Particularly protected components of the tundra nature. Plants and animals of the tundra. Specially protected components of nature Arctic deserts specially protected areas

The tundra is a unique natural territory, comfortably located north of the taiga zone and south of the Arctic desert. It is a huge area with endless expanses of permafrost, due to which the snow-covered soil rarely thaws completely. As a result, all inhabitants of this zone, including plants, are forced to survive in difficult climatic conditions. For the same reason, many of them are included in specially protected components of the tundra nature. Let us tell you in more detail what these objects are.

Climate and weather conditions in the tundra: winter

Since we mentioned that the tundra is characterized by a very harsh climate, we will talk about it in a nutshell. So, the winter period on this cold and treeless plain is protracted. Winter lasts approximately 6-8, or even 9 months. Moreover, throughout this entire time, the tundra abodes will experience frosts, cold wind and even snow storms.

As in any polar zone, there are polar nights in the tundra, which regularly occur in the middle or end of January and last 1-2 months. When the long-awaited polar day arrives, the inhabitants of this area, which are part of the specially protected components of the tundra nature, are hit by strong northern winds and snowstorms. average temperature air in winter time reaches -30 degrees Celsius.

Autumn, spring and summer

Autumn in the tundra begins in September, spring in May, and summer in July. Summer is considered the shortest time of year in this subarctic region. Here it flies by quickly and almost unnoticed. The average temperature of July, one of the hottest months by tundra standards (rarely August), is 5-10 degrees Celsius.

During the short summer period, the ground in this permafrost zone does not have time to warm up completely. Thus, during the period when the sun emits heat relatively strongly, the earth manages to warm up only 50 cm deep. Everything that remains below this layer, as practice shows, lies under a layer of dense and frozen soil. For the same reason, water that falls on the ground with precipitation cannot penetrate to a depth of more than half a meter. As a result, they arise in this harsh climatic zone numerous lakes and swamps. What are the features of the nature of the tundra, we will tell further.

Flora in the permafrost zone

As you understand, it is very difficult for representatives of the flora to survive in frozen soil. But despite this, in the tundra you can find amazing plants and shrubs. For example, reindeer moss or reindeer lichen looks interesting. Tasty berries such as blueberries, cloudberries and lingonberries also grow here. The tundra is also characterized by a large number of mosses and lichens, which are the favorite food of deer.

The trees of the tundra also deserve special attention, among which there are such opportunistic martyrs as willow and birch. Moreover, both types of trees are small in size and belong to dwarf species. For the most part, plants in the zone of fleeting summer have low growth and a crown that creeps along the ground, which allows them to endure winter painlessly and enjoy gusts of cool wind in spring and summer.

The environment and its feathered inhabitants

In the tundra you can find one that puts on a brown and motley outfit in the summer, and for winter dresses up in a warm white “fur coat and boots” (this is exactly what the plumage and vegetation that completely covers the bird’s legs look like). The white owl does not change its snow-white plumage for a whole year. Thanks to the large number of feathers on the body and limbs, this bird can sit in one place for a long time, even in severe frost and strong winds.

Animals living in the tundra

Among the animals of the tundra there are furry lemmings with short legs, a tail and small ears. It is noteworthy that these animals do not fall into hibernation and feel great on and under the snow. Here you can also see beautiful and fast arctic foxes, deer with large and heavy antlers, foxes, wolves, white hares, rodents, bighorn sheep and others. Many of these inhabitants are in danger of extinction and are therefore placed in tundra reserves.

Other inhabitants of the tundra

Due to the large number of swamps and lakes, as well as excessive precipitation (up to 200-300 mm falls here throughout the year), blood-sucking winged insects actively develop in the tundra. Such people swim in the reservoirs themselves large fish, like omul, nelma, vendace and whitefish.

Environmental problems of the tundra

Tundra nature conservation is important task for environmentalists around the world. This conclusion can be made by analyzing information about the construction and other facilities located in this harsh territory that transport and produce oil.

Due to negligence at work and non-compliance with safety regulations, frequent fuel leaks occur. As a result, pollution occurs environment, death of plants and animals.

In addition, industrial road trains move across the tundra, leaving behind garbage that ultimately destroys the vegetation of the soil. Due to the destroyed vegetation, deer and other animals and birds die.

What nature reserves are there in the tundra?

Thanks to the coordinated work of ecologists and other specialists, numerous tundra reserves have been created and are being created. Thus, in this permafrost zone there are several large nature reserves that make it possible to restore the natural balance of the territory and preserve endangered species of tundra inhabitants.

For example, there are the following environmental objects:

• Lapland State Nature Reserve.
• Taimyr Nature Reserve.
• State Nature Reserve "Wrangel Island".
• Altai Nature Reserve.

We will describe below what these specially protected components of tundra nature are.

General information about the Lapland State Nature Reserve

The Lapland State Nature Reserve is one of the largest natural sites in Europe. It has huge areas of virgin nature where animals and birds move freely. He is in small village Murmansk region and has a total area of ​​278,435 hectares of land. It is home to more than 198 species of birds, about 31 species of animals and 370 varieties of plants.

General information about the Taimyr Nature Reserve

Created in February 1979, the tundra is included in the specially protected natural components of the tundra. It is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory in the region. There are up to 222 species of mosses and about 265 lichen plants, 116 species of birds, 15 species of fish and approximately 21 species of animals.

General information about the State Reserve "Wrangel Island"

“Wrangel Island” is a large and beautiful reserve with a total area of ​​2,225,650 hectares, including the water area and the security zone. There are many mountains and hills, occupying approximately 2/3 of the entire territory. The reserve protects about 641 species of plants, 169 species of birds and some species of animals. So, arctic foxes and wolverines, bears, stoats, wolves feel great here, reindeer and musk oxen.

General information about the Altai Nature Reserve

Another environmental site is considered to be located in the mountains of Southern Siberia. It stretches over 2,000,000 hectares, where all 1,500 plant species grow beautifully, many of which are listed in the Red Book. Approximately 70 species of animals live here, among which 29 are endangered species.

The title of this article sounds unusual. Should desert nature be protected? In newspapers and magazines, we are much more accustomed to seeing the titles “Man against the Desert,” “Attack on the Desert,” etc. Nevertheless, protecting the nature of deserts is now a necessary and important national economic task.

Inattention to the conservation of deserts is rooted in a fairly widespread, but erroneous view that deserts represent, as it were, a “mistake of nature” that man is called upon to correct. The natural conclusion from here is the opinion that the more sharply and deeply a person violates the nature of the desert, the sooner he will overcome the desert and force it to retreat. However, these simplified ideas about the relationship between man and the desert not only do not help man actively influence deserts, but also cause great harm to the rational development of deserts.

In order to put deserts at the service of man, one should clearly imagine that they form a vast natural zone, the existence of which is determined by a certain distribution of temperature and moisture on the globe. Therefore, the existence of deserts is as natural and natural a phenomenon as the existence of a tundra zone, a forest zone, etc. Human economic activity in all these zones has specific features; it must have certain characteristics even when developing in deserts. Therefore, we should not talk about the destruction of deserts as such, but about finding a whole set of reasonable measures by which deserts can be used for human needs. This complex will be the rational development of deserts. The forms of such development are very diverse.

Their diversity depends primarily on the significant differences in the deserts themselves. Scientists studying deserts currently count nine different types of deserts: 1 ) sandy, 2) pebble-sand, 3) gravelly, 4) rocky, 5) loamy, 6) loess, 7) clayey (takyr), 8) desert of dissected foothills (the so-called badland), 9) salt marsh.

The development of each of the above-described types of deserts follows its own paths. Some of the deserts may be irrigated to some extent. Others are suitable primarily only as pastures. The uniqueness of the development of each type of desert depends on the specificity of its nature. Each of the listed types of deserts is characterized by its own special, unique, unique this type connections between the various components of its nature, i.e. between soils, underlying rocks, groundwater, relief, vegetation, wildlife, and to a certain extent, human activity. These connections are so close and deep that by changing any one component of the desert landscape, we cause profound changes in all its natural conditions.

Let's illustrate this with an example. In sandy deserts, the entire development of the landscape greatly depends on the state and degree of fixation of the sand mass. If the sand is loose and not fixed, then both atmospheric precipitation that penetrates deep into it and moisture vapor in the air easily penetrate into it; this leads to the formation of unique underground lakes under sandy massifs, the so-called lenses of fresh groundwater. These lenses are usually located under depressions in the sand relief, lying at shallow depths. Due to the presence of fresh water close to the surface, lush moisture-loving vegetation develops in these depressions. Such massifs of scattered sand with thickets of moisture-loving plants (reeds, camel thorns, reeds, willows) in the basins are of great importance for the water supply of sandy deserts. These are the best areas for constructing wells and obtaining shallow fresh water. But their grazing value is small, since cattle find almost no food on the devoid of vegetation, scattered sands, and the thickets of moisture-loving plants in the depressions, although dense, are small in area. Let us now imagine that, in an effort to improve the quality of pastures, we sow the sands with grasses. There will indeed be more feed for livestock here. But the grass will fix the sand, enrich it with organic matter, and worsen the conditions for the penetration of air and water vapor contained in it. Precipitation, which previously fell * onto the open surface of the sand, were quickly absorbed into it, seeping into the depths, and replenishing reserves fresh water in the lens will now be absorbed by plant roots and evaporate back into the atmosphere. The groundwater lens will not be replenished with moisture and will dry up. The wells will dry up. Thus, having created a good pasture, we can destroy the sources of its water supply. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to know well how much moisture enters the lens, how much plants evaporate, how the process of moisture seeping into the sand occurs, how much it will weaken due to the sand being fixed by plants - in a word, you need to know well all the connections between the sand, the covering its vegetation and the underlying waters. Then you can make the appropriate calculation and fix the sands so much that the lens does not dry out, and good pastures will lie around it.

Both in this case and in all others, human intervention in the life of the desert, even small changes in natural conditions, can lead to very far-reaching results. And if human actions are not based on a deep knowledge of the nature of deserts, then these results can be negative, even catastrophic. Instead of human development of deserts, even greater “desertification” and even greater impoverishment of the desert landscape may occur. To avoid this, work on the development of deserts should be carried out on a strictly scientific basis.

Before carrying out any event that reconstructs the desert world and disrupts the system of natural balances that have developed in it, it is necessary to carefully analyze everything possible consequences, using all the experience accumulated by desert science.

The Soviet Union has great achievements in the development of deserts. The main ones were carried out after the October Revolution, since the tsarist government did not pay serious attention to the development of deserts. Particularly great successes have been achieved in irrigating a number of desert lands. An example of this is primarily the Hungry Steppe in Uzbekistan. Here, on the site of dry plains covered with thickets of camel thorn, a new cotton-growing region with numerous state farms arose. An important step in the development of desert reclamation was the construction of the Karakum Canal, which crossed a significant part of the southeastern Karakum and the foothill plain lying at the foot of the Kopet-Dag ridge. To ensure irrigation and regulation of rivers, several reservoirs were created - Tyuya-Buguz, Kuyu-Mazar, Chim-Kurgan. A huge Charvak reservoir is being built in the Tashkent region. Much work was carried out to consolidate the sands, especially on the outskirts of cultivated lands, where the sands advanced onto crops and filled up canals. A number of examples of successful desert development can be found abroad.

However, along with the successful and reasonable development of deserts, one can also note cases of ill-conceived human intervention in the life of the desert. Therefore, we will focus on considering some of the most common forms of negative human impact on the desert.

Excessive grazing (overgrazing). Deserts have long served as grazing lands for many types of livestock (sheep, camels, and partly horses). In most deserts, livestock graze all year round. Depending on the nature of the vegetation covering a desert pasture, livestock can find the greatest amount of food here in different seasons of the year: on some pastures in spring, on others in winter, etc. Therefore, according to the season of use, pastures are usually divided into spring, summer, and autumn , winter. If all pasture areas are taken into account, feed reserves for them are calculated and correct pasture rotation is observed (i.e., the sequence of transition of herds from one type of pasture to another), then grazing not only does not lead to damage to pastures, but also improves them. But if pasture rotation is disrupted and some parts of the pastures are overcrowded with a mass of livestock, while others are hardly used, the pastures begin to deteriorate. This is especially noticeable in sandy desert. If the network of wells here is rare and a large number of herds must approach the same wells to drink, then the animals quickly destroy everything they can eat, and the vegetation around the well almost completely disappears. The sands, previously fixed by vegetation, now become open and defenseless from the action of the wind. The movement of the herds, breaking up the already bare surface of the sand, further helps to disperse it. The sands begin to move, and massifs of dunes form around the wells.

However, excessive grazing is harmful not only for sandy deserts, but also leads to the deterioration of pastures in other types of deserts. In areas overgrown by excessive grazing, a low-growing semi-shrub, known among the Kazakhs as it-tsegek (Anabasis aphylla). It takes a lot square kilometers area around the well. Such areas turn into inconvenience and are unsuitable for pasture.

In foreign deserts, excessive grazing is observed much more often than in the USSR, since in most cases no one tries to establish the correct grazing rotation. Most of the oases of the Sahara, the Libyan Desert, and the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula are surrounded by masses of shifting sands. Researchers usually explain their occurrence by the accumulation of herds near oases. Afraid to go far from oasis watering holes (and previously, afraid to be raided by neighboring tribes far from native oasis), nomads grazed livestock near the border of their tribe's lands, and the oasis sands were overgrazed.

The best way to combat excessive grazing is strict adherence to the developed pasture rotation. But on the way to its creation there are some difficulties inherent in the natural conditions of the desert. The main one is the sparseness of the well network. When there are few wells, shepherds are forced to drive a large number of herds to the same watering holes. Therefore, the creation of each new well is of great importance for the conservation of desert nature. Especially great prospects expansions of the well network are opened in connection with the use of the previously mentioned fresh water lenses - underground lakes of the desert. Until recently, their existence was almost unknown. Currently, the work of Soviet scientists has explained the mechanism of their occurrence and developed the landscape features by which these lenses can be found. The next task is to map all fresh water lenses, determine the water reserves in them and their practical use. This will allow for uniform grazing and protect pastures from degradation.

Unregulated watering and ill-conceived irrigation of deserts. Water in the desert is the greatest treasure. Where there is water, there is life. Since ancient times, water sources in the desert have been the object of rivalry among various tribes; Because of them, armed conflicts, even wars, arose. “The battle for water, for the possession of a well in the desert is the most terrible battle,” writes a desert researcher Central Asia E. A. Murzaev. The construction of every well in the desert is a small but significant step in its development. Irrigation of deserts - a big victory human mind and perseverance.

However, not every introduction of masses of water into a desert landscape leads to its improvement. In order for water to be useful in the desert, it must be introduced in forms in which its access could be constantly controlled by man. A person must manage water in the desert, otherwise, instead of benefit, it can cause great harm.

The famous Sahara explorer Capo Rey, in his work on the nature and economy of this desert, expressively describes how uncontrolled watering artesian wells turned one of the most important areas of date palm culture (Oued Rir region) into massifs of wet salt marshes. The strongest growth of salt marshes as a result of water spills from gushing wells was observed in various parts Somali desert.

Destruction of forest and shrub vegetation. The vegetation cover of deserts was previously much richer in shrubs and even real forests, although peculiar in appearance, than at present. Perhaps no other element of the desert landscape has been so affected by destructive human activity.

both on tree and shrub vegetation. One of clearest examples this is the Sahara. In its south and in the adjacent savannas, a monstrous destruction of trees and shrubs is taking place. Researchers have identified the following main reasons for this process: 1) burning of vegetation in order to obtain high yields in the first years after the fire; 2) excessive grazing of livestock: 3) cutting down of bushes by shepherds for the construction of “dzerib”, i.e., pens in which livestock are kept; 4) procuring fuel for domestic needs and for evaporating salt extracts (in the south of the Sahara, a widespread method of extracting salt is based on washing salt-bearing rock with water and evaporating the settled brine in furnaces); 5) destruction of tree species from valuable wood for export. The reduction of forested areas opens the way for sand movement. The latter are spreading at an alarming rate. The leader of the international expedition that studied the processes of sand advance in the south of the Sahara, F. Kollmansperger in his book “Drohen– deWΰ ste"(The Threatening Desert) reports that the desert area is growing rapidly. Sands penetrate into the foothills of the Air hill, where they were not previously present. A significant section of the Niger River passes through sands that have moved onto its banks, and every year it is necessary to carry out extensive work to clear the riverbed of sand deposits. Therefore, many researchers of African deserts write about the “advancing Sahara”, about “man-made deserts”, and, unfortunately, we have to admit that these concepts are not without foundation.

The destruction of trees and shrubs is also observed in some parts of the deserts of the USSR. The situation with saxaul is especially alarming.

There are now very few saxaul growers in the northern Aral Sea region. Small massifs have been preserved near the sands of Malye and Bolshie Barsuki. The wider distribution of saxaul in the past can be judged by its individual small groves, preserved in separate small areas inaccessible to humans, mainly on the cliffs of various remnant hills. A lot of saxaul was spent in the past on cattle pens. In the sands there are old sites where the fences are entirely made of it (Fig. 2).

Mechanicaldestruction of desert soils. The various works now being carried out by people in the desert - searching for minerals, building roads, oil pipelines, gas pipelines, various types of engineering and geological surveys - are carried out using new powerful equipment. Heavy trucks, powerful all-terrain vehicles, tractors, and tractors have replaced lines of camels, long chains of donkeys and groups of horsemen forming caravans that were typical of the desert landscape in the old days. The use of new types of transport gives people great benefits and convenience at

his activities in the desert. But all these means have a detrimental effect on thin desert soils. If we are talking about a sandy desert, then machines in it uproot the plants that hold the sand together, break the surface of the sand and easily turn it into a loose mass freely transported by the wind. In a gypsum-rocky desert, soil destroyed by traffic becomes gypsum-bearing powder. Clouds of gypsum dust rise into the air and are carried by its currents, settling in the surrounding areas and increasing their gypsum formation.

Conservation of desert nature requires deep, comprehensive, comprehensive study all natural relationships that exist in desert landscapes. We still know little about many of these connections and often do not know how to protect them from destruction and use them for purposes National economy. Relatively recently, the Institute of Deserts was organized in the Turkmen SSR. Its employees carried out many important works. Thus, they developed a method for creating artificial winter pastures in the foothill deserts of Central Asia, and researchers

from the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR developed methods for improving the etched gypsum-stony desert in the south of Kyzylkum by sowing valuable forage plants, especially ephemerals.

Another important activity in desert conservation is a thorough study of the development of deserts by people in the past. Humanity has accumulated vast experience in “desert farming,” that is, living and working in the desert. We know little about what signs guided craftsmen in the old days when choosing a place to build a well; and at the same time, everyone is involuntarily amazed by the successful placement of wells dug several hundred years ago. After all, the builders of these wells had neither geophysical instruments nor drilling rigs, but how accurately they determined the location of fresh water!

Have experience modern research on identifying reclaimed land and using the resulting data to determine ways to develop agriculture in the desert. Aerial photography of deserts can play a major role in this, clearly revealing traces of old settlements, canals, and sites. To successfully resolve these issues, it is necessary to more widely develop cooperation between geographers and archaeologists in the study of deserts. Obviously, it is necessary to take into account, map and study the entire network of abandoned settlements scattered across the deserts. The silent ruins of wintering quarters (Fig. 4), caravanserais, ancient cemeteries (Fig. 5), traces of water-lifting structures, canals, reservoirs should be carefully mapped, compared with the surrounding landscapes, and in this way an answer to the question should be obtained - why people lived here, what they lived with, where they got their water and food from. Ancient caravan routes and historical cattle drive routes must be carefully studied, on which wells that are not marked on any map are still being discovered. Without such comprehensive geographic and historical analysis of desert landscapes, we will continually find ourselves struggling with problems that desert dwellers have already solved in the past.

Finally, it is necessary to provide for restrictive measures that prohibit the destruction of trees and shrubs, unplanned grazing, uncontrolled consumption of groundwater, and the movement of vehicles through desert pastures off roads.

Promoting the ideas of nature conservation, especially among young people, plays a major role in the wise use of desert nature. By instilling in schoolchildren, who will tomorrow become students, and then workers in the national economy and science, ideas about the need to protect nature, including the nature of deserts, a lot can be changed in the practice of modern human activity in the desert. Paying tribute to man's struggle to improve and enrich desert landscapes, it is necessary to instill in young people the correct view of deserts as complex a natural phenomenon, which cannot simply be destroyed or “cancelled”, but can be mastered on the basis of a deep knowledge of the laws of its development.

- Source-

Pelevin, V.I. Nature conservation / V.I. Pelevin. – M.: Education, 1971.- 120 p.

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Detailed solution to paragraph § 37 on geography for 8th grade students, authors V. P. Dronov, I. I. Barinova, V. Ya. Rom, A. A. Lobzhanidze 2014

questions and assignments

1. Name the main types of specially protected natural areas, indicate how they differ from each other.

Specially protected natural areas and water areas include: reserves, sanctuaries, national and natural parks, natural monuments, forest park protective zone, suburban green zone, etc. They differ from each other in the specific purpose of education, the degree of conservation and permissible economic activity. A reserve is a natural territory (or water area) completely excluded from economic use for protection and study. natural complex generally. National parks combine the tasks of nature conservation and strictly controlled recreational use, that is, they are open for educational tourism and short-term recreation for citizens.

2. When did the system of nature reserves begin to form in Russia?

The first nature reserves in Russia were formed at the beginning of the 20th century. First official state reserve in Russia became the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve in northeastern Transbaikalia (1916). Before this, examples of unofficial reserves were known: Suputinsky in the Far East (1911), since 1913 - Ussuriysky, Sayansky (1916), Kedrovaya Pad (1916). The first Soviet nature reserve - Astrakhan - was established on April 11, 1919.

By the beginning of 1998, there were 97 nature reserves in Russia (total area - 30 million hectares).

3. Tell us about how nature reserves are distributed throughout the territory of our country, name and show the largest of them.

Nature reserves are distributed unevenly throughout the country. The largest number of reserves are in forest zone(24). A large number of nature reserves are located in the mountains of Southern Siberia (16) and the Far East (19).

Giant reserves (area > 1 million hectares): Bolshoi Arctic, Komandorsky, Putoransky, Ust-Lensky, Taimyrsky, Kronotsky.

4. Using materials from the textbook, write a description of one of the reserves in Russia.

Barguzinsky Reserve

Geographical position

Located in Buryatia, on the northeastern coast of Lake Baikal and the western slopes of the Barguzinsky ridge, at an altitude of up to 2840 m.

Date and purpose of foundation

This is one of the oldest nature reserves in Russia; it was founded in 1916 to protect and comprehensively study the nature of the western slope of the Barguzinsky ridge, as well as to preserve the valuable Barguzin sable.

The area of ​​the reserve is over 263 thousand hectares. The reserve is located on the picturesque slopes of the Barguzinsky ridge, descending to Lake Baikal. It includes a strip 45-80 km wide and about 100 km long, as well as a three-kilometer strip of the water area of ​​Lake Baikal.

Vegetable and animal world

On the territory of the reserve there is a clearly expressed altitudinal zone. Dark coniferous taiga predominates, consisting mainly of fir, cedar with an admixture of larch. The fauna is particularly rich: the Barguzin sable and the endemic Baikal seal, squirrel, brown bear, elk, and reindeer are numerous. There are otter, weasel, wolverine, and ermine; of birds - wood grouse, hazel grouse, white-tailed eagle, buzzard, osprey, etc. Preserved in the reserve untouched nature. By the time of its organization, there were only 20-30 sables on the territory of the reserve (Barguzin sable is recognized as the best in the world). Now their number has increased sharply. Moreover, sable leaves the boundaries of the reserve and settles beyond its borders. Thus, the reserve enriches the hunting grounds of Buryatia.

FINAL ASSIGNMENTS ON THE TOPIC

1. Prove that a natural area is a natural complex.

A natural zone is a large natural complex that has common temperature and moisture conditions, soils, vegetation and fauna. It is the commonality of natural components that makes a natural area a natural complex. All components of the natural zone are interconnected. Changing one component changes all other components.

2. Which Russian scientist was the founder of the doctrine of natural zones?

The founder of the doctrine of natural zones was V.V. Dokuchaev.

3. Name all the natural zones of Russia. Prove that they are placed regularly.

On the territory of Russia there is a change from north to south of the following natural zones: arctic deserts, tundras, forest-tundras, taiga, mixed and deciduous forests, forest-steppes, steppes, semi-deserts.

4. Name the treeless zones of our country. Where are they located? What are their similarities and what are their differences?

The treeless zones of our country are arctic deserts, tundra and forest-tundra, steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. The Arctic desert zone is located on the islands of the Arctic Ocean and in the far north of the Taimyr Peninsula. The tundra zone is located on the coast of the Arctic Ocean from the western border of the country to the Bering Strait. The forest-tundra zone stretches in a narrow strip along the southern border of the tundra zone. The steppe zone occupies the south of the European part of the country and Western Siberia. Semi-deserts and deserts of Russia are located in the Caspian region and Eastern Ciscaucasia.

The similarity of these natural zones lies in the absence of forests. Herbaceous vegetation predominates here, and in the northern regions - mosses and lichens. Natural areas are open spaces.

The difference between treeless zones is temperature conditions, moisture, soils, flora and fauna.

5. Which natural zone of our country occupies the largest territory? Find areas within its boundaries that have different natural conditions and think about what explains this.

The largest area in Russia is occupied by the natural taiga zone. In different areas of the vast taiga zone, many natural conditions are different - the general severity of the climate, the degree of moisture, mountainous or flat terrain, the number of sunny days, soil diversity. Therefore, those forming the taiga are also different coniferous trees, which, in turn, changes and appearance taiga in certain areas. Dark coniferous spruce-fir forests predominate in the European part of the zone and in Western Siberia, where they are joined by pine forests. Most of the Middle and Eastern Siberia covered with larch forests. Everywhere on sandy and gravelly soils they grow pine forests. The forests of the Far Eastern Primorye have a very special character, where on the Sikhote-Alin ridge the usual conifers - spruce and fir - are joined by such southern species as Amur velvet, cork oak, etc.

6. What natural areas are there in your republic (region, region)? Give an assessment of the agroclimatic resources of your republic (territory, region).

The Moscow region is located in a natural area mixed forests. The Moscow region is located in the central part of the Russian Plain. The relief of the region is heterogeneous. The river network of the region is quite dense. In the Moscow region, soddy-podzolic soils are most common; they occupy most of the territory. In river valleys the soils are alluvial. In the north-east of the region, in the areas of the Upper Volga and Meshcherskaya lowlands, the soils are almost entirely sandy and sandy loam swampy.

The climate of the Moscow region is characterized by warm summer, moderately cold winters with stable snow cover and well-defined transition seasons. The average monthly air temperature of the warmest month, July, varies across the territory from 17° in the northwest to 18.5° in the southeast. The air temperature of the coldest month, January, is -10° in the west of the region, and -11° in the east. Annual amplitude average monthly temperature 27 - 28.5°. The first half of winter is noticeably warmer than the second; the coldest time of the year is shifted to the second half of January and early February. The warm period, i.e. the period with a positive average daily temperature, lasts on average 206-216 days. The length of the day in summer is 15–17 hours.

The Moscow region belongs to a zone of sufficient moisture. The average annual precipitation is 550-650 mm, with fluctuations in some years from approximately 270 to 900 mm. Two thirds of the year's precipitation falls in the form of rain, one third in the form of snow. In the warm part of the year, rains of medium intensity predominate, well moistening the soil.

A stable snow cover usually forms at the end of November. The earliest and latest dates for the formation of stable snow cover were noted on October 23 and January 28, respectively. By the end of winter, the height of the snow cover reaches an average of 30-45 cm. The largest reserve of water in the snow is on average 80-105 mm.

In general, the agroclimatic resources of the region are conducive to agriculture.

7. Determine what natural zone we are talking about if the following grow in it: a) dwarf birch, dwarf cedar, moss; b) larch, cedar, birch, aspen, alder. Name the soils and typical animals characteristic of both zones.

a) natural tundra zone. The soils of the zone are thin, tundra-gley. The tundra is home to reindeer, arctic foxes, geese, and geese.

b) natural zone of mixed forests. In its northern part, mixed coniferous-deciduous forests on soddy-podzolic soils are common. In the south there are multi-tiered broad-leaved forests on gray forest soils. The fauna is represented - brown bear, foxes, wolves, hares, black grouse, sables, moose.

8. Which natural zone of Russia has optimal natural conditions for successful farming?

Optimal natural conditions for farming exist in the natural steppe zone.

9. Make a description of any natural area according to plan. Use this various sources geographic information.

Geographical position;

occupies the south of the European part of the country and Western Siberia.

Climate: average temperatures in January and July, total radiation, duration of warm and cold periods, amount of precipitation and its distribution by season, humidification coefficient;

There is little precipitation here - from 300 to 450 mm, approximately the same as in the tundra zone. The humidification coefficient in the steppe zone varies from 0.6-0.8 at the northern border to 0.3 in the south. Summer temperatures in July are high (the average temperature in July is +21...+23°C). The average January temperature in the west of the East European Plain is -5°C, east of the Volga -15°C, near Krasnoyarsk about -20°C. The sum of active temperatures is 2200-3400°C.

The most typical steppe landscapes are either flat or plains dissected by a network of ravines and gullies.

Annual flow;

Surface runoff in the steppes is insignificant, since there is little precipitation and evaporation is very high, so the small rivers of the steppe zone have little water, in the second half of summer they become very shallow and sometimes dry up. Large rivers start far outside the zone.

Soils, their basic properties;

In the steppe, chernozems with a very dark color and a granular structure are common. The thickness of the humus horizon in them is 50-80 cm. In the Kuban River basin, this horizon reaches even 1.5 m. Chernozems are the most fertile soils our country. Tempo-chestnut soils are common in the southern strip of steppes; they are less fertile and often saline.

Flora and fauna, their adaptability to given natural conditions;

Before the beginning of their intensive agricultural development, they were covered with grassy steppe vegetation with a predominance of feather grass. The predominance of herbaceous vegetation is associated with insufficient moisture for the formation of forests. Among the fauna, various small rodents predominate - gophers, marmots, jerboas, hamsters, voles. Small size is an adaptation for life among grasses. The predominance of rodents is explained by the large amount of food for them.

Agriculture;

The steppe is the main grain granary of the country, which is why it is almost completely plowed. Wheat, corn, sunflowers and others are grown here important crops. In the west of the zone, gardening and viticulture are developed.

Particularly protected components of nature.

Little-changed natural complexes of the forest-steppe and steppe zones are protected and studied in the nature reserves: Kursk, Voronezh, Galichya Gora, Khopersky, Zhigulevsky, Orenburg and Daursky. All of them have forests and areas of steppes: forests grow in river valleys, ravines, ravines, and steppes are preserved on the slopes of erosional landforms. The largest and most diverse steppes are in the Orenburg Nature Reserve, created in 1989 on the preserved isolated areas of the steppes of the Trans-Volga region, Cis-Urals, Southern Urals and Trans-Urals. Many species of plants and animals of the steppes are included in the Red Books.

And objects excluded completely or partially from economic use for the purpose of their conservation, as well as because of their special scientific, educational, aesthetic, historical and recreational value (Fig. 61).

Specially protected natural areas and water areas include: reserves, sanctuaries, national and natural parks, natural monuments, forest park protection belt, suburban green zone, etc.

Reserve- this is a natural territory (or water area), completely excluded from economic use for the protection and study of the natural complex as a whole. One of the main tasks of nature reserves is to preserve standard natural landscapes, typical or unique for a given territory.

Biosphere reserves differ from other reserves in that their territory is subject to constant monitoring and control of anthropogenic changes in the natural environment.

National Park- this is a territory or water area with intact natural complexes and unique natural objects. National parks combine the tasks of nature conservation and strictly controlled recreational use, that is, they are open for educational tourism and short-term recreation for citizens.

Natural monuments- are unique or typical, valuable in scientific, cultural and health terms natural objects: lakes, waterfalls, river floodplains, caves, groves of rare trees, areas of virgin steppes, unique trees, mineral springs, meteorite craters, rare geological deposits, reference areas of mineral deposits, etc.

The first official state reserve in Russia was the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve in northeastern Transbaikalia (1916). Before this, examples of unofficial reserves were known: Suputinsky in the Far East (1911), since 1913 - Ussuriysky, Sayansky (1916), Kedrovaya Pad (1916). The first Soviet nature reserve - Astrakhan - was established on April 11, 1919.

By the beginning of 1998, there were 97 nature reserves in Russia (total area - 30 million hectares). Large nature reserves(area > 100 thousand hectares) - 40. Among them are the giant reserves (area > 1 million hectares): Bolshoi Arctic, Komandorsky, Putoransky, Ust-Lensky, Taimyrsky, Kronotsky.

Experts in the field of nature conservation believe that the area of ​​nature reserves should be at least 3% of the total area of ​​the country: only under this condition is it possible to preserve nature and ensure its sustainable development. The share of the area of ​​specially protected areas in the total area of ​​the country: in Japan - 5%, Great Britain - 4, Czech Republic and Slovakia - 3.5, USA - 2.5, Sweden - 1.5, Russia - 2.4%.

The Astrakhan Nature Reserve is located in the famous Volga Delta - a bizarre network of branches and channels of the great Russian river. The reserve was founded in 1919 to protect the unique natural complex of the Volga delta, places of mass nesting of birds, molting of waterfowl, mass spawning grounds commercial fish and wintering pits. Since 1975, the entire territory of the reserve (more than 64 thousand hectares) has been classified as the Volga Delta wetlands, which are of international importance.

Specially protected natural areas(SPNA) are natural areas that are completely or partially removed from economic use for the purpose of conservation, maintenance, restoration (recreation) and study of biodiversity. They have different security regimes and are designed to solve different problems.
The main purpose of specially protected natural areas is to preserve the gene pool of nature. In the general system of environmental activities carried out by humans, they are assigned the role of scientific testing grounds.

Depending on the functional purpose and protection regime, four groups of specially protected territories and objects are distinguished: reserve-standard (reserves and reserves with a reserved regime of environmental management); resource-protecting (reserves, soil-protecting and water-protecting forests); object protection (protective strips along highways and railways); environmental protection (green areas around populated areas, resort areas, natural and National parks and etc.); recreational (areas of land or water surface intended for recreation of the population, restoration of health, areas of tourist routes).

A reserve is a natural territory (or water area) completely excluded from economic use for the protection and study of the natural complex as a whole. One of the main tasks of nature reserves is to preserve standard natural landscapes, typical or unique for a given territory.
Biosphere reserves differ from other reserves in that their territory is subject to constant monitoring and control of anthropogenic changes in the natural environment.

A national park is a territory or water area with intact natural complexes and unique natural objects. National parks combine the tasks of nature conservation and strictly controlled recreational use, that is, they are open for educational tourism and short-term recreation for citizens.

Natural monuments are unique or typical natural objects of scientific, cultural and health value: lakes, waterfalls, floodplains, caves, groves of rare trees, areas of virgin steppes, unique trees, mineral springs, meteorite craters, rare geological deposits, reference areas of mineral deposits, etc.

Wildlife sanctuaries. Natural reserves differ from previous categories in that their lands may or may not be alienated from owners and users; they can be of both federal and local subordination. Among the reserves federal significance biggest role play zoological, other forms - landscape, botanical, forest, hydrological, geological - are common in to a lesser extent. The main function of hunting and complex reserves of federal significance is the protection of game fauna. Hunting is always prohibited, but very significant restrictions are often introduced on forest exploitation, construction and some other types of economic activity.

Reserves. They are created in many countries. In terms of their regime and purpose, they are close to nature reserves and are divided into many categories, but in most cases they are created for an indefinitely long period. For example, in France, the Camargue ornithological reserve in the Rhone delta is designed to protect wintering and nesting waterfowl. The gigantic Central Kalahari Reserve in Africa is intended only for the protection of game animals.

There are many hunting and ornithological reserves in India, Burma, forest and biological reserves in the USA, landscape reserves in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and other European countries. In many natural reserves in Africa, free grazing and residence of the local population who own these lands are allowed, for example in Ambaseli (Kenya) and the famous Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania). However, some restrictions make it possible to preserve the very rich fauna of large animals here. They are planning the creation of a huge Indian Ocean reserve for the protection of whales.

Territories with ecological and sanitary purposes are divided into objects and environmental protection territories. Of greatest interest are national parks where little changed economic activity picturesque and unique landscapes are used for mass recreation and tourism.

Human influence on the animal world of deserts is multifaceted and occurs in different ways. One of these ways is an indirect impact through changes in the desert landscape and natural vegetation, including the reduction of trees and shrubs (saxaul and kandym) for fuel. Grazing by livestock leads to a change in vegetation cover in both sandy and clayey deserts as a result of grass consumption and livestock slaughter.

Along with the appearance large quantity domestic animals and their influence on vegetation, the living conditions of many wild desert animals also change: the soil becomes compacted, the composition and reserves of food, initially of plant and then animal origin, change, since the change in vegetation is immediately reflected in the composition of the species and number of insects. Some desert species disappear, while at the same time new ones appear, characteristic of the cultural landscape, or from a few become widespread (for example, flies, blood-sucking dipterans, etc.).

Changes in vegetation and insect populations are reflected in the composition, abundance and distribution of birds. For example, in grazing areas the population increases Crested Larks, hoopoes, nightjars and sometimes desert owls.

At the same time, areas where vegetation has been knocked down by livestock become unsuitable for grazing wild ungulates, and thus the area of ​​natural pastures for goitered gazelles, saigas and kulans is reduced. Changes in vegetation and a reduction in the phytomass of food affect the composition of the rodent population, the distribution and number of granivorous birds.

Rare desert animal species are protected. Interesting and valuable desert animals also include some rare mammals, for example: wild cats (cheetah, caracal, sand cat), sheep (arkala). Rare is a species that lives in small numbers over a large area.
The reptiles and birds of the desert are protected.