# The Soils of Natural (In Situ) Coenopopulations of _Taraxacum kok-saghyz_ [PERSON] in Kazakhstan
## 4 Discussion  
The soils of the studied TKS populations and remote areas where TKS is not present have the following general characteristics--meadowy soils with well-developed humus horizons are often saline and carbonate. The type of soil profile is regular and has a full  
Figure 9: Landscape and soil profile cut 07O, 30 m from TKS population “Tuzkol”. set of horizons and usual soil depth. In soils of TKS populations on the shore of the Kegen River and remote areas where TKS is absent, humus content reduces from 9.0% to 0.4% with the depth of soil profile cut in the \"Zhalauly\" population, easily hydrolyzable nitrogen drops from 218.4% to 61.6%, and mobile phosphorus reduces from 90% to 3%. The content of CO\({}_{2}\) increases with depth, for example, in the \"Kegen\" population from 6.6% to 11.5% in the carbonate horizon. The quantitative composition of absorbed alkali varies widely by horizon, but exchangeable Ca\({}^{2+}\) dominates in all horizons. The involvement of Mg\({}^{2+}\) in the absorbing complex is significant (21-75% of the total). The soil solution reaction is strongly alkaline (pH 8.3-10.3). However, the exception is the soil profile features of the TKS population \"Tuzkol\"--CO\({}_{2}\) content does not increase but decreases with the depth of the soil profile cut. The soils of _T. kok-saghyz_ in situ populations contained increased CO\({}_{2}\) content. The more elevated above sea level the kok-saghyz population, the higher the CO\({}_{2}\) content in the soil. The lowest elevation point, 1798 m above sea level soil of \"Zhalauly\" population, contains 5% CO\({}_{2}\); then the elevation point above 1810 m soil of \"Kegen\" population has 6.6% CO\({}_{2}\); the next elevation point above 1872 m soil of \"Saryzhaz\" population has 7.2% CO\({}_{2}\); and the highest elevation point 1962 m above sea level soil of \"Tuzkol\" population has 29.8% CO\({}_{2}\). It has been reported that the CO\({}_{2}\) content in soil used for the cultivation of agricultural crops does not exceed 1%. Changes in concentrations of CO\({}_{2}\) and O\({}_{2}\) are interrelated across the soil profile. The maximum content of CO\({}_{2}\) corresponds to the minimum concentration of oxygen. The total of these gases in soil air is 21%. The optimal content of O\({}_{2}\) and CO\({}_{2}\) in soil air is, respectively, 20% and 1% [43]. Based on the soil texture of TKS in situ populations identified medium loam soil (\"Zhalauly\"), clay loam soil and medium loam soil (\"Saryzhaz\"), and clay loam soil (\"Kegen\", \"Tuzkol\"). It is apparent that high clay content in the soil reduces air-holding capacity and is the cause of oxygen shortage [44]. Conclusively, the results suggest soil hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) in the TKS in situ populations. Soil horizons of TKS in situ populations and soils of the remote areas where TKS is absent have features of soil profile salinization. In the near-shore zone of the Kegen River, the upper horizons of in situ TKS populations of \"Zhalauly\", \"Kegen\", and \"Saryzhaz\" study areas are slightly saline, and the middle soil horizons are saline. The lower horizons of the parent rock at a depth of 90-100 cm are not saline (salt content is less than 0.1%) and do not cause salinization of the soil profile. Nevertheless, the upper horizon and the whole profile of soil horizons remote from TKS populations \"Zhalauly\", \"Kegen\", and \"Saryzhaz\", where TKS is not observed, are saline, and the lower horizon of the parent rock is highly saline. The only exception is the profile of soil horizons of the \"Tuzkol\" population; the upper horizon up to 15 cm depth is strongly saline (1.38%), then there is a decrease in salinity throughout the profile. In the lower horizon of the parent rock (90 cm deep), salinization is not observed (0.045%). Probably, specific features of salinization of the \"Tuzkol\" in situ soil profile population are caused by the inflow of non-saline water from underground streams and spring wells.