Landscapes of natural zones of savannas, variable-moist and humid forests of the subequatorial and equatorial belts of Eurasia. Equatorial forests: climate, animals and plants Equatorial forests of Eurasia plants and animals

) a zone represented by more or less densely growing trees and shrubs of one or more species. The forest has the ability to constantly renew itself. Mosses, lichens, herbs, and shrubs play a secondary role in the forest. Plants here influence each other, interact with the environment, forming a commonwealth of plants.

A significant area of ​​forest with more or less clear boundaries is called a forest area. There are the following types of forests:

gallery forest. It is stretched out in a narrow strip along the river, flowing among treeless spaces (in Central Asia it is called the tugai forest, or tugai);

Tape bur. This is the name of pine forests growing in the form of a narrow and long strip on the sands. They are of great water conservation importance, their felling is prohibited;

park forest. This is an array of natural or artificial origin with rare, singly scattered trees (for example, a park forest of stone birch in Kamchatka);

copses. These are small forests connecting woodlands;

Grove- a piece of forest, usually isolated from the main massif.

The forest is characterized by layering - the vertical division of the forest, as it were, into separate floors. One or more upper tiers form the crowns of trees, then come the tiers of shrubs (undergrowth), herbaceous plants, and finally the tier of mosses and lichens. The lower the tier, the less demanding of light are the species that make it up. Plants of different tiers closely interact and are mutually dependent. The strong growth of the upper tiers reduces the density of the lower ones, up to their complete disappearance, and vice versa. There is also underground layering in the soil: the roots of plants are located here at different depths, so numerous plants coexist well in one area. Man, by regulating the density of crops, forces the development of those tiers of the community that are valuable for the economy.

Depending on climatic, soil and other natural conditions, various forests arise.

This is a natural (geographical) zone stretching along the equator with some shift to the south from 8° north latitude. up to 11° S The climate is hot and humid. All year round, average air temperatures are 24-28 C. The seasons are not pronounced. At least 1500 mm of precipitation falls, since here is an area of ​​\u200b\u200blow pressure (see), and on the coast the amount of precipitation increases to 10,000 mm. Precipitation falls evenly throughout the year.

Such climatic conditions of this zone contribute to the development of a lush evergreen forest with a complex longline structure. The trees here have little branching. They have disc-shaped roots, large leathery leaves, tree trunks rise like columns and spread their thick crown only at the top. The shiny, as if varnished surface of the leaves saves them from excessive evaporation and burns from the scorching sun, from the impact of rain jets during heavy showers. In plants of the lower tier, the leaves, on the contrary, are thin and delicate.

The equatorial forests of South America are called selva (port. - forest). This zone here occupies much larger areas than in. The selva is wetter than the African equatorial forests, richer in plant and animal species.

The soils under the forest canopy are red-yellow, ferrolitic (containing aluminum and iron).

equatorial forest- the birthplace of many valuable plants, such as oil palm, from the fruits of which palm oil is obtained. The wood of many trees is used to make furniture and is exported in large quantities. These include ebony, the wood of which is black or dark green. Many plants of the equatorial forests provide not only valuable wood, but also fruits, juice, bark for use in technology and medicine.

Elements of equatorial forests penetrate into the tropics along the coast of Central America, on.

The main share of equatorial forests is located in Africa and South America, but they are also found in, mainly on the islands. As a result of significant deforestation, the area under them is sharply reduced.

hardwood forests

Hardwood forests are developed in Mediterranean climates. It is a moderately warm climate with hot (20-25°C) and relatively dry summers and cool and rainy winters. The average amount of precipitation is 400-600 mm per year with rare and short-lived snow cover.

Basically, hardwood forests grow in the south, on, in the southwest and southeast. Separate fragments of these forests are found in America (, Chile).

They, like the equatorial forests, have a tiered structure with lianas and epiphytes. In hard-leaved forests there are oaks (holm, cork), strawberry tree, wild olives, heather, myrtle. Hard-leaved are rich in eucalyptus. Here there are giant trees, more than 100 m high. Their roots go 30 m into the ground and, like powerful pumps, pump moisture out of it. There are stunted eucalyptus trees and shrub eucalyptus trees.

Plants of hardwood forests are very well adapted to the lack of moisture. Most have small gray-green leaves obliquely arranged in relation to the sun's rays, and the crown does not shade the soil. In some plants, the leaves are modified, reduced to thorns. Such, for example, are scrubs - thickets of prickly bushes of acacias and eucalyptus trees. Scrubs are located in Australia, in areas almost devoid of and.

The fauna of the zone of hard-leaved forests is also peculiar. For example, in the eucalyptus forests of Australia, you can meet the koala marsupial bear. It lives in trees and leads a sedentary nocturnal lifestyle.

The climatic features of this zone are favorable for the growth of deciduous trees with a wide leaf plate. Moderately continental bring precipitation from the oceans (from 400 to 600 mm), mainly in the warm season. The average temperature in January is -8°-0°С, in July +20-24°С. Beech, hornbeam, elm, maple, linden, and ash grow in the forests. The broad-leaved forests of eastern America are dominated by trees that are the same as some of the East Asian and European species, but there are also species that are characteristic only of this area. In terms of composition, these forests are among the richest in the world. Most of all in them are American species of oaks, along with them chestnut, linden, plane trees are common. Tall trees with a powerful, spreading crown predominate, often entwined with climbing plants - grapes or ivy. To the south, magnolias and a tulip tree can be found. For European broad-leaved forests, oak and beech are the most typical.

The fauna of the broad-leaved forests is close to the taiga, but there are some animals that are unknown in the forests. These are black bears, wolves, foxes, minks, raccoons. A characteristic hoofed animal of deciduous forests is the white-tailed deer. It is considered an undesirable neighbor for settlements, as it eats young crops. In the deciduous forests of Eurasia, many animals have become rare and are under human protection. The bison and the Ussuri tiger are listed in the Red Book.

Soils in deciduous forests are gray forest or brown forest.

This zone of forests is densely inhabited and largely reduced to nothing. It has survived only in heavily rugged, inconvenient areas for arable farming and in reserves.

Mixed temperate forests

These are forests with various tree species: coniferous-broad-leaved, small-leaved, small-leaved-pine. This zone is located in the north of North America (on the border with the USA), in Eurasia, forming a narrow strip lying between the taiga and the zone of broad-leaved forests, in the Far East. The climatic features of this zone differ from the zone of broad-leaved forests. The climate is temperate, with increasing continental towards the center of the mainland. This is evidenced by the annual amplitude of temperature fluctuations, as well as the annual amount of precipitation, which varies from oceanic regions to the center of the continent.

The diversity of vegetation in this zone is explained by differences in climate: temperature, amount of precipitation and the mode of precipitation. , where precipitation falls all year round due to westerly winds, European spruce, oak, linden, elm, fir, beech are common, that is, coniferous-deciduous forests are located here.

In the Far East, where precipitation is brought only by summer monsoons, mixed forests have a southern appearance and are distinguished by a wide variety of species, many layers, an abundance of lianas, and mosses and epiphytes on trunks. In deciduous forests, pines, birches, aspens with an admixture of spruce, cedar, and fir predominate. In North America, the most common conifers are white pine, reaching a height of 50 m, and red pine. Of the hardwoods, birch with yellow hardwood, sugar maple, American ash, elm, beech, and linden are widespread.

The soils in the zone of mixed forests are gray forest and sod-podzolic, and in the Far East they are brown forest. The animal world is similar to the animal world of the taiga and the zone of deciduous forests. Elk, sable, brown bear live here.

Mixed forests have long been subjected to severe deforestation and fires. They are best preserved in the Far East, while in Eurasia they are used for field and pasture land.

Taiga

This forest zone is located within the temperate climate in the north of North America and in the north of Eurasia. There are two types of taiga: light coniferous and dark coniferous. Light coniferous taiga is the least demanding pine and larch forests in terms of soil and climatic conditions, the sparse crown of which transmits the sun's rays to the ground. Pine forests, having a branched root system, have acquired the ability to use nutrients from marginal soils, which is used to fix the soil. This feature of the root system of these forests allows them to grow in areas with. The shrub layer of the light coniferous taiga consists of alder, dwarf birch, polar willow, and berry bushes. Under this tier are mosses and lichens. It is the main food for reindeer. This type of taiga is common in.

Dark coniferous taiga are forests represented by species with dark, evergreen needles. These forests consist of numerous species of spruce, fir, Siberian pine (cedar). The dark coniferous taiga, unlike the light coniferous one, does not have an undergrowth, since its trees are tightly closed by crowns, and it is gloomy in these forests. The lower tier is made up of shrubs with hard leaves (lingonberries) and dense ferns. This type of taiga is common in the European part of Russia and Western Siberia.

The peculiar flora of these types of taiga is explained by differences in territories: and quantity. The seasons are clearly distinguished.

The soils of the taiga forest zone are podzolic. They contain little humus, but when fertilized they can provide a high yield. In the taiga of the Far East - acidic soils.

The fauna of the taiga zone is rich. Numerous predators are found here - valuable game animals: otter, marten, sable, mink, weasel. Of the large predators, there are bears, wolves, lynxes, wolverines. In North America, bison and elk deer used to be found in the taiga zone. Now they live only in reserves. The taiga is rich in rodents. Of these, the most typical are beavers, muskrats, squirrels, hares, chipmunks, and mice. The taiga world of birds is also very diverse: nutcrackers, thrushes, bullfinches, capercaillie, black grouse, hazel grouses.

Tropical forests

They are located along the east of Central America, in the Caribbean islands, on the island, in the east of Australia and in the southeast. The existence of forests in this dry and hot climate is possible due to the heavy rainfall that is brought by the monsoons in summer from the oceans. Depending on the degree of moisture, tropical forests are divided into permanently humid and seasonally humid forests. In terms of their species diversity of flora and fauna, humid tropical forests are close to equatorial forests. These forests contain many palms, evergreen oaks, and tree ferns. Many vines and epiphytes from orchids and ferns. The tropical forests of Australia differ from others in the relative poverty of the species composition. There are few palms here, but eucalyptus, laurels, ficuses, legumes are often found.

The fauna of the equatorial forests is similar to the fauna of the forests of this belt. The soils are mostly lateritic (lat. later - brick). These are soils, which include oxides of iron, aluminum and titanium; they are usually reddish in color.

Forests of the subequatorial belt

These are deciduous evergreen forests that are located along the eastern outskirts of South America, along the coast, in northeastern Australia. Two seasons are clearly expressed here: dry and wet, the duration of which is about 200 days. In summer, equatorial humid air masses dominate here, and in winter - dry tropical air masses, which leads to the fall of leaves from trees. constantly high, +20-30°С. Atmospheric precipitation decreases from 2000 mm to 200 mm per year. This leads to a lengthening of the dry period and to the change of evergreen permanently wet forests by seasonally wet deciduous ones. During the dry season, most deciduous trees do not shed their entire foliage, but few species remain completely bare.

Mixed (monsoon) forests of the subtropical belt

They are located in the southeastern United States and eastern China. These are the wettest of all zones of the subtropical belt. Characterized by the absence of a dry period. Annual rainfall is greater than evaporation. The maximum amount of precipitation usually falls in the summer, as the monsoons bring moisture from the oceans, the winter is relatively dry and cool. Inland waters are quite rich, groundwater is mostly fresh, with a shallow occurrence.

Here, tall mixed forests grow on brown and gray forest soils. Their species composition may vary depending on soil conditions. In the forests you can find subtropical species of pines, magnolia, camphor laurel, camellia. On the flooded coasts of Florida (USA) and on the lowlands, cypress forests are common.

The zone of mixed forests of the subtropical zone has long been mastered by man. In the place of reduced forests in America, there are field and pasture lands, orchards, and plantations. In Eurasia - forestry lands with areas of field lands. Rice, tea, citrus fruits, wheat, corn and industrial crops are grown here.

Subtropical geographical zone not much inferior to the temperate zone in length. Several natural zones are formed on the plains. A significant part of the belt is occupied by mountains, in which altitudinal zonality is manifested.

On the well-moistened Black Sea coast of Asia humid subtropical forests from hornbeam, beech, chestnut and evergreen shrubs intertwined with lianas are often swampy. Soils - zheltozems and red soils - contain 4-8% humus. The less humid Mediterranean coast is included in the zone hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs . Cork and holm oaks, pines and cypresses grow on the peninsulas of Europe; on the Asian coast - Lebanese cedar. Widespread maquis- prickly thickets of heather, olives, pistachios, junipers. Brown soils contain 4-7% humus. Due to the high economic development, natural vegetation and wild animals have been preserved only in the foothills and in protected areas.

Rice. 58 Maquis

A zone formed in the arid continental sector of the belt semi-deserts and deserts . Occupying only the intermountain plains in the west, in the east the deserts rise to the mountains and become dominant. Takla Makan, Gobi, Tibetan Plateau in Central Asia, the deserts are cold: in winter, temperatures can drop to -30 °C. Vegetation is almost non-existent. The soils are desert serozems and burozems. Many ungulates live here - kulan, Przewalski's horse, gazelles (gazelles and gazelle), wild yak, antelopes, mountain goats and sheep. There are many predators (caracal, hyena), rodents, arthropods, reptiles.

As we approach the Pacific Ocean, summer (due to the monsoon) becomes wetter, while winter, as in the continental sector, remains dry and cold. Subtropical steppes . In the east of the Tibetan Plateau - sagebrush, inhabited by numerous ungulates (markhorn goat, mouflon). The feather grass steppes that once dominated the Loess Plateau gave way to cotton, tobacco, and poppy plantations. Centuries of agriculture has destroyed the surface of the loess, turning 90% of the territory into a badland.

On the east coast, where the amount of precipitation increases sharply, a zone is formed monsoon forests , represented in the north by mixed, in the south - by evergreen forests. Once upon a time, laurels, myrtles, cypresses dominated here; now almost everywhere - plantations of tea, cotton, rice. The soil cover is dominated by zheltozems and krasnozems with high natural fertility. In mountain shelters you can meet lemurs, tapirs; many birds - pheasants, parrots, cranes, herons.

Krasnozems are otherwise called laterites, which in Latin means "sun-dried brick." The color of soils is due to the accumulation of aluminum and iron oxide hydrates in them.

AT tropical geographic zone Eurasia has only one natural zone - semi-deserts and deserts . Sandy deserts are especially widespread, occupying the intermountain basins of the Iranian Highlands, the Mesopotamian lowland, and Arabia. Among the sands in some places there are bushes of astragalus, milkweed, aloe. Arabia is included in the belt of the great deserts of the Northern Hemisphere. On the Arabian Peninsula, deserts occupy more than 1 million km 2 - a territory almost five times larger than Belarus. This is the hottest and driest region of Eurasia.

Subequatorial geographical belt includes several natural areas. The arid Indian lowland is occupied by sandy desert Tar. On the more humid plains of Indochina and on the Deccan plateau, savannas and woodlands : rare prickly acacias, palms, tikis rise above the sea of ​​tall hard grasses. The soils of the savannas - red, red-brown and red-brown - are poor in humus (about 4%). The exception is the fertile chernozem-like "cotton soil" of the regura, formed on volcanic rocks. The savannahs are plowed up for cotton and wheat crops. The animal world is severely exterminated. Once, herds of rhinos and antelopes roamed here.

On the coasts of Hindustan and Indochina, abundantly moistened by the monsoon, a zone is formed seasonally wet and monsoon forests . The evergreen forests are dominated by bamboos, ficuses, palms, and many epiphytes. The forests differ in species diversity, are multi-tiered and impenetrable. Abundant moisture causes the formation of acidic low-humus red-yellow soils. In more arid deciduous forests, there are many valuable species - teak, sandalwood, satin wood. The forests have been badly damaged by logging, and the animal world has also been exterminated. There are sloth bear, rhinoceros, gayal bull, tiger, leopard. Many monkeys, birds - peacocks, parrots, pheasants.

The zone has been developed for plantations of coffee trees, tea, bananas, mangoes, citrus fruits, and rubber plants.

Equatorial geographical belt represented by the zone humid equatorial forests - guile. The Hylaea of ​​the Malay Archipelago are the oldest forests on Earth. They are exceptionally rich in biomass and species, many of which are endemic. There are more than 300 species of palms here, a lot of tree ferns, bamboos, pandanus. The coast is lined with mangroves.

Red-yellow ferralitic soils are formed under the forests. The animal world is very diverse: tigers, leopards, wild elephants, rhinos, tapirs. There are many monkeys, including anthropoid orangutans and gibbons, semi-monkeys - tarsiers and lorises. On the islands there are giant monitor lizards, flying dragons, snakes - pythons, vipers, in the rivers - gharial crocodiles.

Altitudinal zonality. Mountain systems of Eurasia have a different geographical position, height, length. This determines the peculiarities of altitudinal zonality in each of them.

The simplest structure of altitudinal zonality is inherent in the mountains of high latitudes and inland regions. In the mountains of high latitudes it is cold at any height. So the foothills are occupied tundra , and a belt is formed above eternal snows . Inland mountain systems do not differ in the variety of belts due to the fact that it is dry everywhere on their slopes (see Fig. 65 on p. 58). In the temperate zone, from bottom to top, sparse coniferous forests, tundra and "loaches" - cold stony desert . In the mountains of subtropical and tropical latitudes, semi-deserts and desert passing above into steppes . Vertices occupy loaches , and only on the highest mountains there are glaciers ; they appear from a height of 4.5-5 thousand meters.

A variety of altitudinal belts is characteristic of mountain systems that occupy a marginal position on the continent.

On the southern Mediterranean slope of the Alps (Fig. 63) at the foot grow hardwood evergreen forests and shrubs from cork and holm oaks, Mediterranean pine, cypress, laurel, myrtle, boxwood, pistachio. Above them - broadleaf forests from oak, chestnut, linden, walnut. Then the forests become mixed, and then coniferous - from spruce, fir, pine. Shrubs dominate even higher - juniper, rhododendron, barberry. The next belt is meadows : subalpine - from rich forbs - and alpine - from bright, but quickly fading primroses - saxifrage, primroses, violets, poppies, hyacinths, edelweiss (Fig. 64). Glaciers in the west appear from on high 2.5 km, in the east - from 3.2-3.4 km.

Rms. 64 Edelweiss

The further south the mountains are located and the higher they are, the more belts on their slopes.

The altitudinal zonality of the Himalayas, the highest mountain system located on the southern outskirts of the mainland, is characterized by the greatest completeness and diversity (Fig. 65).

The southern slope of the Himalayas is covered by a variety of rich moisture-loving vegetation. Grow at the foot terai - dense swampy impenetrable forests of bamboo intertwined with lianas, tall grasses, wild sugar cane (Fig. 66). The lower parts of the slopes cover jungle (Fig. 67) - evergreen forests of palm trees, pandanus, banyans (Fig. 68). Higher, tree ferns, magnolia, wild grapes become dominant in them. Then the jungle turns into evergreen hardwood forests from oaks and laurels, and those - in broadleaf forests from maples and chestnuts. Even higher is the belt coniferous forests ; Himalayan spruces, hemlock, larch, fir grow in them. At high altitude, forests are replaced by high forbs subalpine meadows , turning into low-grass alpine meadows from primroses, anemones, poppies. Belt glaciers starts from 5-5.4 km.

Rice. 66 Terai

The northern slope of the Himalayas is completely different (see Fig. 65). This slope is leeward, it "grows" from the highlands of Tibet. It is dry and cold here, permafrost is common. The slope is occupied by cold rocky desert : only occasionally cushion-shaped and creeping plants come across. From a height of 6.4 km, the belt begins glaciers This is the highest snow line in the world.

Natural disasters- natural phenomena that constitute a threat to the life of the population - can be conditionally divided into two groups: those associated with internal processes (tectonic, or endogenous) and with external processes(exogenous), the leading role among which belongs to atmospheric.

The location of Eurasia in the junction zones of several converging lithospheric plates determines tectonic activity in these and adjacent parts of the continent (Fig. 69). Belts of high seismicity correspond to modern folded belts - Alpine-Himalayan and Pacific and modern rift zones of the continent - Baikal and Arabian. earthquakes low power (1-4 points) occur in these areas almost constantly, and stronger ones (7-12 points), accompanied by catastrophic destruction and loss of life - periodically with a different interval.

Tectonic movements that shake the earth's crust cause powerful fluctuations in the ocean's water mass - waves tsunami . Most often, they are exposed to the southeastern margin of the mainland, where both modern fold belts are connected.

Natural catastrophic phenomena of exogenous origin - tropical hurricanes(typhoons) - the southeastern margin of Eurasia is most often exposed. The center of typhoon formation is the tropical latitudes of the Pacific Ocean. From here, powerful ascending whirlwinds rush to the mainland. But the mountain ranges stretched along the coasts block their way into the interior of the continent. And on the islands, coastal slopes and lowlands fall heavy rains, causing devastating floods.

On the mainland, densely populated and having a history of many thousands of years of development, there are man-made disasters . Their reason lies in the geographical and ecological illiteracy of human society, thoughtlessly and aggressively trying to subordinate the natural resources of the mainland to its needs. Occurring through the fault of man, such events cause irreparable damage to the natural complex. They affect not only the territory where they occurred, but also large areas adjacent to it. At the same time, they negatively affect the life processes of the entire organic world, including humans. The largest nuclear disaster was the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (Ukraine), which happened in 1986. An area of ​​160 thousand km 2 was contaminated with radioactive substances. The north of Ukraine, the west of Russia and Belarus suffered - about 60% of radioactive fallout fell on its territory.

An environmental disaster was the accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima.

The drying up of the Aral Sea-lake in Central Asia, caused by irrational use of natural resources (water consumption), is referred to as environmental disasters of global significance. The territory of the Aral Sea region has been declared an area of ​​ecological disaster (Fig. 71)

Rice. 71 Aral Sea

Millions of years ago, the Aral and the Caspian were part of the ancient Tethys Ocean. These lakes are so large that they are called seas. The Aral Sea was the fourth largest in the world after the Caspian Sea, Lake Superior and Lake Victoria. In the 90s. 20th century due to the fact that the water of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya was diverted for irrigation, the Aral began to shallow. Now the Aral is a few small dangerously polluted reservoirs. Salt, dust and pesticides covering the dried bottom are carried by dust storms within a radius of 500 km and destroy any vegetation. The population is suffering from diseases. The climate is changing, animals are dying out: there were 178 species, there are only 38 left. Tugai - reed beds are dying. Scientists believe that it is already impossible to save the Aral Sea. Even if we completely refuse to take water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, then its previous level will be restored no earlier than in 200 years.

Environmental problems. Man-made disasters give rise to, and natural disasters exacerbate, environmental problems that are numerous in Eurasia.

Many natural complexes of the mainland have been so strongly changed that they are no longer natural, but artificial - anthropogenic. On the continent, natural landscapes that have not been affected by human activity are an exceptional phenomenon. In Eurasia, there is a large proportion of industrial and agricultural landscapes, the natural vegetation of which has been almost completely destroyed. Europe is characterized by the world's highest indicators of development and plowing of land - 40%. These indicators are very high in densely populated areas of East Asia (on the Great China Plain 80% of the territory is occupied by arable land). All natural areas of the mainland are affected by the problem degradation lands. Soil erosion, as a result of which fertile lands turn into badlands and wind-blown sands, begins to progress after the natural vegetation of these lands has been reduced and their intensive plowing (more than 80% of the territory has been destroyed on the Loess Plateau).

All forest zones of the mainland are affected by the problem deforestation . The provision of a resident of Eurasia with forests is 4 times lower than in the whole world. The monsoon forests of East Asia have been destroyed by 85%, and 40% - by Southeast Asia. The broad-leaved forests of Western Europe and the subtropical Mediterranean have suffered from deforestation and fires (Fig. 72): in some countries, the forest cover has decreased to 8-10%. Relic species of plants and animals have been irretrievably lost. Involvement in agricultural production of lands adjacent to deserts contributes to their desertification . In some regions of Eurasia, deserts are growing at a rate of up to 1 km / year (Thar Desert). Intensive irrigation of lands in arid regions causes soil salinization . About 40% of irrigated lands in Eurasia are secondarily saline. In Mesopotamia - the center of ancient civilization - about 85%.

Rice. 72. Forest fires in Greece

In densely populated areas of Europe, East, Southeast and South Asia and near the largest industrial centers, there is a large industrial pollution , extending to the soil, air, surface, groundwater and adjacent areas of the oceans. An acute ecological situation is developing in the eastern parts of the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, in the Barents Sea. In South-West Asia - the largest center of oil production and export - the problem of oil pollution is serious. High performance radioactive contamination are noted in the seas of the Arctic Ocean, the northern waters of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Yellow Seas, the Persian and Biscay Bays.

Numerous protected areas have been created to preserve landscapes in Eurasia. There are at least 839 national parks on the mainland. Asian countries lead the list.

In addition to national parks, there are numerous specially protected areas of various levels - nature reserves, regional parks, etc.

Bibliography

1. Geography grade 9 / Textbook for grade 9 institutions of general secondary education with the Russian language of instruction / Edited by N. V. Naumenko/ Minsk "People's Asveta" 2011

Climate, natural zones of Eurasia.

Climate.

The climatic features of Eurasia are determined by the huge size of the continent, the great length from north to south, the variety of prevailing air masses, as well as the specific features of the structure of its surface topography and the influence of the oceans.

natural areas.

Arctic deserts (ice zone), tundra and forest tundra located in the west of the mainland beyond the Arctic Circle. In Northern Europe, the tundra and forest-tundra occupy a narrow strip, which, as one moves eastward, gradually expands with an increase in the severity and continentality of the climate. Basically, sparse low-growing vegetation, poor peat-gley soils and animals adapted to harsh living conditions.

AT temperate zone Significant areas are represented by zones of coniferous forests (taiga), mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, broad-leaved forests, forest-steppes and steppes, semi-deserts and deserts.

coniferous forests stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific. When moving from west to east, the continentality of the climate increases. In the Asian part of the zone, permafrost is widespread, as a result, the composition of taiga tree species changes. Pine and spruce dominate in the European taiga, fir and Siberian cedar dominate beyond the Urals, and larch dominates in Eastern Siberia. Fauna: sable, ermine, beaver, fox, squirrel, marten, hares, chipmunks, lynxes and wolves, moose, brown bears, capercaillie, black grouse, hazel grouse, crossbills, nutcrackers.

Zone mixed coniferous-deciduous forests replaces the taiga zone when moving south. Leaf litter and grass cover of these forests contribute to the accumulation of a certain amount of organic matter in the soil horizon. Therefore, the podzolic soils of the taiga are replaced by soddy-podzolic ones.

Zone deciduous forests also does not form a continuous band. In Europe, they stretched from the Atlantic to the Volga. As the climate becomes more continental, moving from west to east, beech forests are replaced by oak forests. In the east of the mainland, broad-leaved forests are mostly cut down.

Forest-steppes and steppes change forest zones when moving south in the inner - central continental sector of the mainland. Here, the amount of precipitation sharply decreases and the amplitudes of summer and winter temperatures increase. AT forest-steppes characteristic is the alternation of open spaces with herbaceous vegetation on chernozem soils with areas of broad-leaved forests. Steppes - treeless spaces with dense grassy grassy vegetation and a dense root system. In the eastern part of the mainland, forest-steppes and steppes have been preserved in the basins of the relief of Northern Mongolia, Transbaikalia, and Northeast China. They are far removed from the ocean, are in conditions of a sharply continental climate, low moisture. Mongolian dry steppes are characterized by sparse grass vegetation and chestnut soils.

Semi-deserts and temperate deserts occupy the lowlands of Central Asia and the inner basins of Central Asia north of the Tibetan Plateau. There is very little rainfall, hot long summers and cold winters with noticeable frosts.

Zone tropical deserts - the deserts of Arabia, Mesopotamia, the south of the Iranian Highlands and the Indus basin. These deserts are similar in their natural conditions to African ones, since there are wide historical and modern ties between these territories and there are no obstacles to the exchange of species in flora and fauna. The oceanic sectors of the mainland are closed in the south by zones of subtropical (in Europe) and tropical forests (in Asia).

Zone hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs in the Mediterranean region is unique. It has dry and hot summers and wet and warm winters. Plants are adapted to climatic conditions: wax coating, thick or dense leathery bark. Many plants produce essential oils. Fertile brown soils form in this zone. Olives, citrus fruits, grapes, tobacco, essential oil crops are grown on the plantations of the zone.

Zone monsoon evergreen mixed forests expressed in the Pacific sector of the subtropical zone. There are other climatic conditions here: precipitation falls mainly in summer - during the growing season. Forests are ancient.

subequatorial belt covers the peninsulas of Hindustan, Indochina and the north of the Philippine Islands. This zone has different moisture conditions. The zone of subequatorial forests stretches along the western coasts of the peninsulas and receives up to 2000 mm of precipitation per year. The forests here are multi-tiered, differ in the variety of species composition (palms, ficuses, bamboos). Zonal soils are red-yellow ferralitic. Zones seasonally wet monsoon forests, shrub savannahs and woodlands presented where precipitation decreases.

Moist equatorial forests are represented mainly on the islands of Southeast Asia. In terms of climatic conditions, they are similar to the forests of the equatorial belt of other continents. However, the equatorial forests of Asia have a number of specific features. According to the composition of the flora, these are the richest forests on the globe (over 45 thousand species). The species composition of tree species is 5000 species (in Europe - only 200 species).

Altitudinal zonality in the mountains of Eurasia is diverse. The number of altitudinal belts in the mountains always depends on which natural zone is located on the plain at the foot of the mountains; on the height of the mountain system and on the exposure of the slopes. So, for example, the northern drier slopes of the Himalayas, facing the Tibetan Plateau, do not have forest belts. But on the southern slopes, which are better moistened and heated, there are several forest zones.

Abstract of the lesson "Climate, natural zones of Eurasia." Next topic:

The abundance of heat and moisture in the Malay Archipelago contributed here to the dominance of moist equatorial forests on red-yellow ferralitic soils, which are only replaced in places by monsoon forests and savannahs. The flora of these rain forests includes 23 thousand flowering plants, of which 2.5 thousand are trees. Representatives of the dipterocarp family (200 species) predominate, palm trees (70 species), ferns (400), bamboos (70), orchids (700 species) and others are numerous. Equatorial forests cover mountains up to a height of 1200-1300 m. shady, without undergrowth, with rich extra-tiered vegetation - lianas and epiphytes. The general species diversity is dominated by palms (palmyra, sago, sugar, rattan, etc.), dipterocarps, bamboos, tree ferns, ficuses, pandanuses, and wild bananas. Above 1200 m, representatives of the subtropical (oaks, conifers) and boreal (chestnuts, maples, etc.) floras appear and then dominate. At an altitude of 2500-2600 m, they are replaced by a zone of shrubs with some conifers (mountain casuarina). Above, the belt of shrubs is replaced by alpine meadows, and behind them is a belt of eternal snows. With increasing dryness in monsoon forests, the role of deciduous trees (teak tree) and shrubs (acacia) intensifies. Small groups of trees grow in shrouds among tall grasses (wild sugarcane, alang-alang). There are many representatives of the Australian flora (eucalyptus, spinifex, casuarina, etc.) on the Lesser Sunda Islands. The fauna of the humid equatorial forests is also rich and varied: more than 200 species of mammals, 600 birds, 100 snakes, 1000 butterflies. An orangutan and narrow-nosed monkeys (gibbons, monkeys, etc.) live here. There are elephants, rhinos, black-backed tapirs, anua buffalo, babirussa pig, predatory tiger, sun bear. Diverse birds (paradise, hornbills) and reptiles (Komodo lizard). The fauna is gradually changing from the northwest to the southeast. At first, the orangutan, the rhinoceros, then the typical ungulates disappear. Some elements of the Australian fauna, mainly birds, appear on the Lesser Sunda Islands. Thus, the Malay Archipelago has features inherent in Eurasia and Australia, and is a kind of bridge connecting both continents (Lavrinovich, 2004). In addition to zonal vegetation, non-zonal communities are widely represented in Eurasia: meadows, swamps, and mangroves. Meadows and swamps are quite well known to the population of Belarus. Mangroves are halohydrophilic vegetation on periodically flooded silty sea coasts and estuaries in the subequatorial and equatorial belts of the mainland. Their species composition is not rich in about 50 species of palm trees (nipa, rhizophora, avitsia, brugiera, etc.). Animals are adapted to live in two environments - air and water-silt. The crowns of the trees are inhabited by parrots and monkeys. Numerous insects (dragonflies, mosquitoes, etc.). Significant territories of Eurasia are occupied by mountain systems with altitudinal zonality, the analysis of which will be made during the regional review of this continent.