Natural areas of the earth. What is a natural area? Types and features Food in certain natural areas
News and Society
Nature is a complex of interconnected components that are in constant interconnection with each other and depend on each other. Changes in one natural chain will necessarily lead to disruptions in the accompanying components. There is a constant exchange of resources and energy between individual members of the natural community. The presence of certain relationships is characteristic for each specific territory. This is how natural areas are formed. They, in turn, affect human economic activity and its characteristics.
Natural areas of Russia are very diverse. This is due to the vast territory, the difference in relief and climatic conditions.
Among the main natural zones of our country, there are steppes, semi-deserts, taiga, forests, forest-steppe, tundra, arctic desert, forest-tundra. Natural areas of Russia have a fairly large area that stretches for thousands of kilometers. Each of them is characterized by a certain climate, soil types, flora and fauna, as well as the degree of moisture in the territory.
The arctic desert zone is characterized by the presence of a large amount of snow and ice all year round. The air temperature here varies within 4-2 degrees. Glaciers are caused by solid precipitation. The soil is poorly developed and at the initial level. The formation of salt spots is observed in dry windy weather. The climatic conditions of this zone also affect the nature of the vegetation. Low mosses and lichens prevail here. Less common are the polar poppy, saxifrage and some other plants. The fauna is also not very rich. Arctic fox, deer, owl, partridge and lemming are practically the only inhabitants of the Arctic desert.
The natural zones of Russia also include the tundra zone. It is a less cold area than arctic deserts. But, nevertheless, it is distinguished by cold and strong winds, which is due to the proximity of the Arctic Ocean. Frost and snowfall is possible all year round. The climate of the tundra zone is humid. The soil is also very poorly developed, which affects the vegetation cover. Basically, low shrubs and trees, mosses and lichens predominate.
Natural zones of Russia are gradually replacing each other. This is followed by the forest-tundra. There is already warmer weather in the summer, but the winter is cold with a lot of snow. Spruce, birch and larch prevail among the plants. During the warm season, the forest-tundra serves as a pasture for deer.
The forest-tundra is replaced by taiga. It is characterized by warmer weather and less severe winters. The relief is characterized by the presence of a large number of water bodies (rivers, lakes and swamps). The soil here is more favorable for the flora, therefore the fauna is numerous here. The taiga is inhabited by sable, hazel grouse, wood grouse, hare, squirrel, bear and many other species.
The semi-desert zone is the smallest in area. Typically hot summers and severe winters with little rainfall are typical for her. It is mainly used for pastures.
The division of the territory into zones also affects human activities. Numerous natural and economic zones of Russia determine its extensive activities in the economic sphere.
Each zone is subdivided into smaller species. There are also transitional zones, which are characterized by the climatic features of each adjacent region. Therefore, each natural area is inextricably linked with the neighboring one. Violations occurring in a certain area of the country lead to changes not only in the climate, but also in the world of animals and plants in another zone.
The characteristic of the natural zones of Russia implies the peculiarities of each of them, but they do not have clear boundaries and the division is conditional. In addition, human activities can affect the nature and climate of the environment.
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Arctic desert zone
This zone is characterized by a lot of snow and ice at all seasons. The average July temperatures are 4-2 degrees. Precipitation falls in solid form, this contributes to the emergence of glaciers. The soil formation process is at an early stage of development. There are almost no swamps or lakes in the Arctic deserts. Salt spots are formed on the soil surface in dry weather with the wind.
The vegetation cover here is irritated and spotty.
The annual growth of mosses and lichens is about 1-2 mm. Of the higher plants, the polar poppy, stellate, saxifrage and others are characteristic in this area. The fauna is small, there are scribes, lemming, reindeer, white deer. From birds: snowy owl and partridge.
Tundra zone
The tundra is a cold area with strong winds.
located along the seas of the Arctic Ocean. Freezing and snowing are possible in any month. The tundra is dominated by an excessively humid climate due to the influence of the Atlantic. Cold, humid arctic and subarctic climate is characteristic.
Low temperatures hinder soil formation. Soils contain little humus and have a coarse texture.
The tundra is a treeless zone where mosses and lichens grow; undersized plants - grasses, shrubs.
Shrubs - dwarf birch and willows, which rise slightly above the snow.
The tundra is divided into three subzones - arctic tundra, typical lichen-moss tundra, and southern shrub tundra.
Forest tundra
In contrast to the tunda, the summers are warmer here. The winters are cold and snowy enough. An important feature of this zone is the presence of an island thin forests.
Natural zones of the world: a brief description. Table "Natural zones of the world"
They consist of Siberian spruce, larch and Siberian birch.
The meadows in summer and autumn are good reindeer pastures. Arctic foxes are widespread in the forest-tundra. During the winter, only partridges and snowy owls remain here. For about 9 months, the tundra and forest-tundra are covered with snow.
For deer, areas where there is little snow are favorable.
Taiga zone
Taiga is located in two climatic zones - subarctic and temperate. The average temperature in January in the west is about -10 ... -16. The temperature in July is not lower than 10 degrees in the north and not higher than 20 in the south.
There are many swamps, rivers, lakes in the taiga zone. The taiga is rich in groundwater.
Various types of soils are developed here: podzolic, taiga permafrost, bog-podzolic.
Larches are often found, forests of pine and fir are rare here. Small-leaved forests are widespread.
Siberian taiga species of animals dominate - sable, stone capercaillie, hazel grouse, and others. In the European taiga such species as elk, squirrel, capercaillie, and white hare are widespread. Taiga species in the European taiga are brown bear, lynx, squirrel. There are many insects.
Semi-desert and desert zone
They occupy a small area. The summer is hot, the temperature in July is from 22 to 25 degrees. The winter is cold, with little snow, the temperature in January is from -12 to -16. A large area is occupied by saline soils. In some places the soils contain more humus and have a granular structure.
There are many rodents in semi-deserts: jerboas, ground squirrels, gerbils.
Predators: wolf, fox, ferret. Birds: larks, gyrfalcon. Reptiles: snake snake and arrow, round-headed lizard.
Most of the deserts are used to graze livestock.
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Geography
Option 1
1. Physical geography studies ... countries
A) nature
B) population
C) farm
D) transportation
E) industry
2. Insert the missing statement: "Scale in 1cm - 150m ... than 1: 150000"
A) 10 times larger
B) 2 times larger
C) 100 times smaller
D) times smaller
E) 10 times smaller
3.The following terms: mistral, albedo, bora, anemometer - refer to the shell
A) biosphere
B) hydrosphere
C) atmosphere
D) lithosphere
E) neosphere
4.The continental crust has layers
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5
5.The name of the natural areas comes from
A) soil characteristics
B) climate features
C) terrain features
D) the prevailing animal kingdom
E) predominant vegetation cover
6. Natural zone, for the animal world of which monkeys are characteristic; tree trunks are covered with epiphytes - this is
A) equatorial forests
B) monsoon forests
C) hard-leaved forests
D) savannas and woodlands
E) coniferous forests
7.Plankton are:
A) Fish that move freely
B) Largest animals
C) Marine mammals
D) Animals living at the bottom
E) Protozoa moving under the influence of currents
8. What natural zone is located at the foot of the mountains, if there are high-altitude zones - eternal snow and glaciers, mountain tundra, taiga?
A) coniferous forests
B) monsoon forests
C) tundra
D) steppe
E) desert
9.Increases the temperature of surface waters in temperate and polar latitudes.
A) Labrador
B) California
C) Canary
D) Kuroshio
E) North Atlantic
10 winds reign in the temperate zone
A) trade winds
B) stock
C) western
D) northeastern
E) southern
11 the Atlantic and Indian oceans wash the mainland
A) Eurasia
B) Africa
C) Australia
D) Antarctica
E) South America
12 the tropical belt is the largest on the mainland
B) Eurasia
C) Australia
D) Antarctica
E) South America
A) West Siberian Plain
B) on the Taimyr Peninsula
C) Central Siberian plateau
D) in northeastern Siberia
E) on the Kamchatka Peninsula
14 the highest tidal waves occur in the Bay of Fundy off the coast
A) North America
B) South America
C) Eurasia
D) Africa
E) Antarctica
15. The territory of Kazakhstan is located between latitudes
A) 300 - 400 N
B) 400 - 500 S
C) 600 - 750 N
D) 500 - 600 S
E) 400 - 560 N
16. The first geological map of Kazakhstan was made
A) P.P. Semenov
B) Sh.Ualikhanov
C) I. V. Mushketov
D) N.A. Severtsev
E) K.I.Satpayev
17.The largest chromium deposits in Kazakhstan are being developed
A) in Altai
B) in Mugalzhary
C) in the Karatau ridge
D) on the Ustyrt plateau
E) on the Turan plain
18. Moisture coefficient 0.19 indicates ... territory
A) high humidity
B) humidity close to normal
C) normal moisture
D) waterlogging
E) great dryness
19. Between the Alakol depression in the north and the Ile river valley in the south, there is
B) Zailiyskiy Alatau
C) Zhungar Alatau
D) Saur
E) Tarbagatai
20.On the western edge of the Western Tien Shan there is a ridge
A) Karatau
B) Ketmen
C) Ileyskiy Alatau
D) Shu-Ilei mountains
E) Kyrgyz Alatau
21. The natural zone in the north of Kazakhstan, gray forest and black earth soils are
A) highlands
B) desert
C) semi-desert
D) forest steppe
E) steppe
22. Reserve, within which there is a singing dune
A) Aksu-Zhabaglinsky
B) Nauryzym
C) Markakolsky
D) Kurgaldzhinsky
E) Almaty
23 Protected areas where human economic activity is partially allowed are called
A) nature reserves
B) sanctuaries
C) national parks
D) natural monuments
E) dendrological parks
24. The Caspian Sea connects Kazakhstan with ...
A) Armenia
B) Pakistan
C) Uzbekistan
D) Kyrgyzstan
E) Azerbaijan
25. In terms of population, among the CIS countries, Kazakhstan is inferior to
A) Ukraine, Uzbekistan
B) Russia, Moldova
C) Ukraine, Moldova
D) Russia.
What are the natural areas
Kyrgyzstan
E) Russia, Belarus
26. The growth of the share of city dwellers in the total population of the country is called
A) demographics
B) migration
C) mechanical movement
D) natural growth
E) urbanization
27. The production area includes
A) utilities
B) culture
C) education
D) agriculture
E) health care
28. Oil in Kazakhstan has been produced since 1899.
at the field
B) Embinsky
C) Dossor
D) Makat
E) Mangystau
29. Waste is used for the production of nitrogen fertilizers
A) food industry
B) non-ferrous metallurgy
C) ferrous metallurgy
D) chemical industry
E) agriculture
30.The economic region of Kazakhstan, in which the industries of specialization are ferrous metallurgy and copper smelting industry
A) Central
B) Eastern
C) Western
D) North
E) Southern
31. The economic region of Kazakhstan, in which all types of transport are developing
A) Central
B) Eastern
C) Western
D) North
E) Southern
32. The group of newly industrialized countries includes
A) China and the Republic of Korea
B) Vietnam and Singapore
C) Malaysia and Libya
D) Thailand and Bangladesh
E) Malaysia and Thailand
33.Demographic crisis is characteristic of countries
A) Latin America
B) Western Europe
C) Australia
D) Africa
E) Asia
34. NAFTA includes countries
A) USA, Canada
B) Mexico, Venezuela
C) Argentina, Chile
D) Brazil, Mexico
E) Argentina, Uruguay
35 Pig farming is most widespread in
B) Australia
C) Asia
D) Europe
E) North America
36. Heavy-duty vehicles are produced in the cities of Belarus
A) Gomel, Lida
B) Minsk, Mozyr
C) Brest, Zhodino
D) Minsk, Zhodino
E) Soligorsk, Grodno
37. European countries located in the Alps
A) Belgium, Luxembourg
B) France, UK
C) Austria, Liechtenstein
D) Sweden, Switzerland
E) Denmark, Germany
38 Asia's Forested Countries
A) Saudi Arabia, Syria
B) India, Turkey
C) Laos, Singapore
D) Indonesia, Malaysia
E) China, Pakistan
39. Industrial-agrarian country of Latin America, one of the top ten countries in the world for oil production
A) Argentina
B) Mexico
C) Colombia
D) Brazil
E) Peru
40 African countries with a monarchical form of government
A) Lesotho, Morocco
B) Swaziland, Algeria
C) Chad, Algeria
D) South Africa, Chad
E) Ethiopia, Niger
Geography
Option 2
1. The Earth is close to the Sun:
2.The reverse direction of azimuth 255⁰ will be
3.The temperature of the lower part of the mantle reaches
4.The main driving force of the water cycle on the Earth's surface
A) evaporation
B) condensation
C) solar energy and wind
D) pressure
E) humidity
5. The necessary conditions for the development of life on Earth are created
A) lithosphere and stratosphere
C) atmosphere and lithosphere
C) hydrosphere and lithosphere
D) biosphere and lithosphere
E) the entire geographic envelope
6 a tree capable of storing moisture in its trunk
A) bottled
C) araucaria
D) sequoia
E) boxwood
7 the Dreyor continent hypothesis formulated
A) Wegener
C) Voeikov
C) Alisov
D) Herodotus
E) Baransky
8.In summer, an updraft is typical for
A) Balkan Peninsula
C) the Indian subcontinent
C) Kalahari
D) Arabian Peninsula
E) Antarctica
9 benthos makes up flora and fauna
A) coastal parts
B) surface layers
C) ocean floor
D) arctic latitudes
10. The subpolar geographic zone separates ... geographic zones
A) moderate and equatorial
B) equatorial and tropical
C) moderate and polar
D) temperate and tropical
E) tropical and polar
11.On the Arabian Peninsula, the annual precipitation is less than ... mm
12. Japan has a ... climate
A) Mediterranean
B) monsoon
C) marine
D) temperate continental
E) sharply continental
13.Plant native to the Brazilian Highlands,
A) Welwitschia
C) Puya Raimondi
D) kebracho
14. The birthplace of rice is:
A) Latin America
C) Southern Europe
C) Central America
D) East Africa
E) Southeast Asia
15.At the mouth of the Arys River, together with its confluence with the Syrdarya, an ancient city was located, from which a famous philosopher and scientist was born
A) Saudakent
C) Saraichik
C) Koilyk
E) Otyrar
16. The first period of Sh.
Ualikhanov included
A) the upper reaches of the Naryn River
C) Kashgaria
C) Dzhetym-Chok mountains
E) the valley of the Karasai river
18.A river belongs to the snow-rain type of food
19.On the Zhetigarinskoye deposit,
C) chromites
C) tungsten
E) asbestos
20. Between Saryarka and Mugalzhary there is
A) Turgai plateau
C) Trans-Ural plateau
C) Common Syrt
D) Pre-Ural plateau
E) Ustyrt
21. On the left bank of the Ile (Ili) river there is a desert
A) Aral Karakum
C) Taukum
C) Kyzylkum
D) Ulken Borsyk (Big Badgers)
E) Moyinkum
22. Tersek forest is located in ... reserve
A) Aksu-Zhabaglinsky
C) Korgalzhinsky
C) Markakolsky
D) Alakol
E) Nauryzym
23. A river flows out of Lake Zaisan
A) Kalzhyr
24. Compared to other industries, this industry consumes a large amount of water:
A) mechanical engineering
C) chemical industry
C) ferrous metallurgy
D) coal industry
E) petrochemical industry
25. In terms of manganese reserves, Kazakhstan occupies ... place in the world
26. The construction of powerful thermal power plants gave impetus to the growth of cities
A) Zhanatas, Kentau
C) Balkhash, Alga
C) Atyrau, Uralsk
D) Ridder, Zyryanovsk
E) Aksu, Temirtau
27. From the list, select the branch of the non-production sphere
A) trade
C) utilities
C) telecommunications
D) construction
E) printing
28 For the first time on the territory of Kazakhstan, ferrochrome was received in the city
C) Aktobe
C) Shymkent
D) Ust-Kamenogorsk
E) Temirtau
29. The first oil pipeline built in Kazakhstan
A) Atyrau - Orsk
C) Uzen - Samara
C) Dossor - Rakusha
D) Mubarak - Almaty
E) Aktau-Atyrau
30. Export by an economic region or country of surplus products produced in a country or region and import of missing products are
A) specialization
C) concentration
C) cooperation
D) territorial division of labor
E) combination
31. The factory of primary processing of wool is located in the city
C) Ust-Kamenogorsk
C) Petropavlovsk
D) Pavlodar
E) Astana
32. Marine biomass used by humans, on ... represented by fish
33. The third largest country in the world
A) Canada
In Russia
E) Indonesia
34.In the global export of iron ore,
A) China, USA
C) Brazil, Australia
C) Brazil, Argentina
D) Australia, Jamaica
E) India, Turkey
35 Most of the world's cultivated land is occupied by:
A) technical
B) feed
C) melons
D) cereals
E) gardening
36. In Ukraine, the centers of railway engineering are
A) Kiev, Kharkov
C) Sumy, Poltava
C) Lviv, Zaporozhye
D) Dnepropetrovsk, Lugansk
E) Nikolaev, Kerch
37. From the list, select the largest cities in the UK
A) Aberdeen and Glasgow
C) Manchester and Birmingham
C) Edinburgh and Liverpool
D) Manchester and Liverpool
E) Belfast and Glasgow
38. Multinational country:
A) Saudi Arabia
C) Japan
C) Pakistan
D) Republic of Korea
39. Mexico has the highest reserves in the world
A) silver
40. The country with the first place in the world in bauxite reserves,
A) Brazil
C) Jamaica
C) Australia
E) Morocco
1. Indicate the main natural zones of the Earth.
Tundra, taiga, deciduous forest, meadows (savanna), deserts and shrubs, steppe and forest-steppe, tropical rainforests.
2. What determines the distribution of natural areas on Earth?
Natural areas are formed by the distribution of heat and moisture to the planet.
Relief, distance from the ocean affects the location of the plots and their width.
3. Give a short description of the tundra.
This natural zone is located in the polar zone (mainly in the permafrost zone), where the air temperature is quite low. In the plant world, there are mainly plants with a poorly developed root system: mosses, lichens, shrubs, dwarf trees. The tundra is inhabited by real, small predators, numerous migratory birds.
fourth
What trees are the basis of secret, mixed and deciduous forests?
The basis of thiago-conifers (pine, spruce, fir, larch ...)
Mixed forests are characterized by a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees.
Broadband forests are composed of deciduous trees (oak, hazelnut, beech, linden, maple, chestnut, gabar, bar, ash, etc.).
fifth
What do all the grassy plains of our planet have in common?
It is characterized by little rainfall and constant high air temperatures. Savannah is characterized by a dry age during which it dries up and the animals turn into ponds. The vegetation is mostly herbaceous, trees are rare. Savannah is characterized by many herbivores and carnivores.
sixth
Give a short description of the desert.
Deserts of very low humidity, flora and fauna of the desert are adapted to this difficult situation. Animals have a long time without water, they wait in the driest months at rest, many lead to nightlife.
Natural territories of Russia: map, names, geographical objects and table
Many plants can retain moisture, most of the reduced evaporation, and have an extensive root system that allows a large amount of moisture to be collected.
In general, flora and fauna are very limited. In plants, they are mostly not herbs, animals are reptiles (snakes, lizards) and small rodents.
7. Why are there trees in the steppe, savannah and desert?
There is very little rainfall in savannas, steppes and deserts, there is simply not enough water for trees.
eighth
Why is the rainforest the richest in the wealthiest community?
There is always heat and humidity. These conditions are especially favorable for plants and animals. The topsoil is very fertile.
9. Use examples to demonstrate that the distribution of natural zones on Earth depends on the distribution of heat and moisture.
Natural areas are determined by the distribution of heat and moisture in the world: high temperatures and low humidity are typical for the equatorial desert, high temperature and humidity for equatorial and tropical forests.
Natural areas stretch from west to east, with no clear boundaries between them.
For example, savannas, where the humidity is no longer sufficient for forest growth in the cloud, to the north and far from the equator, where most of the year was not dominated by equatorial and tropical air mass, and the rainy season lasted less than 6 months.
10. What are the characteristics listed in the list of natural sites?
A) maximum variety of species;
Wet tropical forest.
B) dominates in herbaceous plants;
Savannah.
B) a lot of moss, leaves and trees;
Tundra.
D) a number of conifers of some species.
Taiga.
11. Analyze the pictures on pages 116-117 of the tutorial. Is there a connection between the color of animals and their habitat (natural zone)?
For example, the striped tiger successfully hides in the yellow grass in preparation for an attack. The polar bear and sand are almost invisible against the background of snow.
To protect predators, animals developed color to hide.
Examples: jerboa, deer, green frog and many more. another
12. In what natural zones do these organisms live?
Scarlet birch - tundra.
Sloth is a humid rainforest.
Nutcracker - taiga.
Zebra is a savannah.
Oak is a broad-band forest.
Jeyran is a desert.
White owl - tundra.
13th
Using the map on pages 118-119 textbook, the name of the natural areas located on the territory of our country. Which ones occupy the largest territory?
The Russian territory has a long stretch from north to south, the relief is mostly flat. Such large plains consistently represent the following natural areas of the Arctic desert, tundra, tundra, forests, forests, deserts, semi-deserts, subtropics.
There is a high zone in the mountains. A large area is occupied by taiga, steppe, mixed forest and tundra.
Belts. At the present stage of development of terrestrial nature, the following main planetary belts are distinguished:
1) equatorial hot and humid,
2) tropical hot and dry,
3) temperate in the northern hemisphere, warm with a large amplitude of humidity in the regions, in the southern - with an oceanic climate (it is usually advisable to divide the distinguished temperate zone into two temperate n boreal);
4) boreal cool and moist;
5) polar frosty and damp.
Collections of homogeneous natural formations, elongated from west to east perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the Earth, have long been called zones in science - climatic, soil, and vegetation.
The following zones are distinguished in the northern hemisphere: ice, tundra, coniferous forests or taiga, deciduous forests, forest-steppe, steppe, desert temperate, subtropical forests, desert tropical, savanna, equatorial forests.
Transitional zones are distinguished between the listed zones: forest-tundra between tundra and forest, semi-desert between steppe and desert, etc.
Each zone is divided into subzones.
Zones and subzones were named according to the vegetation cover of the land, since vegetation is the most striking indicator or indicator of a natural complex.
1. Equatorial belt.
2. Subequatorial belts
3. Tropical belts
4. Subtropical zones
5. Northern temperate belt.
6. Southern temperate belt
7. Northern boreal belt
8. Northern cold subarctic, or subpolar, belt.
9. Southern Boreal Belt.
10. Polar belts, or belts of eternal frost
11. Altitudinal zonality
1.Equatorial belt.
The geographic or landscape equatorial belt of land occupies a small area. Gilea is dominated by two main types of landscapes:
a) forest flooded and waterlogged and
b) forest non-flooded.
On the periphery of the equatorial belt, forests are already deciduous-evergreen, transitional to subequatorial.
2.Subequatorial belts.
There are two of them: one in the northern, the other in the southern hemispheres.
The area of the subequatorial belts is larger than the equatorial one, and, despite the appearance of the transitional nature of the belt, its nature is deeply original.
Many features of nature are inherited at least from the Paleogene.
There are two natural zones in the subequatorial zone:
a) subequatorial forests
b) savannah.
Subequatorial forests in the form of a narrow zone adjoin the gilea. They are variably moist and deciduous.
The zonal type of savannah landscape is characterized by a combination of grassy areas with individual trees, groups of trees, small forests or thickets of shrubs.
Depending on the duration of the dry period, the savannah zone is divided into three subzones:
1) wet savannas and savanna forests, located near the gilea belt;
2) dry savannas with light forests or individual trees, occupying the middle areas of the belt;
3) deserted savannas and shrubs, adjacent to tropical desert zones.
3.Tropical belts .
Tropical belts are the latitudes of the dominance of hot and usually dry air both on the continents and on the oceans, forming in tropical anticyclones.
The northern tropical belt on the continents extends from 10 's. NS. at the Gulf of Aden up to 34 ′ n. NS. in the Upper Indus basin - 24 ′ from north to south and 120 ′ from west to east. The southern one, since the continents pinch out to the south, is somewhat smaller.
Its southern border everywhere coincides with 30 ′ S. sh., northern in Africa reaches 16 ′ S. NS.; belt width 14 ', length on land 85'.
The seasons in the northern and southern belts are anti-synchronous.
4. Subtropical belts.
The subtropics are characterized by the presence of tropical air in these latitudes in summer and temperate air in winter. These are not transitional, but independent belts. The location of regions of subtropical nature, the characteristics of the climate and landscapes of each of them also depend on the relief of the continents - the lithogenic basis for the development of landscapes and interaction in the ocean - atmosphere - continent system.
The middle parallel of the subtropical belts is 35 ′ s.
NS. and y. Sh. These are the axes of the Mediterranean fault zones of the earth's crust in both hemispheres.
5 northern temperate belt . In the middle latitudes of the globe, the lithosphere is antisymmetric relative to the equatorial plane: a continuous oceanic ring corresponds to the huge continents of the northern hemisphere in the southern.
The northern temperate belt on land stretches from Ireland to Kamchatka by 1750 and from Alaska to Newfandland by 1000.
The southernmost point of this belt lies in China at 330N. and the northernmost one is on the Scandinavian Peninsula at almost 700 N, i.e. the length is almost 37 degrees.
In the southern hemisphere, only the tip of South America, half of Tasmania and part of the South Island of New Zealand come to temperate latitudes.
The northern belt is characterized by the greatest variety of zonal landscapes for the Earth.
In its northern limits, the taiga passes into the forest-tundra, and in the southern, the temperate deserts of Central Asia border on subtropical deserts. The mode of heat and moisture, all components are so different that they can be divided into two:
1) moderate
2) boreal.
The first includes zones of deserts, semi-deserts, steppe, forest-steppe and mixed forests in the continental sectors of Eurasia and North America and deciduous forests in the oceanic ones.
6. The southern temperate belt is antisymmetric to the northern one in terms of mega-relief: it is almost entirely located on the ocean.
The land area in it is negligible. Only on the western coast of the Andes, open to the sea air masses of the western transport and cyclones, the oceanic constantly moist forests grow.
7. Northern boreal belt. In the northern part of the middle latitudes, over the vast expanses of Eurasia and North America, the most extensive zone on Earth stretches - the zone of coniferous forests, which received the Siberian name of taiga. Its southern border at Lake Upper reaches 47 's.
sh., and the northern one on the Kola Peninsula rises to 68 ′ s. NS. Further north - to the lake
There are three main landscapes in the boreal belt:
1) coniferous forests,
2) swamp and
3) flood meadows.
The southern temperate and boreal belts are mostly oceanic.
8. Northern cold subarctic, or subpolar, belt.
It occupies the northern periphery of Eurasia and America. Its southern border follows the coastline (due to the summer warming of the land) and also depends on warm and cold ocean currents.
There is little solar heat.
The southern boundary of the belt approximately corresponds to the 10 ′ isotherm, and the northern one to 0’C July. Already at a shallow depth (about 30 cm), the soil is seized by permafrost. There is little precipitation - from 300 to 100 mm, evaporation is even less, atmospheric humidification is excessive - up to 150%.
Under these conditions, tree plantations cannot grow; tundra landscapes are typical.
Tundra is a complex of treeless moss, moss-shrub and lichen formations that have adapted to climatic and soil pessimum. On the northern limits, soils and tundra landscapes are formed only by spots; this is already a polar desert.
In the tundra zone, landscapes of three types are distinguished: tundra, bog and floodplain meadows.
9.South Boreal Belt
In the southern hemisphere, in subpolar latitudes, the ocean reigns supreme. Tundra landscapes occur sporadically on sparsely scattered islands and do not form zones. On the Falkland Islands (51 - 52 ′ S), there is a rocky lichen tundra with thickets of birch and willow; South Georgia (54 - 55 ′ S) lies on the border of the Antarctic ice zone.
10. Polar belts, or belts of eternal frost.
The northern and southern polar belts are opposite in mega-relief - the first is continental, the second is oceanic. However, their climates have many features in common.
Three types of landscapes are distinguished on the land of the Arctic belt:
1) island glaciers,
2) polar deserts (on the Wrangel Islands, Novosibirsk, Severnaya Zemlya and the Canadian Archipelago) and
3) arctic tundra, usually spotted on the border with the tundra zone.
11.High-altitude zonality . In mountainous countries, horizontal natural land zones are replaced by high-altitude belts, and on higher elevations, landscapes vary within two adjacent zones.
The vertical zonation always begins with the horizontal zone in which the mountainous country is located.
Above the belt, they are replaced as a whole in the same way as the horizontal zones, up to the area of polar snow. At the same time, of course, belts similar to such zones fall out, the conditions of which in the mountains cannot be repeated.
The ratio of the territories falling on different horizontal geographic zones and on the landscapes of mountainous countries is best shown by comparing the sizes of the areas of the main types of soils, since the vegetation cover is largely changed by human activity.
6. Lithosphere of the Earth as a condition for the development of tourism.
Endogenous processes: volcanism, earthquakes, main landforms.
Lithosphere(from the Greek λίθος - stone and σφαίρα - ball, sphere) - the hard shell of the Earth.
Blocks of the lithosphere - lithospheric plates - move along the relatively plastic asthenosphere. The geology section on plate tectonics is devoted to the study and description of these movements.
Endogenous processes(a.
endogenous processes; n. endogene Vorgange; f. processus endogenes, processus endogeniques; and. procesos endogenos) - geological processes associated with the energy arising in the bowels of the Earth. Endogenous processes include tectonic movements of the earth's crust, magmatism, metamorphism, and seismic activity.
The main sources of energy for endogenous processes are heat and redistribution of material in the interior of the Earth by density (gravitational differentiation).
Volcanoes- geological formations on the surface of the earth's crust or the crust of another planet, where magma comes to the surface, forming lava, volcanic gases, rocks (volcanic bombs) and pyroclastic flows.
Among the various classifications, there are general types of eruptions:
Hawaiian type - emissions of liquid basaltic lava, lava lakes are often formed, should resemble scorching clouds or incandescent avalanches.
Hydroexplosive type - eruptions occurring in the shallow conditions of the oceans and seas are characterized by the formation of a large amount of steam arising from the contact of hot magma and sea water.
After eruptions, when the activity of the volcano either ceases forever, or it "dorms" for thousands of years, processes associated with the cooling of the magma chamber and called postvolcanic processes persist on the volcano itself and its surroundings.
These include fumaroles, baths, geysers.
Earthquakes- tremors and vibrations of the Earth's surface caused by natural causes (mainly tectonic processes), or (sometimes) artificial processes (explosions, filling of reservoirs, collapse of underground cavities of mine workings).
Small tremors can also be caused by the rise of lava during volcanic eruptions.
There are about a million earthquakes on the entire Earth every year, but most of them are so insignificant that they go unnoticed. Really strong earthquakes that can cause widespread destruction occur on the planet about once every two weeks. Most of them fall on the bottom of the oceans, and therefore are not accompanied by catastrophic consequences (if an earthquake under the ocean does without a tsunami).
Relief is composed of many times repeating and alternating with each other separate forms of relief, each of which consists of relief elements: faces or surfaces, and edges (intersection of two faces).
By the value of the slope, there are sub-horizontal surfaces(with tilt angles up to 2 degrees) and slopes(with tilt angles more than 2 degrees). Surfaces can be flat, concave, convex.
The edges of the relief gradually merge into one another by bends of slopes.
Landforms may be positive(protruding relative to some horizontal level) or negative(in-depth relative to this level).
There are also accumulative landforms formed by the accumulation of material, and denudation forms formed due to the removal of material.
Morphometric classification of relief.
Depending on the size, there are: planetary forms, mega-forms, macroforms, meso-forms, microforms and relief nanoforms.
Planetary landforms... They cover areas of hundreds of thousands and millions of km2. The total number of planetary landforms is small. They are subdivided into: continents, ocean floor, transition zones, mid-ocean ridges.
Relief megaforms occupy areas of the order of hundreds or tens of thousands of km2.
These are large depressions, mountain systems.
Macroforms are the constituent parts of megaforms. The areas occupied by these forms are hundreds, less often thousands of km2. Macroforms include individual ridges in the mountain system.
Mesoforms usually several tens of km2.
These can be river valleys, large gullies, ravines, small mountain ranges.
Microforms are irregularities that complicate the surface of the mesoforms.
These are, for example, karst sinkholes, erosion potholes, coastal ramparts.
Nanorelief shapes are called very small irregularities that complicate the surfaces of macro, meso and micro relief.
These are meadow hummocks, marmots, molehills, small erosion grooves, ripple marks on the bottom of reservoirs or on the surface of aeolian forms.
Despite the wide variety of unevenness of the earth's surface, one can distinguish main landforms: mountain, hollow, ridge, hollow, saddle.
A mountain (or hill) is a cone-shaped hill.
Natural zones of Russia
It has a characteristic point - the top, side slopes (or slopes) and a characteristic line - the line of the sole. The sole line is the line where the side slopes merge with the surrounding terrain. On the slopes of the mountain, there are sometimes horizontal platforms called ledges.
The summit is the highest point of the height.
A hollow is a cone-shaped depression.
The hollow has a characteristic point - the bottom, side slopes (or slopes) and a characteristic line - the edge line. The edge line is the line where the side slopes merge with the surrounding terrain.
The ridge is an elongated and gradually decreasing hill in one direction.
It has characteristic lines: one watershed line formed by the side slopes when they merge at the top, and two lines of the sole.
A hollow is an elongated and gradually decreasing depression, open at one end. The hollow has characteristic lines: one weir line (or thalweg line), formed by the side slopes when they merge at the bottom, and two edge lines.
A saddle is a small depression between two adjacent mountains; as a rule, the saddle is the beginning of two valleys descending in opposite directions.
The saddle has one characteristic point - the saddle point, which is located at the lowest point of the saddle.
There are varieties of the listed basic forms, for example, varieties of a hollow: a valley, a ravine, a canyon, a hole, a gully, etc. Sometimes the varieties of basic forms characterize the features of the relief of a particular area of the terrain, for example, in the mountains there are peaks - peaked peaks of mountains, gorges, gorges , cheeks, plateau, pass, etc.
The top of the mountain, the bottom of the hollow, the point of the saddle are characteristic points of the relief; the line of the watershed of the ridge, the line of the spillway of the hollow, the line of the foot of the mountain or ridge, the line of the edge of the hollow or hollow are characteristic relief lines.
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Report: The concept of natural zones and geographic landscapes. Zoning and azonality
Natural zones of the globe, their brief description
The great Russian scientist V.V. At the end of the last century, Dokuchaev substantiated the general planetary law of geographic zoning - a natural change in the components of nature and natural complexes when moving from the equator to the poles. Zoning is primarily due to the unequal (latitudinal) distribution of solar energy (radiation) over the Earth's surface, associated with the spherical shape of our planet, as well as different amounts of precipitation.
Natural areas and their main characteristics. Natural areas and their main features
Depending on the latitudinal ratio of heat and moisture, weathering and exogenous relief-forming processes are subject to the law of geographic zoning; zonal climate, surface waters of land and ocean, soil cover, flora and fauna.
The largest zonal subdivisions of the geographic envelope are geographic zones.
They stretch, as a rule, in a latitudinal direction and, in essence, coincide with climatic zones. Geographic zones differ from each other in temperature characteristics, as well as in general features of atmospheric circulation.
The following geographic zones are distinguished on land:
Equatorial - common to the northern and southern hemispheres; - subequatorial, tropical, subtropical and temperate - in each hemisphere; - subantarctic and Antarctic belts - in the southern hemisphere.
Belts with similar names have been found in the World Ocean. Zonation (zoning) in the ocean is reflected in the change from the equator to the poles in the properties of surface waters (temperature, salinity, transparency, wave intensity, etc.), as well as in the change in the composition of flora and fauna.
Within the geographic zones, natural zones are distinguished according to the ratio of heat and moisture.
The names of the zones are given according to the type of vegetation prevailing in them. For example, in the subarctic belt these are tundra and forest-tundra zones; in the temperate - forest zones (taiga, mixed coniferous-deciduous and broad-leaved forests), forest-steppe and steppe zones, semi-deserts and deserts.
Natural area(Greek.
zone - belt), physical-geographical zone- a part of a geographic zone with uniform climatic conditions.
Geographic belt- the largest zonal subdivision of the geographic envelope encircling the globe in the latitudinal direction.
Geographic zones correspond to climatic zones. Each geographic zone is distinguished by the integrity of climatic conditions.
The globe is subdivided into the following geographic zones and belts:
- North Polar Zone - North of the Arctic Circle
- arctic belt
- Northern Temperate Zone - between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer
- southern temperate zone
- Hot Zone - Between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
- southern tropical belt
- equatorial belt
- northern tropical belt
- South Temperate Zone - between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle
- northern temperate zone
- South Polar Zone - south of the Antarctic Circle
- antarctic belt
The following belts are also distinguished on the borders:
- two subequatorial (north and south)
- two subtropical (northern and southern)
- subarctic
- subantarctic
In the Hot Zone, the sun is at its zenith at least once a year - at the borders of the tropics during the summer solstice, and at the equator during the equinoxes.
It is the hottest (hottest) part of the earth and has two annual seasons: dry and wet. The hot zone includes most of Africa, southern India, southern Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, northern Australia, Central America, and northern South America.
In the two Temperate Zones, the sun is never directly at its zenith, the climate is temperate (mild), slowly changing from warm to cold. There are four seasons in these zones - spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The Northern Temperate Zone includes the UK, Europe, North Asia and North America. The South Temperate Zone includes southern Australia, New Zealand, southern South America and South Africa.
In the two Polar zones there is such a phenomenon as the polar day and the polar night - at the borders of the zones during the solstice the sun does not rise for 24 hours, while at the poles the day "lasts one year" - six months of sunshine and six months of night.
The polar zones are the coldest parts of the earth, covered with ice and snow. The North Polar Zone (Arctic) includes northern Canada and Alaska, Greenland, northern Scandinavia, northern Russia and the Arctic ice. The South Polar Zone (Antarctica) consists of the continent of Antarctica; the other closest continents are the southern promontory of Chile and Argentina, as well as New Zealand.
Natural areas take their name from the vegetation inherent in them and other geographic features.
The zones regularly change from the equator to the poles and from the oceans deep into the continents; have similar temperature and moisture conditions, which determine homogeneous soils, vegetation, fauna and other components of the natural environment. Natural zones are one of the stages of physical and geographical zoning.
Natural zones are expressed on land and in the ocean, where they are less pronounced. Within the zone, according to the prevalence of landscapes of one type or another, physical and geographical subzones are distinguished.
Zone of arctic deserts. In this zone lie Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, New Siberian Islands. The zone is characterized by a huge amount of ice and snow in all seasons of the year. They are the main element of the landscape.All year round, the arctic air prevails here, the radiation balance for the year is less than 400 mJ / m 2, the average July temperatures are 4-2 ° С. The relative humidity is very high - 85%. Precipitation falls 400-200 mm, and almost all of them fall in solid form, which contributes to the emergence of ice sheets and glaciers. However, in some places, the supply of moisture in the air is small, and therefore, with an increase in temperature and strong winds, a large lack of moisture is formed and strong evaporation of snow occurs.
The soil-forming process in the Arctic takes place in a thin active layer and is at the initial stage of development. In the valleys of rivers and streams and on sea terraces, two types of soils are formed - typical polar desert soils on polygonal drained plains and polar desert solonchaks in saline coastal areas. They are characterized by a low humus content (up to 1.5%), weakly expressed genetic horizons and a very low thickness. In the arctic deserts, there are almost no swamps, few lakes, salt spots form on the soil surface in dry weather with strong winds.
The vegetation cover is extremely sparse and patchy; it is characterized by a poor species composition and extremely low productivity. Low-organized plants dominate: lichens, mosses, algae. The annual growth of mosses and lichens does not exceed 1–2 mm. Plants are extremely selective in their distribution. More or less close groupings of plants exist only in places sheltered from cold winds, on fine earth, where the thickness of the active layer is greater.
The main background of the Arctic deserts is formed by crustose lichens. Hypnum mosses are common, sphagnum mosses appear only in the south of the zone in very limited quantities. Higher plants are characterized by saxifrage, polar poppy, crumbs, stellate, Arctic pike, bluegrass and some others. Cereals thrive, forming hemispherical cushions up to 10 cm in diameter on a fertilized substrate near nesting gulls and burrow lemmings. At the spots of snow, an ice buttercup and a polar willow grow, reaching only 3-5 cm in height. Fauna, like flora, is poor in species; there are lemming, arctic fox, reindeer, polar bear, and ptarmigan and snowy owl are ubiquitous among birds. On the rocky shores there are numerous bird colonies - massive nesting sites of seabirds (guillemots, luriks, ivory gulls, fulmars, eiders, etc.). The southern shores of Franz Josef Land, the western shores of Novaya Zemlya are a continuous bird colony.
Posted: 06.04.2018 Category: Author's essayIn 1807, the German geographer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt discovered a science called landscape science. After his research in world geography, the concept of "natural zones" was born. Russia (as a transcontinental country) got 9 of them. After all, this is a sixth part of the land, equal in area to 17,125,191 square kilometers. Despite this, in terms of the number of PZs, our country is overtaken by the United States. The fact is that two states and a couple of dependent territories of this state are already in the tropics. This review will present the characteristics of the natural zones of Russia.
Arctic desert
Natural zones of Russia begin with huge archipelagos of the Arctic - Novaya and Severnaya Zemlya. Such biocomplexes also have "branches" in the extreme north of the Urals and in Siberia - in the lower reaches of the deep Ob, Khatanga, Lena, Indigirka, Kolyma.
The named groups of islands lie in the Arctic, representing a wasteland covered with snow and ice, in places crossed by gullies and hills. In total, (together with Asian sites) "doubtful wealth" is 9 million square meters. km.
Soils and climate
Summers in this belt are short and very cold. Zero degrees can be expected only in August. That is, snow and ice are a year-round phenomenon. Those spaces that are still free of glaciers are bound by permafrost. The absolute minus in January goes off scale for 30 degrees Celsius. There is little rainfall for the whole year, up to 400 mm. The so-called "polar night" lasts 150 days. The soil here is the least humus-rich, giving life only to primitive forms of lichens and mosses (cladonia, nephrome, parmelia).
Flora and fauna
Biota - solid fungi and microorganisms. Mammals are inhabited by unusual, polar animals. There are many natural zones in Russia, but some species of seals, walruses, seals, northern fish (for example, the killer whale) can be found only here. The same applies to birds (snowy owl, rose gull and guillemot). Polar bears are also found exclusively in the snowy expanses - on the northernmost pieces of Russian land. Or in Antarctica! Arctic waters are home to 25% of salmon and almost the entire population of reindeer. It is allowed to hunt this species for representatives of the indigenous population of those regions of Russia that seize the Arctic lands.
Recreational potential
Only 2 places are open for tourists in the Arctic - Wrangel Island and the Great Arctic Reserve. They are the northernmost protected natural areas in our Fatherland. Affordable rest is informative. The most popular excursion is to the islands where tiny creatures - lemmings live. Since July 15, fishing tourism has become famous in these places, which is allowed at a special training ground (a rather expensive tour is called "Fishing at the End of the Earth"). Some operators organize snowmobile races.
Tundra
The natural zones of Russia, located at the northern tip of Eurasia, are called tundra. In fact, this is the northernmost steppe on the planet. There are landscapes similar to it on the upper "floors" of mountains or on too high-mountainous plateaus.
Geographical location and relief
This refers to the geographic area north of the dendrosphere (tree zone). In Russia, he captures the Arctic Circle, as well as the adjacent strips of land. This is the northern quarter of European Russia and the northern third of Siberia. The sought natural region has mountainous areas and lowlands (usually swampy). In the Russian Federation, tundra and forest-tundra together occupy about 19,000,000 square kilometers (on both continents).
Soils and climate
Natural belts of Russia, like this one, are distinguished by extremely low precipitation (up to 300 mm per year) and cold temperatures (although it is already warmer here than in the Arctic). In July-August, the thermometer can rise to 10 degrees Celsius, but at the height of the "polar night" (almost as long as in the Arctic) -30 ° C reign here.
Flora and fauna
This circumstance is the reason for the meager biocenosis. Only angiosperms join lichens and mosses, and in the south of the subarctic climatic zone - stunted shrubs (dwarf birch, shrub willow and marsh sedge).
In such an environment, the same reindeer, arctic fox, fox, wolf, bighorn sheep, lemming and even a hare (in the far south) live. Among the winged animals, the red-throated pipit, the punk, the white-winged plover and, of course, the snowy owl are widespread. Ichthyofauna is represented by vendace, omul, wild boil, and nelma. It is the relict species of the animal world that are listed. Scientists believe that the main biotopic difference of the tundra is the threat of an ecological catastrophe. This belt is the birthplace of the most used oil and gas fields. Wherever man comes, more and more species of flora and fauna disappear. In particular, the original landscape is badly damaged by the appearance of the so-called "burning lakes" - ignited oil spills.
Recreational potential
Protected places - "gates" to the tundra natural belts of Russia. Among the GZs located here are Taimyrsky, Ust-Lensky, Laplandsky and Pasvik. In addition to the familiar ecological and educational tourism, extreme adventures are practiced - river rafting, jeep safari, and in winter - dog and reindeer sledding races. The low mountains of these environs (especially in the Murmansk region) are increasingly becoming of interest to speleologists and climbers. Fishing and hunting (especially photographic) are popular. A large number of Russians come to photograph the northern lights. The southern "branch" of the tundra is the Lagonaki plateau. This is a fragment of the Caucasian GZ in southern Adygea, where there is a well-known ski infrastructure and countless tourist centers. However, the northern tundra also boasts hospitality. For example, Pasvik is a territory on the adjacent lands of the Russian Federation and Norway, which is the border of tundra and taiga (in the west, the forest rises to high latitudes ...). There are several tourist tracts on both sides of the border. There is also a small building of the environmental museum (the village of Rayakoski), as well as the waterfall of the same name.
Forest-tundra and northern meadows
Forest-tundra and taiga is the largest natural zone in Russia, stretching from the south of the Kola Peninsula to the tip of Kamchatka. The main feature of the part named in the title is the oppressed woodlands and bushes, the presence of "northern meadows" in the south of the Kamchatka Territory. The zone is typical for a third of the US states and most of Canada.
Geographical location and relief
The map of the natural zones of Russia immediately makes it clear the huge scale of the "kingdom" of undersized birch, dwarf spruce, shrubs and tall marsh grass. This is the third part of all Siberia (middle), South Kamchatka, part of the Arkhangelsk region and the Komi Republic. More than 20 million sq. km. In terms of high-altitude division, this land is a plain with a large number of swampy lowlands and shallow river channels. Uplands, however, are present in Komi - the northern end of the Ural Mountains, as well as the Timan ridge ... Geological formations of approximately the same stratification are in the south of Kamchatka.
Soils and climate
The weather in this area is the same as in the rest of the tundra zones, with the only difference that the above elevations protect the adjacent locations from many winds, creating a microclimate rich in dwarf forest vegetation.
Local soils contain a lot of peat, and in the south of the landscape they are already podzolic - here the so-called "belozems" begin, which are already considered a "pillow" for the boreal forests going south. Their "business card" is an 85% layer of the so-called silica.
Flora and fauna
In this area gathered all those plants of the natural zones of Russia, which have one feature. The grass here is as tall as a tree. Because the trees are undersized. The conversation turned to the Karelian birch, dwarf spruce, tall dwarf birch and larch. In the north, their trunks are often bent to the ground. And sometimes it is so bizarre that such a pseudo-forest is called "dancing". In the south, they are straighter and higher. At the southern geographical boundary, there is already a high sparse forest, in places interspersed with full-fledged pines, cedars and firs. The fauna is virtually indistinguishable from the tundra fauna. However, there is an animal that is found exclusively in the North Siberian Lowland. Putorana "variety" of bighorn sheep. After all, here is the Putorana plateau, famous for biologists, where the reserve of the same name is located. We will talk about it in the next paragraph.
Recreational potential
The State Reserve "Putorana Plateau" is known as "the most lacustrine" within the forest-tundra. The most famous is its Khantai reservoir (Kutarmo). The length reaches 80 kilometers, and the depth is as much as 420 meters. On the shores of a small "sea" (composed of rocks of the glacial hollow), a few tourists wander, who stop at the village of Khantayskoye Lake (to the west of the mouth of the Khatancha). And yet the most pronounced landscapes of the described natural and climatic region are the natural boundaries of the Kronotsky (South Kamchatka) and Pechero-Ilychsky reserves, as well as the GBZ "Yugyd Va" (the Komi Republic). The first is known for thermal springs in the vents of volcanoes, on the banks of which unnaturally bright greenery (grass as large as a person) grows, as well as a huge population of bears.
The second two are of interest for extreme lovers and fans of the North Ural ethnics. In the unguarded zone, it is possible to find camp sites. Many of them are intended for hunters and fishermen. Moreover, "Yugyd-Va" provides travelers with a chance to arrange a visit directly on the website of the national park. The most popular hike is to the hill called Narodnaya. Its upper level is a picturesque alpine meadow, which is simply impossible to forget! The ecological direction attracts "hikers". There are parking spaces. There are historical trips - to the objects of the GULAG. For example, ordinary tourists from Arkhangelsk have access to a tour to the historical museum-reserve on the Solovetsky Islands. They are located just in the forest-tundra zone - at the exit from the famous Onega Bay.
Taiga
The natural zones of Russia, traditional for our ancestors (Proto-Slavic, Prabalt and Finno-Ugric), are associated with a coniferous forest. In geography, it is designated by the word "taiga". It is divided into southern (found in the Caucasus and Crimea) and northern. The latter occupies a space from the southern limits of the Murmansk reserve Pasvik and Veliky Novgorod in the west to Kamennaya Kolyma and the tip of Kamchatka in the south.
Geographical location and relief
This penny of the planet was in the first position in the ranking of the landscapes of the northern forest (forest-tundra and taiga). After all, it occupies 15,000,000 square kilometers, stretching at first in a strip of 800 km. (European part of the Russian Federation), and then 2150 km. (Eastern Siberia).
The geological history of the region of the Earth, on which the boreal forest grows, is associated with increased mountain building, and also the emergence of the deepest rivers at the junctions of different platforms. In fact, there are lowlands, hills, mountains, foothills, plains, deep river beds. But the varied relief partially explains some natural zones on the territory of Russia. On this piece of Eurasia, all conditions have been created for the growth of huge coniferous thickets. More on this below.
Soils and climate
Taiga is located in the "kingdom" of cold-temperate, and partly medium-temperate climate. "Coniferous". At the height of summer, the temperature here ranges from +20 to + 25 ° C, in January - from -15 to -30 ° C (except for pieces of the "Mediterranean" taiga, where it is much warmer in winter). In the west, precipitation is almost double that of the eastern tip of this geographic country. In the middle - average humidity (climatic norm). The soils are podzolic (they are described in the chapter above), and the swampy part of the dense spaces is rich in peat. In the Murmansk, Leningrad and Novgorod regions, bad weather reigns. The influence of the cloudy Atlantic is here.
Flora and fauna
The boreal vegetation of the natural zones of Russia includes all types of coniferous flora (cedar, fir, larch, spruce, pine) with frequent blotches of birch forests. In the southern (Caucasian and Crimean) taiga, yew dominates (in the Crimea - berry yew, Crimean pine and Steven's maple, which are included in the Red Book). Trees of this family grow only on slopes. Do not fall under direct sunlight ... Cedar is more of a Siberian phenomenon. The extraction of its cones (with nuts rich in nutrients) is the most common type of Siberian gathering. There is a lot of pine and birch in "northern Russian Asia". Different types.
Recreational potential
The southern taiga is better characterized by the coniferous OPT "Krymskiy" and "Kavkazskiy". These reserves include many tourist routes of varying difficulty, climbing and speleological attractions, starting points for extreme river rafting, objects of historical value (such as cave cities in the upper part of the slopes of the South Coast of the Crimea or dolmens in Adygea). Both GZs have shelters (numbered) on the climbing trails. And at the start of the famous routes there are cozy recreation centers. The brands of the northern taiga are called the reserves of southern Karelia, "Kologrivsky forest" (Kostroma region), as well as arboretums of the Kirov region. And yet the most famous is ... Barguzinsky State Plant. These are the shores of Lake Baikal, the cleanest and deepest in the world. There is a tour "The Charm of Olkhon", during which you will reveal all the secrets of this area of the continent, as well as take a health course at the thermal spring "Davsha". Such sanatoriums include "Birchs" (GZ "Caucasian") and "Marcial waters" (Karelia).
Mixed and deciduous forest zone
We would put this one in the rating “the most beautiful natural areas of Russia”. Mixed thickets are especially striking in autumn, shimmering with greens, golden, yellow and brown shades at the same time. In the literature, the European section of this area is called "the middle zone of Russia." In its north is her "Golden Ring".
Geographical location and relief
When there is a map of the natural zones of Russia on the table, it is immediately clear that the described territory occupies its historical core, starting from the southern half of the Novgorod region and the northern half of the Belgorod region in the west, and ending with Sakhalin and the Kuriles in the east. Separate sections of this RoW are the northern half of Kamchatka, as well as Western and Central Ciscaucasia. It is worth noting that in Siberia, the taiga strongly presses this described biotope to the south, cutting it strongly in the Far East.
Most of the world of mixed and deciduous forests lies on plains, hills, shallow lowlands, as well as in the middle strata of the highlands of Eurasia.
Soils and climate
This RoW gravitates towards a zone of medium-temperate climate, the areas of which do not differ in any way from each other in terms of warmth. The exception is the Novgorod and Pskov regions, where there are slightly more cloudy days and precipitation. And the most striking example is the Moscow and Vladimir regions. Summer in these subjects of the federation is ideal - sunny days alternate evenly with slightly rainy ones, the average temperature is + 22 ° C. In winter, the run starts from - 10 ° C to - 20 ° C. The winds are often gusty, but not hurricane. In January, they lead to frost only - 25 ° C. Humidity exceeds the norm in the west.
Flora and fauna
The greatest variety of flora and fauna - the words about "Central Russia". The relict arboretums contain both northern inhabitants (pine, spruce, fir and birch) and “taiga-larch” black alder. Ash, linden, poplar, oak and maple grow to the south. Even closer to the forest-steppe is the thermophilic elm. Lilac, apple, hazel, honeysuckle, mountain ash, hazel are getting on well. And in the riverbeds a weeping willow bent to the water. In swamps and forests, an area of berries rich in species composition grows. A lot of mushrooms. The grass cover in forests, around fields, in swamps, as well as on flooded meadows is denser, “juicy” and varied. We are talking about the northern border of horticulture, floriculture and horticulture. At dachas and outskirts of villages, viburnum turns red, and frost-resistant grapes grow in the Amur region! The difference between the local vegetation is the richest undergrowth, consisting of hundreds of species of fern and shrub (including berry).
Fauna - the area of distribution of bear, deer, elk, roe deer. And also a wolf, a brown hare and a white hare. There are foxes, weasels, ermines, beavers, choris, raccoon dogs and 4 species of rodents. In the specified geographical area, we will meet more than 170 types of avifauna, and in its reservoirs - a hundred "varieties" of fish. Overly active forms of fishing and hunting (the area has been overpopulated since the last century) led to the fact that many of the listed fish and animals began to quickly disappear here. Now populations are restored artificially, including by restrictions on the hunting regime.
Recreational potential
For obvious reasons, the most common type of recreation here is cultural and educational. You can go around the estates yourself. And the historical cities of Russia - to travel "wholesale", using the tourist product "The Golden Ring of Russia" (by the way, it can be a cruise). There is a rural cluster. Indeed, 3 years ago, the study of the ethnic characteristics of the local agricultural complex fell into the trend among Moscow operators. In second place is forest trekking with tents. On the third - many days of fishing and hunting. In the Siberian half of the given PZ, as well as on the middle "floors" of the Crimean and Caucasian mountains, speleological and mountaineering fun, river rafting and jeep safari are practiced. Speaking about the Far East, one cannot fail to note the Ussuriysky State Plant (Shkotovsky District of the Primorsky Territory). The Ussuri tiger lives only in the latter. Saving its population is one of the tasks set by the President of our country V. Putin. As for the flora, the forests of the Ussuri region are probably the richest in species composition. Judge for yourself: cedar, southern pine and fir get along with linden, maple, walnuts and wild apple trees. From the "undersized" here are rose hips, viburnum, hazel, honeysuckle. In the south, the variety is complemented by cherry, maakia and bird cherry.
Hundreds of forest sanatoriums are considered to be medical resorts in the zone of the specified RoW. The most characteristic health resorts practicing climatotherapy are set up around such natural parks in Western Russia as Botchinsky, Bryansky Les, Vishersky, Voroninsky, Daursky, Belogorye and Kaluzhsky Zaseki. The Central Federal District is known for the unique sanatoriums of the Moscow region - "Orbita", "Izumrud", "Moscow region" and "Sosny". In the Nizhny Novgorod region, the Gorkovskoye more sports complex is popular - on the shore of the reservoir of the same name. In addition to forest walks, various procedures are practiced here. But the deciduous forests of the Western and Central Ciscaucasia, where most of the thermal mineral springs are discovered, are of particular value. Most of them have sanatoriums built (Mineralnye Vody region, Goryachy Klyuch, KBR).
Forest-steppe
From the latitude of the northern and eastern Chernozem regions, the natural zones of Russia fragmentarily pass into the "kingdom of the steppes." Moreover, in the western half, they are all already plowed up. In terms of the size of the territory, this geographic sphere surpasses only the desert and semi-desert.
Geographical location and relief
The forest-steppe covers several administrative units of the state. Part of Oryol, Orenburg and Chelyabinsk. All Belgorod, Voronezh, Tambov, Lipetsk, Saratov and Penza. This RoW is also found in the foothills of Altai, decorating the beds of the largest rivers of this picturesque mountain system.
Geological biography explains one fact to us. The forest-steppe is predominantly located on a hilly plain, representing part of the southeast of the Russian platform.
Soils and climate
A transitional climate prevails - from medium-temperate to sharply continental (arid). The standard of the local variety of the temperate climate is the weather in the Lipetsk region. The average temperature in winter is -10 ° C, in summer +22 ° C. Precipitation is the norm. Half of the days are sunny. The soil composition of the forest-steppe is characterized by the presence of the so-called "northern", and in the Belgorod region - "saturated" chernozems. As for the "northern" ones, we are talking about podzolic-humus substances ("gray" soils). The 2nd variety is an example of organic-rich chernozem, second only to the Stavropol and Krasnodar soils (the reason for the phenomenon is a rich cultural layer).
Flora and fauna
In the forest-steppe, oaks, linden, willow and ash are more common. Only in the extreme south are elm and acacia. Pyramidal poplar and hornbeam are beginning to come across. The latter prefers loose, humus-rich soils (as in the Belgorod and Voronezh regions). However, northern birch and pine trees are still widely scattered here (although not as densely as in the mixed forest zone). Moreover, the pine loves sand. It is inhabited by the "Central Russian" animals of the natural zones of Russia - the same representatives of the running, crawling, flying and swimming fauna, which we talked about in the previous chapter. One difference - a slightly larger number of field rodents. After all, there are more agricultural territories on the southern side of "central Russia" - black soil is already in the south.
Recreational potential
In this "land" there are five protected areas, which have become popular among travelers. There are also little-known ones. So, about the top five. These are nature reserves: Forest on Vorskla (very old oaks of Belgorod region), Voronezh (border of Voronezh and Lipetsk regions - vegetation on unique sandy terraces). As well as national parks: Khvalynsky (coniferous forest on chalky slopes overlooking the Volga), Privolzhskaya forest-steppe (Penza region, commonwealth of meadows and 9 species of trees), as well as "Arkaim" (steppe and forest-steppe territories with remnants of settlements of the Sintashta culture). Recreation in all reserves is ecological and historical. There are the most protected biological reserves, as well as, on the contrary, hunting and fishing grounds.
The agricultural direction is represented mainly by trips to Michurinsk (Tambov region). In its suburbs, a large museum-reserve is set up, demonstrating what the famous Russian geneticist Michurin, as well as his outstanding students, did. The main difference is that the transition zone to the steppe contains many archaeological excavations (with museums at the entrance), as well as wild boar hunting grounds. Fans of water extreme will find ideal rivers for rafting: Don, Sosna, Vorskla, Khoper and Oskol, and in the Saratov region - the quiet upper reaches of the Medveditsa and Bolshoi Irgiz. The forest-steppe zone has quite a few resort establishments, being an agricultural complex.
The only exception is the sparsely wooded part of the Chelyabinsk region. First of all, we are talking about a recreational zone on the border of the Ural and Uvelsky regions, located between countless lakes. The world famous health resort "Ural" (Lake Podbornoe) - "Ural Artek", where absolutely everything is treated, and also develop intellect and motor skills! On the border of the mixed forest and forest-steppe, there are five lakes that "create" wonderful landscapes.
Steppe
From 53 degrees north latitude (in the east to the south), the natural zones of Russia pass into the steppe - a plain with exclusively grassy vegetation. These are not only agricultural lands (53 and 52 degrees latitude), but already virgin lands of 4 types ... At the moment in the Russian Federation there is only one Black Sea steppe - in the north of the Republic of Crimea.
Geographical location and relief
The peculiarities of the natural zones of Russia in the south are in their shorter length from west to east. This is how Russian Eurasia works. Other states wedge in from the west, and in the east, the Pacific coast goes southwest, not south. The steppes run in a sharply narrowing strip from some of the heights of the Crimea and Belgorod in the west to the Ob River in the east. In Western (Altai) and Eastern Siberia (Transbaikalia), they are also present, but in the form of 7 areas isolated from each other, interspersed with forests.
Soils and climate
The weather here is sharply continental. Summer is prone to extreme heat and droughts, while winter is prone to frost. Slightly warmer in the North Caucasus. The best chernozems are found on the plains and foothills of this strip. This piece of land looks like a picturesque rural idyll ... Every year, tall grass, feather grass, xerophytic and mountain (subalpine) plains are blown by winds from all sides. The area from the Belgorod region, Taganrog and the steppe Crimea to the Volga is black soil. In the Trans-Volga region, the steppes are non-chernozem. And they continue to the north - from the Saratov region (where humus is diluted with loess), passing into the Orenburg ... The soil composition of the Trans-Volga and Siberian steppes is somewhat different than the western ones. On the ground, it is closer to the semi-desert. We are talking about chestnut soils, the level of humus in which is only 3%, the main layer is clay. For centuries there have been only pastures.
Flora and fauna
"Desert-plain" plants of natural zones of Russia are divided into 4 groups, which have already been listed above. It is clear that there are more fauna in the black earth west of the zone.
In the steppes, there are wolves, foxes, hares, wild boars, roe deer, polecats and a lot of rodents. Among the birds are marsh-meadow and carnivorous birds (including three species of eagle and heron).
Recreational potential
The most popular parts of the steppe are called natural parks "Donskoy", "Ust-Medveditsky" and "Nizhnekhopersky" (Volgograd region), the reserve of the Saratov region "Zmeevy Gory", as well as the state park in the Rostov region - "Sholokhovsky". All this is an example of a classic steppe landscape, where ecological recreation, horseback riding, rafting on safe rivers (some parts of the Don, Khopru, Medveditsa and Buzuluk), as well as fishing are available. Skiing, sledging and snowboarding activities are popular in Saratov's "Serpent Hills" in winter. All Volgograd and Rostov PAs provide guides telling about the Cossacks ... The fact is that in the Volgograd and Rostov regions most of the regional museums and almost half of the expositions in large cities are associated with the Cossack material culture and traditions. In Volgograd, Kamyshin (Kamyshinsky district) and Engels there are institutions that tell about the Volga Germans who once lived here.
Semi-desert
In the left-bank part of the Volgograd region, throughout the Astrakhan region and Kalmykia, as well as in the southeast of Dagestan, the natural zones of Russia are being transformed into a semi-desert - an arid biotope, a transition from steppe to desert. As for the first two subjects of the federation, they even have salt marshes.
Geographical location and relief
In Russia, the semi-desert is found only in Kalmykia, the Astrakhan region, on the left bank of the Volgograd region (north of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain), and also in a tiny southeastern corner of Dagestan, which is the gap between the Nogai steppe and the coast of the Caspian Sea. These are the wide lower reaches of the Sulak River. The entire zone is an absolutely flat area of the East European Plain, with the exception of the Elton Lowland (a salt marsh in the southeast of the Palassovsky District of the Volgograd Region).
Soils and climate
This area of the continent is a zone of action of a sharply continental climate. It differs from the steppe in that in summer it is 4-5 degrees warmer. By the way, only the northern and eastern winds fall into the lower reaches of the Sulak, since from the west and south its delta is surrounded by the Caucasus, which is rapidly gaining height. The semi-desert is a storehouse of only chestnut soils.
Flora and fauna
The "kings" of the semi-desert are wormwood, cocklebur, fescue, twig and tumbleweed. In spring, ephemerides appear in some areas - snowdrops, poppies and tulips. Those animals of the natural zones of Russia that inhabit the east of the northern half of the Southern Federal District are best represented by field rodents, European hares and wild boars. Most of the birds are, for obvious reasons, predators. Under the protection of the Red Book are the white-tailed eagle, steppe eagle, burial ground, vulture, black vulture. There are endangered species among the floodplain avifauna - the mute swan and the whooper swan. On the Lower Volga, due to the increased level of poaching, sturgeon breeds are disappearing. The Volga-Akhtuba floodplain is the world's largest transit habitat for birds.
Recreational potential
The Lower Volga (especially an oasis in the semi-desert - the Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain) attracts fishermen. People with pulmonary diseases are attracted by the Eltonsky reserve, where a sanatorium is set up near the Elton salt lake.
In another salt marsh - Baskunchak - not only lovers of salt and curative mud, but also speleologists rush (there are interesting caves in the Big Bagdo Mountain). Talking about the borderlands of the 61st and 34th regions, I would like to inform the reader that there is a green sea here. The Tsimlyansk reservoir blooms at the end of summer. Algae generates so much heat that even at night you sleep on the sand without a tent or sleeping bag! By the way, in the natural park "Tsimlyanskie Peski" (a center of a semi-desert in the middle of the steppe), tent camps with equipment rental, inspection of mustangs and an excursion to the former habitats of the Old Believers are available. They go hunting to the Kalmyk "Black Lands" to see Buddhist datsans and mustangs. And the end of April - a traditional tulip photo-hunt. There is a Chess City in Elista.
They go to the lower reaches of the Dagestan Sulak to look at the remains of ancient Shamkhal (the former capital of the Kumyk principality). They also plunge into the Caspian Sea - on the shore. Derbent is more interesting from a historical point of view. In the southernmost city of the Russian Federation, Caucasian Islam began. Aul Kubachi is now the "jewelry and weapons" center of the North Caucasus. The Iranian shahs bought sabers and daggers from local craftsmen. Tours from Volgograd, Astrakhan, Rostov-on-Don and Makhachkala are dedicated to each of the phenomena.
Subtropics
The color map of the natural zones of Russia demonstrates the variegation on the southern border of Russian Europe and Russian Asia. As you may have guessed, we were talking about the urban districts of the South Coast of Crimea, the Sudak city and the mountain system of the Caucasus (or, more precisely, the Dividing Range itself and the Caspian coast of the Republic of Dagestan). There are three types of subtropics.
Geographical location and relief
This refers to the urban districts of Sudak, Alushta, Yalta, the Western Caucasus (districts of Anapa, Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Sochi) and Dagestan (namely the lower reaches of the Samur).
Soils and climate
Oddly enough, the Russian subtropics represent three different climatic zones.
The dry ("Mediterranean", which is, in fact, a transition from a temperate to a subtropical climate) include the South Coast, Sudak (Crimea) and the Western Caucasus (except for Greater Sochi). To the semi-humid ones - 9 kilometers of the lower reaches of the Samur River (the low-lying border of Dagestan with Azerbaijan). And Big Sochi is considered to be wet.
The Russian "Mediterranean" is distinguished by the fact that in summer dry air formed in the high pressure zone descends on the layer of sea air, which is characterized by variable humidity. Thanks to this, there is no precipitation here. Instead, only thunderstorms. And the heat is not stronger than the "steppe". In winter, however, the thermometer does not drop below -16 ° C, since the area is sheltered from cold (eastern and northern) winds by mountains (the Yayla in the Crimea and the Dividing Range in the Caucasus).
The Samur forest lies in the belt of semi-humid or "oceanic" subtropics. They are more susceptible to attacks by sea winds and currents. In the midst of summer, it is not hot and windy here ... The humidity is ideal (precipitation is normal). In winter, the temperature ranges from -1 ° C to + 4 ° C, only the eastern winds of the hot Central Asian deserts get here. The problem is the wind.
Finally, humid subtropics are similar to semi-humid ones only in winter. Only there is no wind here. In summer, there are clouds almost every day. But the fact is that they quickly dissipate, as well as constant, but very light and short-term rain. The humidity here is high, the average July temperature ranges from + 21 ° C to + 27 ° C. And spring is very long and rainy. It ends, in fact, only in the first third of June.
All these pieces of Russia on the southern border of Russian Europe and Asia are closely sandwiched between high mountains and the sea. And, therefore, they are represented by the so-called mountain soils. Such soil consists of the thinnest meadow layer, under which there is a pebble surface.
Flora and fauna
Natural belts of Russia, such as this, are the habitat of birds of prey, rather large (including venomous) snakes. Mountain goats, mouflons, bison, lynxes, rounds, Caucasian chamois, roe deer, wild boars, jungle cats and dangerous forest cats. All these animals are found on the slopes of the mountains, most of the species - on their lower (seaside) "floor". In Crimea, such a stratum is represented by blunt-leaved pistachio, juniper, Crimean pine and Crimean cistus. In the Western Caucasus, beech and yew can be added to them. In Greater Sochi, this company is joined by thickets of hornbeam, Caucasian oak and plane tree. The Samur forest is the owner of the only liana forest in Russia! It is worth talking about it in more detail in order to instill tourist interest in it. Rather tall "green brothers" are braided with lianas: cork trees, wild apple trees, walnuts and hornbeams. Between their trunks you can find huge flowers of extraordinary beauty and plants, the leaves of which are similar to those of a water lily (on the rocky banks of the rapids).
Recreational potential
The map of natural zones of Russia clearly tells us that most of the protected natural landscapes of our state are located in the subtropical belt. There are so many of them, they are small, unlike each other. Therefore, they are the topic of a separate conversation (read the article "Reserves of Russia" and others). For a northern country, the subtropical area is exotic. Therefore, resort and ecological tourism is more developed here. And even sports and recreation (in the Crimea, Tuapse, the mountain and coastal cluster of Sochi, dozens of terrenkurs are arranged). And all the extreme, of course, is associated with sea recreation (windsurfing, kiting, yachting and diving) or mountain (trekking, mountaineering and jumping). By the way, the Imereti port has the largest yacht marina in Russia (more than 700 places!), And Krasnaya Polyana is the largest chain of ski resorts in the CIS.
There are also many coastal and mountain health resorts at the disposal of tourists. In Crimea, in the regions of Saki and Evpatoria, there are most of all Russian mud baths (this area is located in the middle of salty estuaries and deposits of healing mud). There are small mud volcanoes on Taman (here and there are lotuses), in some places and in the urban district of Anapa. Microdistrict Adler (GO Sochi) is the only place where banjo jumping is officially practiced (complex of extreme entertainment "Sky Park", Kazachiy Brod). The coastal (humid-subtropical) zone of the Caucasian State Reserve is called the Sochi National Park. It has 9 indigenous tourist routes of varying difficulty and dozens of historical and natural attractions. An even greater number of them are located in the zone of dry subtropics of Crimea - these are botanical gardens around noble estates and royal residences, and museums on the site of Scythian settlements, and remnants of ancient policies, and Karaite caves, and bizarre rocky tracts. Tourists-savages have chosen 75 Crimean bays, half of which are reserved.
Desert
This is the smallest natural area in Russia, the smallest object from the entire list.
Geographical location and relief
The conversation will focus on about a hundred dunes of the Kumtorkalinsky massif of the Republic of Dagestan. The location is equal in area only to the Bryansk region (approximately 30,000 square kilometers). It is located to the west of the Makhachkala agglomeration. The largest of the dunes has the uncomplicated name of Sary-Kum. It translates from the Turkic language as "yellow sand". It lies south of the rest. This point is the highest sandy mountain in the world, at a height of 262 meters. Sand deposits are asymmetric. The leeward side of each has a concave appearance, the opposite is curved and has time to be covered with vegetation. Only Sary-Kum is absolutely naked.
Soils and climate
Once in a space where unfamiliar weather reigns, the sands of Dagestan have properties that greatly distinguish them from their counterparts from Central Asia (by the way, they are separated by 300 kilometers of the Caspian Sea). For example, the surface of Sary-Kum does not move at all under the influence of the wind. Moreover, a real ... river flows through the dune! The dunes are a product of the weathering of the neighboring mountains, the former sides of an ancient river bed.
The surface of the specified tract is sand. However, on the windward side of the desert hills, flora grows, typical not of a desert, but of a semi-desert. In some places there is even a dry stand! This will be discussed in more detail in the next section. Mountain "Yellow Sands", which has the size of an average Russian village, lies in a sharply continental (arid), but still temperate climate. Therefore, in January there is no higher than zero, and at the height of summer - no more than 31 degrees. At the same time, for several summer days, 576 hectares of the surface of the Sarykum sands still heat up to 60 degrees Celsius. You can even get burned!
Flora and fauna
Natural areas of Russia in the south of the country are more closely "intertwined" with each other. The result was a special zoological diversity in their (mountains and large wastelands) open spaces. Desert "Sarykum dunes" - the southwestern part of the specified massif. It is located 18 kilometers northwest of Makhachkala. As it was said, only it can be called "classic". Of the plants - only a xerophytic shrub, related to saxaul, as well as some wormwood-grass vegetation. Lizards and smaller lizards live on the sandy waves. At the same time, in the rest of the natural boundaries of the Kumtorkala massif, we will find a landscape transitional to a semi-desert - a lot of wormwood, dry trees, shiblyak thickets. Of the flowers here, most often there are astragals - Karakuginsky and Leman. The sands are inhabited by 21 species of reptiles (among them the funny Mediterranean turtle), 194 species of birds (like eagles - steppe and burial ground) and 251 species of terrestrial vertebrates (usually rodents).
Recreational potential
The sandy heights of the Kumtorkalinsky massif are part of the Dagestansky nature reserve. In fact, the most closely guarded recreation of the region. First of all, educational tourism is developed here. And no wonder. SPNA includes adjacent areas of 6 landscapes at once - steppes, semi-deserts, deciduous forests (on the foothills and in the valleys of large rivers), as well as mountain and sandy deserts. It is not for nothing that the place is fashionable to be called “the center of ecological travel”. However, in the southernmost geographic region of the Russian Federation, extreme types of recreation are also exploited. These include caving, mountaineering, downhill sandy slopes and several types of trekking. Be aware: the Sulak river is suitable for rafting in spring. And travelers, in order to begin acquaintance with the sands, must first get to the village of Korkmaskala (along the Kavkaz highway) or to the Shamkhal station (on the Kizil-Yurt - Makhachkala railway).
As you understood, the natural zones of Russia have not only the latitudinal or meridian vector of movement. They also change in the high-altitude direction. Large elevations have strata, where the distance from the sea level corresponds to the movement to the north. Continuing to develop the theme of relief, it is worth pointing out that some microlandscapes of the south, due to isolation, may have features of the natural zones of Russia in the north. And vice versa. We hope the information received will help in your journey.
4What is a natural area? Natural area- physical-geographical zone - is part of the geographic shell of the Earth and the geographic belt, has characteristic components of its natural components and processes. What natural areas are there?
- Arctic (Antarctic) desert.
- Forest-tundra and tundra.
- Taiga, mixed, deciduous forests, tropical forests.
- Forest-steppe and steppe.
- Deserts and semi-deserts.
- Savannah.
Arctic and Antarctic deserts - such deserts occupy about 5 million square kilometers (the largest places are Greenland, Antarctica, northern parts of Eurasia, North America), mainly composed of small rocks or scree, as well as glaciers. A characteristic feature of the polar desert is the absence of sunlight for a long period of time, about 10 months. Most of the soil is permanently frozen. The average temperature that happens in these zones is up to -30 degrees Celsius, in winter -60 degrees, in warm seasons, the temperature is + 3 degrees maximum. Such deserts are practically devoid of vegetation. Of the animals in the Arctic, there are polar bears, walruses, seals, Arctic foxes, and seals. In Alaska, Canada and Russia, the arctic deserts are already gradually turning into tundra.
Forest-tundra and tundra - the largest areas of tundra and forest-tundra, are located in the north of North America and Eurasia (mainly Russia and Canada), mainly, such areas are located in the subarctic climatic zone. In the southern hemisphere of our planet, tundra and forest-tundra are practically absent. The vegetation is very low, the most common are mosses and lichens. The tundra has a large number of trees such as Siberian larch, dwarf birch, polar willow. Among the animals: deer, wolves, a large number of hares, polar foxes. The average temperature in warm seasons is +5 +10 degrees, in winter the average temperature is -30 degrees. In the Tundra, winter can last up to 9 months. In the forest-tundra, the average temperature is +10 +15 degrees. In winter, from -10 to -45 degrees. The tundra and forest-tundra have a very large number of lakes, due to high humidity, as well as a large number of swamps.
Taiga, mixed, deciduous forests, tropical forests - these zones are characterized by a mild climate and fertile soils. Formed in temperate zones with an average rainfall. Usually located in the temperate zone of Russia, Canada, Scandinavia. Cold winters and rather warm summers are typical. From vegetation, a large number of conifers: pine, fir, larch, spruce. Taiga became famous for its dark coniferous boreal forests. There is also a large number of deciduous trees: birch, poplar, aspen. The main seasons in the taiga and deciduous, tropical forests are winter and summer. Autumn and spring are so short that you won't even notice that they exist. The taiga is either very cold or very hot. It happens that the temperature exceeds +30 degrees Celsius, mostly warm and rainy. In winter, there are frosts and up to -50 degrees. A very large number of wild animals: brown bear, wolf, fox, wolverine, ermine, sable, there are deer, elk, roe deer. But usually, they live in areas where there is a very large number of deciduous trees.
Forest-steppe and steppe - these are areas of the terrestrial part that do not have forests, occupy rather vast territories in Eurasia, North America and in the subtropical zones of South America. Very low rainfall. The forest-steppe zone runs in the north between the steppes and forests in the north, namely, from the steppes, a transition to semi-deserts is formed, and then deserts begin. In the forest-steppe, on the contrary, there is a rather humid climate (up to 600 mm) than in the steppe, therefore such an element as a meadow steppe is formed here. The temperature in the steppes, as well as in the forest-steppes, ranges from -16 to +10 degrees in winter, +15 to +30 degrees in summer. Vegetation usually changes from north to south, grasses are replaced by feather grass, and it is replaced by wormwood. Among the animals there are ground squirrels, marmots, bustards, steppe eagles. There are also hedgehogs, squirrels, foxes, hares, snakes, moose, storks, beavers.
Deserts and semi-deserts - it is one of the largest areas, occupying one fifth of the earth's surface. It is clear that the largest part of these zones is located in the tropics (desert and semi-desert): in Africa, Australia, the tropics of South America, as well as on the Arabian Peninsula in Eurasia. The driest desert is the Atacama, which is located in Chile, where it practically does not rain. In the largest desert of the Earth - the Sahara, precipitation is also very little, in summer the temperature can be up to +50 for deserts this is a very common phenomenon. There are frosts in winter. In deserts, there is practically no flora, this is due to low humidity and a very dry climate; there are very few plants that can survive in such a climate. There are enough animals: jerboas, gophers, snakes, lizards, scorpions, camels.
Savannah - such zones are, for the most part, in the subequatorial belt of the Earth. The climate here is varied, sometimes it is very dry, and sometimes it is quite rainy. The average temperature for the year ranges from +15 to +25 degrees. The largest number of shrouds is in South America, Africa, Indochina, the Indian subcontinent, and the northern regions of Australia. A very diverse fauna, mainly herbaceous vegetation, a variety of trees and shrubs. Of the animals that live in shrouds, the following can be distinguished: elephants, cheetahs, lions, rhinos, leopards, zebras, giraffes, antelopes. A large number of birds and insects.
The warmth of the sun, clean air and water are the main criteria for life on Earth. Numerous climatic zones have led to the division of the territory of all continents and water areas into certain natural zones. Some of them, even separated by huge distances, are very similar, others are unique.
Natural areas of the world: what is it?
This definition should be understood as very large in area natural complexes (in other words, parts of the geographic belt of the Earth), which have similar, homogeneous climatic conditions. The main characteristic of natural zones is the fauna and flora that inhabits this territory. They are formed as a result of uneven distribution of moisture and heat on the planet.
Table "Natural zones of the world"
Natural area | Climatic zone | Average temperature (winter / summer) |
Antarctic and arctic deserts | Antarctic, arctic | 24-70 ° C / 0-32 ° C |
Tundra and forest-tundra | Subarctic and subantarctic | 8-40 ° C / + 8 + 16 ° C |
Moderate | 8-48 ° C / + 8 + 24 ° C |
|
Mixed forests | Moderate | 16-8 ° C / + 16 + 24 ° C |
Broadleaf forests | Moderate | 8 + 8 ° C / + 16 + 24 ° C |
Steppe and forest-steppe | Subtropical and temperate | 16 + 8 ° C / + 16 + 24 ° C |
Temperate deserts and semi-deserts | Moderate | 8-24 ° С / + 20 + 24 ° С |
Stiff-leaved forests | Subtropical | 8 + 16 ° С / + 20 + 24 ° С |
Tropical deserts and semi-deserts | Tropical | 8 + 16 ° С / + 20 + 32 ° С |
Savannah and woodlands | 20 + 24 ° С and above |
|
Variable wet forests | Subequatorial, tropical | 20 + 24 ° С and above |
Constantly wet forests | Equatorial | above + 24 ° С |
This characteristic of the natural zones of the world is only for informational purposes, because you can talk a lot and for a long time about each of them, all the information will not fit into the framework of one table.
Natural zones of the temperate climatic zone
1. Taiga. It surpasses all other natural zones in the world in terms of land area (27% of the territory of all forests on the planet). It is characterized by very low winter temperatures. Deciduous trees cannot withstand them, so the taiga is dense coniferous forests (mainly pine, spruce, fir, larch). Very large areas of the taiga in Canada and Russia are occupied by permafrost.
2. Mixed forests. Typical to a greater extent for the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. It is a kind of border between taiga and deciduous forest. They are more resistant to cold and long winters. Species of trees: oak, maple, poplar, linden, as well as rowan, alder, birch, pine, spruce. As the table "Natural zones of the world" shows, the soils in the mixed forest zone are gray, not highly fertile, but still suitable for growing plants.
3. Broadleaved forests. They are not adapted to harsh winters, they are deciduous. They occupy most of Western Europe, the south of the Far East, the north of China and Japan. Suitable for them is the maritime climate or temperate continental with hot summers and warm enough winters. As the table "Natural zones of the world" shows, the temperature in them does not drop below -8 ° C, even in the cold season. The soil is fertile, rich in humus. The following types of trees are characteristic: ash, chestnut, oak, hornbeam, beech, maple, elm. Forests are very rich in mammals (ungulates, rodents, predators), birds, including game birds.
4. Temperate deserts and semi-deserts. Their main distinguishing feature is the almost complete absence of vegetation and a meager fauna. There are a lot of natural zones of this nature, they are located mainly in the tropics. There are temperate deserts in Eurasia, and they are characterized by sharp temperature changes over the seasons. Animals are mainly represented by reptiles.
Arctic deserts and semi-deserts
They represent huge areas of land covered with snow and ice. The map of the natural zones of the world clearly shows that they are located on the territory of North America, Antarctica, Greenland and the northern tip of the Eurasian continent. In fact, these are lifeless places, and only along the coast are polar bears, walruses and seals, Arctic foxes and lemmings, penguins (in Antarctica). Where the land is free of ice, lichens and mosses can be seen.
Humid equatorial forests
Their second name is rain forests. They are located mainly in South America, as well as in Africa, Australia and the Greater Sunda Islands. The main condition for their formation is constant and very high humidity (more than 2000 mm of precipitation per year) and a hot climate (20 ° C and above). They are very rich in vegetation, the forest consists of several tiers and is an impenetrable, dense jungle, which has become home to more than 2/3 of all types of creatures living on our planet. These rainforests surpass all other natural areas in the world. Trees remain evergreen, changing foliage gradually and partially. Surprisingly, the soils of humid forests contain little humus.
Natural zones of the equatorial and subtropical climatic zone
1. Variable wet forests, they differ from rain forests in that precipitation falls there only during the rainy season, and during the period of drought that follows it, the trees are forced to shed their foliage. The flora and fauna are also very diverse and rich in species.
2. Savannas and woodlands. They appear where moisture, as a rule, is no longer sufficient for the growth of variable-wet forests. Their development takes place in the interior of the continent, where tropical and equatorial air masses dominate, and the rainy season lasts less than six months. They occupy a significant part of the territory of subequatorial Africa, the interior regions of South America, partly Hindustan and Australia. More detailed information about the location is reflected in the map of natural zones of the world (photo).
Stiff-leaved forests
This climatic zone is considered the most suitable for human habitation. Stiff-leaved and evergreen forests are located along the sea and ocean coasts. Precipitation is not so abundant, but the leaves retain moisture due to the dense leathery shell (oaks, eucalyptus), which prevents them from falling off. In some trees and plants, they are modernized into thorns.
Steppe and forest-steppe
They are characterized by an almost complete absence of woody vegetation, due to the scarce level of precipitation. But the soils are the most fertile (chernozems), and therefore are actively used by humans for agriculture. The steppes occupy large areas in North America and Eurasia. The predominant number of inhabitants is reptiles, rodents and birds. Plants have adapted to the lack of moisture and most often manage to complete their life cycle in a short spring period, when the steppe is covered with a thick carpet of greenery.
Tundra and forest-tundra
In this zone, the breath of the Arctic and Antarctic begins to be felt, the climate is becoming more severe, and even conifers cannot withstand it. Moisture is abundant, but there is no heat, which leads to swamping of very large areas. In the tundra, there are no trees at all, the flora is mainly represented by mosses and lichens. It is believed to be the most volatile and fragile ecosystem. Due to the active development of gas and oil fields, it is on the verge of an environmental disaster.
All natural zones of the world are very interesting, be it a seemingly absolutely lifeless desert, endless Arctic ice or thousand-year-old rain forests with boiling life inside.
