Charophyte algae is a very sensitive group of organisms occupying Kazakhstan waterbodies. They are distributed throughout the country; however, not enough studies have been conducted, especially in the southern region. Research carried out in 2019–2022 identified 33 habitats of charophyte algae in the south and southeastern regions of Kazakhstan, including 15 new to Kazakhstan. Bioindicators and the statistical analysis of 223 species of nine phyla of microalgae associated with charophytes revealed that the main factors influencing the distribution of algal diversity may be habitat altitude and hydrology. The habitat altitude of about 700 m above sea level was shown to be the boundary between the different diversity distributions. The application of bioindicator methods can expand our knowledge on the ecology of the charophyte species in Kazakhstan. The study of algal diversity in charophyte habitats can serve as a tool for tracking climate change under potential future climate warming.

Kazakhstan is a country with rich inland and border water bodies, many of these water bodies have not been studied on the current state of chara algae. This article shows the results of the research work carried out and the samples taken from the Talgara River, originating in the Zailiyskiy Alatau, and the ponds formed from the flood of the Tuganbay River, Pond-1, Pond-2, Pond-3 and Pond-4. The biological characteristics of the identified species are reflected and presented in the modern systematic system. Most of these chara algae species found in the studied water bodies are considered to be widespread species. Most of these chara algae species found in the studied water bodies are considered widespread species 4 species of chara algae were identified, belonging to the 1 st Phylum, 1 st class, 1 st order, 1 st family and 1 st genus. Some of these species have formed dense thickets.

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The aim of present study were to reveal species-indicators of the Alakol Lake communities and assess the water quality with bioindication and statistical methods. Algal communities in the Alakol Lake Natural State Reserve were studied in 21 samples collected during August 2015-2017 summer field trips. Altogether 208 algal species from five taxonomic Divisions were indicators of ten water properties: temperature, oxygenation, organic pollution, salinity, trophic state of the water, and nutrition type of algal species. It was the first experience of the bioindicational approach implementation for ecological assessment of water quality in the Alakol Lake. Diatom species, which are most indicative, strongly prevailed in the three studied areas of the lake. We revealed that algal species can characterize the water of the lake as low alkaline, low saline, temperate, middle oxygenated water with low-to middle organic pollution that comes from Koktuma and Kamyskala areas and decrease from north to south. The lake tropic state and intensity of self-purification are also increase from north to south. Algal communities aremostly represented by periphytonic and benthic autotrophic species. Statistical analysis of speciesenvironment relationships revealed that most of species preferred to survive in communities with complicated structure which formed in low organically polluted waters. Bioindication assess the Alakol Lake as oligotrophic and meso-eutrophic, of Class 2 and 3 of Water Quality with high level of selfpurification capacity.

The presented research was conducted during 2019–2022 in south and southeast Kazakhstan to document the species richness, distribution, and ecology of charophytes (Characeae) as a first step towards to estimate the need for species protection. Across the 54 sites, we found ten species and one variety. Chara vulgaris Linnaeus and C. contraria A.Braun ex Kützing were the most common species, followed by C. canescens Loiseleur, C. kirghisorum C.F.Lessing, C. tomentosa Linnaeus, C. dominii J.Vilhelm, C. globata W.Migula, Nitellopsis obtusa (Desvaux) J. Groves, and Nitella hyalina (De Candolle) C. Agardh. The list of localities for each species was compiled. The distribution of each taxon was mapped in relations to the ecoregions studied. The two most frequent species were found in a wide spectrum of ecoregions, whereas all other species occurred in only a few regions in Kazakhstan. The Kaskelen River Valley had the most sampled sites with the highest number of co-occurring species (up to five together). Statistical maps were plotted in attempt to outline key environmental variables explaining the distribution of each species. A comparison of species and environmental variables distribution maps lets us assume that C. vulgaris prefers low altitude habitats with higher water temperatures, organic enrichments, and color, but low oxygen and pH. Other species prefer clear, alkaline, organically unpolluted, and well-oxygenated waters in lowland habitats. The redundancy detrended analysis (RDA) defined pH and altitude as negative factors for Nitellopsis obtusa whereas an increase in water temperature was positive. Altitude and water temperatures affected Chara contraria positively while altitude negatively influenced the rare species: Chara tomentosa, C. kirghisorum, and C. dominii. The matK sequences were obtained for C. contraria and C. vulgaris to confirm their identity according to morphological traits and to compare populations of C. gymnophylla and C. vulgaris from an arid region in Israel. Our data allowed for the preparation of a tentative red list from the study region. One species was recognized as endangered, four species and one variety as vulnerable, and two species as least concern. There was insufficient data to determine the status of two species and one variety.