Zone of mixed and broad-leaved forests. Broad-leaved forests: features, relief, plants and animals Inland waters of the mixed forest zone

Except coniferous forests V North America there are areas of mixed and broad-leaved forests. On their formation and features big influence renders relief and properties of surface rocks.

Mixed forests of North America

The mixed forests of North America are located in the temperate climate zone between the taiga zone and broad-leaved forests. They are common in the northeastern United States, the eastern United States, and the border with Canada. The name of the forests speaks for itself: both coniferous trees and broad-leaved representatives of this species are concentrated here. Winter in this zone is cool (-5-14 degrees), and summer is quite warm (+20 degrees).

For mixed forests gray forest and sod-podzolic soils are characteristic.

Coniferous species are dominated by white and red pine, Canadian hemlock, fir, and spruce. Of the deciduous, birch, sugar maple, American ash, elm, hornbeam, and linden are widespread.

Rice. 1. American ash.

The fauna of mixed forests is very similar to the fauna of the taiga. Here you can meet a black bear baribal, badgers, minks, wolves, otters, raccoons and skunks, virgin deer.

Rice. 2. Black bear baribal.

In mixed forests, in contrast to broad-leaved forests, grass cover is very well represented. in deciduous forests big leaves trees prevent sunlight from reaching the ground, so the grass cover here is much poorer.

Broadleaf forests of North America

broadleaf forests North America are located in the temperate climate zone in the eastern part of the mainland south of the mixed. This area is characterized by long warm summer and mild winters. The climate here changes to a more humid and warmer one, so coniferous trees, characteristic of mixed forests, are practically not found. This area is characterized by gray forest soil rich in iron.

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Since broadleaf forests are found in the Appalachian Mountains, they are often referred to as Appalachian forests.

The fauna and flora of broad-leaved forests is rich and varied. Beech, ash, maple, hornbeam, chestnut and other trees grow here with broad leaves that fall in winter. Broadleaf forests contain several species of American oak that are endemic, meaning that these trees are found nowhere else outside of North America. Types of American oaks:

• dwarf oak;
• scarlet oak;
• red oak;
• oval-leaved oak.

Rice. 3. Red oak.

In the southern part of broad-leaved forests, magnolias, hickory, and tulip trees are found.

Among the representatives of the fauna, it is worth highlighting the mink, bison, black ferret, cuckoo, pheasant, green woodpecker, hummingbird.

What have we learned?

Mixed and broad-leaved forests are located in the temperate climate zone. In deciduous forests, the climate is milder and warmer than in mixed ones. They have a diverse flora and fauna, and there are also endemics in this territory that are not found on other continents.

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mixed forest is a territory in which deciduous and coniferous trees harmoniously coexist. If the admixture of tree species is more than 5% of the total volume of flora, we can already speak of a mixed type of forest.

The mixed forest forms a zone of coniferous-deciduous forests, and this is already a whole natural zone characteristic of forests in the temperate zone. There are also coniferous-small-leaved forests that are formed in the taiga as a result of the restoration of previously cut down pines or spruces, which begin to displace different types birch and aspen.

Main characteristic

(Typical mixed forest)

Mixed forests almost always coexist with broad-leaved forests in the south. In the northern hemisphere, they also border the taiga.

There are the following types of mixed forests in the temperate zone:

• coniferous-broad-leaved;
• secondary small-leaved with the addition of coniferous and broad-leaved species;
• mixed, which is a combination of deciduous and evergreen species.

Subtropical mixed fox distinguishes a combination of laurel and coniferous species. Any mixed forest is distinguished by a pronounced layering, as well as the presence of areas without a forest: the so-called opolye and woodlands.

Location of zones

Mixed forests as a combination of coniferous and broad-leaved species are found in the East European and West Siberian plains, as well as in the Carpathians, the Caucasus and the Far East.

In general, both mixed and broad-leaved forests occupy a smaller share of the forest area. Russian Federation, How coniferous taiga. The fact is that such ecosystems do not take root in Siberia. They are traditional only for the European and Far Eastern regions and at the same time grow in broken lines. Pure mixed forests are found south of the taiga, as well as beyond the Urals to the Amur region.

Climate

Forest plantations of mixed type are characterized by cold, but not very long winters and hot summers. Climatic conditions are such that precipitation does not exceed 700 mm per year. The moisture coefficient is increased, but may change during the summer. In our country, mixed forests stand on soddy-podzolic soil, and in the west - on brown forest soil. Usually, winter temperatures do not fall below -10˚C.

Broad-leaved forest plantations are distinguished by a humid and moderately humid climate, where precipitation is distributed evenly throughout the year. At the same time, temperatures are quite high, and even in January it is never colder than -8˚C. high humidity and abundant heat stimulate the work of bacteria and fungi, due to which the leaves quickly decompose, and the soil retains maximum fertility.

Features of the plant world

Features of biochemical and biological processes cause the density of species diversity as you move towards broad-leaved species. European mixed forests are distinguished by the obligatory presence of pine, spruce, maple, oak, linden, ash, elm, and viburnum, hazel, honeysuckle are in the lead among shrubs. Ferns are very common as herbs. Caucasian mixed forests in large volumes contain beech, fir, and Far Eastern - birch, walnut, hornbeam, larch. These same forests are distinguished by a variety of lianas.

Fauna representatives

Mixed forests are inhabited by those animals and birds that are generally considered typical of forest conditions. These are moose, foxes, wolves, bears, wild boars, hedgehogs, hares, badgers. If we talk about individual broad-leaved forests, then here it is especially striking species diversity birds, rodents and ungulates. Roe deer, fallow deer, deer, beavers, muskrats and nutrias are found in such forests.

Economic activity

The temperate natural zone, including mixed forests, has long been mastered local residents and densely populated. An impressive part of the forest plantations was cut down several centuries ago, because of which the composition of the forest has changed and the proportion of small-leaved species has increased. In place of many forests, agricultural territories and settlements appeared.

Broad-leaved forests can generally be considered rare forest ecosystems. After the 17th century, they were cut down on a large scale, largely because wood was needed for the sailing fleet. Broad-leaved forests were also actively cut down for arable land and meadows. Oak plantations have been especially hard hit by such human activities, and it is unlikely that they will ever be restored.

The zone of mixed and broad-leaved forests is located in the western part of the plain between the taiga and the forest-steppe and extends from the western borders of Russia to the confluence of the Oka into the Volga. The territory of the zone is open to Atlantic Ocean and its impact on the climate is decisive.

The zone is characterized by mild, moderate warm climate. The relief shows a combination of uplands (200 m or more) and lowlands. Stratum plains are overlain by moraine, lacustrine-alluvial, fluvioglacial and loess rocks. Soddy-podzolic and gray forest soils are formed within the zone under conditions of a moderately humid and moderately warm Atlantic-continental climate.

Here the large high-water rivers of the East European Plain begin - the Volga, the Dnieper, the Western Dvina, etc. The groundwater lie close to the surface. This contributes to the development of swamps and lakes with a dissected relief, clay-sand deposits and sufficient moisture.

The climate of the zone favors the growth of coniferous tree species together with broad-leaved trees. Depending on the relief conditions and the degree of moisture, meadows and swamps are also formed. European coniferous-broad-leaved forests are heterogeneous. Of the broad-leaved species in the zone, linden, ash, elm, and oak are common. As one moves eastward, due to the increase in the continentality of the climate, the southern boundary of the zone shifts significantly to the north, the role of spruce and fir increases, while the role of broad-leaved species decreases.

The widest distribution of broad-leaved species in the zone is linden, which forms the second tier in mixed forests. They have a well-developed undergrowth with a predominance of hazel, honeysuckle, and euonymus. In the grass cover, taiga representatives - oxalis, mainik - are combined with elements of oak forests, among which the role of goutweed, hoof, woodruff, etc. is significant.

The natural complexes of the zone change to the south, as the climate becomes warmer, the amount of precipitation approaches evaporation, dominance passes to broad-leaved species, conifers become rare. In these forests, the main role belongs to linden and oak.

Here, as well as in the taiga, upland and floodplain meadows on alluvial soils are developed. Among the swamps, transitional and lowland ones predominate. There are few sphagnum bogs.

In the zone of mixed and broad-leaved forests in historical times there were many wild animals and birds. At present, they are pushed back to the least populated places or completely exterminated and are only preserved and restored in reserves. Now typical animals of the zone are wild boar, elk, bison, black or forest polecat, badger, etc. In recent decades, the number of wild boar, river beaver and elk has increased significantly.

The boundary of the range of the wild boar has moved to the northeast and southeast in some places up to 600 km or more. Coniferous-deciduous forests are characterized by species of animals characteristic of Eurasia, but mostly close in origin to species of western broad-leaved and mixed forests, for example, European roe deer, European red deer, European mink, marten, dormouse, European forest cat, muskrat. Acclimatized deer, dappled deer, muskrat. Of the reptiles in mixed forests, the agile lizard and snake are common.

Rice. 7. Geological structure of the Valdai Upland

The zone of coniferous-deciduous forests has long been densely populated and developed, so its nature has been greatly changed by human activity. For example, forests occupy only 30% of the territory of the zone, the most convenient areas are plowed up or occupied by pastures; there has been a change in the animal kingdom species composition- European tarpans and aurochs that once lived in the forests have completely disappeared. Marten, wolverine, muskrat, golden eagle, osprey, white-tailed eagle, white and gray partridges have become rare.

Great work has been carried out to restore the river beaver, bison, red deer, increase the number of elk, acclimatize the raccoon dog, American mink and muskrat. Many species of animals and plants have been taken under protection. Reserves have been created in the zone that protect the most typical natural complexes and especially rare animals and plants. Among them is the Prioksko-Terrasny Biosphere Reserve, which protects the natural complexes of the center of the zone, which played an important role in the restoration of bison brought from Belovezhskaya Pushcha and from the Caucasus.

Valdai province extends from upstream the Lovat and Zapadnaya Dvina rivers to the north-northeast to Lake Onega. It consists of the Valdai (341 m), Tikhvin (280 m) and Vepsov (304 m) uplands, separated by depressions about 100 m above sea level. In the west, the hills abruptly end with the picturesque Valdai-Onega ledge (up to 150-200 m) to the Priilmenskaya lowland. In the east, the uplands gradually merge into the adjacent low-lying plains.

The province is located on the western flank of the Moscow syneclise; therefore, the sequence of sedimentary rocks that make up the cover is monoclinal. The Valdai-Onega ledge is usually considered as a carboniferous glint (cuest ledge), which fixes the boundary of the distribution of Carboniferous rocks represented by limestones, dolomites and marls.

The province is located in the marginal part of the Valdai glaciation, therefore, a well-preserved glacier-accumulative hilly-morainic relief with terminal moraine ridges (Torzhokskaya, Vyshnevolotskaya, Lesnaya, etc.) and numerous moraine lakes along the basins (Seliger, Volgo, Valdai, Velio, etc.). This strip of young picturesque landscapes is called Poozerye. The thickness of the moraine that covered the pre-glacial relief varies from 1–2 m to 100 m or more.

The carbonate rocks underlying the moraine determine the development of karst landforms where the thickness of the Quaternary deposits is small, within the limits of the Carboniferous scarp itself and in the valleys of the rivers cutting through it. Karst forms are represented by saucers, ponors, basins, as well as cavities, caverns, and caves.

The sources of the Volga, Dnieper and Western Dvina lie on the Valdai Upland. Many rivers flow in the hollows of the glacial melt waters, and their valleys are not yet fully formed. Short rivers connect numerous lakes, forming single water systems.

The climate of the province is humid with cool summers. average temperature July is only 16°C, and the average daily temperature rarely rises above 20°C. Winter is moderately cold. The average January temperature is -9...-10°С. Often coming here cyclones cause thaws. The annual amount of precipitation is more than 800 mm, which is the maximum for the Russian Plain. The maximum is in the summer.

The province is characterized by an extraordinary variety of soil and vegetation cover, which is due to the frequent change of soil-forming rocks and landforms. Moraine hills and ridges are covered with broad-leaved spruce forests on soddy-podzolic and podzolic soils. Outland plains, lakeside sands and sandy hills are dominated by pine forests. On limestones, dolomites and carbonate moraine, dark-colored humus-carbonate soils are common, on which spruce-broad-leaved forests grow with dominance of oak, with linden, ash and elm in the second tier.

Scattered among the forests are damp meadows and pine-sphagnum low-lying grassy and convex ridge-hollow bogs with cloudberries and cranberries. They are confined to the bottoms of wide valleys, the shores of lakes, and sometimes flat watersheds.

A significant part of the area of ​​the province has long been heavily modified by man, but in some places there are still slightly modified areas. Here, in 1931, the Central Forest Reserve was created, which now has the status of a biosphere reserve. Its territory is covered with spruce and spruce-broad-leaved forests, typical for this province.

The Meshchera province is located between the Klyazma and Oka rivers. In the north it is bounded by the slopes of the Smolensk-Moscow Upland, in the east by the Oka-Tsninsky swell. The typical landscape of Meshchera is a gently undulating alluvial outwash forest plain height 80-150 m above sea level with lakes and swamps. Along the edges of Meshchera, moraine-erosion uplifts are common with average heights of 150-200 m.

This type of landscape is called woodland. Woodland landscapes were formed at the edge of the Pleistocene ice sheet, in depressions of the pre-glacial relief, through which the runoff of glacial melt waters occurred. Elevated remnants or "loess islands" - opolyas - have also been preserved here. On the East European Plain within Russia, the woodland type of landscapes forms a whole belt consisting of the Bryansk-Zhizdrinsky, Meshchersky, Mokshinsky, Balakhna, Vetluzhsky, Kamsko-Vyatsky and other woodlands.

Meshchera is confined to the pre-glacial tectonic trough. At its base lie Carboniferous limestones overlain by Jurassic and Cretaceous sandy-argillaceous deposits. The Quaternary deposits consist of a eroded moraine preserved for the most high areas pre-glacial relief (Egoryevskoe plateau, Oksko-Tsninsky shaft, etc.), and large strata of sands and loams of water-glacial and alluvial origin. In the central part of Meshchera, a lowland stretches with peat bogs and lakes (Holy, Great, etc.). Around it stretch wide strips of sandy plains with dunes. Rivers flow slowly in flat swampy lowlands and drain them poorly.

The climate of Meshchera is moderately humid with cold, snowy and long winters. The average January temperature is -11...-12°С. Snow lies up to 150-160 days at maximum height snow cover 50-55 cm. Winter types of weather are unstable - with frosts and thaws. Due to the significant amount of snow, the high water on the Meshchera rivers is long. Summers are warm with maximum precipitation. The average July temperature is 18.5-19°C. The annual amount of precipitation (about 600 mm) exceeds evaporation, so the territory is excessively humidified.

The main area of ​​Meshchera is covered with pine forests, places with an admixture of oak and swamps. Spruce and birch forests are less common. Soddy-podzolic and soddy-podzolic-gley soils were formed under the forests on sands and sandy-clay deposits. Light lichen forests are widespread on sandy shafts, hills and dunes; spruce-pine forests with an admixture of oak, maple and linden dominate in the interfluves along the slopes of the valleys; on moraine remnants, mixed forests of spruce, oak and linden grow, with an undergrowth of hazel and a dense grass cover of goutweed, hoof, lily of the valley; wet oak forests are found on the floodplains.

Bogs occupy about 35% of Meshchera's surface. The main types of bogs are low-lying and transitional, among which are sphagnum-sedge, hypnum-sedge, sedge and birch-sedge. Raised bogs are less common, but they form large massifs and contain thick peat beds (up to 8 m) of high quality. The Shatura thermal power plant operates on the Meshchersky peat.

A variety of landscapes are located in the south of Meshchera in the wide Oka valley and the strongly meandering valley of the Pra River, as well as in their interfluve. There, in 1935, the Oksky Reserve was created.

Most of the Canadian Arctic Islands and Greenland.

Climate. Arctic. Negative or close to zero temperatures prevail.

Soils. Poor, rocky and marshy.

Vegetation. Mostly mosses and lichens.

Animal world. Musk ox.

Northern coast of the mainland with adjacent islands. To the east - the coast of Hudson Bay and the northern part of the Labrador Peninsula.

Climate. The subarctic (partially arctic) prevails.

Soils. Tundra - gley, with excess moisture.

Vegetation. In the northern part - mosses, lichens; in the southern part - swamp grasses, blueberries and blueberries, wild rosemary bushes, undersized willows, birches, alders. Woody vegetation appears to the south.

Animal world. Polar Wolf, reindeer caribou, fox, white partridge and some others. Variety migratory birds. In coastal waters - seals and walruses. On the northern coast - a polar bear.

It stretches in a wide strip from east to west. impassable coniferous forests.

Climate. Moderate (with increased moisture).

Soils. Podzolic prevail.

Vegetation. Mostly coniferous trees - balsam fir, black spruce, pine, sequoia, American larch. From hardwoods - paper birch, aspen. On the slopes of the Cordillera - Sitka spruce, Douglas fir.

Animal world. Wolves, bears, deer and elks, foxes, lynxes, sables, beavers, muskrats. In the mountain forests - skunks, bears (grizzlies), raccoons. In the rivers - salmon fish. On the islands - rookeries of fur seals.

Mixed and deciduous forests

south of the tundra zone. (In the eastern part of the North American continent, variable moist forests).

Climate. Moderate to subtropical.

Soils. Gray forest soils, brown forest soils, yellow soils and red soils.

Vegetation. In mixed forests - sugar maple, yellow birch, white and red pine, linden, beech. In deciduous forests - different types of oaks, sycamore, chestnut, tulip tree.

Animal world. Elk deer, bears (grizzlies), elks, lynxes, wolves, wolverines, raccoons, hares, foxes.

evergreen tropical forests

In the south of the Atlantic and Mississippi and lowlands.

Climate. Subtropical.

Soils. Grey-brown, brown.

Vegetation. Oaks, magnolias, beeches, dwarf palms. The trees are entwined with vines.

Animal world. Diverse.

Forest-steppe

Treeless plains to the west of the forest zone. (In North America they are called prairies).

Climate. Subtropical.

Soils. Chernozems: podzolized and leached. Chestnut, gray forest.

Vegetation. High perennial grasses: wheatgrass, feather grass, etc. In the river valleys - woody vegetation. Near the Cordillera - low cereal grasses (Gram grass and bison grass).

Animal world. Diverse and rich.

Desert and semi-desert zone

A significant part of the California coast, the Mexican highlands and the interior plateaus of the Cordillera.

Climate. Moderate (dry).

Soils. Brown and gray desert.

Vegetation. Black wormwood; on salt licks - quinoa saltwort; thorny shrubs, cacti.

Animal world. Scarce.

Savannahs and evergreen forests

On the slopes caribbean and in Central America.

Climate. The change of dry and wet seasons is distinct.

Soils. Black, red-brown, brown, gray-brown

Vegetation. Tropical types of hard-leaved cereals. Trees with a long root system and umbrella-shaped crowns predominate.

Animal world. Versatile.

Climatic zones

Nearly every type of climate known on Earth is observed in North America. The regular change in temperature and circulation conditions from north to south determines the allocation of different climatic zones on the mainland.

The Arctic belt occupies the northern coast of the mainland and most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Cold and dry arctic air dominates here throughout the year. Therefore, even in summer the air temperature, as a rule, does not rise above +5 °C. In winter, frosts reach -40 ° C, and in Greenland -70 ° C. Precipitation here is scarce and mostly in solid form. Low temperatures contribute to the formation of stable snow cover and glaciation.

The subarctic belt is located south of the arctic (up to 58–60° N). In summer, the climate of the territory is formed by moderate air masses. The air temperature during the warm period averages + 10 °C. In winter, when arctic air dominates, it is even colder in the central part of the belt than in arctic belt. This phenomenon is explained by the remoteness of the territory from the ocean. There is more precipitation in the western part of the belt than in the eastern part.

Most of the mainland lies in the temperate zone. Significant north-south stretching of the belt (more than 2000 km) determined large differences in surface heating. The amount of precipitation also varies significantly within the belt. The difference in moisture made it possible to distinguish here three climatic regions: maritime, temperate continental and continental climate types.

The area of ​​maritime type of climate covers the coast Pacific Ocean and the western slopes of the Cordillera. The temperature here changes little throughout the year. Relatively warm winter and cool summers are accompanied by heavy rains. 2000–3000 mm of precipitation falls annually.

The region of the continental type of climate, which occupies the central part of the belt, on the contrary, is characterized by seasonal differences. Really warm summers (with temperatures from +18°С in the north to +24°С in the south) give way to cold winters (with frosts from -20°С in the north to -6°С in the south). Precipitation is much less than on the Pacific coast - 400-600 mm per year.

The area of ​​temperate continental climate type is located in the eastern part of the temperate zone. Although the winters here are cold, the summers are not so hot anymore. In comparison with the continental climate area, the amount of precipitation also increases - on average up to 1000 mm.

In the subtropical zone lies the southern part of the mainland, where winter is just a cool season: the temperature is rarely below 0 ° C, and snow is a rare occurrence. In winter, cyclones of the polar front dominate here, carrying moist moderate air masses. In summer they give way to dry tropical air masses. The allocation of three climatic regions in the subtropical zone is associated with the precipitation regime and amount of precipitation: Mediterranean, subtropical continental and subtropical monsoon climate types.

The tropical belt occupies a small narrow part of the continent, lying between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Hot tropical air prevails here throughout the year. It is thanks to him that the climate of the belt is figuratively called the "climate of eternal summer", since it is difficult to distinguish warm and cold seasons here. However, the moisture conditions within the belt are different. In this regard, two climatic regions are distinguished. The Mexican Highlands and the California Peninsula are in an area of ​​desert tropical climate. There is very little rainfall here. This is due to two reasons: the high pressure area in the North Pacific and the cold California Current. The eastern coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the islands of the West Indies lie in an area of ​​a humid climate type. This is due to the year-round dominance of the humid southeast trade winds.

The tropical latitudes of North America in summer and autumn are subject to the action of the most powerful tropical cyclones - hurricanes. A heavy wind with a speed of more than 100 m/s drives the wall of the downpour and raises fifteen-meter waves. The energy released by one hurricane could be enough for a country like the United States for 600 years. Not surprisingly, tropical cyclones are a constant scourge of coasts and islands. Today, the weather service already predicts hurricanes quite accurately, but at times they still produce catastrophic destruction.

The subequatorial belt covers the extreme southern, narrowest part of the continent. The high temperature (above +25 °C) persists here throughout the year and almost does not experience seasonal fluctuations. Precipitation falls mainly in summer, when moist equatorial air masses enter here.

Conclusions:

North America is located in all but the equatorial climatic zones.

In temperate, subtropical and tropical zones due to different amounts and the mode of precipitation are distinguished climatic regions.

25. physical-geographical zoning of North America

The diversity of the natural conditions of the continent makes it possible, first of all, to single out, on the basis of differences in the geological structure and relief, two large regions: the Plain East and the Cordillera. At the second stage of zoning, taking into account the landscape-climatic zonality and features of altitudinal zonality, several natural areas are distinguished in each of these regions. The East includes the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Greenland, the plains of Canada, the Central Plains, the Great Plains, the Appalachians, and the Coastal Lowlands. The Cordillera mountain belt is subdivided into the following natural areas: Alaskan Cordillera, Canadian Cordillera, Southern Cordillera (US Cordillera), Mexican Highlands. As a special natural area, the territory of the mainland, located in tropical latitudes, is considered - Central America. It includes a narrow strip of land and the islands of the Caribbean.

As an example of a natural area, it is better to consider the plains of Canada. In many ways, they resemble the landscapes of the subarctic and temperate zones of Russia. This vast natural area lies within the Canadian Shield of the N American Platform. The relief is dominated by elevated plains (Laurentian Upland). In the north they pass into flat lowlands, and in the east - into the plateaus of the Labrador Peninsula. The relief of the region was formed under the influence of the Quaternary glaciation. Therefore, the alternation of hilly ridges and inter-ridge basins filled with lakes is characteristic here. Rich deposits of minerals are associated with the crystalline rocks of the Canadian Shield: iron, nickel, copper, platinum, lead, zinc, uranium, and gold. Oil deposits are associated with sedimentary rocks of the marginal foothill foredeep of the Cordillera. natural gas and coal.

The climate on the plains of Canada is continental, subarctic and temperate. Winters are long, cold and snowy. Summer in the north is short and cool, in the south it is warmer and longer. The region is rich in inland waters: many lakes and full-flowing rapids. Significant reserves of hydropower resources.

The northern part of the plains of Canada is occupied by tundra and forest-tundra zones, turning into coniferous forests. In the south-east of the region there is a zone of mixed forests. Forest and furs are the main natural resources of the taiga.

In the north of the region, the population, mostly Indians, is engaged in hunting, logging, working in mines and mines. Most of the region's population is concentrated in the south of the plains, on the border of Canada and the United States. These are the descendants of immigrants from Europe, mainly from France and England. There are large cities with many industrial enterprises. These are ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy plants, machine-building, chemical, woodworking and pulp and paper mills. Significant areas of land in the south of the plains are plowed up, sown with wheat, barley, and fodder grasses. Part of the land is used for pastures. On the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the population is engaged in fishing.

1) What forest zones do you know from the course of geography of continents and oceans?

Taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests, moist equatorial forests, variable-humid subequatorial forests.

2) What climatic conditions are necessary for the distribution of forest zones?

Sufficient moisture is necessary for the spread of forest zones.

Using the maps, determine where the taiga zone is located, what climatic, soil conditions, what relief and inland waters are characteristic of it.

Taiga - natural area temperate zone, characterized by a cool, humid climate, the predominance of coniferous forests on podzolic soils and sphagnum bogs in the vegetation cover.

Questions in a paragraph

*Carefully consider the location of the coniferous forests of the taiga zone on the vegetation map and think about the reasons for their growth in certain areas.

dark coniferous spruce-fir forests prevail in the European part of the zone and in Western Siberia, where cedar forests join them. There is sufficient moisture and small temperature differences. Most of the Middle and Eastern Siberia covered with larch forests. Pine forests grow everywhere on sandy and gravelly soils. At all special character near the forests of the Far Eastern Primorye, where on the Sikhote-Alin ridge, ordinary conifers - spruces and firs - are joined by such southern views, like Amur velvet, cork oak, growing in a monsoon climate.

*Indicate the reason for the change of taiga by mixed and broad-leaved forests. Describe the climatic conditions of the area. What tree species make up mixed forests? What species are broadleaved?

The taiga is replaced by mixed, and then broad-leaved forests due to changes in climatic conditions when moving south. The thermal regime of the zone of mixed and broad-leaved forests and the degree of its moisture content are favorable for Agriculture. Soddy-podzolic and gray forest soils are highly fertile. The vegetation of mixed forests, in addition to broad-leaved species: oak, maple, linden, poplar, is represented by small-leaved and coniferous trees, the percentage of which increases towards the north natural area. Birch, alder, willow, mountain ash, spruce, and pine are common here. Broad-leaved forests are characterized primarily by such types of trees as oak, beech, hornbeam, maple, linden, chestnut, ash, and elm.

*Define features geographical location mixed forest areas. Describe its climatic conditions.

Mixed forests - a natural zone of temperate climate zone. The mixed forest usually borders in the south with a zone of deciduous forests. Their northern border with the taiga roughly runs through St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl and Yekaterinburg. A mixed forest is much more adapted to cold climatic conditions than a broad-leaved one. Here the vegetation already withstands cold winters with average temperatures below -16°C and even frosts over -30°C. Summer here is quite warm with average values ​​from +16 to +24°C. The annual rainfall is within 500 mm and decreases inland.

Questions at the end of the paragraph

1. What role does the forest play in human life?

Forests are a source of various valuable raw materials - animals and flora, wood. Wood is used as a fuel, for the manufacture of paper, in the wood chemical industry. Forests are important recreational resource. Forests affect the climate, prevent soil destruction, and purify the air.

2. What are the reasons for the diversity of forests?

The reason for the diversity of forests is the diversity of natural conditions.

3. What is the difference between the forests of the European part of Russia and the Siberian taiga?

Dark coniferous spruce-fir forests prevail in the European part of the zone and in Western Siberia, where they are joined by stone pine forests. Most of Central and Eastern Siberia is covered with larch forests. Forests differ not only in species composition, but also in climatic conditions soil, flora and fauna.

4. What are the similarities and differences between the forest zones of North America and Eurasia?

The broad-leaved forests of North America, in comparison with the forests of Eurasia, are rich in tree and shrub species. Large-leaved beech prevails in the forests, reaching 40 m in height and more than 1 liter in diameter. In autumn, its leaves turn red-brown and fall off in October - December. Large-leaved beech is used in gardens and parks of the southern regions of Russia as decorative tree. In contrast to the forests of North America, the beech forests of Eurasia have almost no grass cover and shrub layer. In Eurasia, at the 40th parallel, there are no natural zones of mixed and broad-leaved forests and a taiga zone. In North America, there is no natural zone of variable-moist monsoon forests.

5. Determine where the southern border of the forests of Russia passes, and think about why forest vegetation is replaced by forest-steppe.

forest zone occupies more than half of the territory of Russia. It extends in a wide strip from western border Russia with Finland to the river. Lena and Aldan in the east. The width of the forest zone in the west of Russia is about 2000 km, in Western Siberia about 1300 km, beyond Baikal about 1800 km. In the north, the zone borders on the forest-tundra, in the south - on the forest-steppe, and in Eastern Siberia - on the mountain taiga of the Sayan and Transbaikalia. The forest zone is replaced by forest-steppe due to a decrease in precipitation.