How have the chestnut soils of the dzhanybek plain been transformed as a result of climate change?

The period from the mid–1970s is distinguished as the period of modern global warming, and 1976 is conventionally taken as its beginning. The territories of southern and arid regions are especially sensitive to climatic changes, so the aim of the work was to identify the peculiarities of climate warming in the territory of the Dzhanybek plain and changes in soil properties associated with the established climatic trends. The object of the study is a microcatena of chestnut solonetzic soils (Someric Calcic Luvic Kastanozem (Loamic, Sodic) and Mollic Salic Calcic Solonetz (Loamic)) on the territory of Dzhanybek station of the Institute of Forestry Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Data on the climate of the study area for the period 1914–2021 are summarized. It is revealed that in the period 1976–2021 compared to the period 1914–1975 increased: the average annual T (temperature) of the air by 1° C and Σp (sum of precipitation) by 18.3 mm; the average annual T of the cold period by 1.5° C; the average annual Σp of the warm period by 39.5 mm. Using field, micromorphological, chemical methods it was established that for the last 54 years the groundwater table has risen by 1 m, groundwater mineralization and salinity has increased at least 2 times, salinization and carbonatization of the studied soils have increased, the depth of processing by soil mesofauna and the depth of root penetration have increased, which has not yet been reflected in the content of organic carbon. If the identified climate trends continue, the studied soils are expected to become saline and carbonate from the surface and increase in carbon content and stock, but continued and expanded stationary observations are required to confirm such changes.