The vegetation condition of saline arable lands is controlled by the moisture content and salinity of the rootinhabited soil layer. The precipitation deficit leads to deterioration in the state of vegetation, which masks the negative impact of secondary salinization of fields. Thus, the assessment of the significance of the factor of secondary salinization in the state of vegetation requires annual ground sub-satellite surveys. Conclusion. The variations in the values of the spectral indices of test polygons are very large and depend on the seasonal weather characteristics. Therefore, practically significant satellite methods for assessing the salinity of arable land in the foothill catchment of the Trans-Ili Alatau Ridge should be based on annual sub-satellite surveys. This limits the range of significant remote sensing technologies, methods of extrapolation of sub-satellite surveys data to regular grids, within territories with similar hydrological characteristics and land-use types.

Anthracoidea obtusatae (Anthracoideaceae, Ustilaginales), a new smut fungus on Carex obtusata (Cyperaceae) from Central Asia

Anthracoidea species are highly host-specific smut fungi. Their host range is restricted to a single sedge species or sedge species belonging to the same or closely related sections. The species on Carex obtusata was referred to as Anthracoidea caryophylleae. However, the hosts of A. caryophylleae were reduced to carices in Carex sect. Mitratae, in its traditional circumscription. In the most recently proposed classification of Carex, C. obtusata has been placed within the Capitata Clade of C. subgen. Euthyceras. In order to clarify the taxonomic status of the Anthracoidea species on C. obtusata, we conducted a molecular study of specimens on C. obtusata and C. caryophyllea, using LSU rDNA sequences. It was found that the Anthracoidea species on C. obtusata is distinct from A. caryophylleae. A new species, Anthracoidea obtusatae on C. obtusata, is described and illustrated from Russia, based on a specimen from the Altay Mts. Its phylogenetic placement and affinities in Anthracoidea are analyzed. Anthracoidea obtusatae is distributed in Central Asia—the Northern Tian Shan Range (Zailiysky Alatau Range and Ketmen Ridge) and the Russian and Mongolian Altay Mts. A morphological examination of a specimen of Anthracoidea on C. obtusata from Canada found that its spore morphology did not match that of A. obtusatae. Additional collections and molecular study are required to clarify the taxonomic status of the North American Anthracoidea species on C. obtusata.

Проблемы верхнего палеолита предгорий Северного Тянь-Шаня: новейшие открытия и дальнейшие перспективы

Introduction. This work is devoted to the assessment of the Upper Paleolithic sites of the Northern Tien Shan. Materials and methods. Plains and foothills of Kazakhstan occupies a large western part of Central Asia and stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east. There are many Paleolithic sites, the vast majority of which are open-air (surface) sites. Recently several multilayer Upper Paleolithic sites have been discovered in the Northern Tien Shan. Among them are the sites of Maibulak, Rakhat, Uzynagash 1–3, Saryzhazyk and some others. The sites have been studied intermittently since 2004. A new research phase began in 2018. Results and discussion. The sites are located in similar geomorphological conditions. The cultural layers of the sites are nested in loess-like loams covering the northern foothills of the Zailiysky Alatau Range. Most of the cultural layers are interpreted as habitation levels with preserved hearths, burn spots, charcoal spots, and storage pits. Accumulations of lithic artefacts and sometimes animal bone remains are tightly linked with those features of cultural layers. This is an interdisciplinary research. Conclusion. The chronology of these sites covers the Early Upper Paleolithic, the Middle Upper Palaeolithic and the beginning of the Late Upper Paleolithic. The development of the Northern Tien Shan Upper Paleolithic took place within the framework of a single cultural vector, characteristic for the western part of Eurasia. There are cultural horizons with Aurignation-like, Gravettian-like lithic industries, as well as a culture with geometric microliths (scalene triangles). At the same time, lithic industries show considerable originality. Further work is aimed at studying the classification, typology of lithic collections and their correlation with each other.

Dangerous geological processes on Lake Kolsai and the impact of Anthropogenic load on the DGP

This article shows research the risks of landslide processes on the territory of Lake Kolsai, as well as the influence of anthropogenic factors on dangerous geological processes. Examples of data processing from LandSat-7,8 satellites using the Google Earth Pro program and images of the territory of Lake Kolsai using unmanned aerial vehicles are shown. The main purpose of this article is to use the analysis of data from previously carried out works to assess the conditions of zones with potentially dangerous development of landslide processes, as well as to give predictive assessments of the risks of DGP in this area. The area of research is the left side of Lake Kolsai in the northern Tien Shan, in the Kolsai Gorge, in the bridge connecting the Kungei and Zailiysky Alatau ridges. At the end of the nineteenth century, a number of major earthquakes occurred in the above-mentioned area, which caused enormous damage to the environment and to the people of the coastal areas. Subsequently, after these earthquakes, dangerous zones with a potential risk of landslide processes were formed in the study area. This article deals mainly with the left side of Lake Kolsai, which changes year after year due to the strong anthropogenic load. For this article, the collected satellite images and photographs from the UAV have been processed, interpreted and the necessary data extracted. The analysis of previously carried out works is made.

Bringing medicinal plants of the native flora of the northern Tien Shan into cultivation

In the current study, it was tried to investigate the medicinal plants of the native flora of the Northern Tien Shan to bring them into domestication. The study was carried out on the territory of a botanical garden located at an altitude of 880 m a.s.l., in the foothill steppe zone of the Zailiysky Alatau ridge, People’s Republic of China on light chestnut loamy soils. In 2018–2019, more than 90 samples of 51 species of medicinal plants of the Northern Tien Shan flora was selected from 17 families for introduction tests. The families Compositae (10 genera, 12 species) and Lamiaceae (12 genera, 13 species) were represented by the largest numbers of genera and species. The family Leguminosae was represented by four species from four genera; the families Polygonaceae and Ranunculaceae, by three species each; the family Rosaceae, by two species; and the remaining 11 families, by one species each. The results suggested that the majority of medicinal plants of the Northern Tien Shan tested can be successfully cultivated in the foothill zone of the Zailiysky Alatau. The results indicated that when propagated by seed, the laboratory germination varied from 2 to 30%, and the mass of seeds was 0.21 g. When sown in spring, the field germination was 8%, and when sown in autumn, 42% from 50 to 70% of seedlings survived until the end of the growing season. The massive flowering was observed in the third year, and the plants vegetated until the end of the growing season.

Collection of rare plant species of Kazakhstan in the conditions of the botanical garden of Almaty

The collection of rare species in the botanical garden of Almaty (Kazakhstan) consists of 36 species of rareplants. The Botanical garden is located in the foothill zone of the Zailiysky Alatau ridge, which is part of the Northern TienShan mountain system. A collection of rare and endemic species from the mountainous regions of the Northern, Western Tien Shan, and the Kazakh Altai was created, but most of their work was carried out in the mountains of the NorthernTien Shan. The largest species composition of the collection are groups of plants of the genera Tulipa – 25 %, Iris –14 %,Allium – 8.3 %. The largest ecological group in the collection of rare species is represented by ephemeroid geophytes. Introduction tests have shown that ephemeroid drought-resistant plants adapt best to the conditions of the foothill zone of theTrans-Ili Alatau. Xerophyte plants are short-lived, often suffer from the accumulation of snow in winter and the abundance of spring precipitation. Mesophytic plants are prone to drying out from lack of humidity and high air temperaturesin the summer.

HARDWARE-SOFTWARE COMPLEX FOR THE TELLURIC CURRENT INVESTIGATION IN A SEISMICALLY HAZARDOUS REGION OF ZAILIYSKY ALATAU

To solve the current issues of detecting seismoelectric signals at preparing earthquakes, a hardware-software complex was created, designed to study the telluric current variation in the ultra-low frequency range (0-20 Hz), which is installed in the seismically active region of the Zailiysky Alatau (Northern Tien Shan) near the foci of the Vernensky M7.3 and Keminsky M8.2 catastrophic earthquakes. Special mathematical algorithms and program tools were designed for continuous registration, real-time data analysis, and visualization of the information on telluric current. It was proposed an effective system for reducing the influence of stray currents on the measuring equipment, an optimal lightning protection scheme, and a grounding system for the power supply devices, which allow uninterrupted measurements in mountain conditions even in time of close intensive thunderstorm. The capabilities of the hardware-software complex make it possible to detect both the weak electric signals with an amplitude of several tens–hundred of microvolts only, and intensive electromagnetic pulses from close lightnings without the damage of registering apparatus. In the records of telluric current the wave oscillations were detected which belong to the frequency range of the Pc2–Pc4 class micropulsations of the geomagnetic field. Perspectives of the detection of seismogenic electrical signals in variations of telluric current on the eve and during earthquakes are connected with data obtained during the earthquake of magnitude MPV 4.5, which occurred on July 1, 2021 at 60.4 km from the measuring point. At the time of the earthquake, immediately after the main shock, in conditions of good weather and low industrial noise, using the calculation of the dynamic power spectrum of the telluric current in the frequency range 0.2 Hz - 0.0282 Hz, electrical signals were detected, presumably of seismogenic origin.

Hieracium pilosella L. – a new adventive species for the flora of the Tian Shan (Kazakhstan)

Information is given about the finding of Hieracium pilosella L. in the Issyk River valley on the northern slope of the Zailiysky Alatau ridge. The habitat of the species, the composition of the plant community with its participation are described, the data on the population density of the species, the ratio of generative and vegetative individuals are provided. The appearance of this adventive species in the immediate vicinity of Almaty in the last decade is most likely due to the increasing recreational load on this territory.

Experience of primary introduction of some Scutellaria species in terms of the Northern Tien Shan in the Trans-Ili Alatau foothills

The primary introduction data of Scutellaria titovii Juz., S. transiliensis Juz., S. przewalskii Juz., S. sieversiiBunge at the collection of the Almaty Botanical Garden, located in Zailiysky Alatau foothill zone, is provided. The analysis of the decorative properties of Scutellaria showed that all studied species have high decorative and adaptive featuresand suitable for planting in rockeries, rock gardens and as a groundcover to strengthen gravelly slopes.

Morphology and distribution of Aspergillus niger in the forest soils of Zailiysky Alatau (Kazakhstan)

In the Zailiysky Alatau forests, Aspergillus niger is mosty found in the rhizosphere of Picea schrenkiana,much less – in the rhizosphere of Sorbus tianschanica, Malus sieversii and Juniperus spp. In the rhizosphere ofArmeniaca vulgaris, Crataegus spp. and Populus tremula, the fungus was registered once. The morphological features ofdifferent strains of Aspergillus niger do not vary significantly, however, strains 331b and 346b with a low growth rate arecharacterized by smaller sizes of conidial structures. Aspergillus niger is a typical species in the rhizosphere of spruce inconiferous forests at an altitude of 1700–2100 m above sea level and in the rhizosphere of spruce, rowan and juniper injuniper forests above 2300 m above sea level.

Rust fungus Puccinia recondita in Zailiysky Alatau (Kazakhstan)

38 samples of Puccinia recondita were collected on the territory of Zailiysky Alatau, 22 samples werefound on intermediate host-plant, where spermagonia and aecia are developed, and 16 samples were found on the mainhost, where uredinia and telia are formed. Puccinia recondita is mostly observed on the leaves and petioles of Atragenesibirica and Aconitum leucostomum in the form of aecia and on the leaves and sheaths of Elymus caninus in the form ofuredinia and telia. In the intermediate host-plant, the number of Puccinia recondita samples is steadily increasing from1198 m to 2240 m a. s. l., on the main host, there are two sample occurrence’s maxima: at an altitude of 1153–1400 m(steppe) and at an altitude of 1700–2288 m a. s. l. (dark coniferous forests and meadows). Most often, Puccinia reconditais found on the territory of the Zhetyzhol ridge, and in the Turgen, Prokhodnoye, and Big Almaty gorges.

Diversity of rust fungi on woody and shrubby vegetation of the Zailiysky Alatau

Diversity of rust fungi on woody and shrubby vegetation of the Zailiysky Alatau

Experiments on the introduction of a rare, endangered, narrow-endemic plant Rosa iliensis chrshan. in the conditions of the steppe zone of Zailiysky Alatau

The article deals with the introduction of a rare, endangered, narrow-endemic plant Rosa iliensis Chrshan. by seed in the conditions of the steppe zone of the ZailiyskyAlatau. It is noted that the results of the study were positive. Although only 10 to 20% of the 100 seeds sown were sprouted, but 90 to 99% of the sprouts that appeared successfully took root. This makes it possible to consider the introduction of Rosa iliensis Chrshan. in the future seminal way of great optimism. Moreover, by entering Rosa iliensis Chrshan. during the introduction, we can simultaneously solve several important issues.The main ones, save Rosa iliensis Chrshan. from extinction; creating an artificial Rosa iliensis Chrshan plantation. we will provide the vitamin industry and pharmaceutical industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan with natural and cheap raw materials; Rosa iliensis Chrshan. we can recommend landscaping of parks, squares, alleys of cities, district centers and remote localities; introducing Rosa iliensis Chrshan. into the introduction in the Botanical gardens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, it can be used as a Queen for crossing with cultural varieties in order to breed new varieties of Kazakhstan garden roses. Keywords: introduction, population, endemic plants, stratification, cuttings

ИНТРОДУКЦИЯ КАЗАХСТАНСКИХ ВИДОВ ИРИСОВ

According to various sources 19 (22) species are found in the flora of Kazakhstan except 3 rare species (Iris alberti Regel, I. ludwigii Maxim, I. tigridia Bunge) and endemics I. ludwigii, I. alberti. Eight species are used in folk medicine. Most of the wild irises grow in southeast Kazakhstan in various environmental conditions where they are found from the foothills and slopes of Dzungarian Alatau and the North Tien Shan mountains up to the desert territory of the Balkhash-Alakol depression. We studied introducted species of the genus Iris L. attracted in 2015–2019 by living plants from natural habitats (foothills of the Zailiysky Alatau, South. Balkhash) as well as, seeds by delectus exchange. In order to restore the collection of species belong to Iris L. on the site of medicinal plants have studded the features of their seasonal development, fruiting and seed propagation under conditions of small plot cultivation in the territory of MBG. In the studies have been used generally accepted introduction methods with their slight modifications as applied to local conditions. As a result of studies, it was found that the tested species of irises tolerate translocation well. All 4 species transferred to the culture by rhizomes undergo a normal cycle of phenological development, flowering, 2 species regularly give matured seeds. Seed propagation of wild irises gives extremely low results which are further exacerbated by the seedling germination cycle extended over the years that again confirms the above literature data on their low seed reproduction potential. At the same time, some of the pre-sowing treatment options that we tested give reason to believe that it is promising to develop more effective methods for seed propagation of irises. Key words: irises, introduction, Kazakhstan

ГЕНЕТИЧЕСКИЕ РЕСУРСЫ В СЕЛЕКЦИИ ПШЕНИЦЫ НА УСТОЙЧИВОСТЬ К ТВЕРДОЙ ГОЛОВНЕ

Common bunt (Tilletia caries (D.C.) Tul. & C. Tul. (syn. Tilletia tritici (Bjerk.) G. Winter) and T. laevis J.G. Kuhn (syn. T. foetida (Wallr.) Liro) is one of the most devastating diseases of wheat in many wheat-producing countries. Contamination of wheat with common bunt spores leads to significant (up to 40%) yield losses. Most varieties currently cultivated are susceptible to one or more common bunt races. The search for new sources of sustainability is needed. Most sources of bunt resistance have poor agronomic indicators. The challenge is to introduce resistance genes, while simultaneously eliminating bad agronomic traits. The purpose of research was the screening of bread wheat genetic resources of Kazakhstan and world breeding for resistance to common bunt and productivity in conditions of the foothill zone of Zailiysky Alatau (48° N, 77° E and 740 m above sea level). The assessment of resistance to common bunt of a wide range of bread wheat materials of local (79 varieties) and 70 accessions world breeding (СИММИТ - CBUNT-RN 2015-2016) in the foothill zone of the Zailiysky Alatau shows an ambiguous level of resistance depending on the climatic conditions of the year of research. To adapt to the needs of organic farming, CB-resistant breeding lines and registered varieties must be assessment by using spores with a certain virulence.

CREATION AND EVALUATION OF THE VARIETAL-LINEAR HYBRIDS OF ONION IN KAZAKHSTAN

The experiments were conducted in 2015-2017 on the experimental fields of the Kazakh Research Institute of Potato and Vegetable Growing located on the northern slope of the Zailiysky Alatau, 40 km to the west of the city of Almaty, under irrigation conditions. The aim of the research was a comprehensive field assessment of selective onion samples with sterile cytoplasm from onion Galantum and their derivatives – varietal-linear hybrids obtained by pollination with domestic cultivars. Visual assessment, which was conducted on the background of natural disease infection, showed that 20 accessions of onions had a very weak susceptibility to peronosporosis (1-10% of leaves); 63 – weak susceptibility (11-25% of the leaves); 91 - average susceptibility (26- 50% of leaves); 118 – severe susceptibility (more than 51% of the leaves). As the results of the research showed, onion accessions differed significantly in terms of productivity: the gross yield varied from 13,3 to 83,6 t/ha, the commodity yields ranged from 10,6 to 78,3 t/ha, and the marketability ranged from 65,4 up to 98,8%. Yield level above 70 t/ha had breeding accessions with sterile cytoplasm from onion Galanthum: ON518, ON533, ON519 and ON516, amounting to 83,6; 75,3; 74,2 and 73,4 t/ha, respectively. Very high marketability of bulbs had breeding accessions ON171 – 98,8%, ON439 – 97,6% and ON158 – 96,8%. The value of storage losses varied depending on the genotype of the selected onion breeding material. The greatest physiological reduction in weight was observed in the accessions ON517 – 32,1%, ON516 – 26,5%, ON533 – 24,2% and ON336 – 17,7%, and the lowest - in the accessions ON431 – 4,6%, ON486 – 4,0% and ON327 – 3,4%. The correlation analysis showed a weak relationship between the parameters of the onion yield and its storabilioty (R = -0,10-0,24). Storability was mainly due to the physiological reduction in weight (R = -0,59), bulb soft rot (R = -0,59) and bulb sprouting (R = -0,69).

Effects of glaciological and hydro-meteorological conditions on the glacial danger in Zailiyskiy Alatau

A need to estimate a hazard of a mudflow stream appearance in the glacial-nival zone of the Northern slope of Zailiyskiy Alatau (Kasakhstan) is now one of the really urgent problems. The objective of this study was to inves‑ tigate influence of glacial and hydrometeorological factors on the condition of snow-glacial zone of Zailiyskiy Alatau and find out a mudflow-forming role of the mudflow centers arising due to climate warming and degra‑ dation of glaciation: periglacial lakes, intramoraine channels and reservoirs, and also talik massifs of morainic deposits. We analyzed glacial processes in the Zailiysky Alatau over a long period using meteorological data of the Almaty weather station and its close correlations with data from weather stations in the mountains. The area of glaciations was found out to be reduced after the maximum of the Little Ice Age. A combined diagram of occurrence of the mudflow manifestations and factors causing them had been constructed on the basis of sta‑ tistical data on the landslide phenomena. Glacial mudflows were the most frequent in 1960–1990, and later on activity of them became weaker. We believe, that in the next 10–20 years, the glacial mudflow hazard in Zailiys‑ kiy Alatau can sharply decrease, but at the same time, a probability of occurrence of the rainfall mudflows can increase in the mountainous zone of the ridge due the increase of areas with melted moraine and slope deposits.

EVALUATION OF VARIOUS GENOTYPES OF CARROTS IN THE NURSERY OF INITIAL BREEDING FORMS

The investigations were conducted on the fields of the Kazakh Research Institute of Potato and Vegetable Growing located on the northern slope of the Zailiysky Alatau, 40 km to the west of Almaty city, under irrigation conditions. The soil of the experimental site is dark chestnut with medium-loamy structure. 37 carrot accessions with different geographic origins were the object of the study in the nursery of the initial breeding forms to evaluate their productivity and field resistance to foliar diseases such as Alternaria, Powdery Mildew. When symptoms expressed maximally 1.5 months before the harvest of carrot, visual assessment of leaf surface damaged by foliar infections was carried out according to the scale of infection, where 0 meant no damaged leaves; 1 meant very light damage (1-10% of leaves); 2 meant light damage (11-25% of leaves); 3 meant medium damage (26-50% of leaves); 4 meant severe damage (over 51% of leaves). The visual observation showed that two breeding accessions CR00655 and CR01253 had immunity to powdery mildew that maximally spread out over other carrot accessions approaching of 100% of damage of leaf surface with the score from 1.8 to 3.8 points, when disease developing from 45.0 to 93.8%. Alternaria spread on carrot plants not very intensively, only 17% of plants in the nursery were hardly attacked at 0.1-0.4 points as scored. The correlation analysis showed the absence of any link between characteristics of productivity and damage parameters caused by foliar diseases at r=0,005-0,225.

Evaluation of molecular genetic diversity of wild apple Malus sieversii populations from Zailiysky Alatau by microsatellite markers

The territory of Kazakhstan is part of the distribution range of Malus sieversii, which is one of the ancestors of cultivated apple tree varieties. The collected samples of Sievers apple leaves from five populations growing in the Zailiysky Alatau region served as a source not only for the creation of a bank of genomic DNA but also for determination ofthe wild apple genetic polymorphism. The seven microsatellite markers used in this study revealed 86 alleles with different frequencies, as well as the characteristic pools of rare alleles for each of the populations. Molecular genetic analysis showed a high level of genetic diversity (H(o) = 0.704; PIC = 0.752; I = 1.617). Moreover, interpopulation variability accounted only for 7.5% of total variability, confirming the genetic closeness of the populations examined. Based on phylogenetic analysis, it was demonstrated that the Bel'bulak and Almaty Reserve populations were closest to each other, while the most distant were the Ketmen and Great Almaty gorge populations, which suggests the dependence of genetic distance on the geographical.