Animals and plants of temperate zones list. Temperate deciduous forests. Features of the nature of this natural zone

Get ready for an imaginary trip to the steppe.

On the map, write the names of the steppes in North and South America.

The typical steppe of Eurasia is covered during the entire warm season until winter itself with more or less dense and high grassy vegetation, in which cereals, especially various feather grasses, are predominant. The climate of Eurasia extending from the shores of the Black Sea, where snow falls for a short time and in small quantities, and for Northern Kazakhstan with its winter blizzards and snowdrifts varies considerably.

Study the features of the vegetation of the steppes from the textbook. Sign the photos on the color tab: “Steppe in early spring”, “Steppe in May”, “Steppe in June”, “Steppe in August”.

2. Deciduous forests temperate latitudes.

Get ready for an imaginary journey into the deciduous forests temperate zone.

1) Choose the area (mainland) of your stay.

2) Describe natural conditions selected place: the amount of heat (large, medium, small), the amount of precipitation and the change in air temperature by the seasons of the year.

Forests are of particular importance for Finland. About 65% of the country's territory is covered with green areas. Pines, firs and birches are an integral part of the Finnish landscape. Forest, like water, is everywhere in Finland, even in big cities. For example, Helsinki, the capital of the country. Here you will find extensive woodlands, some of which are nature reserves. In addition, many large animals, such as wolves and deer, have been preserved in the forests of Finland. There are 37 nature reserves in Finland.

3) Study broad-leaved and small-leaved tree species. Write the names of the tree species that are shown in the illustrated diagram.

Write in the free cells under the pictures the necessary letters to get the names conifers trees.

Get ready for an imaginary journey into the taiga.

1) Choose the area (mainland) of your stay.

2) Describe the natural conditions of the chosen place: the amount of heat (large, medium, small), the amount of precipitation and the change in air temperature over the seasons of the year.

The taiga is characterized by the absence or weak development of undergrowth (since there is little light in the forest), as well as the monotony of the herbaceous-shrub layer and moss cover.

Find out what animals live in the taiga. In the figure, circle their contours and designate them with numbers. Write the appropriate names of the animals.

Pathfinder Geographer School.

Do the work with 135-136 textbook.

The game "Recognize the tree by the contour Russian taiga". Prepare the boxes for the game.

Temperate forests are forests that grow in regions with a temperate climate, such as the eastern part North America, Western and Central Europe and Northeast Asia. Temperate forests are found at latitudes between approximately 25° and 50° in both hemispheres. They have a temperate climate and a growing season that lasts 140 to 200 days a year. Precipitation in temperate forests tends to be evenly distributed throughout the year. The temperate forest canopy mainly consists of widely deciduous trees. In the polar regions temperate forests replace .

Temperate forests first appeared about 65 million years ago, during the beginning cenozoic era. At that time, global temperatures dropped and forests sprang up in more temperate regions above the equator. In these regions, the temperature was not only cooler, but also showed seasonal fluctuations. Plants evolved and adapted to climate change.

Today, in temperate forests that are closer to the tropics (where the climate has not changed so much), trees and other plant species are more reminiscent of vegetation from. Temperate evergreen forests can be found in these regions. In areas where climate change has been more intense, deciduous trees have evolved (they shed their leaves every year when the weather turns cold as an adaptation, allowing the trees to withstand seasonal temperature fluctuations in these regions).

Main characteristics of temperate forests

The following are the main characteristics of temperate forests:

• grow in temperate regions (at latitudes between about 25°-50° in both hemispheres);
• experiences distinct seasons, with a growing season that lasts 140 to 200 days;
• the forest canopy consists mainly of deciduous trees.

Classification of temperate forests

Temperate forests are divided into the following habitats:

• Temperate deciduous forests - grow in eastern North America, Central Europe and parts of Asia. They are characterized by temperature fluctuations from -30° to +30° C throughout the year. They receive about 750-1500 mm of precipitation per year. Vegetation wide deciduous forests includes a variety of broad-leaved tree species (eg oak, beech, maple, hickory, etc.) as well as various shrubs, perennial grasses, mosses and mushrooms. Temperate deciduous forests are found in mid-latitudes, between the polar regions and the tropics.
• Temperate evergreen forests - consist mainly of evergreen trees that renew their foliage throughout the year. Temperate evergreen forests are found in eastern North America and the basin mediterranean sea. They also include subtropical broadleaf evergreen forests in the Southeastern United States, southern China, and eastern Brazil.

Some of the animals that inhabit temperate forests include:

• The Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is a species of chipmunk that lives in the deciduous forests of eastern North America. Oriental chipmunks are small rodents with red-brown fur adorned with dark, light and brown stripes that run along the back of the animal.
• The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is a species of deer that inhabits deciduous forests in eastern North America. White-tailed deer have a brown coat and a tail that is white on the back.
• The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is one of three species of bears that live in North America, the other two and. Of these species, black bears are the smallest and timid.
• Robin (Erithacus rebecula) is a small bird from the flycatcher family (muscicapidae). The robin's habitat range is quite extensive and includes: Northwest Africa from Morocco to eastern Tunisia and the Mediterranean coast, as well as most of the Eurasian continent.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

An impressive part of Europe lives in a temperate continental climate. Its uniqueness is in the presence of only one hemisphere - the Northern. What features distinguish temperate continental What animals and plants are characteristic of it? Understanding this is quite easy.

Key Features

The temperate continental climate is located only in the Northern Hemisphere. It is characteristic of both the Cordillera region and Central Europe. The temperate continental climate of Russia is manifested in Yakutia, the Magadan region, in Siberia and Transbaikalia. Moving inland, the air loses moisture, making the climate more severe. Therefore, the more distant the location of the region from the sea or ocean, the stronger the continentality of the climate will be manifested.

winter months

The temperate continental climate is characterized by pronounced seasonality. The main seasons - summer and winter - should be considered separately. In the cold season earth's surface and the atmosphere cool down, leading to the formation of the Asian High. It spreads to Siberia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and sometimes reaches southeastern Europe. As a result, a severe winter occurs with strong air fluctuations within just a few days, when the thaw abruptly turns into frost down to minus thirty. the form of snow that persists in the areas east of Warsaw. Max Height cover can reach ninety centimeters - such snowdrifts occur in Western Siberia. A large number of snow protects the soil from freezing and provides it with moisture when spring comes.

summer months

The temperate continental climate of Russia and Eastern Europe is characterized by a fairly rapid onset of summer. Increasing quantity solar heat warms coming to the mainland from the ocean. Average monthly temperatures in July are just under twenty degrees. Annual precipitation, most of which fall precisely on summer period, is in these regions from three hundred to eight hundred millimeters. The number changes only on the slopes of the Alps. There can be more than two thousand millimeters of precipitation. It is worth noting the decrease in their number in the direction from west to east. In North America, the situation is inversely proportional. In Asian areas, evaporation exceeds natural precipitation and droughts can occur.

Vegetation features

The temperate continental climate is characterized by deciduous forests. They consist of two tiers - trees and shrubs. grass cover is different large quantity species than other flora variants. In addition, it is also divided into several tiers. forests are branched with a dense crown. The seasons are not conducive to year-round vegetation. shed leaves - simple, serrated or lobed, thin and not able to tolerate either drought or frost. The temperate continental climate of the temperate zone can be distinguished by both broad-leaved and small-leaved species. The former include ash, maple, oak, linden, and elm. The second - aspen, alder and birch.

In addition, the forest can be divided into such types as monodominant and polydominant. The first are typical for Europe - a specific species prevails there. The latter are found in Asia, North America and Chile: the forest consists of many different species. In warm areas, among deciduous trees, there are evergreen species, as well as lianas - grape, legume, honeysuckle or euonymus. Despite the annual fall of leaves, the forests of these zones are characterized by underdeveloped litter: the temperate continental climate contributes to its rapid decomposition. This creates excellent conditions for bacteria and earthworms. At the same time, the layer of foliage becomes an obstacle to moss, which grows in such a forest only at the roots of trees and in places protruding from the soil. The earth in this climate is podzolic, brown, carbonate or gley.

characteristic animals

Fauna continental climate located in the forests is very homogeneous. This is a combination of arboreal, terrestrial, herbivorous, carnivorous animals. In the zones of deciduous forests there are a lot of amphibians and reptiles - there are twice as many of them as in the tundra. The abundance of light, dense undergrowth, lush grasses become excellent conditions for various animals. Here there are animals that feed on seeds and nuts - rodents, squirrels, numerous birds, such as blackbirds, western nightingales, small robins, great tits, blue tit. In almost every forest you can meet a chaffinch and greenfinches, an oriole, and in remote corners - a wood pigeon. Larger animals are represented by ermines, badgers, wolves, foxes, lynxes and bears. They live all over Europe and large area Asia. In deserted corners meet unique species - wild cats, pine martens, ferrets. The presence of herbivores - red deer is great, there are bison and chamois.

Animal rainforest- tapir.

The rainforest is very rich in animals.
Near the reservoirs in the thicket of the rainforest, you can find an animal that resembles a bit of a horse, a bit of a pig, and even more - a rhinoceros. This is a tapir
Tapirs are densely built animals with a stocky body, covered with short, thick, usually brown or black hair.
The height of a large tapir is about 1.2 m, the length is 1.8 m, and the weight is up to 275 kg.
Upper lip, elongated into a small proboscis, used to pick off leaves and young shoots.
The eyes are small, rounded ears stick out to the sides.
The legs are short, the front ones are four-toed, the back ones are three-toed. Each toe ends in a small hoof.
The tail is very short, as if chopped off.
Tapirs feed aquatic plants and leaves of forest shrubs. They are good swimmers, divers, and can stay submerged for a surprisingly long time.
Animals are predominantly nocturnal; they wait out the heat of the day by lying in the thicket. They gravitate towards a solitary lifestyle and are rarely found in groups of more than three individuals. In nature, they have few enemies - the jaguar and puma in America, the tiger and leopard in Asia.
Tapirs live for about 30 years.
The number of tapirs around the world has been greatly reduced due to hunting for them and clearing forests for agricultural land.
All types of tapirs are listed in the international Red Book.

The animal of the temperate zone is the raccoon.

The word "raccoon" comes from the Indian word "arakun", which means "he scratches with his hands."
Raccoon - predatory mammal genus raccoons of the raccoon family.
As tall as a medium sized dog. Body length 45-60 cm, tail 20-25 cm; weight 5-9 kg. The physique is dense, stocky; paws are short, with fingers so developed that the traces resemble the print of a human palm. The head is broad with a short pointed muzzle and rounded ears.
The fur of the raccoon is thick, brownish-gray. On the sides of the head, it is somewhat longer and forms "tanks". On the muzzle there is a characteristic mask - black with a white trim. There are 5-10 wide black or brown "rings" on the tail.
He easily adapts and has learned, like many other animals, and especially birds, to live near human habitation and eat food waste or food left unattended by people.
AT natural environment habitat, the raccoon feeds on small animals, mainly living in the water, which it catches by combing the bottom in shallow water with the claws of its front paws. On land, the raccoon digs the ground in search of earthworms, larvae and various insects. Raccoons, before eating food, wash off dirt and sand from it, for which they were given the nickname - gargle.
The raccoon climbs well. In deciduous forests, it climbs trees, where it finds not only food, but also protection from possible enemies.
coniferous forests the raccoon doesn't like it.
Cubs are born in a hole arranged in the hollow of a tree, sometimes at a considerable height. At five or six months, they begin to lead an independent life.
As autumn approaches, the raccoon adds fruits, acorns, and berries to its diet. The female leads with her babies who are already three months old, and does not let them go, calling with a sharp cry.

Animal polar belt(Arctic) - Walrus.

Walrus is one of the largest representatives of pinnipeds.
The upper tusks of the walrus are extremely developed, elongated and directed downwards; the very broad muzzle is covered with numerous thick, stiff, flattened whiskers. There are no external ears, the eyes are small.
The very thick skin is covered with short, close-fitting yellow-brown hair, which becomes less with age, and in older walruses the skin is almost completely bare. The limbs are more adapted for movement on land than those of seals, and walruses can walk rather than crawl, the soles are calloused. The tail is rudimentary.
The male walrus is huge: it can weigh 1,500 kilograms, while the mass of a female rarely reaches 1,000 kilograms.
The strong voice of the walrus reminds at the same time both the roar of a lion and the lowing of a bull; while sleeping, on an ice floe or in the water, he snores loudly.
Baby walruses are fed by their mother for two years, and for the next two years they remain under her protection.
Under the skin of the walrus is a thick layer of fat, which serves as both protection from the cold and a reserve supply in case of hunger.
Walruses live predominantly offshore and rarely undertake significant travel. They are sociable and mostly found in herds; courageously protect each other: in general, walruses in the water represent dangerous opponents, as they can overturn the boat or break it with their fangs. By themselves, for no reason, they rarely attack boats.

Animal of the polar belt (Antarctic) - Penguin.

Penguins are birds, but their wings are not adapted for flight: they are too short. Penguins use their wings to swim like fish with their fins. There are 18 species in the penguin family.
Distinguishes penguins from all other birds special structure body. The body shape of the penguins is streamlined, which is ideal for movement in the water. The musculature and structure of the bones allow them to work underwater with their wings almost like screws.
Penguins are found only in southern hemisphere.
They nest most often in large colonies, often numbering tens of thousands of pairs or more. In the colonies emperor penguin sometimes there are 300 thousand individuals.
Both parents alternately take part in incubation of eggs and feeding of chicks. The chicks feed on fish and crustaceans that are half-digested and regurgitated by their parents. The young take refuge from the cold in the lower folds of the parent's abdomen.
The plumage of penguin chicks is usually dark brown, over time they acquire a characteristic black and white color, like in adults.
The ancestors of penguins lived in temperate climate- when Antarctica was not yet a solid piece of ice. The climate on the planet has changed. The continents drifted, Antarctica shifted to South Pole and covered eternal ice. Animals left from there or died out, but the penguins, having adapted to the cold, remained.

The duration of the period with average monthly temperatures above 10°C is 2-4 months. The number of tiers in dark coniferous forests is usually two or three. Shrubs are solitary and do not form a pronounced layer. The forest floor decomposes slowly, so some herbaceous plants do not form chlorophyll and feed saprophytically. Herbs and shrubs usually reproduce by vegetative means. The transfer of many seeds is carried out by animals that eat the juicy pulp of fruits (blueberries, lingonberries, bearberries), high acidity berry juice prevents the development of seeds in the untouched berry. Also, the spread of seeds can occur when the seeds are pulled apart by ants, wind, birds.

There are few herd animals in the taiga, since the presence of a forest stand makes it difficult to visually warn of danger. Sometimes there are wild boars, wolves come in and reindeer. The main methods of hunting are stalking and hiding. Among birds of prey hawks are especially characteristic. A relatively small number of animals leave the taiga in winter. Many are able to eat branch foods (elk, hare). A number of species live on trees, feed on the ground (forest pipit, thrushes), others - on the contrary (black grouse, hazel grouse, capercaillie, black grouse). Some animals feed on seed food (squirrels, chipmunks, mouse-like rodents).

Of insects that eat needles, it is widely distributed gypsy moth; wood pests - longhorn beetles and their larvae, etc. In the direction from north to south, latitudinal subzones are distinguished in the taiga: northern, middle and southern taiga. The northern taiga is characterized by low-growing stands with a small crown density, which is a transition to tundra light forests. Under the sparse tree canopy, a layer of low-growing subarctic shrubs (birches, willows) is usually developed. The ground cover is formed by mosses and lichens. The plains are heavily swamped.

As we move south, the forest stand becomes taller, and the role of grass-shrub vegetation increases. Forests are gaining more complex structure, the crown density increases. The grass-shrub layer and the moss ground cover are well developed (there are few lichens). Broad-leaved species appear in the European southern taiga. The composition of the undergrowth and grass cover includes species characteristic of broad-leaved forests. Representatives: pine, larch (Siberian, Daurian), cedar.

46. ​​Characteristic features of vegetation and fauna of broad-leaved forests of the temperate zone.

Broad-leaved forests grow in a milder climate than coniferous forests. Broad-leaved trees, unlike most conifers, shed their leaves for the winter. Therefore, in early spring it is light under their canopy, many trees (beech, oak) bloom at the same time as the leaves bloom; shrubs (hazel, wolf's bast) - before the leaves bloom.

Powerful and loose bedding protects the soil from a sharp drop in temperature, winter freezing is negligible. In this regard, many types of herbaceous plants begin to develop at the end of winter (oak anemone, goose onion. Usually there are from one to three (oak forests) tiers of forest stand, two tiers of shrubs and two or three tiers of grasses.

Nutritious fruits of trees, as well as sprawling powerful branches and a large hollowness contribute to the spread of numerous mammals and birds. In many species of animals, specialization in nutrition is observed (for example, the grosbeak consumes only the seeds of stone fruit trees and shrubs). Burrowing animals are active, for example, ants, which contribute to the development of the sod process. Due to the weakening of the wind in the forests, there are many insects with fluttering flight. There are many forest pests, including leaf-eating ones. Some types of trees are even forced to renew their foliage in summer.

Broad-leaved forests do not form a continuous band. In Europe, from west to east, chestnut forests are replaced by beech forests, and then oak forests. Oak, maple, maakia, eleutherococcus, aralia grow in the Far East; the undergrowth includes honeysuckle, lilac, rhododendron, privet, etc. In more southern regions Far East lianas (actinidia, etc.) and epiphytes are abundant. In the northeastern part of North America there are forests dominated by American beech and sugar maple, sometimes in the forests there are lianas - “wild grapes”.