Natural zones of the country, their brief description. Message around the world on the topic: "Natural zones of Russia." Forest tundra and northern meadows

Formation of natural zones

The natural area is natural complex with uniform temperatures, moisture, similar soils, flora and fauna. The natural area is named after the type of vegetation. For example, taiga broadleaf forests.

The main reason for the heterogeneity geographical envelope- uneven redistribution solar heat on the surface of the earth.

In almost every climatic zone of land, the oceanic parts are more humid than the inland, continental ones. And it depends not only on the amount of precipitation, but also on the ratio of heat and moisture. The warmer it is, the more moisture that has fallen with precipitation evaporates. The same amount of moisture can lead to excess moisture in one zone and insufficient moisture in another.

Rice. 1. Swamp

So, the annual amount of precipitation of 200 mm in the cold subarctic zone is excessive moisture, which leads to the formation of swamps (see Fig. 1).

And in hot tropical zones– sharply insufficient: deserts are formed (see Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Desert

Due to differences in the amount of solar heat and moisture inside geographical zones natural areas are formed.

Patterns of placement

In the placement of natural areas on earth's surface a clear pattern is visible, which can be clearly seen on the map of natural areas. They stretch in a latitudinal direction, replacing each other from north to south.

Due to the heterogeneity of the relief of the earth's surface and the conditions of moisture in different parts continents natural zones do not form continuous bands parallel to the equator. More often they are replaced in the direction from the coasts of the oceans to the interior of the continents. In the mountains, natural zones replace each other from the foot to the peaks. This is where altitudinal zonality comes into play.

Natural zones are also formed in the World Ocean: from the equator to the poles, the properties of surface waters, the composition of vegetation and wildlife change.

Rice. 3. Natural areas of the world

Features of the natural zones of the continents

In the same natural areas on different continents vegetable and animal world have similar features.

However, the characteristics of the distribution of plants and animals, in addition to climate, are also influenced by other factors: the geological history of the continents, relief, and people.

The unification and separation of the continents, the change in their relief and climate in the geological past have led to the fact that in similar natural conditions, but on different continents, different species of animals and plants live.

So, for example, for African savannas characterized by antelopes, buffaloes, zebras, African ostriches, and in the South American savannas, several species of deer and an ostrich-like flightless nandu bird are common.

On each continent there are endemics - both plants and animals, characteristic only of this continent. For example, kangaroos are found only in Australia, and polar bears are found only in the Arctic deserts.

Geofocus

The sun heats the spherical surface of the Earth differently: the areas above which it stands high receive the most heat.

Above the poles, the Sun's rays only glide over the Earth. The climate depends on this: hot at the equator, harsh and cold at the poles. The main features of the distribution of vegetation and fauna are also connected with this.

Moist evergreen forests are located in narrow bands and patches along the equator. "Green Hell" - this is what many travelers of past centuries called these places, who had to be here. High multi-tiered forests stand like a solid wall, under the dense crowns of which dusk, monstrous humidity, constant heat, there is no change of seasons, showers regularly fall in an almost continuous stream of water. The forests of the equator are also called permanent rain forests. The traveler Alexander Humboldt called them "hylaea" (from the Greek hyle - forest). They most likely looked like this. moist forests Carboniferous with giant ferns and horsetails.

The rainforests of South America are called "selva" (see Fig. 4).

Rice. 4. Selva

Savannahs are a sea of ​​grasses with occasional islands of trees with umbrella crowns (see Fig. 5). Vast spaces of these amazing natural communities are found in Africa, although there are savannahs in South America, Australia, and India. Distinctive feature savannah is an alternation of dry and wet seasons, which take about half a year, replacing each other. The fact is that for subtropical and tropical latitudes, where the savannahs are located, a change of two different air masses- wet equatorial and dry tropical. Significantly affect the climate of the savannas monsoon winds bringing seasonal rains. Since these landscapes are located between very wet natural areas equatorial forests and very dry desert zones, they are constantly influenced by both. But moisture is not present long enough in the savannahs for multi-tiered forests to grow there, and arid " winter periods» in 2-3 months they do not allow the savanna to turn into a harsh desert.

Rice. 5. Savannah

The natural zone of the taiga is located in the north of Eurasia and North America(see Fig. 6). On the North American continent, it stretches from west to east for more than 5 thousand km, and in Eurasia, originating on the Scandinavian Peninsula, it spread to the coast Pacific Ocean. The Eurasian taiga is the largest continuous forest zone on the ground. It occupies more than 60% of the territory of the Russian Federation. The taiga contains huge reserves of timber and supplies a large number of oxygen to the atmosphere. In the north, the taiga smoothly turns into the forest-tundra, gradually the taiga forests are replaced by light forests, and then by individual groups of trees. The furthest taiga forests enter the forest-tundra along river valleys, which are most protected from strong northern winds. In the south, the taiga also smoothly turns into coniferous-deciduous and broad-leaved forests. For many centuries, humans have interfered with natural landscapes in these areas, so now they are a complex natural and anthropogenic complex.

Rice. 6. Taiga

Under influence human activity the geography is changing. Swamps are being drained, deserts are being irrigated, forests are disappearing, and so on. Thus, the appearance of natural areas is changing.

Bibliography

MainI

1. Geography. Earth and people. Grade 7: Textbook for general education. uch. / A.P. Kuznetsov, L.E. Savelyeva, V.P. Dronov, "Spheres" series. – M.: Enlightenment, 2011.

2. Geography. Earth and people. Grade 7: atlas, series "Spheres".

Additional

1. N.A. Maksimov. Behind the pages of a geography textbook. – M.: Enlightenment.

1. Russian geographical society ().

3. Tutorial by geography ().

4. Geographical directory ().

5. Geological and geographical formation ().

Russian Federation It stretches from west to east and from north to south for many kilometers, so the zonality of the territory is clearly traced. The sun illuminates and heats different parts of the earth in different ways. Most heat falls on the equator, least of all - on the North and South Poles. A certain amount of heat, light, moisture enters different zones of the globe. These conditions define separate zones with their own special climate.

There are such natural zones: arctic deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, taiga, forests, forest-steppes, steppes, semi-deserts, deserts, subtropics.

A natural zone is a territory that is determined by uniform climatic conditions, features of the soil, vegetation and wildlife. The names of natural zones correspond to the name of the prevailing vegetation in this zone.

Arctic desert zone or ice zone

Zone Arctic deserts is located in the very north of Russia, on the islands of the Northern Arctic Ocean. Most of the territory of the zone (about 85%) is covered with glaciers. In the middle of summer, it is no more than 2-4 degrees of heat, and in winter it is frost down to -50 ° C, strong winds, fogs. The climate is very harsh.

The soils in this zone are very weak, there is no fertile layer, and there are many stone ruins. Only mosses and lichens grow on the rocks.

Reindeer, polar bears live in the Arctic desert, and on rocky shores sea ​​birds settle in the ocean: auks, gulls, snowy owls and partridges. Baleen whales, seals, walruses, seals, white whales are found in the Arctic Ocean.

As people invade arctic desert is changing. Thus, industrial fishing has led to a reduction in their populations, which is one of the environmental problems of this zone. Every year the number of seals and walruses, polar bears and arctic foxes decreases here. Some species are on the verge of extinction due to human activities. In the zone of the Arctic deserts, scientists have identified significant reserves of minerals. Sometimes accidents occur during their extraction, and oil spills on the territory of ecosystems, harmful substances, there is a global pollution of the biosphere. It is impossible not to touch on the topic of global warming. Human activity contributes to the melting of glaciers. As a result, the territories of the Arctic deserts are shrinking, the water level in the World Ocean is rising. This contributes not only to changes in ecosystems, but also to the movement of some species of flora and fauna to other areas and their partial extinction.

tundra zone

The Arctic tundra spreads along the coast of the Arctic Ocean. The climate of the tundra is harsh. In this cold natural zone, summers are short, cool, and winters are long, with severe frosts and winds from the Arctic Ocean.

Vegetation is sparse, mostly mosses and lichens. Further to the south, in the middle part of the zone, there is a lichen-moss tundra with islands of moss, lichens, among them reindeer moss and many cloudberries. In the south of the zone there is a shrub tundra with more abundant vegetation: shrub willows, dwarf birches, herbs and berries. Tundra soils are usually swampy, poor in humus, and have high acidity.

For the most part, there are no trees in the tundra. Low-growing plants cling to the ground, using its heat and hiding from strong winds. The lack of warmth strong wind, the lack of moisture for the root system does not allow the shoots to turn into big trees. In the south of the tundra zone, dwarf birches and shrub willows grow. In winter, the lack of food for animals is made up for by evergreens wintering under cover of snow.

Ducks, geese, black goose and sandpipers settle in the marshes. Herds of reindeer roam the tundra in search of reindeer moss - their main food. Deer, white partridges, owls, and crows constantly live in the tundra.

Forest-tundra zone

The forest tundra is a transitional zone from the harsh tundra to the forests of the taiga. The width of the forest-tundra ranges from 30 to 300 km in different regions of the country. The climate is warmer than in the tundra. In the forest-tundra, summers are warmer and the winds are weaker than in the tundra. Winter is cold, snowy lasts more than 9 months.

The soils of the forest-tundra are frozen-marsh, peaty-podzolic. These low fertile soils low in humus and nutrients with high acidity.

The flora of the tundra - meadows with willow bushes, sedge and horsetail grasses serve as a good pasture for deer. Due to the harsh climate, the islands of the forest are very sparse. In these forests - Siberian spruce, larch and birch.

Animals of the forest-tundra - wolves, arctic foxes. Geese, ducks, swans live on lakes and swamps in summer. In the summer in the forest-tundra there are a lot of blood-sucking horseflies and mosquitoes. Closer to the south, in the forest-tundra, there are squirrels, elk, brown bears, capercaillie.

Taiga zone

Taiga is the largest natural zone in Russia, to the south of it there is a forest zone, or forest-steppe. Winter here is quite warm - 16-20 degrees of frost, in summer - 10 - 20 degrees of heat. There are significant natural differences within the zone, as it is located in two climatic zones - subarctic and temperate. Zones flow from south to north major rivers Ob, Yenisei and Lena.

The taiga is rich in swamps, lakes, groundwater. The amount of heat and moisture is sufficient for soil formation of fertile podzolic and marsh-podzolic soils.

Coniferous trees grow in the taiga - pines, spruces, firs, cedar and deciduous trees: birch, aspen, alder, larch. There are many meadows in the forests, there are swamps, many berries and mushrooms.

There are many different animals in the taiga - sable, capercaillie, hazel grouse, elk, squirrel. Brown bears, wolverines, lynxes are widespread. There are many blood-sucking insects in the taiga.

Zone of mixed and deciduous forests

To the south of the taiga, on the East European Plain and in the Far East, there is a forest zone. It has a lot of heat and moisture, a lot deep rivers, lakes, and swamps are much smaller than in the taiga. Summers are long and warm (18-20 warm), winters are quite mild. There are large reserves of timber in this zone, and mineral deposits in the bowels of the earth.

The vegetation of the zone has been heavily modified by man, most of the territory is used for agriculture and cattle breeding.

Soils are formed by tree litter and are rich in ash elements. Have upper layer fertile humus. The soils are soddy-podzolic, in the southern part - gray forest.

In this zone different trees: in the northern part, mixed forests with deciduous and coniferous trees: spruce, pine, birch, maple and aspen. Closer to the south, broad-leaved trees predominate: oak, elm, linden, maple. There are many shrubs in the forests: elderberry, raspberry; berries and mushrooms; abundance of herbs.

The availability of food throughout the year allows animals and most birds to live in the forest. There are many different animals in the forests: squirrels, owls, pine marten, moose, brown bear, foxes, and from birds - orioles, woodpeckers, etc.

forest-steppe

The forest-steppe zone is part of the temperate climate zone. This is a transitional zone between the forest zone and steppe zone, combines forest belts and meadows covered with herbs. Flora and fauna represent plants and animals and forests and steppes. The closer to the south, the less forests, the fewer forest animals.

Steppe

The south of the forest-steppe passes into the steppe zone. The steppe zone is located on plains with grassy vegetation in a temperate and subtropical climate. In Russia, the steppe zone is located in the south near the Black Sea and in the valleys of the Ob River.

The soil in the steppe is fertile black soil. There are many arable lands and pastures for livestock. The climate of the steppes is characterized by very dry weather, hot summers, and lack of moisture. Winters in the steppe are cold and snowy.

The vegetation is mostly cereals growing in tufts with bare soil in between. There are many different types of feather grass that can serve as fodder for sheep.

In summer, animals are active mainly at night: jerboas, ground squirrels, marmots. Typical steppe birds: bustard, kestrel, steppe eagle, lark. Reptiles live in the steppe.

semi-deserts

The semi-desert zone is located in the southeast of the East European Plain, along the northwestern outskirts Caspian lowland.

A characteristic feature of semi-deserts is the dominance of wormwood-cereal plant communities. The vegetation cover is very sparse and does not have a continuous distribution: spots of drought-resistant soddy grasses and clumps of wormwood alternate with areas of bare soil.

In the semi-deserts dry, sharply continental climate. This is due to the fact that cyclones are extremely rare here, and anticyclones come constantly from the depths of Eurasia. The annual amount of precipitation ranges from 250-400 mm, which is 2.5-3 times less than the evaporation rate. Despite the southern position, the winter in the semi-desert is cold. average temperature January from -5 to -8, and on some days the thermometer drops to -30. The average temperature in July is +20 - +25.

The soils of the semi-deserts are light chestnut, which makes them similar to the steppe, and brown soils are desert, often saline.

Despite the harsh climatic conditions, the flora in the deserts and semi-deserts of Russia is relatively diverse. Vegetation - steppe turf grasses and desert wormwood, shrubs and others

The fauna of semi-deserts has a number of features associated with specific living conditions. Many animals have devices for burrowing. Most are protective. In the animal kingdom of semi-deserts important role rodents play, their activity led to the formation of tuberculous microrelief.

Many semi-deserts and deserts have significant reserves of oil and gas, as well as precious metals, which has led to the development of these territories by people. Oil production increases the level of danger, in the event of an oil spill, entire ecosystems are destroyed. But the main environmental problem is the expansion of desert territories. So many semi-deserts are transitional natural zones from steppes to deserts, but under the influence of certain factors they increase their territory and also turn into deserts. This process is most stimulated by anthropogenic activities - cutting down trees, destruction of animals (poaching), construction industrial productions, soil depletion. As a result, the semi-desert lacks moisture, plants die out, as do some animals, and some migrate. So the semi-desert quickly turns into a desert.

desert zone

Desert - a zone with a flat surface, sand dunes or clay and rocky surfaces. In Russia, there are deserts in the east of Kalmykia and in the south of the Astrakhan region.

Drought-resistant small shrubs grow in the desert, perennials that bloom and grow in early spring when there is moisture. Some herbaceous plants, after they dry, turn into balls from dry branches, they are called tumbleweeds. The wind drives them across the desert, scattering the seeds.

Hedgehogs, ground squirrels, jerboas, snakes, lizards live in deserts. Of the birds - larks, plovers, bustards.

The main ecological problem of deserts is their expansion due to irrational human activities. Problem nuclear testing and burial nuclear waste, is also on the list of environmental problems of the desert. Previously, many tests were carried out in deserts, which led to the problem of radioactive contamination. There is a problem of pollution by military waste. Various burials, military and nuclear lead to pollution groundwater, animal extinction and flora.

Today, desert and semi-desert territories are a specially protected natural zone in Russia. The desert and semi-desert is divided into special reserves, such as Astrakhan, Bogdinsky-Baskunchaksky and Caucasian, as well as into reserves - Ilmenno-Bugrovaya, Stepnoy, Burley Sands and other protected areas.

Most of the plants and animals of the Russian desert were listed in the Red Book, and more than 35 natural monuments were created in the vast area of ​​the Caspian lowland.

subtropical zone

In Russia, the territory of the subtropics is small - it is a narrow part of the coastal land near the Black Sea to the Caucasus Mountains. This area has hot summers and warm winter. According to climatic conditions, the Russian subtropics are divided into dry and wet. From the southern coast of Crimea to the city of Gelendzhik - dry subtropics. Summers are dry, and only drought-resistant plants survive: prickly blackberries and wild roses. Pitsunda pine grows here, shrubs: juniper, cherry plum. Further along the coast, the amount of precipitation increases in summer, and from Gelendzhik to the border with Georgia, including the Sochi region, these are humid subtropics. The flora is very diverse and rich.

The mountains are covered with a dense green carpet of trees and shrubs. Broad-leaved trees are present - oaks, beech chestnuts, coniferous yew is remarkable, evergreen shrubs grow: laurel, rhododendron and boxwood.

In the forests near Sochi you can meet bears, wolves, forest cats, badgers, jackals. There are many rodents in the forests - squirrels, mice, there are snakes. There are many shellfish on the coast: snails, slugs. Birds settle in the mountains - kites, eagles, owls.

On the map, each natural zone is usually designated by its own color:

Arctic deserts - blue, light purple.
Tundra is purple.
Forest tundra - marsh.
Taiga, forests - different shades of green.
Forest-steppe - yellow-green.
Steppes - yellow.
Semi-deserts and deserts - orange.
Areas of high zonation are brown.

It is sad to realize, but even a slight interference of people in life natural world always leads to some changes, and not always favorable ones. Deforestation, destruction of animals (poaching), pollution environment- these are the main ecological problems that exist in Russia regardless of climate zone. And a lot depends on the person in changing the deplorable environmental situation for the better.

The arctic air prevails here all year round, the radiation balance for the year is less than 400 mJ/m 2 , the average temperature in July is 4-2°C. Relative humidity is very high - 85%. Precipitation is 400-200 mm, and almost all of it falls in solid form, which contributes to the formation 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 a strong wind, a large lack of it 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 drained polygonal plains and polar desert solonchak soils in saline coastal areas. They are characterized by a low content of humus (up to 1.5%), weakly expressed genetic horizons and very small thickness. In the Arctic deserts, there are almost no swamps, few lakes, and salt spots form on the surface of the soil in dry weather with strong winds.

The vegetation cover is extremely sparse and spotty, it is characterized by poverty species composition and exclusively 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 scale lichens. Hypnum mosses are common, sphagnum mosses appear only in the south of the zone in very limited quantities. Of the higher plants, saxifrage, polar poppy, grains, chickweed, arctic pike, bluegrass and some others are characteristic. Cereals grow luxuriantly, forming hemispherical pillows up to 10 cm in diameter on a fertilized substrate near nesting gulls and lemming burrows. An ice ranunculus and a polar willow grow near the snow patches, reaching only 3-5 cm in height. The fauna, like the flora, is poor in species; meet lemming, arctic fox, reindeer, polar bear, and among the birds, the white partridge and the snowy owl are ubiquitous. On the rocky shores there are numerous bird colonies - mass nesting of sea birds (guillemots, little auks, white gulls, fulmars, eiders, etc.). The southern shores of Franz Josef Land, the western shores of Novaya Zemlya are a continuous bird colony.

Natural zones of the Earth or natural-residential zones are large areas of land with the same characteristics: topography, soil, climate, and a special flora and fauna. The formation of a natural zone depends on the ratio of the level of heat and moisture, that is, the climate changes - the natural zone also changes.

Types of natural areas of the world

Geographers distinguish the following natural areas:

• arctic desert
• Tundra
• Taiga
• mixed forest
• broadleaf forest
• Steppe
• desert
• Subtropics
• Tropics

Rice. 1. Mixed forest

In addition to the main zones, there are also transitional ones:

• forest tundra
• forest-steppe
• Semi-desert.

They have features of two neighboring main zones. This is the complete official list of zones.

Some experts also distinguish such natural areas as:

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• Savannas;
• Monsoon forests;
• equatorial forests;
• Highlands or zones of altitudinal zonation.

Zones of high zonation have their own internal division.

Here are areas such as:

• broad-leaved forest;
• Mixed forest;
• Taiga;
• Subalpine belt;
• Alpine belt;
• Tundra;
• Snow and glacier zone.

Location of zones- strictly vertically, from the foot to the top: the higher, the more severe the climatic conditions, the lower the temperature, the lower the humidity, the higher the pressure.

The names of natural areas are not accidental. They reflect their main characteristics. For example, the term "tundra" means "plain without forest". Indeed, only single dwarf trees can be found in the tundra, for example, polar willow or dwarf birch.

Zone placement

What are the patterns of placement of natural and climatic zones? It's simple - there is a strict movement of belts across latitudes from the North ( North Pole) to the South (South Pole). Their placement corresponds to the uneven redistribution of solar energy on the Earth's surface.

You can observe the change of natural zones from the coast deep into the mainland, that is, the relief and distance from the ocean also affect the location of natural zones and their width.

There is also a correspondence of natural zones to climatic zones. So, within what climatic zones the following natural areas are located:

• equatorial belt- moist equatorial forests with areas of humid evergreen forest And rain forest where short dry periods are observed;
• subequatorial belt- monsoon forests and savannas with areas of oceanic rain forests and monsoon deciduous forests;
• tropical belt- savannas, rainforests, tropical desert and semi-deserts;

Rice. 2. Savannas

• subtropical belt- zone of evergreen forest, steppe and desert;
• Temperate zone- deserts, semi-deserts, a zone of steppes, a zone of mixed, deciduous and coniferous forests;
• subtropical belt- forest-tundra and tundra;
• arctic belt- tundra and arctic desert.

Based on this ratio, in the same natural area, differences in climate, soil type and landscape can be observed.

Geographical position

Knowing where this or that natural zone is located, you can also indicate its geographical position. For example, the zone of the Arctic desert occupies the territories of Antarctica, Greenland and the entire northern tip of Eurasia. The tundra occupies large areas of countries such as Russia, Canada, Alaska. The desert zone is located on such continents as South America, Africa, Australia and Eurasia.

Characteristics of the main natural zones of the planet

All natural areas differ in:

• relief and composition of the soil;
• climate;
• animal and plant world.

Neighboring zones may have similar characteristics, especially where there is a gradual transition from one to the other. Thus, the answer to the question of how to define a natural area is very simple: note the climate features, as well as the features of flora and fauna.

The largest natural zones: the forest zone and the taiga (trees grow everywhere except Antarctica). These two zones have both similar features and differences that are unique to the taiga, mixed forest, deciduous forest, monsoon and equatorial forests.

Typical characteristic for the forest zone:

• warm and hot summer;
• a large amount of precipitation (up to 1000 mm per year);
• the presence of full-flowing rivers, lakes and swamps;
• the predominance of woody vegetation;
• diversity of the animal world.

The largest in area are equatorial forests; they occupy 6% of all land. The greatest diversity of flora and fauna is characteristic of these forests. 4/5 of all plant species grow here and 1/2 of all land animal species live, and many species are unique.

Rice. 3. Equatorial forests

The role of natural areas

Each natural zone plays its own special role in the life of the planet. If we consider natural areas in order, we can give the following examples:

• arctic desert, despite the fact that it is almost completely an icy desert, it is a kind of "pantry" where multi-ton reserves are stored fresh water, and also, being the polar region of the planet, it plays a key role in shaping the climate;
• climate tundra keeps the soils of the natural zone in a frozen state for most of the year and this plays an important role in the carbon cycle of the planet;
• taiga, as well as equatorial forests are a kind of "lungs" of the Earth; they produce the oxygen necessary for the life of all living things and absorb carbon dioxide.

What is the main role of all natural zones? They keep a lot natural resources which are necessary for human life and activity.

The global geographic community has long come up with both color conventions for natural areas and emblems that define them. So the arctic deserts are indicated by blue waves, and just deserts and semi-deserts are indicated by red. The taiga zone has a symbol in the form coniferous tree, and the zone mixed forests in the form of coniferous and deciduous trees.

What have we learned?

We learned what a natural area is, defined this term and identified the main features of the concept. We learned what the main zones of the Earth are called, and what are the intermediate zones. We also found out the reasons for such a zonality of the geographic envelope of the Earth. All this information will help prepare for a geography lesson in grade 5: write a report on the topic “Natural zones of the Earth”, prepare a message.

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There are several principles by which the territories of countries are divided. So each state can be divided into territories, regions and districts, but biologists and zoologists prefer a different system - the allocation of natural zones. Since Russia has enough great length in the direction from north to south, it is also conditionally divided into natural zones. How many natural zones are there in Russia? Eight different natural zones. Each of these territories is characterized by its own special climate, and also has certain differences in the diversity of the flora. Let's consider the natural zones on the territory of Russia in a little more detail (let's figure out what they are and how many of them), and also give short description each of these territories.

What are the natural areas in Russia?

Arctic desert zone

Such a territory captures the islands of the Arctic Ocean, as well as the extreme north of the peninsula under the name Taimyr. A significant area of ​​this zone is covered with glaciers; harsh winter, and the summer is cold and very short. A large proportion of the Arctic deserts consists of stone placers, the soils here are practically undeveloped. As for the vegetation cover, in this area it is quite sparse and spotty. Most of the representatives of the flora are lichens, mosses, and algae. They can only be grouped in a place sheltered from cold winds. In fertilized areas there are also higher plants, represented by a quarry, polar poppy, grains, chickweed, bluegrass, etc. Near snow spots, you can find an ice buttercup and a polar willow, the size of which does not exceed five centimeters.

Tundra zone

Includes territories near the coast of the seas of the Arctic Ocean, ranging from western border and down to the Bering Strait. The tundra is also characterized by long winters, but slightly warmer summers. characteristic feature such a zone is permafrost. The vegetation is mainly represented here by mosses, lichens, shrubs and shrubs. All plants in the tundra root system can develop only in a small space that is not frozen, and the cultures themselves do not rise much above the ground.

Forest-tundra zone

This territory is located along the southern borders of the tundra zone. It is considered a transitional area from the tundra to the taiga. Feature forest-tundra - the presence of sparse forests in the interfluves. The climate of this zone is represented by cold and snowy winters, as well as warmer summers and lower wind speeds than in the tundra.

The sparse forests of such territories consist of larch, birch and Siberian spruce. On the slopes of the river valleys and terraces there are many meadows made up of buttercups, valerian, berries and flames.

Taiga

Such a zone has largest area, it stretches from the western border of Russia up to the coast of Okhotsk, as well as Sea of ​​Japan. The main type of vegetation in this zone is represented by light coniferous and dark coniferous forests. The bulk of the forests consists of larch, slightly less common are pine, spruce forests, as well as fir forests or Siberian cedar. In the territories of the Far Eastern Primorye, there are also southern varieties of trees, represented by Amur velvet and Manchurian walnut.

Mixed and deciduous forests

Such a zone is located just south of the taiga in the region of the Russian Plain, it does not exist inside the continent, but it is again observed in the southern territories. Far East. The north of this zone is characterized by coniferous-broad-leaved forests of a mixed type, and the south - broad-leaved forests of a multi-tiered structure. To date, forests occupy about thirty percent of the area of ​​such a zone, and include many small-leaved species, represented by birches, aspens and alders.

forest-steppe zone

Such a site is transitional from the steppe to the forest; accordingly, both forest and steppe vegetation can be seen on it. On the interfluves of the forest-steppe, forests with broad-leaved and small-leaved trees alternate. natural nature such a zone has changed a lot due to human activities. The main forest-forming species of the forest-steppe is oak, in Western Siberia there are many birch groves. And the steppes of such a zone are characterized by colorful forbs.

steppe zone

Such territories in Russia have a rather small area, capturing the southern part of the European part, as well as the south of Western Siberia. Almost all the steppes are now plowed up.
Natural vegetation is represented by grasses and turf grasses (feather grass, fescue, steppe oats, bluegrass, etc.). The northern regions of the steppe are characterized by forbs and grasses, while the southern regions are characterized by feather grass and fescue vegetation.

Semi-deserts and deserts

Such territories in Russia are located in the Caspian region, as well as in the Eastern Ciscaucasia. Here, as in the steppe, there are no forests. The vegetation is represented by different cultures, for example, in depressions with a significant amount of humus, fescue, wheatgrass, thin-legged, etc. are found, and salt licks are covered with blue-green algae. In the northern territories, the bulk of plants are represented by cereals with an admixture of wormwood, and in the southern territories, there is more wormwood, the number of saltworts and ephemera increases, and the total vegetation cover is characterized by greater sparseness.

We have given a description of the natural zones of Russia. Each natural zone has a sufficiently large extent, retaining on its territory certain common features: climate, humidity level, type of soil and vegetation.