Top soil physical and chemical properties in Kazakhstan across a north-south gradient

• Published in: Scientific data 2018-11, Vol.5 (1), p.180242-180242, Article 180242
• Main Authors: Yapiyev, Vadim, Gilman, Charles P., Kabdullayeva, Tolganay, Suleimenova, Akmaral, Shagadatova, Aizhan, Duisembay, Azat, Naizabekov, Sanzhar, Mussurova, Saule, Sydykova, Kamilya, Raimkulov, Ilyas, Kabimoldayev, Ilyas, Abdrakhmanova, Ainagul, Omarkulova, Symbat, Nurmukhambetov, Dastan, Kudarova, Aliya, Malgazhdar, Daniyar, Schönbach, Christian, Inglezakis, Vassilis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 704/158/2456; 704/158/47/4113; 704/47/4113; Air temperature; Data Descriptor; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science; Soil properties; Soil types; Soils
• ISSN: 2052-4463; 2052-4463
• DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2018.242

Kazakhstan’s soil properties have yet to be comprehensively characterized. We sampled 40 sites consisting of ten major soil types at spring (wet) and late-summer (dry) seasons. The sample locations range from semi-arid to arid with an annual mean air temperature from 1.2 to 10.7 °C and annual precipitation from less than 200 to around 400 mm. Overall topsoil total (STC), organic (SOC), and inorganic (SIC) carbon did not change significantly between spring and late summer. STC and SOC show a wave like pattern from north to south with two maxima in northern and southern Kazakhstan and one minimum in central Kazakhstan. With a few exceptions SIC content at northern sites is generally low, whereas at Lake Balkhash SIC can exceed 75% of STC. Independent of the seasons, SOC significantly differed among soil types. Total nitrogen content distribution among our sampling sites followed a similar pattern as SOC with significant differences between soil types occurring in northern, central and southern Kazakhstan. Design Type(s) data collection and processing objective Measurement Type(s) recorded image • soil Technology Type(s) photography • data collection method Factor Type(s) sampling time • geographic location Sample Characteristic(s) North Kazakhstan Province • Aqmola Province • Qaraghandy Province • Zhambyl Province • area of scrub • area of cropland • area of deciduous forest • steppe • area of developed open space • area of dwarf scrub • cold desert • desert scrubland • area of emergent herbaceous wetland Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data (ISA-Tab format)