The Ziadin-Zirabulak botanical-geographical region belongs to the Kuhistan district and the Mountainous Central Asia province, located within the Samarkand and Navoi regions. This area is characterized by diverse climatic conditions, with temperatures ranging from +12°C to +16°C and annual precipitation from 172 mm to 395 mm. The floristic checklist of the region has not been fully developed, and discrepancies exist between recorded and observed species. This study, conducted through fieldwork from March to end of May 2025, resulted in more than 2500 observations uploaded to the iNaturalist platform. The findings made it possible to identify 13 species previously unrecorded for the Ziadin-Zirabulak region. These results offer new insights into the flora of the area and contribute to a deeper understanding of its biodiversity and ecological significance.
The mycobiota of the Ural River valley and the West Kazakhstan region as a whole remains extremely understudied. The aim of this study was to investigate the taxonomic diversity and distribution patterns of fungi and lichens in the Ural River valley within the West Kazakhstan region. Sample collection was carried out in 2025 during route surveys of the Ural River valley. Laboratory processing and identification of samples were performed according to generally accepted mycological and lichenological methods. As a result of the research, 71 species of fungi, fungus-like organisms, and lichens, belonging to 47 genera, 32 families, 19 orders, and 8 classes, were identified in the Ural River valley within the West Kazakhstan region. The largest families are Erysiphaceae Tul. & C. Tul. (13 species, 37% of the total number of species), Physciaceae Zahlbr. (9 species), and Pucciniaceae Chevall. (6 species). The majority of the discovered genera (37) of fungi and lichens are monotypic in the studied sample, accounting for 51% of the total number of species. Five genera are represented by two species each, and two genera include three species of fungi. The genus Physcia (Schreb.) Michx. comprises 4 species, and the genus Puccinia Pers. is represented by six species. The largest genus is Erysiphe R. Hedw. ex DC., which includes 8 species. The species Puccinia glechomae DC. on Glechoma hederacea L. was found for the first time in this territory. In the Middle Steppe Interplatform Geobotanical Region, 30 species of fungi, fungus-like organisms, and lichens were identified; in the Caspian Steppe, 45 species of fungi and lichens; and in the Caspian Desert, 15 species of fungi.
This article presents new data on the modern distribution of the steppe morel (Morchella steppicola Zerova) in Kazakhstan. Historically, the species was considered extremely rare due to fragmented mycological research and its brief spring fruiting period, which previously served as formal grounds for its inclusion in the national Red Data Book. Drawing on the author’s long-term field observations (2009–2024), survey data from local residents, and verified records from global biodiversity platforms (GBIF, iNaturalist), we summarize information on 21 confirmed localities of the fungus. The geography of the findings covers the foothill and steppe zones of the Turkestan, Zhambyl, Almaty, and Zhetysu regions. An updated distribution map was compiled, demonstrating that M. steppicola occupies a broad and nearly continuous range along the northern foothills of the Tien Shan. The study shows that locally the species is quite common, possesses high ecological plasticity, and exhibits mass fruiting during years with favorable precipitation. Its tolerance to centuries-old moderate livestock grazing in steppe biotopes is particularly noted. Based on the obtained results and similar international experience, we argue that the existing conservation system for this taxon is ineffective and unjustified. We strongly recommend removing the steppe morel from the list of protected objects in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan.
