TY - Data T1 - Soils in the mountains of Central Asia and South Kazakhstan A1 - Documentation Information Center DO - 10.12389/ariddc.02015 PY - 2026 DA - 2026-09-03 PB - Arid Land Ecology and Resources Science Data Center AB - Perhaps no natural phenomenon is more awe-inspiring than mountains. It is difficult to find words that can fully convey the pristine beauty of these true masterpieces of nature, composed of snow-capped peaks, rocky cliffs and gorges, rushing torrents, and towering summits.The life of the mountains, their sounds, their colors, and their grandeur have long served as magnificent subjects for generations of researchers and artists in both scientific inquiry and aesthetic appreciation.While praising the beauty of his homeland, Rasul Gamzatov perceptively observed that in the small land of Dagestan one can simultaneously witness “winter and autumn, spring and summer. Separating these ‘seasons’ from one another are the rugged, silent, roaring mountains where eagles make their home.”Among the many mountain systems of the world, the continental and subcontinental mountain ranges of Central Asia and Kazakhstan possess significant scientific value. They stretch for great distances and encircle the vast deserts located deep within the continent.The Tianshan and the Pamirs, among the world's greatest mountain systems, are situated in the arid zone of the Asian deserts and possess distinctive vegetation. Rising above these deserts are enormous rocky mountain ranges whose plant cover produces large amounts of oxygen and conserves water resources, thereby determining the important role of mountains in biospheric processes.The territories of these mountain systems are surrounded by massive mountain ridges reaching elevations of 3,000 to 7,000 meters and even higher. Between these ridges lie semi-enclosed and enclosed longitudinal depressions, intermontane plains, and plateaus.Mountainous terrain also determines the ecological characteristics of the region's natural ecosystems, particularly the diversity of climate, soils, vegetation, fauna, and landscapes. The mountains of Central Asia and Kazakhstan contain many unique features that cannot be found in other mountain systems.This mo DB - EGIDC UR - https://data.dcxjegi.cn/portal/metadata/deab2a39-e5c1-44ee-852d-820b8b50f3b9 ER -