Abstract
Soil-ecological studies were carried out in Balkhash district of Almaty region on the left bank of the Ili River, where grow the unique turanga trees included into the Red List - Populus pruinosa Schrenk. Since ancient times, turanga has been considered a sacred, tenacious tree, reaching a height of 15-20 meters, it protects plantings from drying out and waterlogging of soil and, in strong winds, it stops the movement of sand, its roots penetrate deeply and retain surface moisture, as well as groundwater. The trees are in extremely critical situation. There are a lot of fallen trees, in some places cut down, broken, uprooted, sick, infected with parasites. The research object was subjected to anthropogenic degradation, pasture digression and desertification. The soil surface is represented by ordinary gray soil, which forms in the foothill desert-steppe zone. Common gray soils are underdeveloped stony-gravelly medium loamy, sandy and sandy loam and form complexes with alluvial, takyr-like, sandy and solonchak soils. The soil-ecological conditions of Ili barberry - Berberis iliensis Popov - were studied in this area. The condition of barberry is satisfactory; in some places there are dried out thinned shrubs. The overgrazing of animals takes place on the territory, which leads to compaction and decrease in soil water-physical properties.