TY - JOUR

T1 - Glacial–Periglacial Biogeochemical Dynamics in Alpine Ecosystems of the Northern Tian Shan under Climate Change and Anthropogenic Load

AU - Kushnov, I.

AU - Nekhaev, I.

AU - Abakumov, E.

N1 - Export Date: 01 November 2025; Cited By: 0; Correspondence Address: I. Kushnov; Saint Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, 7/9 Universitetskaya Emb., 199034, Russian Federation; email: st084838@student.spbu.ru; CODEN: ECOSF

PY - 2025/10/13

Y1 - 2025/10/13

N2 - 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. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

AB - 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. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

KW - Carbon

KW - Central Asia

KW - Cryoconite

KW - Pollution

KW - Soil

KW - Trace elements

KW - alpine environment

KW - biogeochemistry

KW - carbon

KW - climate change

KW - periglacial environment

KW - pollution

KW - trace element

KW - transportation

KW - Almaty

KW - Kazakhstan

KW - Tien Shan

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/e10c1876-e92a-3a8c-8195-2b95431c0405/

U2 - 10.1007/s10021-025-01016-0

DO - 10.1007/s10021-025-01016-0

M3 - статья

VL - 28

JO - Ecosystems

JF - Ecosystems

SN - 1432-9840

IS - 6

ER -