Plants in the nature of Russia. Flora of Russia Message on the topic of the flora of our country

15.03.2020

Russia is the largest country on the planet. Its colossal territory is located in two parts of the world, 11 time zones and eight natural zones. A variety of climatic conditions, geological relief, soil cover provide a huge wealth of flora in Russia, which is divided into the flora of the tundra, forests, swamps, meadows, steppes and deserts. The largest area is occupied by trees and herbaceous plants, especially considering that 800,000 hectares or 45% of the Russian territory are covered with forests. Among these plants there are many that grow almost everywhere, as well as rare, endangered and endemic (found only in a certain area and nowhere else in the world).

Birch

If you think about which tree is the most common in Russia, then the birch will most likely come to mind first. Indeed, more than a hundred species belong to this deciduous family, whose representatives grow both in the tundra (dwarf birch), and in highlands (creeping species), and in the southernmost subtropical part of Russia on the coast of the Caucasus. But the most free climate for birches is temperate. Therefore, in the European and Asian parts of the Russian territory, you can find a rich variety of species of this tree:

luxurious 40-meter giants with trunk coverage up to 1.5 meters;
drooping species with an openwork weeping crown;
slender snow-white-stemmed beauties, as well as species with pinkish, gray and even reddish-brown trunks.

Coniferous trees

But still not a birch, but a coniferous tree, the most common in Russia. In addition to the fact that woody coniferous plants grow and prevail throughout the country, even within the Arctic region, they make up the majority of taiga forests. And the taiga is the largest natural zone of the country.

All the trees mentioned below are typical coniferous representatives of Russian forests, and they are the main raw material base in the logging industry.

The most common is larch, which in Russia accounts for a third of all timber reserves and occupies two-fifths of the country's forest area.
Pine occupies one sixth of the woody flora of Russia and in our country is represented by 16 wild species. Cedar pines or Siberian cedars are those species whose cones produce edible nuts, and these conifers are endemic. They should not be confused with cedars, which belong to a separate genus and the seeds of their cones are not edible to humans.
An eighth of the forests belong to spruces.
Also, a large area of the taiga is covered by fir - the most valuable tree for industry, construction and medicine. But it is much more thermophilic than larch and spruce. Only Siberian fir is not afraid of severe frosts, and therefore it belongs to the most common trees in the country.

The woody forms of the flora of Russia contain many endemics. Almost all of them are located on the lands of reserves, and among them there are absolutely amazing specimens, such as, for example, a stilted tree. These are larches and pines growing on the shores of Lake Baikal. Their roots have risen to a height of up to three meters above the ground and, twisted by the winds, the trunks rise, as if on stilts.

Olginskaya larch can be seen only on the coast of the south of Primorsky Krai, and in some areas of the foothills of the Sikhote-Alin. Because of the steep slopes and constantly exposed to strong winds, the trees look quite interesting: their trunks are twisted, and the crowns have acquired an irregular shape. This is an endangered relict species, listed in the State Red Book.

Among the species richness of birches there is a tree of the rarest tree species, which belongs to the endemic flora of Russia: Schmidt's birch. This species grows only on one and the islands of Japan, in the northern region of Korea, two Chinese provinces and the reserve of the southern part of Primorsky Krai "Kedrovaya Pad". No wonder this rare birch is popularly called iron birch. Its wood is the strongest in the world, with such a density and weight that the tree is hardly exposed to fire and sinks in water.

Of the rare, endangered trees of the Red Book of Russia, it is worth mentioning the high juniper, which grows in the Caucasus, the Crimea and Asia Minor. This tree, up to 15 meters high, belongs to the Cypress family and is curious in that it contains signs of juniper, pine and cypress.

Yew berry belongs to the declining population of the flora of Russia, is included in the international and domestic Red List. This is a poisonous and very decorative tree with a dense crown, glossy needles and bright crimson fruits. Yew berry is a long-lived tree that lives up to four millennia. The oldest representative of this species (Fortingall yew) is located in Scotland and is considered the same age as Pontius Pilate. On the territory of Russia, yew groves have been preserved only in the Caucasian Reserve and the Crimea.

herbaceous plants

Approximately 18,000 species of wild herbs that fill the expanses of Russia have been described. Many of them are perfectly adapted to the conditions of both the tundra and deserts and grow equally freely in forests, meadows, steppes and swamps. Therefore, they belong to all six types of vegetation characteristic of Russia. But there are herbaceous plants that are found only in certain landscape or natural areas, while they are not endemic, as they are common in many other places on the planet.

Stinging nettle

In the European part of the country, it is difficult to imagine a more common plant than stinging nettle. It is also familiar to Western, many places in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. The plant is considered typical for the forest zone and the forest-steppe, but grows like weeds everywhere and often in dense thickets near roads, dwellings, along the banks of reservoirs, in wastelands and other places, especially on soils rich in nitrates.

The plant is medicinal, cosmetic, fodder, young leaves are used for vitamin salads and cabbage soup. It was once common to make ropes and burlap, the fibers for which were obtained from nettle stalks. And from the leaves and rhizomes they made a green dye for wool.

Chamomile and cornflower

These meadow flowers are often confused in Russia. Nivyanik is unknowingly mistaken for a pharmacy chamomile. But its flowers are larger, the petals are much longer in relation to the yellow inflorescence and arranged in two rows, the inflorescence itself is quite large and flat. Girls love to weave wreaths from leucanthemum and tell fortunes by tearing off the petals.

Pharmaceutical chamomile flowers are much smaller, there are several of them on a branched stem. The inflorescence is convex and almost equal in diameter to the petals, which border the inflorescence in one row. And most importantly, what distinguishes these two plants is the smell: in chamomile, it is strong and specific. Leucanthemum most often grows in a meadow, in a field and is quite decorative. Pharmacy chamomile is a weed of fields, orchards and orchards, it grows along roads, quarries, in wastelands throughout the European part of the country, in Siberia, in Altai.

Ivan-tea narrow-leaved

The plant is widespread in the northern hemisphere of the planet. In clearings and burnt areas of the forest, willow-chai appears first, preparing the conditions for subsequent plants. It loves bright places and grows along the edges of forests, on the edges, along railways, ditches, embankments, in quarries. Ivan-tea is at the head of the list with the names of Russian plants of anti-inflammatory action as a natural remedy with the highest effect, therefore it is included in many pharmacy herbal preparations.

People have long learned to use herbs for domestic needs, as food and as medicines. Many spices familiar today were once wild herbs: garlic, parsley, dill, mint, lemon balm, basil, cumin and others.

But the main thing is that the grass cover retains moisture and soil integrity, most often it is he who is the pioneer on bare lands and determines the evolutionary process of subsequent species. Grasses make up the main plant mass in the surface layer of meadows, forests, deserts, providing a habitat for many animal species.

Vegetation cover is the most important component of nature, an indicator of natural conditions. It determines the external appearance of the territory, therefore natural zones are named according to the type of vegetation cover: tundra, taiga, mixed forests, etc. Vegetation reveals a close relationship with climate, soils and topography. Therefore, its location is characterized by latitudinal zonality and provinciality (sectorality) on the plains and altitudinal zonality in the mountains.

The territory of Russia (due to its size, variety of natural conditions) is characterized by complex combinations of phytocenoses that form different types of vegetation. The flora of Russia includes:

More than 11 thousand vascular plants;

Over 10 thousand species of algae;

About 5 thousand species of lichens;

Many types of mushrooms (above listed combined);

Flowering (composite, legumes, cereals - over 1 thousand species of each family), etc. are widespread.

Floristic diversity increases from north to south, decreases in deserts (aridity). It also increases from the plains to the mountains due to the variety of ecological conditions (ecological niches) and their multiple change over short distances. The mountains are a "refuge of life", their flora is saturated with relics. These include the tree-like Korean willow Chozenia; chistoous brown ferns and sensitive onoclea in the Amur region and Primorye; yew berry in the Caucasus; the shrub of Sofia's wolfberry on the Central Russian Upland, etc. Some species grow everywhere, but there are also endemics. The mountainous regions (especially the Caucasus) are richest in them.

3.1. Vegetation types

The following types of vegetation are typical for Russia:

tundra,

Deserted,
Bolotny.

Each type of vegetation is adapted to a specific combination of temperature and moisture. Allocate:

Cryophytes (plants of dry and cold habitats);

Mesophytes (plants living in conditions of sufficient, but not excessive moisture);

Hygrophytes (plants adapted to living in conditions of excessive moisture);

hydrophytes (aquatic plants)

Tundra type of vegetation . Formed under conditions of short and cool summers, high humidity and low temperature. Features of this type: treelessness, mosaic (spotting), the predominance of mosses, lichens, shrubs, partly shrubs, short stature, dominance of perennials. The number of species does not exceed 300-400, which is associated both with the youth of this type of vegetation and with the severity of conditions. Cryophytes predominate: creeping and cushion-shaped forms are common, the roots grow in a horizontal direction, there are few annuals, because. going through the full life cycle in a few weeks is difficult. There are viviparous plants (in the inflorescences of such plants, bulbs or nodules develop instead of flowers, which, having fallen to the ground, take root and give new shoots). There are many evergreens: crowberry, lingonberry, dryad, cassandra, cranberry, wild rosemary, etc., which allows them to make better use of solar energy for photosynthesis when warm days come, without wasting time on the formation of leaves. Xeromorphism is characteristic (devices aimed at reducing evaporation): small leaves, the edge of the underside of the leaves, leaves rolled into a tube, leathery leaves, etc. Polydominance is characteristic: although the tundra is divided into moss, lichen, shrub, cottongrass-sedge, mosses, lichens, perennial herbaceous plants, shrubs and shrubs are almost always present. . Among the lichens, bushy ones predominate - cladonia, cetraria, and alectoria. Shrubs and shrubs are widely represented, not only evergreen, but also with falling leaves (willow, dwarf birch, blueberry, arctoose, etc.). among perennial herbs, there are cereals (alpine meadow, arctic bluegrass, alpine foxtail, etc.), sedges, legumes (umbrella astragalus, obscure kopeechnik, etc.), but most plants belong to forbs (alpine cornflower, rhodiola rosea, bathing suit, white-flowered geranium, forget-me-nots, etc.) A characteristic feature is large, brightly colored flowers. The mosaic nature of the tundra is due to a rapid change in soil conditions in space, different depths of permafrost, microrelief, snow cover thickness, cryogenic processes, etc.

Forest type of vegetation. The most common in Russia (forests occupy 45%). Common where cf. months July temperatures exceed 10 0 C, and humidification is sufficient or excessive. Woody plants vary greatly in their requirements for heat, light, and moisture.

C o u n n y f o o lds. They occupy 80% of the forested area of Russia. The most cold-resistant is larch. Taiga are usually monodominant with a clearly defined layered structure: tree layer, undergrowth, shrub-herbaceous layer, and ground moss-lichen cover. The main forest-forming species are larch, pine, cedar spruce and fir. Depending on the forest-forming species, taiga forests are divided into dark coniferous (from different types of spruce, fir and cedar) and light coniferous (pine and larch).

dark coniferous forests common in areas with a moderately cold and fairly humid climate. They prevail in the taiga of the East European and West Siberian plains, are widely represented in the mountains of the Caucasus, the Urals, Sikhote-Alin, in the most humid outlying parts of the Altai and Sayan Mountains. More than half of the area of dark coniferous forests is occupied by spruce forests (11% of the forested area). Spruce forests are gloomy, dark, damp. Undergrowth dies due to severe darkening. On the soil there is a continuous carpet of green mosses with a few herbs and shrubs (mainly perennials): on sufficiently rich and well-drained soils, a continuous cover of oxalis (sour spruce forest) develops. On the poorer and wetter - thickets of blueberries (spruce-bilberry). On the especially poor and damp - moss cuckoo flax (spruce grove). A particularly dense and green spruce forest is sometimes devoid of ground cover (dead-blooded spruce forest).

Light coniferous forests. The main forest-forming species are Siberian larch and Dahurian pine. These are light-loving breeds, having a loose, openwork crown, therefore, there are plants of the lower tiers, which are well lit. larch forests(more than 37% of the forested area of Russia) are typical for regions with a sharply continental climate - Central and North-Eastern Siberia, the Baikal region, Transbaikalia. A well-developed undergrowth is characteristic: a moss-lichen cover is well developed on the soil against which grasses and shrubs grow: lingonberries, linnaea, wintergreen, club mosses, rosemary, blueberries, etc. pine forests occupy the second place in terms of area (~ 16%). They are distributed from the White Sea to the lower reaches of the Don, from the western borders to Central Yakutia and the Aldan Highlands. This is a fast-growing, photophilous breed, undemanding to heat and moisture. Pine is very sensitive to atmospheric pollution (especially to sulfur dioxide). It has a wide ecological amplitude, it is represented by various types of pine forests: from white moss forests to sphagnum pine forests. Many types repeat similar types of spruce forests: sour pine forests, green moss pine forests, blueberry pine forests, etc. from herbaceous plants, one can name a cat's paw, a hairy hawk. A light cover of cladonia lichens (various types of reindeer moss - "deer moss") develops on the soil surface.

W i r o k l i s t v e n n y f e r e s. They need a sufficiently humid (but not too much and not too little) humid, long and warm summer. mixed coniferous-broad-leaved and especially broadleaf forests, growing in a moderately humid climate with a weakened continentality, are common in Russia only in the western (European) part of the country and in the extreme south of the Far East. In Siberia, they are completely absent. They are characterized by a wide variety of tree species, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation (especially the Far Eastern forests, characterized by a mixture of northern and southern species, a large number of relics, the presence of lianas and epiphytic ferns characteristic of subtropical forests). Broad-leaved and mixed forests are multi-tiered. Of the broad-leaved species in Russia, oak, linden, maples, ash, elm, hornbeam, beech, etc. are represented. The highest are oak and ash, the lower ones are maple, linden, elm. The shrub layer (undergrowth) of hazel, warty euonymus, honeysuckle, buckthorn, etc. is well developed. The ground or grass cover is formed mainly by perennials. Moss cover is also developed in mixed forests. Of the broad-leaved forests on the territory of Russia, oak forests, linden forests and prebovo-linden forests predominate. Beech forests are found in the Caucasus and in the Kaliningrad region. Oak forests are common in the forest-steppe zone and in the western, climatically milder regions of the East European Plain. In the eastern and northern more severe regions, it gives way to linden. Norway maple is very common, but only as an admixture to the dominant tree species.

Steppe type of vegetation. It is formed in areas of insufficient and unstable moisture and is represented by communities of herbaceous plants. A characteristic feature of steppe communities is a rapid change in appearance over time, caused by the successive development and flowering of one or another plant species. But already in June, the vegetation burns out and becomes withered. AT typical steppes the most significant role is played by turf grasses (feather grass, fescue, fine-legged, wheatgrass). Along with them, there is always a herb. In conditions of unstable moisture, they develop meadow or mixed grass steppes: the role of rhizomatous cereals (bonfire, wheatgrass, wild oats) is increasing, it is widely represented colorful forbs (lumbago, adonis, nomadic, leafless iris, ragwort, sage, meadowsweet, purple goat, bluebells, and many others). They are located in the forest-steppe zone. With an increase in dryness, meadow forbs are replaced by dry-loving forbs (thyme, sage, chamomile, cochia, some types of wormwood, etc.) Species saturation decreases from 70-80 species in meadow steppes to 12-15 species in dry steppes. Vegetation cover is becoming thinner. For the steppes, a variety of plants are typical, forming a specific life form - Tumbleweed. Such plants break at the root collar or come off in the upper part of the root and, driven by the wind, begin to wander across the steppe, hitting the ground and scattering the seeds.

Desert type of vegetation. The vegetation cover is extremely sparse and poor in species. The main factor limiting the development of plants is the lack of moisture, in connection with which various adaptations to moisture deficiency develop. Xerophytes have a powerful branched (closed), deeply penetrating root system for max extraction of water from the soil, are small-leaved or leafless, often heterophyllous, leaf pubescence or the presence of a wax coating is characteristic. Sometimes the leaves are rolled into a tube or turned into spines. Developing rapidly in the spring wet period, they drastically slow down growth in the dry season, shed young branches, etc.

Succulents are plants with fleshy above-ground organs that accumulate a supply of water in them. Ephemers and ephemeroids are plants that have time to go through a full development cycle in a short period when there is moisture in the soil. Among the desert plants, various types of wormwood and saltwort predominate.

Along with hot deserts(south), where moisture deficiency is combined with high summer temperatures, are common in Russia and cold deserts(arctic, alpine), where it is not only dry, but also cold. Their vegetation is particularly sparse and sparse. Only 35-50 species of flowering plants, mosses, lichens (usually scale) and algae are found here.

Meadow type of vegetation. Meadows are spaces with an average degree of soil moisture, occupied by herbaceous mesophilic vegetation (A.P. Shennikov). The grass cover is dense and quite high. Almost all plants are perennials. They are subdivided into flood (floodplain), upland (mainland) and mountain meadows. Jellied meadows are distributed along the floodplains of the rivers. The composition changes with distance from the riverbed. Rhizome grasses predominate in the dry sandy or sandy loam near the riverbed, horsetail, alfalfa, creeping clover, etc. settle here. Typical water meadows are confined to the loamy central floodplain. They are distinguished by a large variety of plants, forming a lush colorful carpet. Herbs are plentifully represented, a lot of legumes, some cereals. In the lower part of the terraced part of the floodplain, on heavy loamy soils, sedge marshy meadows or swamps are common. In addition to sedges, common reed, soddy pike, etc. grow, legumes are usually not present, forbs are not very richly represented. Floodplain meadows give a large harvest of hay, they contain many valuable fodder plants. Continental (dry) meadows are common outside the river floodplains. Especially a lot of them in forest areas. Often they are secondary (post-forest), formed on the site of cut down forests. The soils here are quite poor, these meadows have a lower herbage, the yield is much lower. Of the cereals, the most common are fragrant spikelet, common bent grass, and medium shaker. There are almost no legumes, but forbs are well represented (manzhetka, femur, cornflower, cornflower, cinquefoil, chicory, etc.). There is a great variety of species mountain meadows of subalpine and alpine zones. Colorful forbs predominate, tall grasses, with a dense herbage (bells, dandelions, forget-me-nots, cuffs, primroses, etc.).

Swamp type of vegetation. Bogs are communities of moisture-loving vegetation located in excessively moist areas, but without a continuous mirror of water on the surface. As part of rast. communities involved mosses, lichens, shrubs, herbaceous plants and even trees (pine, birch, alder). They are especially widespread in zones of excessive moisture: forest, forest-tundra and tundra. Western Siberia is exceptionally swampy. The bogs differ significantly in vegetation depending on the type of feeding of the bogs (see earlier).

Placement of the main types of vegetation on the territory of Russia.

The formation of various types of plant communities is determined by the climatic features of the main natural zones of Russia, therefore they are called zonal types vegetation. Along with them, in all zones, meadow and marsh types are also found in the form of inclusions, which depends on local moisture conditions. It - intrazonal types vegetation.

Along with zonality in the placement of vegetation, one can clearly see provinciality b, due to varying degrees of continentality and moisture in the interior of the country and on its outskirts. There are 3 sectors on the territory of Russia:

Subatlantic;

inland

Pacific

AT subatlantic In the (European) sector with a weakened continentality and good moisture, all zonal types of vegetation are common, from tundra to desert. In inland In the (Siberian) sector with a sharply continental climate, there are no broad-leaved and coniferous-broad-leaved forests, vast areas are occupied by taiga with a predominance of larch. Due to the southern mountainous framing, there is no zonal desert type of vegetation here. Within Pacific The sector is dominated by two types of vegetation: tundra and forest. Their borders are shifted far to the south. Here, in the very south, broad-leaved and coniferous-broad-leaved forests reappear. Peculiar subarctic stone-birch forests and thickets of elfin cedar are widely represented.

The placement of vegetation is also subject to the laws altitudinal zonation. The same types of vegetation are located in the mountains as on the plains, regularly changing from the foot to the peaks in accordance with the change in climatic conditions with height. The structure of altitudinal zonation depends on the height of the mountains, their position within a particular zone and in a particular sector of the continent. The further south the mountains are located and the higher they are, the more complete the set of altitudinal belts.

Plant resources and anthropogenic changes

The world of plants provides man with food, feed and raw materials. For the development of animal husbandry, natural fodder resources are of great importance, which are possessed by all types of vegetation and all zones. The most productive fodder lands are meadows, which serve as hayfields and pastures. In arid regions, food resources are represented by rough (dry, hard) feed. In semi-deserts and deserts there are pastures for sheep and camels. There are extensive reindeer pastures in the tundra and forest-tundra.

Wood resources are of great importance. Russia's forests account for about 20% of the world's forest fund, and even more in terms of timber reserves. The vast majority of the reserves are conifers.

The resources of wild-growing fruit and berry and medicinal plants and mushrooms are great. Each of the natural zones has its own set.

The vast expanses of C and B in Russia (unfavorable and unfavorable natural conditions) are characterized by focal development, the natural vegetation is preserved there quite well. But in the most densely populated areas (especially on the territory of the East European Plain and Ciscaucasia), the vegetation cover is significantly changed. Deforestation has led to the replacement of large areas of dark coniferous and broad-leaved forests by secondary small-leaved, sometimes pine forests and post-forest meadows. Thus, the forest cover of European Russia has decreased from 52.7 to 35.2% over 2 centuries.

The expansion of arable land leads to the replacement of natural vegetation by agricultural crops. The forest-steppe and steppe zones are plowed up by 60-70% or more. There are almost no virgin steppes left in Russia, and the zone of mixed and broad-leaved forests and the southern taiga have turned into forest field.

Livestock grazing leads to a change in the composition of the herbage, an increase in the proportion of poisonous plants, and an increase in the proportion of wormwood and fescue.

Vegetation is also greatly affected by anthropogenic pollution of the atmosphere, soil and water.

Russia has created a network of specially protected natural areas, the number of which is constantly growing. Reserves are the most traditional and rigid form of protected objects. There are about 100 nature reserves in Russia with a total area of 32.7 million hectares (1.5% of the country's area). 21 of them are included in the m / n network of biosphere reserves. Russia has also created 34 national and natural parks, more than 4,000 reserves and natural monuments. In total, specially protected territories occupy 5% of the area. Endangered species are listed in the Red Books (IUCN, RSFSR, many republics, territories and regions, etc.).

Plants in nature are the main participants in the cycle of matter of the entire plant world, they are the producers of the most important organic substances that the entire plant world of animals, plants and humans breathes and feeds on. Passing through the annual cycle of forest plants: grasses, shrubs and trees go through a stage of growth and reproduction, then, falling and shedding leaves, provide soil with fertilizer for subsequent growth.

What plants grow in Russia:

The Arctic deserts are located along the shores of the Arctic Ocean, where few and rare plants grow in harsh climatic conditions, usually mosses and lichens in small clusters.

Tundra - stretches for many kilometers along the snowy coast of the Arctic Ocean. Winter in the tundra is long and cold, and summer lasts quite a bit, and during this short period the plants should have time to bloom.

The taiga passes through the whole of Russia from west to east as a wide strip of evergreen coniferous trees that easily endure the cold, because the summer in the taiga, although warm, is short, and the winter is long and very cold.

To the south of the taiga, the climate becomes milder, the coniferous forest thins out and more and more birches, maples, aspens and other various shrubs and trees appear. This is how mixed forests are formed, which are also called broad-leaved.

The steppes are full of fertile lands with rich chernozem, now kilometers of fields are plowed there, rye, wheat are earing, potatoes, beets and other agricultural lands are growing.

Deserts on the territory of Russia are common in the desert part of the Caspian lowland, and semi-deserts are found in the regions of the Volgograd and Rostov regions and have their own unique flora in a dry climate.

High in the mountains, the climate becomes increasingly harsh for the trees, where only low herbaceous plants can survive, but they also bloom in the spring and stretch above all the rest of the plant world towards the sun.

The most beautiful and amazing nature is the Far East. Here, among the permafrost, in the northern taiga, fir and cedar grow, in the subtropics lianas and thickets of Manchurian walnut are densely intertwined, and birch and oak are mixed in familiar broad-leaved forests.

Among the endless streets, humming cars and stone jungle, you can meet right under your feet the very plants that are used to a noisy life among people - our neighbors, city plants.

The plant world supports the vital activity of the soil, regulates the evaporation of water and air humidity. The forest retains and evaporates water, which, seeping through the root system of forest plants into the soil, fills the groundwater from which the streams branch, thereby the forest protects the rivers from drying out.

The forest enriches the air with oxygen, and also cleanses the flora of microbes and harmful organisms. Forest plants feed the flora of the forest, are food for insects, animals, as well as building material for rodents, birds and other forest dwellers. Many plants of the nature of Russia are rich in medicinal herbs with healing properties for health, both for the entire plant world of animals and for humans.

The term "biosphere" was proposed in 1875 by the Austrian geologist Eduard Suess (1831-1914), but he did not give a precise definition. Half a century later, the Russian geochemist V.I. Vernadsky (1863-1945) created the doctrine of the biosphere, the main provisions of which he outlined in a small brochure published in 1926 called "Biosphere". IN AND. Vernadsky called the biosphere the shell of the Earth, the main role in the formation of which belongs to living organisms.

The most important distinguishing features of plants are the presence of dense cell walls, the absorption of food by absorption, reproduction and settlement by spores or seeds; starch is usually used as a reserve substance. Other characteristic features of plants (an attached way of life, unlimited growth, peculiar development cycles, ways of laying organs, etc.) are not common to all groups of plants, but the whole complex of features as a whole makes it easy to distinguish plants from representatives of other kingdoms. Populating the surface of the land, covering large areas of arid deserts and swampy swamps, penetrating into the depths of fresh and salt water bodies, rising high into the mountains, plants form communities, or phytocenoses, in which representatives of other kingdoms live.

In addition to the huge planetary significance, green plants play an important role in human life. Many of them have long been used as food, feed, medicinal, technical. Plants serve as a source of fuel, building materials, raw materials for industry. The plant world, numbering about 400 thousand species, is conditionally divided into two groups - lower and higher plants.

The lower plants that arose about 2 billion years ago include the most simply arranged representatives of the plant world - algae.

Flora

plant organic flora photosynthesis

The study of the patterns of the geographical distribution of plants is of great importance for the knowledge of the laws of evolution of the plant world.

The study of plant ranges is important both for understanding the dependence of their distribution on modern conditions, and for reconstructing the history of the distribution of species and the formation of floras. The features of the range of each species are mainly determined by climatic conditions; the details of distribution often depend on soil conditions, as well as on the adaptability of the nature of plants to the conditions of certain phytocenoses (for example, plants of taiga forests, raised bogs, and the like). When studying the ranges of genera (especially those rich in species), the uneven distribution of species within the genus range is revealed. The part of the latter, where the largest number of species is concentrated, is often called the center of distribution of the genus. In certain cases, this "center" may coincide with the territory of the initial development of the studied genus (the center of origin). In other cases, the abundance of species indicates the flowering of the genus, achieved relatively recently due to any favorable conditions for it (secondary centers). Thus, the study of the ranges of genera and taxonomically larger groups is important for understanding their history.

The study of the floras of the globe requires taking into account all types of plants (practically higher plant species - seed and fern-like) growing in the territory whose flora is chosen as the object of study (mainland, island, state or part of it, botanical-geographical region). An indicator of the richness of the flora is the total number of plant species (in commensurate territories). In view of the impossibility of comparing floras in territories that differ sharply in size, a number of formulas have been proposed to calculate the flora richness coefficient based on the number of species and the area of the country (region and others). Some botanists, in order to compare floras, use the data of botanical-geographical regions with the minimum area (concrete or elementary floras). In the high Arctic regions, the number of species of specific floras ranges from 20 to 90-100. In the taiga zone it varies from 450 to 700, in the zone of deciduous forests it reaches 1000 species, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and in Transcaucasia - 1300-1500 species. In tropical countries rich in forests, this number rises to 2000, reaching 3000 in some areas of Brazil. A noticeable decrease in the number of species is noted on oceanic islands, as well as in high mountain regions (often in combination with a large originality of the species composition of floras).

The composition of each flora includes species that differ in the time of their occurrence, penetrated into a given space at different times, occupying a different position in the composition of the flora. Some species, by their nature, only partially correspond to modern conditions of existence and are on the way to extinction; species representing the remnants of past floras are called relics. In contrast to them are the progressive elements of the flora - species that have recently developed in a given country or have recently penetrated its borders and are in the process of settling. The third category is represented by conservative species - plants that have long and firmly settled in a given country (which brings them closer to relics), but by their nature are fully consistent with its modern conditions and therefore flourishing (which brings them closer to progressive elements). Often they occupy a predominant place in the composition of the vegetation cover. Floras rich in relic elements are sometimes referred to as relic floras.

An analysis of flora, a comparative study of the ranges of its constituent species and genera, combined, where possible, taking into account paleobotanical data, serve as the basis for florogenetic studies, the purpose of which is to elucidate the process of formation of floras, transformations in their composition, and relationships between floras that change during the history of the Earth. These studies are based on data from historical geology, and in some cases (for example, when solving questions about ancient connections between continents) they are used to correct geological hypotheses.

On our planet there is a huge number of all kinds of plants, seeing which one can only be surprised at how nature could come up with something like this. An incredible number of species and subspecies of plants, many of which amaze with their qualities - from survival and adaptability, to colors and sizes. In this ranking of the most unusual plants, we will show the full scope of natural creativity.

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Romanesco is one of the cultivars of cabbage, belonging to the same varietal group as cauliflower. According to some reports, it is a hybrid of cauliflower and broccoli. This type of cabbage has long been grown in the vicinity of Rome. According to some reports, it was first mentioned in historical documents in Italy in the sixteenth century. The vegetable appeared on international markets in the 90s of the XX century. Compared to cauliflower and broccoli, Romanesco is more delicate in texture and has a milder creamy nutty flavor without a bitter note.

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Euphorbia obesum is a perennial succulent plant in the Euphorbiaceae family that resembles a stone or a green-brown soccer ball in appearance, without spines or leaves, but sometimes forms "branches" or suckers in strange-looking sets of spheres. It can grow up to 20-30 cm in height and up to 9-10 cm in diameter. Euphorbia obese is a bisexual plant, it has male flowers on one plant, and female flowers on the other. For fruit set, cross-pollination is necessary, which is usually performed.

The fruit looks like a slightly triangular three-nut, up to 7 mm in diameter, containing one seed in each nest. When ripe, it explodes and scatters small, round, speckled-gray seeds 2 mm in diameter, the pedicels fall off after seeding. in full sun or partial shade. The plants are very well hidden among the rocks, their colors blending in with the environment so well that sometimes they are hard to spot.

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Tacca is a plant of the Tacca family, growing in a wide variety of environmental conditions and numbering 10 species. They settle in open and heavily shaded areas, in savannas, in thickets of bushes and in rain forests. Young parts of plants, as a rule, are pubescent with tiny hairs that disappear as they grow older. Plant sizes are usually small, from 40 to 100 centimeters, but some species sometimes reach a height of 3 meters. Although takka is becoming more and more widespread as a houseplant, it should be borne in mind that it is not easy to successfully keep takka in rooms due to the special demands of the plant on the conditions of detention. The Tacca family is represented by one genus Tacca, numbering about 10 plant species.

- Takka pinnatifida grows in tropical Asia, Australia, and in the tropics of Africa. Leaves up to 40-60 cm wide, from 70 cm long to 3 meters long. A flower with two bedspreads, large, reaching 20 cm wide, the color covered is light green.

- Tacca Chantrier grows in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Evergreen tropical herbaceous plant, reaching 90-120 cm in height. The flowers are framed with maroon, almost black, bracts, similar to the wingspan of a bat or butterfly with long, threadlike tendrils.

- Whole-leaved takka grows in India. The leaves are wide, glossy, up to 35 cm wide, up to 70 cm long. A flower with two bedspreads, large, reaching 20 cm wide, the color is white, purple strokes are scattered over the white tone. The flowers are black, purple or dark purple, located under the bedspreads.

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Venus flytrap is a species of carnivorous plants from the monotypic genus Dionea of the Rosyankovye family. It is a small herbaceous plant with a rosette of 4-7 leaves that grow from a short underground stem. Leaves are three to seven centimeters in size, depending on the time of year, long trap leaves usually form after flowering. Feeds on insects and spiders. It grows in a humid temperate climate on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It is a species cultivated in ornamental horticulture. Can be grown as a houseplant. Grows in soils with a lack of nitrogen, such as swamps. Lack of nitrogen is the reason for the appearance of traps: insects serve as a source of nitrogen necessary for protein synthesis. The Venus flytrap belongs to a small group of plants capable of fast movements.

After the prey is trapped and the edges of the sheets close, forming a "stomach" in which the digestion process takes place. Digestion is catalyzed by enzymes that are secreted by glands in the lobes. Digestion takes approximately 10 days, after which only an empty chitinous shell remains of the prey. After that, the trap opens and is ready to capture new prey. During the life of the trap, an average of three insects fall into it.

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The dragon tree is a plant of the genus Dracaena that grows in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and on the islands of Southeast Asia. Grown as an ornamental plant. An old Indian legend tells that a long time ago in the Arabian Sea on the island of Socotra, there lived a bloodthirsty dragon who attacked elephants and drank their blood. But one day, one old and strong elephant fell on the dragon and crushed it. Their blood mixed and wetted the ground around. At this place, trees have grown, called dracaena, which means “female dragon”. The indigenous population of the Canary Islands considered the tree sacred, and its resin was used for medicinal purposes. The resin was found in prehistoric burial caves and was used for embalming at that time.

On its thick branches grow bunches of very sharp leaves. Thick branched trunk up to 20 meters high, diameter at the base up to 4 m, has a secondary growth in thickness. Each branch of branching ends with a dense bunch of densely arranged grayish-green, leathery, linear-xiphoid leaves 45-60 centimeters long and 2-4 centimeters wide in the middle of the plate, somewhat tapering towards the base and pointed towards the apex, with prominent veins. The flowers are large, bisexual, with a corolla-shaped dividing perianth, in bunches of 4-8 pieces. Some trees live up to 7-9 thousand years.

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The genus Gidnora includes 5 species growing in the tropical regions of Africa, Arabia and Madagascar, it is not very common, so just walking in the desert, you will not find it. This plant is more like a mushroom until its unusual flower opens. In fact, the flower is named after the hydnor mushroom, which means mushroom in Greek. Hydnoraceae flowers are rather large, solitary, almost sessile, bisexual, petalless. And what we usually see on the surface of the soil is what we call a flower.

These features of color and structure, as well as the putrid smell of flowers, serve to attract beetles that feed on carrion. Beetles, climbing into flowers, crawl into them, especially in their lower part, where the reproductive organs are located, contributing to their pollination. Often, female beetles not only find food in flowers, but also lay eggs there.

The inhabitants of Africa - willingly use the fruits of hydnora for food, like some animals. In Madagascar, the hydnora fruit is considered one of the best local fruits. Thus, the peddlers of hydnora seeds are the most and humans. In Madagascar, the flowers and roots of Hydnora are used by locals to treat heart disease.

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Baobab is a species of trees from the genus Adansonia of the Malvaceae family, characteristic of the dry savannahs of tropical Africa. The lifespan of baobabs is controversial - they do not have growth rings, which can be used to reliably calculate age. Radiocarbon dating has shown more than 5,500 years for a tree 4.5 meters in diameter, although baobabs are more conservatively estimated to live for about 1,000 years.

In winter and during the dry period, the tree begins to consume moisture reserves, decreasing in volume, sheds foliage. Baobab blossoms from October to December. Baobab flowers are large - up to 20 cm in diameter, white with five petals and purple stamens, on hanging pedicels. They open in the late afternoon and live only one night, attracting the scent of bats that pollinate them. In the morning, the flowers wither, acquiring an unpleasant putrefactive odor, and fall off.

Next, oblong edible fruits develop, which resemble cucumbers or melons, covered with a thick, hairy peel. Inside the fruits are filled with sour mealy pulp with black seeds. The baobab dies in a peculiar way: it seems to crumble and gradually settle, leaving behind only a pile of fiber. However, baobabs are extremely tenacious. They quickly restore the stripped bark; continue to bloom and bear fruit. A cut down or fallen tree is able to take on new roots.

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Victoria amazonica is a large herbaceous tropical plant of the Water Lily family, the largest water lily in the world and one of the most popular greenhouse plants in the world. Victoria amazonica was named after Queen Victoria of England. Victoria Amazonian is common in the Amazon in Brazil and Bolivia, it is also found in the rivers of Guyana that flow into the Caribbean Sea.

Huge water lily leaves reach 2.5 meters and, with a uniformly distributed load, can withstand weight up to 50 kilograms. The tuberous rhizome is usually deeply recessed into the muddy bottom. The upper surface is green with a waxy layer that repels excess water and also has small holes to remove water. The lower part is purplish red with a mesh of ribs studded with spikes to protect against herbivorous fish, air bubbles accumulate between the ribs to help the leaf float. In one season, each tuber can produce up to 50 leaves, which, growing, cover a large surface of the reservoir, blocking sunlight and thereby limiting the growth of other plants.

Victoria Amazonian flowers are under water and bloom only once a year for 2-3 days. Flowers bloom only at night, and with the onset of dawn they fall under water. During flowering, flowers placed above the water, in the open state, have a diameter of 20-30 centimeters. On the first day, the color of the petals is white, on the second they are pinkish, on the third they turn purple or dark crimson. In the wild, the plant can live up to 5 years.

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Sequoia is a monotypic genus of woody plants of the Cypress family. It grows on the Pacific coast of North America. Individual specimens of sequoia reach a height of more than 110 meters - these are the tallest trees on Earth. The maximum age is more than three and a half thousand years. This tree is better known as the "mahogany", while plants of the related species sequoiadendron are known as "giant sequoias".

Their diameter at the level of the human chest is about 10 meters. The largest tree in the world "General Sherman". Its height is 83.8 meters. In 2002, the volume of wood was 1487 m³. It is believed that he is 2300-2700 years old. The tallest tree in the world is Hyperion, its height is 115 meters.

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Nepenthes is the only genus of plants of the monotypic Nepentaceae family, which includes about 120 species. Most species grow in tropical Asia, especially on the island of Kalimantan. Named after the herb of oblivion from ancient Greek mythology - nepenfa. Species of the genus are mostly shrub or semi-shrub lianas growing in humid habitats. Their long thin herbaceous or slightly lignified stems climb the trunks and large branches of neighboring trees to tens of meters in height, carrying their narrow terminal racemose or paniculate inflorescences to sunlight.

In different types of Nepenthes, jugs differ in size, shape and color. Their length varies from 2.5 to 30 centimeters, and in some species it can reach up to 50 cm. Most often, the jugs are painted in bright colors: red, matte white with a spotted pattern, or light green with spots. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, actinomorphic and petalless, with four imbricate sepals. The fruit is in the form of a leathery box, divided by internal partitions into separate chambers, in each of which seeds with a fleshy endosperm and a straight cylindrical small embryo are attached to the column.

It is curious that large nepenthes, in addition to eating insects, also use the droppings of tupaya animals, which climb onto the plant like on a toilet bowl to feast on sweet nectar. In this way, the plant forms a symbiotic relationship with the animal, using its droppings as fertilizer.

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This fungus, belonging to Agaricus mushrooms, looks like chewed chewing gum, oozing blood and smelling of strawberries. However, you should not eat it, because it is one of the most poisonous mushrooms on earth, and even just licking it can be guaranteed to get serious poisoning. The mushroom gained fame in 1812, and then it was recognized as inedible. The surface of the fruit bodies is white, velvety, with small depressions, becoming beige or brown with age. On the surface of young specimens, drops of a poisonous blood-red liquid protrude through the pores. The word “tooth” in the title is not just that. The fungus has sharp formations along the edges that appear with age.

In addition to its external qualities, this mushroom has good antibacterial properties and contains chemicals that thin the blood. It is possible that soon this mushroom will become a replacement for penicillin. The main feature of this fungus is that it can feed on both soil juices and insects, which are attracted by the red liquid of the fungus. The diameter of the cap of a bloody tooth is 5-10 centimeters, the length of the stem is 2-3 centimeters. The bloody tooth grows in the coniferous forests of Australia, Europe and North America.

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The top three among the most unusual plants in the world is closed by a large tropical plant of the genus Amorphophallus of the aroid family, discovered in 1878 in Sumatra. One of the most famous species of the genus, it has one of the largest inflorescences in the world. The aerial part of this plant is a short and thick stem, at the base there is a single large leaf, above - smaller ones. Leaf length up to 3 meters, and up to 1 meter in diameter. Petiole length 2-5 meters, thickness 10 cm. Matte green, with white transverse stripes. The underground part of the plant is a giant tuber weighing up to 50 kilograms.

The aroma of the flower resembles a mixture of rotten eggs and rotten fish, and in appearance the flower resembles a decomposing piece of meat. It is this smell that attracts pollinating insects to the plant in the wild. Flowering continues for two weeks. Interestingly, the cob is heated up to 40 ° C. The tuber during this time is greatly depleted due to the overexpenditure of nutrients. Therefore, he needs another rest period of up to 4 weeks in order to accumulate strength for leaf development. If there are few nutrients, then the tuber “sleeps” after flowering until next spring. The life expectancy of this plant is 40 years, but during this time it blooms only three or four times.

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Velvichia is amazing - a relic tree - is one species, one genus, one family, one order of the Velvichievs. Velvichia grows in southern Angola and Namibia. The plant is rarely found further than a hundred kilometers from the coast, this roughly corresponds to the limit reached by fogs, which are the main source of moisture for Welwitschia. Its appearance cannot be called grass, bush or tree. The scientific world learned about Velvichia in the 19th century.

From afar, it seems that Velvichia has many long leaves, but in fact there are only two of them, and they grow throughout its plant life, adding 8-15 centimeters per year. In scientific works, a giant was described with a leaf length of more than 6 meters and a width of about 2. And its life expectancy is so long that it is hard to believe. Although Velvichia is considered a tree, it does not have annual rings, as on tree trunks. Scientists have determined the age of the largest Velvichii by radiocarbon dating - it turned out that some specimens are about 2000 years old!

Instead of a social plant life, Velvichia prefers a lonely existence, that is, it does not grow in a group. Velvichia flowers look like small cones, with only one seed in each female cone, and each seed is equipped with wide wings. As for pollination, the opinions of botanists differ here. Some believe that pollination is carried out by insects, while others are more inclined to the action of the wind. Velvichia is protected by the Namibian Conservation Act. The collection of its seeds is prohibited without special permission. The entire territory where Velvichia grows has been turned into a National Park.