Glacial–Periglacial Biogeochemical Dynamics in Alpine Ecosystems of the Northern Tian Shan under Climate Change and Anthropogenic Load
Kushnov I. Nekhaev I. Abakumov E.
December 2025Springer
Ecosystems
2025#28Issue 6
Glacial retreat in alpine regions is accelerating due to climate change, with supraglacial sediments such as cryoconites playing a critical role in both deglaciation and biogeochemical cycling. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of supraglacial sediments and their influence on alpine soils in the Ile Alatau Ridge, Kazakhstan, with a focus on microbiological activity, carbon cycling, and trace element pollution. Fieldwork was conducted at two contrasting sites: the relatively pristine Morenny Glacier in the Big Almaty Valley and the anthropogenically affected Bogdanovich Glacier near the Shymbulak Ski Resort. Similar to local alpine soils, values of basal respiration and substrate-induced respiration were defined in supraglacial sediments, indicating their role as biogeochemical hotspots. Active redistribution of cryoconite material accelerated weathering processes and development of primary soils after glacial retreat with translocation of glacial carbon downstream and its accumulation in periglacial zone (max. 8.88%), suggesting a potential for rapid nutrient cycling. On the other hand, cryoconites efficiently accumulated trace elements, especially cadmium, with concentration up to 0.83 mg·kg−1. Both local tourism-related activities and long-distance atmospheric transportation of particles from the Almaty city and arid industrial lowlands were considerable sources of pollutants for the studied alpine territories. Local transfer of contaminated cryoconites increased pollution load of periglacial soils up to heavily polluted that may pose risks of ecosystem health, freshwater quality, and long-term agricultural development, showing necessity of alpine pollution monitoring in changing environment.
Carbon , Central Asia , Cryoconite , Pollution , Soil , Trace elements
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Saint Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaya Emb., St Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation
Institute of Zoology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Al-Farabi Avenue 93, Almaty, 050060, Kazakhstan
All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology, Podbelsky Chausse 3, St Petersburg, Pushkin, 196608, Russian Federation
Saint Petersburg State University
Institute of Zoology of the Republic of Kazakhstan
All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology
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