Barsuki, Bolshie and Malye

sandy deserts extending north from the Aral Sea (primarily in Aktiubinsk Oblast of the Kazakh SSR) in the shape of two long thin strips, divided by a strip of basic relief.

The Bol’shie Barsuki is about 200 km long and the Malye Barsuki is about 100 km long. The elevation is up to 100 m. They consist largely of Paleogene sands; only the sands of the northwestern part of the Bol’shie Barsuki are alluvial deposits. In places the sand is blown about, forming dunes and ridges. On level stretches xerophytic shrubs, wormwoods, saltworts, and ephemeral plants prevail; calligonum, sand acacia, shrub astragalus, and salt trees grow on the slopes of dunes and ridges. Because of good water supplies, the Barsuki are very important for pasture, particularly in summer.