Which refers to the Arctic desert zone. Arctic desert - climatic conditions, flora and fauna

http://www..jpg" align=left>The Arctic desert is part of the Arctic geographical belt, located in the high latitudes of the Arctic. The Arctic desert zone - the northernmost of the natural zones - is located in the high latitudes of the Arctic. Its southern border is located approximately at 71 parallels (Wrangel Island). The Arctic desert zone extends to approximately 81° 45" N. w. (islands of the Franz Josef Land archipelago). The Arctic desert zone includes all the islands in the Arctic basin: this is the island of Greenland,northern part of the Canadian archipelago,Spitsbergen archipelago, islands of the Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Novaya Zemlya, New Siberian Islands archipelagosand a narrow strip along the coast of the Arctic Ocean within the Yamal, Gydansky, Taimyr, Chukotka peninsulas). These spaces are covered with glaciers, snow, rubble and rock fragments.

Arctic Desert Climate

http://www..ru).jpg" align=right>The climate is arctic, with long and harsh winters, summers are short and cold. There are no transitional seasons in the Arctic desert. During the polar night there is winter, and during the polar day - summer. The polar night lasts 98 days at 75° N, 127 days at 80° N. Average winter temperatures are -10 to -35°, drops to -60°. Frost weathering is very intense.

The air temperature in summer is slightly above 0°C. The sky is often overcast with gray clouds, it rains (often with snow), and thick fogs form due to the strong evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean.

Even on the “southern” island of the Arctic desert - Wrangel Island - according to eyewitnesses, there is no autumn, winter comes immediately after the short Arctic summer. The wind changes to the north and winter comes overnight.

The Arctic climate is formed not only due to the low temperatures of high latitudes, but also due to the reflection of heat from snow and ice crusts. And ice and snow cover lasts about 300 days a year.

The annual amount of precipitation is up to 400 mm. The soils are saturated with snow and barely thawed ice.

Vegetation cover

http://www..jpg" align=left>The main difference between the desert and the tundra is that you can live in the tundra, subsisting on its gifts, but this is impossible to do in the Arctic desert. That is why there was no indigenous population on the territory of the Arctic islands.

The territory of the Arctic deserts has open vegetation, which covers about half of the surface. The desert is devoid of trees and shrubs. There are small isolated areas with crustacean lichens on rocks, mosses, various algae on rocky soils and herbaceous vegetation - sedges and grasses. In the conditions of the Arctic desert, several types of flowering plants are found: polar poppy, poppy, chickweed, alpine foxtail, arctic pike, bluegrass, buttercup, saxifrage, etc. These islands of vegetation look like oases among endless ice and snow.

The soils are thin, with an island distribution mainly under vegetation. Glacier-free spaces are bound by permafrost; the thawing depth, even in polar day conditions, does not exceed 30-40 cm. Soil formation processes take place in a thin active layer and are at the initial stage of development.

The upper part of the soil profile is characterized by the accumulation of iron and manganese oxides. Ferrous-manganese films form on rock fragments, which determines the brown color of polar desert soils. In coastal areas saline by the sea, polar desert saline soils are formed.

There are practically no large stones in the Arctic desert. Mostly sand and small flat stones. There are spherical nodules that consist of silicon and sandstone, from several centimeters to several meters in diameter. The most famous concretions are the spherulites on Champa Island (FFI). Every tourist considers it his duty to take a photo with these balls.

Animal world

http://www..jpg" align=right>Due to the sparse vegetation, the fauna of the Arctic deserts is relatively poor. The terrestrial fauna is poor: Arctic wolf, arctic fox, lemming, Novaya Zemlya deer, in Greenland - musk ox. On the coast you can find pinnipeds: walruses and seals.

Polar bears are considered the main symbol of the Arctic. They lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle; the key areas of land for breeding polar bears are the northern coast of Chukotka, Franz Josef Land, Cape Zhelaniya on Novaya Zemlya. On the territory of the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve there are about 400 maternity dens, which is why it is called the “maternity hospital” of the bear.

http://www..jpg" align=left>The most numerous inhabitants of the harsh northern region are birds. These are guillemots, puffins, eiders, pink gulls, polar owls, etc. Seabirds nest on the rocky shores in the summer, forming “bird colonies” The largest and most diverse colony of seabirds in the Arctic nests on Rubini Rock, which is located in the ice-free Tikhaya Bay off Hooker Island (Hooker Island).The bird colony on this rock numbers up to 18 thousand guillemots, guillemots, kittiwakes and other seabirds.

There is a very special territory on Earth: the northernmost outskirts of Asia and the northern part of the American continent, as well as the island territory of the Arctic, enclosed by the boundaries of the polar zone.

What is the Arctic desert zone? First of all, this is a special climate where there is no clear division into seasons. There is simply a winter here, which is characterized by a polar night with temperatures ranging from ten to fifty degrees minus, and a very short summer with a polar day and temperatures not exceeding zero on the thermometer.

The Arctic desert zone has a specific landscape: ice and snow cover huge island areas. The Franz Josef Archipelago is eighty-seven percent ice-covered, the northern island of Novaya Zemlya is forty percent covered, and the Ushakov Islands are almost completely ice-bound. forty-five percent covered by twenty-two ice sheets.

The Russian Arctic desert zone includes territories from the northernmost point (Franz Josef Land) to the southernmost Novaya Zemlya, the New Siberian Islands, Severnaya Zemlya, the outskirts of the Taimyr Peninsula, as well as the Arctic seas located within this area.

The Arctic desert zone is covered with snow and ice almost all year round. Atmospheric precipitation falls very rarely here. Their annual norm is 200-300 millimeters, and they are mainly represented by snow and frost. desert conditions are aggravated by strong winds, frequent dense fogs and heavy cloud cover.

The relief of the islands is mostly similar. It is a flat plain in the coastal areas and high mountains in the inland area. Monotonous flat terrain is characteristic only of the New Siberian Islands. On the islands of the Arctic territory of the former Soviet Union, almost fifty-six thousand square meters of area is covered by icing. The ice sheet of Novaya Zemlya is three hundred meters thick, Severnaya Zemlya is two hundred meters thick, and Franz Josef Land is one hundred meters thick. The maximum thickness of permafrost (northern Taimyr Peninsula) exceeds five hundred meters.

What can surprise the Arctic desert zone in terms of vegetation? Well, the very fact of its presence in the permafrost zone is surprising. This zone is absolutely accurately called a desert, since the flora here is poor and monotonous. The vegetation cover is sparse and the total cover does not exceed sixty-five percent. And the interior of the islands (mountain peaks, slopes) is covered by no more than three percent. The vegetation of this region is represented by mosses, lichens (mainly crustaceans), and algae. Flowering plants of the Arctic are represented by alpine foxtail, arctic pike, buttercup, snow quarry, and polar poppy. Three hundred and fifty species of higher plants represent the Arctic island flora, the nature of which differs significantly in the northern part from the southern.

If the northern part is characterized by grass-moss Arctic deserts, then to the south - the New Siberian Islands - it is replaced by depleted shrub-moss deserts with the appearance of saxifrage. But the ice zone of the south, also represented by shrub-moss Arctic deserts, is already a well-developed shrub layer with polar and arctic willow and dryads.

Due to the low productivity of vegetation, the fauna of the Arctic desert zone is very poor: lemmings and arctic foxes, polar bears and, in some places, reindeer, walruses and seals. In Greenland you can find the musk ox. Rocky shores in summer are a colonial nesting site for seabirds. The loon and gull, guillemot and guillemot, goose and, of course, represent the kingdom of birds living in the most difficult conditions of icy deserts.

When you hear the word "desert", what immediately comes to mind? For most people, the desert evokes images of endless sandy expanses, high temperatures and bushy vegetation. To some extent this view is accurate. Many of the world's deserts are characterized by large amounts of sand and high temperatures (at least during daylight hours).

However, there are Arctic deserts that are radically different from other deserts. There is no sand here, and the temperatures are often far from hot, but rather sub-zero.

If you know anything about the Arctic, you're probably wondering who came up with the idea to call this region a desert. After all, there is an Arctic Ocean in the Arctic. However, Arctic temperatures are so low that the ocean is almost always covered in ice. Extreme cold also means that the air is unable to hold moisture. Thus, the air is dry, like in a classic desert.

Another significant argument is the insignificant amount of precipitation in the form of rain or snow. In fact, the Arctic receives about the same amount of precipitation as the Sahara. All the factors described above gave rise to the concepts of “arctic or cold deserts”.

Natural conditions of the Arctic desert zone

To determine the natural conditions of the Arctic desert, below is a brief description and table of the main factors (geographical location, topography, soil, climate, natural resources, flora and fauna) that influence the lives of people in this natural zone.

Geographical position

Arctic desert on the map of the main natural areas of the world

Legend:

Arctic deserts

The natural zone of the Arctic desert is located above 75° north latitude and is adjacent to the North Pole of the Earth. It covers a total area of ​​more than 100 thousand km². The Arctic desert covers Greenland, the North Pole and several islands, many of which are inhabited by people and animals.

Relief

The topography of the Arctic desert consists of various physical features: mountains, glaciers and flat areas.

Mountains: The Arctic desert contains mountainous regions where a cold and dry climate prevails. In appearance, some of the region's mountains resemble those in Central America.

Glaciers: Due to extremely low temperatures, the Arctic desert is replete with numerous glaciers of different shapes and sizes.

Flat areas: make up the bulk of the region and have a distinct patterned texture that is the result of cycles of melting and freezing of water.

If you've watched Game of Thrones, the lands beyond the Wall give you a general idea of ​​what the Arctic desert looks like. These scenes were filmed in Iceland, which is not officially considered part of the Arctic desert, but bears a superficial resemblance to it.

Soils

In the main part of the Arctic desert natural zone, the soils remain frozen for most of the year. Permafrost reaches 600-1000 m in depth and makes it difficult for water to drain. In summer, the surface of the Arctic desert is covered with lakes of meltwater from the upper soil layer. Rubble and rocks, due to the movement of glaciers, are scattered throughout the natural area.

The soil horizon of Arctic deserts is very thin, poor in nutrients, and also contains a lot of sand. In warmer areas, soil types contain little organic matter and can support the growth of small shrubs, algae, fungi and mosses. One such soil type is brown soil.

Climate

The climate of the natural zone of the Arctic desert is characterized by long, very cold winters and short, cool summers. During the cold months (usually from December to January), the temperature can drop to -50° C. In the warm months (usually July), the temperature can rise to + 10° C. However, during many months, average temperatures range from -20° to 0° C.

The Arctic desert receives very little precipitation. The average annual precipitation is below 250 mm. Precipitation usually falls in the form of snow and light drizzle, more often in the warm season.

During the summer months, the sun does not set at all in the Arctic desert. In fact, for 60 days, the sun is above the horizon 24 hours a day.

Animals and plants

In total, about 700 plant species and about 120 animal species are found in the natural zone of the Arctic deserts. Flora and fauna have adapted to survive and even thrive in such extreme conditions. Plants were able to adapt to nutrient-poor soils, low ambient temperatures and low rainfall. , as a rule, have a thick layer of fat and thick fur for protection from the cold. They breed during the short summer and often hibernate or migrate during the winter. Birds usually migrate south during the cold winter months.

Only about 5% of the natural zone of the Arctic desert has vegetation cover. Although this is not surprising given its desert status. Most plant life consists of the following plants: lichens, mosses and algae, which can survive in the extreme conditions of the Arctic.

Every year (especially in the warm season), some types of low (from 5 to 100 cm) shrub plants bloom. Typically these include sedges, liverworts, grasses and various types of flowers.

Animal life in the Arctic desert is very diverse. There are a variety of mammals, birds, fish and insects. All of these animals are adapted to extremely low temperatures. Here are some examples of animals in the natural zone of the Arctic deserts:

• Mammals: arctic foxes, polar bears, wolves, squirrels, hares, arctic voles, lemmings, reindeer, seals, walruses and whales.
• Birds: crows, falcons, loons, waders, snipes, terns and various species of gulls. Most of these birds are migratory (that is, they spend only part of their life cycle in the Arctic desert).
• Fish: trout, salmon, flounder and cod.
• Insects:

Natural resources

The Arctic contains significant reserves (oil, gas, minerals, fresh water and commercial fish species). Also, in recent years, interest in this region from tourists has increased significantly, which also provides additional economic benefits.

The pristine and vast deserts of the Arctic play an important role in preserving biodiversity due to the growing presence of humans, as well as the fragmentation of vital habitats. Arctic deserts are particularly susceptible to soil depletion and disturbance of the habitats of rare animals native to the region. The Arctic also contains 20% of the world's fresh water.

Table of the natural zone of the Arctic deserts

Geographical position	Relief and soils	Climate	Flora and fauna	Natural resources
Arctic regions located above 75° north latitude and receiving low precipitation (less than 250 mm per year).	The terrain is mostly flat, but sometimes there are mountainous areas. The soils are very poor in organic nutrients and remain frozen for most of the year.	The climate is dry and cold. Average temperatures range from 0° to -20° C. In winter, air temperatures can drop below -50° C, and in summer they can rise to +10° C.	Animals mammals: polar foxes, polar bears, wolves, reindeer, hares, squirrels, voles, lemmings, walruses, seals and whales; birds: crows, falcons, loons, waders, snipes, terns and gulls; fish: trout, salmon, flounder and cod; insects: grasshoppers, arctic bumblebees, mosquitoes, moths, midges and flies. Plants shrubs, grasses, lichens, mosses and algae.	oil, gas, minerals, fresh water, commercial fish.

Peoples and cultures

The most numerous inhabitants of the Arctic deserts are the Inuit. If the word "Inuit" is not clear to you, then most likely you have heard about the Eskimos.

The Inuit adapted their lives to the difficult conditions of the Arctic desert. As a rule, there are practically no building materials in the Arctic. Eskimos build snow huts called Igloos. In the summer, when the Igloos melt, they live in tents made from animal skins and bones.

Given the extreme desert conditions, the Inuit do not grow grains or vegetables. They eat mainly meat and fish. Thus, their main food sources are fishing, as well as hunting seals, walruses and whales.

For transportation, the Inuit usually use dog sleds. The sled is made from hides and bones. They are drawn by strong, hardy, sled dog breeds (huskies, malmouths, samoyeds). When moving on water, they use kayaks or umiaks. Kayaks are small vessels suitable for carrying one or two people. Umiaki are large enough to carry several people, dogs and materials.

Eskimo communities are found in various parts of the Arctic desert and. In Greenland, they are known as Inupiat or Yup'ik. In Russia they are called Eskimos. Regardless of name or geographic location, Inuit speak a common language, Inuktitut. They also have similar cultural traditions and way of life.

Meaning for humans

In recent years, the Arctic desert has experienced an increase in tourism. Visitors to the cold desert come here for the unique ecosystem and stunning snowy landscapes. Lakes, rivers, streams and mountains provide additional leisure activities for tourists from all over the world. Some recreational activities include cruising, boating, sport fishing, mountaineering, hunting excursions, rafting, hiking, dog sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, and more. The never-setting sun during the Arctic summer is another reason for the interest of tourists who visit the Arctic desert for this surreal phenomenon. Visitors also gain experience of Inuit culture and life by visiting their settlements. The Arctic desert, being the polar region of the planet, plays a key role in regulating the Earth's climate.

Environmental threats

The human population in the natural zone of the Arctic desert and adjacent areas is quite low. The most pronounced threat comes from mineral exploration and extraction. Global warming also has a negative impact on the Arctic desert environment, upsetting the delicate balance of this ecosystem. As temperatures rise, the planet warms and melts, releasing carbon from the soil into the atmosphere, which accelerates climate change. Global warming is melting the polar ice caps, causing sea levels to rise and increasing the threat of flooding to the planet's coastal regions. Melting ice caps also threaten polar bears. They need ice for hunting, and melting ice reduces and fragments their hunting grounds. Additionally, orphaned cubs have even lower survival rates because they are left to fend for themselves.

Protection of Arctic deserts

To protect the natural zone of the Arctic deserts, it is necessary to ensure assistance, cooperation, coordination and interaction between states with the participation of indigenous communities of the Arctic on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection of the region.

The main goals of protecting Arctic deserts include:

• Preservation of the rich biodiversity of the region;
• Sustainable use of renewable natural resources;
• Reducing pollution and wasteful consumption.

To achieve these goals, it is necessary to focus international attention on the following problematic aspects:

• Marine environment;
• Fresh water;
• Biodiversity;
• Changing of the climate;
• Pollution;
• Oil and gas.

Only political will and interaction between states can give a positive result in the struggle to preserve both the natural zone of the Arctic desert and the nature of the world as a whole.

The Arctic (translated from Greek as bear) is the edge of the northern land, where in the summer the sun does not set beyond the sunset line. And in winter, severe frosts reign here, hurricane winds causing strong snowstorms and polar night, which lasts from 98 to 127 days. At the North Pole itself it lasts six months. And the only sources of light here in winter are the stars, the moon and the flickering polar light. The Arctic is divided into the Arctic deserts of the earth, icy and polar. Simply put, into the territory of eternal snow and ice and areas of land with vegetation. The climate of the Arctic deserts, due to their location in the natural zone, part of the geographical zone adjacent to the Arctic Ocean, is very cold and harsh. That is why this region of the Arctic desert is called a zone of eternal snow and ice. The Arctic deserts of the earth are nothing more than varieties of deserts, with very sparse and poor vegetation, among the ice and snow of the Arctic belt of the Earth.

Such deserts are widespread throughout almost the entire territory of Greenland, the northern part, most of North America, falling on the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and on a significant part of the islands with complex mountainous topography, located in the icy ocean and having their own unique climate of Arctic deserts. The cold climate of the Arctic deserts does not allow vegetation to grow in abundance. Since in short summer the air temperature does not rise above 0° +5°, in winter its average weighted temperature ranges from 10-35°, and in the Greenlandic and Asian North to -50°, -60° Celsius. Precipitation does not exceed the norm of 200 - 400 millimeters per year. The Arctic deserts of the earth, during short-term snow melting, have insignificant land areas isolated by snow and ice - polar oases, where lichens, scale mosses and herbaceous vegetation in the form of sedge and simple grasses grow, approximately up to five tons of green mass per hectare. This is very, very little. But no matter how harsh it is arctic desert climate, nature has decreed that during the short cold summer, the insignificant rocky and marshy areas of soil, freed from snow, are covered with beautiful colors of some types of flowers growing here, such as buttercup, saxifrage, foxtail, polar poppy. Many of these plants are considered medicinal by the peoples inhabiting the Far North. And for most of the animals common here, sparse vegetation is the main source of food. The almost never changing climate of the Arctic deserts has adapted to itself a small number of animal species that have chosen the territories of the harsh Arctic deserts. Here in this land, you can meet such animals as the polar fox, the “master” of these glacial places, the polar bear, the Greenland musk ox, the small rodent lemming (pied), often in the summer, you can also see the polar hare, which scientists initially consider it to be a brown hare .
The harsh climate of the Arctic deserts did not in any way affect the families of birds living here. Waders, geese, eiders, guillemots, guillemots, glaucous gulls, which from year to year, flying here, gather here their multimillion-dollar bird colonies. And for such mammals as the beluga dolphin, seals, ringed seals, sea seals, and walruses, only the climate of the Arctic deserts and their immediate habitat, the Laptev Sea and the Kara Sea, are suitable for habitat. In cold weather, phytoplankton is found in abundance and in sufficient quantities, such fish as nelma, cod, cod, and vendace. The Arctic deserts of the earth, which are favored by polar bears, have been declared nature reserves, one of which is called Wrangel Island, the surface area of ​​which is a continuous glacier strewn with broken stones and rubble. The climate of the Arctic deserts owes its formation not only to the low temperature of high latitude, but also to thermal reflection (albedo) during the daytime, from the surface of the ice and snow that remains in the Arctic all year round. In summer, when the air temperature rises above zero, the effect of thermal reflection leads to significant evaporation of moisture from the surface of glaciers, which is why the sky of the Arctic deserts is almost constantly covered with low-weight lead clouds. It rains constantly, often with snow. The evaporation of water from the ice-opened ocean contributes to the formation of thick fogs. Not the least influential role on the climate of the Arctic deserts is played by the underwater East Greenland Current and the clockwise movements of the ice field in the ocean caused by it, with the resulting removal of drifting ice into the Atlantic Ocean. The last and no less important role on the climate of the Arctic deserts is played by permafrost, which binds the land and waters of the Arctic with centuries-old thickness of ice. The thickness of the permafrost ice shell ranges from 100 - 150 meters in the area of ​​Franz Josef Land in the northern regions of the Taimyr Peninsula to 500 - 550 meters and on Novaya Zemlya over 680 meters. In some mountainous and elevated places, ice from the mainland breaks off and slides into the ocean, forming giant floating icebergs. In this natural way, Mother Nature herself maintains and regulates the harsh climate of the Arctic deserts.

Arctic deserts are a natural area located in the Arctic, the northern polar region of the Earth; part of the Arctic Ocean basin. This natural zone includes the northern edges of the Arctic mainland and numerous islands located around the North Pole.

The Arctic desert zone is the northernmost natural zone with a characteristic Arctic climate. The territory of such deserts is covered with glaciers and stones, and the flora and fauna are very scarce.

This message is devoted to the features of the Arctic deserts as a natural area.

Welcome to the Arctic!

Climate

Arctic the climate is very cold, with harsh winters and cool summers.

Winter in the Arctic is very long, strong winds blow, and snowstorms rage for several weeks. Everything is covered with snow and ice. The air temperature reaches -60 °C.

From the second half of October comes polar night. It lasts for six long months. There is no sun in the sky, and only sometimes bright and beautiful northern lights appear. The duration of auroras varies: from two to three minutes to several days. They are so bright that you can even read by their light.

Northern lights.

In winter, all animals either hibernate or go south. Nature stands still, but at the end of February the sun appears and the days begin to increase.

Starts from the second half of May polar day, when the sun doesn't set at all. Depending on the latitude, the polar day lasts 60-130 days. Although the sun shines around the clock, there is little heat from the sun.

Long, long day.

Summer is very short, but during this time hundreds of thousands of different birds fly to the Arctic, pinnipeds swim: walruses, seals, seals. The air temperature rises very slowly and reaches above zero only in July (+2-6 °C). The average temperature in summer is about 0 °C.

Already at the beginning of September, the air temperature drops below zero, and soon snow falls and water bodies are frozen.

Flora and fauna of the Arctic

The soils in the Arctic deserts are very poor. From plants Mostly mosses and lichens grow and even those do not form a continuous cover. Arctic flowers and small shrubs bloom in summer:

• polar poppy;
• polar willow;
• arctic buttercup;
• semolina;
• snow saxifrage;
• chickweed.

Polar poppy.

Grasses also grow: alpine foxtail, bluegrass, sow thistle, arctic pike. All these plants, even shrubs, do not grow more than 3-5 cm. There are no trees in Arctic deserts.

The underwater flora is richer: algae alone number up to 150 species. Crayfish feed on algae, and crustaceans feed on fish and birds—the most numerous animals in the Arctic deserts.

Birds settle in nests on rocks and form noisy “bird colonies”. This:

• guillemots;
• seagulls;
• guillemots;
• eider;
• dead ends;
• kittiwakes and other birds.

Northern bird.

On the coast Pinnipeds live: walruses, seals, seals. There are whales and beluga whales in the sea.

The terrestrial fauna, due to the scarcity of flora, is not very rich. These are mainly Arctic foxes, lemmings, and polar bears.

The king of the Arctic deserts is the polar bear. This animal is perfectly adapted to life in a harsh region. He has thick fur, strong paws, and a keen sense of smell. He swims well in water and is a wonderful hunter.

Polar bears in search of prey.

The bear's prey is mainly marine life: fish, seals, seals. Can feast on eggs and chicks of birds.

Human influence on the natural zone of Arctic deserts

The natural world of the Arctic deserts is fragile and slow to recover. Therefore, human influence must be careful and careful. Meanwhile, the ecology in this area is not very favorable:

• ice melts;
• water and atmosphere are polluted;
• the population of animals, birds and fish is declining;
• The habitat of various animals changes.

Human development of the Arctic.

These things happen negative processes due to human activities, active development of the natural resources of the Arctic zone: extraction of natural resources (natural gas, oil), fishing and seafood, shipping.

Meanwhile, the environmental problems of the Arctic deserts affect the entire climate of the Earth.