Natural complex of components of nature. The interaction of relief and climate and their impact on soils, vegetation, and fauna

The concept of a natural complex

The main object of study of modern physical geography is the geographical shell of our planet as a complex material system. It is heterogeneous in both vertical and horizontal directions. In the horizontal, i.e. spatially, the geographic envelope is divided into separate natural complexes(synonyms: natural-territorial complexes, geosystems, geographical landscapes).

Natural complex - a territory homogeneous in origin, history of geological development and modern composition specific natural components. It has a single geological foundation, the same type and amount of surface and groundwater, a uniform soil and vegetation cover and a single biocenosis (a combination of microorganisms and characteristic animals). In a natural complex, the interaction and metabolism between its components are also of the same type. The interaction of components ultimately leads to the formation of specific natural complexes.

The level of interaction of components within a natural complex is determined primarily by the amount and rhythms of solar energy (solar radiation). Knowing the quantitative expression of the energy potential of a natural complex and its rhythm, modern geographers can determine its annual productivity natural resources and optimal timing of their renewal. This allows us to objectively predict the use of natural resources of natural-territorial complexes (NTC) in the interests of human economic activity.

Currently, most of the natural complexes of the Earth have been changed to one degree or another by man, or even re-created by him on a natural basis. For example, oases in the desert, reservoirs, agricultural plantations. Such natural complexes are called anthropogenic. According to its purpose anthropogenic complexes can be industrial, agricultural, urban, etc. According to the degree of change by human economic activity - in comparison with the original natural state, they are divided into slightly changed, changed and strongly changed.

Natural complexes can be of different sizes - of different ranks, as scientists say. The largest natural complex is the geographical shell of the Earth. Continents and oceans are natural complexes of the next rank. Within the continents, physical-geographical countries are distinguished - natural complexes of the third level. Such, for example, as the East European Plain, Ural Mountains, Amazonian lowland, Sahara desert and others. Well-known natural zones can serve as examples of natural complexes: tundra, taiga, temperate forests, steppes, deserts, etc. The smallest natural complexes (terrains, tracts, fauna) occupy limited territories. These are hilly ridges, individual hills, their slopes; or a low-lying river valley and its individual sections: bed, floodplain, above-floodplain terraces. It is interesting that the smaller the natural complex, the more homogeneous its natural conditions. However, even natural complexes of significant size retain the homogeneity of natural components and basic physical-geographical processes. So, the nature of Australia is not at all like nature North America, The Amazonian lowland is noticeably different from the adjacent Andes to the west; an experienced geographer-researcher will not confuse the Karakum (deserts of the temperate zone) with the Sahara (deserts of the tropical zone), etc.

Thus, the entire geographical envelope of our planet consists of a complex mosaic of natural complexes of different ranks. Natural complexes formed on land are now called natural-territorial complexes (NTC); formed in the ocean and other body of water (lake, river) - natural aquatic (NAC); natural-anthropogenic landscapes (NAL) are created by human economic activity on a natural basis.

Geographical envelope - the largest natural complex

The geographic envelope is a continuous and integral shell of the Earth, which includes, in a vertical section, the upper part of the earth's crust (lithosphere), the lower atmosphere, the entire hydrosphere and the entire biosphere of our planet. What unites, at first glance, disparate components of the natural environment into a single material system? It is within the geographic envelope that a continuous exchange of matter and energy occurs, a complex interaction between the indicated component shells of the Earth.

The boundaries of the geographical envelope are still not clearly defined. Scientists usually take the ozone screen in the atmosphere as its upper limit, beyond which life on our planet does not extend. The lower boundary is most often drawn in the lithosphere at depths of no more than 1000 m. This is the upper part of the earth’s crust, which was formed under the strong combined influence of the atmosphere, hydrosphere and living organisms. The entire thickness of the waters of the World Ocean is inhabited, therefore, if we talk about the lower boundary of the geographical envelope in the ocean, then it should be drawn along the ocean floor. In general, the geographic shell of our planet has a total thickness of about 30 km.

As we can see, the geographical envelope coincides in volume and territorially with the distribution of living organisms on Earth. However, there is still no single point of view regarding the relationship between the biosphere and the geographical envelope. Some scientists believe that the concepts of “geographical envelope” and “biosphere” are very close, even identical, and these terms are synonyms. Other researchers consider the biosphere only as a certain stage in the development of the geographic envelope. In this case, three stages are distinguished in the history of the development of the geographical envelope: prebiogenic, biogenic and anthropogenic (modern). The biosphere, according to this point of view, corresponds to the biogenic stage of the development of our planet. According to others, the terms “geographical envelope” and “biosphere” are not identical, since they reflect different qualitative essences. The concept of “biosphere” focuses on the active and determining role of living matter in the development of the geographical envelope.

Which point of view should you prefer? It should be borne in mind that the geographic envelope is characterized by a number of specific features. It is distinguished, first of all, by the great diversity of material composition and types of energy characteristic of all component shells - the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Through general (global) cycles of matter and energy, they are united into an integral material system. To understand the patterns of development of this unified system is one of the most important tasks of modern geographical science.

Thus, the integrity of the geographical envelope is the most important pattern, on the knowledge of which the theory and practice of modern environmental management is based. Taking this pattern into account makes it possible to foresee possible changes in the nature of the Earth (a change in one of the components of the geographic envelope will necessarily cause a change in the others); give a geographical forecast of the possible results of human impact on nature; carry out geographical examination of various projects related to economic use certain territories.

The geographic envelope is also characterized by another characteristic pattern - the rhythm of development, i.e. recurrence of certain phenomena over time. In the nature of the Earth, rhythms of different durations have been identified - daily and annual, intra-century and super-secular rhythms. The daily rhythm, as is known, is determined by the rotation of the Earth around its axis. The daily rhythm is manifested in changes in temperature, air pressure and humidity, cloudiness, and wind strength; in the phenomena of ebb and flow in the seas and oceans, the circulation of breezes, the processes of photosynthesis in plants, the daily biorhythms of animals and humans.

The annual rhythm is the result of the movement of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun. These are the change of seasons, changes in the intensity of soil formation and destruction of rocks, seasonal features in the development of vegetation and human economic activity. It is interesting that different landscapes of the planet have different daily and annual rhythms. Thus, the annual rhythm is best expressed in temperate latitudes and very weakly in the equatorial zone.

Of great practical interest is the study of longer rhythms: 11-12 years, 22-23 years, 80-90 years, 1850 years and longer, but, unfortunately, they are still less studied than the daily and annual rhythms.

Natural areas globe, their brief characteristics

The great Russian scientist V.V. At the end of the last century, Dokuchaev substantiated the planetary law geographical zoning- a natural change in the components of nature and natural complexes when moving from the equator to the poles. Zoning is primarily due to the unequal (latitudinal) distribution of solar energy (radiation) over the Earth's surface, associated with the spherical shape of our planet, as well as different amounts of precipitation. Depending on the latitudinal ratio of heat and moisture, the law of geographic zonation is subject to weathering processes and exogenous relief-forming processes; zonal climate, land and ocean surface waters, soil cover, vegetation and animal world.

The largest zonal divisions of the geographical envelope are geographical zones. They extend, as a rule, in the latitudinal direction and, in essence, coincide with climatic zones. Geographical zones differ from each other in temperature characteristics, as well as common features atmospheric circulation. On land the following geographical zones are distinguished:

Equatorial - common to the northern and southern hemispheres; - subequatorial, tropical, subtropical and temperate - in each hemisphere; - subantarctic and Antarctic belts - in the southern hemisphere. Belts with similar names have been identified in the World Ocean. The zonality in the ocean is reflected in the change in properties from the equator to the poles surface waters(temperature, salinity, transparency, intensity of waves and others), as well as changes in the composition of flora and fauna.

Differences in the relationship between air temperature and precipitation in different parts Lands determine the diversity of soils and fauna. Therefore, our planet is a delightful variety of “pictures of nature.”

What is a natural complex?

The interaction of natural components: rocks, air, water, flora and fauna - leads to the formation of natural complexes.

Any natural complex is characterized by a special composition of components and has a unique appearance.

Natural complexes in the mountains, replacing each other with height, are called altitudinal zones. Their number depends on geographical location and mountain heights. The higher the mountains, the closer they are located, the greater the set of altitude zones.

In the World Ocean, along with zonal ones, shallow and deep-water natural complexes are distinguished.

Anthropogenic complexes

Today, natural-anthropogenic complexes—territories that have been significantly altered by humans—are increasingly encountered. These are drained swamps, plowed steppes, artificial forest belts, parks and gardens, irrigated and watered desert areas, mining areas. In cities, major ports, along highways and railways, Where natural environment completely changed by man, anthropogenic complexes are formed.

Geography textbook for 8th grade

Natural zoning

§ 21. Diversity of natural complexes in Russia

• Remember what a natural complex is.
• What natural complexes of the Earth did you become acquainted with when studying the initial course of physical geography; geography of continents and oceans?
• What components of nature are included in the natural complex, how do they interact with each other?

Variety of PTCs. All components of nature are closely and inextricably linked with each other. A change in one of them causes changes in the others.

These relationships are expressed in the exchange of matter and energy. You can trace the relationships at various examples. Thus, a change in the amount of solar radiation entering the earth's surface, leads to a change in the nature of vegetation, and this, in turn, changes the soil cover, fauna, affects the processes of relief formation, etc.

We already know that the various components of nature change from place to place, that is, they change in space. They also change over time. The relief and climate of the Russian Plain before the Quaternary glaciation were different.

Changes in any component of nature occur within any specific territory.

Therefore, a natural territorial complex - NTC - is a natural combination of interconnected components of nature in a certain territory.

The doctrine of natural territorial complexes - landscape science- was founded at the end of the last century by V.V. Dokuchaev. It is of great practical importance for Agriculture, forestry, land reclamation, recreation, construction of cities, roads, various enterprises. Without knowledge of the characteristics of a particular natural complex, there can be no talk of rational use, protection and improvement of the natural environment.

In the hierarchy of natural complexes there are three main levels: local, regional, global.

The formation of natural complexes at the local level is associated with local factors that have a short range of action, for example, with individual relief elements. This level includes facies- an elementary indivisible geographical unit, that is, a homogeneous complex. Regional natural complexes are formed as a result of the influence of factors with a wider range of action: tectonic movements, solar radiation, etc. This level is characterized by natural zones and regions.

The global level is geographic envelope, which covers the interpenetrating and constantly interacting troposphere, hydrosphere, upper layers of the lithosphere and biosphere.

Think about what changes in nature a person can record during his life. Analyze the geochronological table again and determine during what period of time any significant changes in the nature of the Earth occur, in the PTC.

Physiographic zoning. Any PTC is the result of more or less long-term development. Scientists record slow tectonic movements, secular climate changes, the advance and retreat of seas, etc. Even living long life a person does not have time to notice these changes.

Smaller PTCs are particularly diverse. Different geological structures, varied topography and climate from place to place lead to changes in soil and vegetation cover.

There are many different PTCs on the territory of Russia. Natural, or physical-geographical, zoning serves as the main method for identifying PTCs and establishing their boundaries. The identification of large PTCs on the territory of Russia is based on differences in geological structure and topography and significant climatic differences. Based on these characteristics, physical geographers usually distinguish on the territory of Russia:

1. North Caucasus.
2. Ural.
3. West Siberian Lowland, or plain.
4. Central Siberia.
5. Northeast Siberia.
6. Mountain belt of Southern Siberia.
7. Far East.

In this tutorial we will look at six major natural regions:

1. Russian (East European) Plain.
2. North Caucasus.
3. Ural.
4. West Siberian Plain.
5. Eastern Siberia (includes Eastern Siberia included: Central Siberia, North-East Siberia and the mountain belt of Southern Siberia).
6. Far East.

Within these large natural regions, territories with the most typically manifested latitudinal zonation on the plains and altitudinal zone in the mountains, and also shows natural uniqueness and natural monuments of the region.

PTC natural and anthropogenic. Our times are characterized by increasing growth anthropogenic load to the landscape. Man is extracting more and more minerals from the bowels of the Earth, spending more and more water for domestic and economic needs, occupying more and more areas for arable land and construction sites, cutting down forests and destroying meadows. Therefore, there are fewer and fewer natural landscapes left. Almost all natural complexes have been modified by humans to one degree or another. Natural landscapes changed under the influence of human activity are called anthropogenic.

Questions and tasks

1. What is PTC?
2. Name PTCs of different ranks.
3. What is the basis of physical-geographical zoning?
4. What large natural complexes stand out in Russia?
5. Give examples of anthropogenic landscapes. Explain why their number especially increased in the 20th century.

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Natural complexes of the Earth

The geographical envelope has a mosaic structure, this is due to the different natural complexes that are included in it.

The part of the earth's surface that has the same natural conditions is usually called a natural complex.

Homogeneous natural conditions are relief, water, climate, soil, animal and vegetable world.

Individually, natural complexes consist of components that are interconnected by historically established connections.

That is why, if a change occurs in one of the components of nature, then all the components of the natural complex change.

The geographic envelope is a planetary natural complex and the largest. The shell is divided into smaller natural complexes.

Types of natural complexes

The division of the shell into separate natural complexes is due to the heterogeneity of the earth's surface and the structure of the earth's crust, as well as the uneven amount of heat.

Due to these differences, natural complexes are classified into zonal and azonal.

Azonal natural complexes

The main azonal natural complexes are oceans and continents.

They are the largest in size. Smaller areas are considered to be flat and mountainous areas that are located on continents.

For example, the Caucasus, West Siberian Plain, Andes. And these natural complexes can be divided into even smaller ones - the Southern and Central Andes.

River valleys, hills, and various slopes that are located on their territory will be considered even smaller natural complexes.

Interrelation of components of natural complexes

The interrelation of the components of natural complexes is a unique phenomenon.

This can be traced to simple example: if the amount of solar radiation and its impact on the earth’s surface changes, then the nature of vegetation in a given area will also change.

This transformation will lead to changes in soil and relief formation.

Human impact on natural complexes

Human activities have had a significant impact on natural systems since ancient times. After all, man not only adapts to the nature of the Earth, but also exerts a constant and extensive influence on it.

Over the course of many centuries, man has improved his skills and created different ways using nature to your advantage.

This had an extremely negative impact on the development of most natural complexes.

It is for this reason that people are increasingly talking about such a phenomenon as rational environmental management. This concept is usually understood as human activity aimed at careful development of natural complexes and conservation of natural resources in any circumstances.

After all, the negative impact on natural systems harms the person himself, and we need to protect nature both for our health and for future generations.

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list of main ingredients of the natural complex

Answer:

The environment around us is made up of parts, or ingredients as they are called. Natural parts include topography, climate, water, plants, animals and soil. All these components have passed long haul development, therefore their combinations are not random, but natural.

Thanks to their interaction, they are closely interconnected, and this interaction unites them into a single system, where all parts depend on each other and influence each other. Such a unified system is called a natural-territorial complex or landscape. L. S. Berg was attributed to the founder of Russian landscape studies. Natural-territorial complexes were defined as similar areas in accordance with the prevailing nature of the relief, climate, water, vegetation and soil.

Natural complexes of deserts, forests, steppes, etc. can be distinguished.

L. S. Berg wrote that a landscape (or a natural-territorial complex) is, in fact, an organism in which the parts determine the whole and even affect the parts. The size of natural territorial complexes varies. The maximum can be considered as a whole geographical envelope, the smaller - continents and oceans. The smallest natural and territorial complexes may include plains, plains, and ponds.

It is important that all components of these complexes are closely interconnected, regardless of their size. The reason for the formation of natural-territorial complexes is natural ingredients. They are divided into two groups:

natural complexes are very diverse. Which of them are called natural areas?

natural ingredients.

They are usually divided into two groups:
Zonal and azonal.
An example of zonal natural-territorial complexes is the tundra,
animals and soils. All these components have gone through a long development path,
regions) are the East European Plain, the Ural Mountains,
Amazonian lowland, Cordillera, Himalayas, etc.

natural-territorial complex, or landscape.

The reason for the formation of natural-territorial complexes is
one influence the other. Such one system called

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NATURAL COMPLEX

The nature around us consists of parts, or, as they are also called, components. Natural components include topography, climate, water, plants, animals and soils. All these components have gone through a long development path, so their combinations are not random, but natural. Thanks to their interaction, they are closely related to each other, and this interaction unites them into a single system, where all parts depend on one another and influence each other.

Such a unified system is called a natural-territorial complex, or landscape. L. S. Berg is deservedly considered the founder of Russian landscape science. He defined natural-territorial complexes as areas similar in the prevailing nature of the relief, climate, waters, vegetation and soil cover. Natural complexes of deserts, forests, steppes, etc. can be distinguished. L. S. Berg wrote that a landscape (or a natural-territorial complex) is like an organism in which the parts determine the whole, and the whole influences the parts.

The sizes of natural-territorial complexes are different.

The important thing is that, regardless of size, all components of these complexes are closely interrelated with each other.

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Our planet is unique and inimitable. There are seas, oceans, land, glaciers, plants and animals, air, it rains and snows. All this is a whole complex that combines the geographical components of the planet. And here the question arises. What is a natural complex, and what does it consist of? As you know, the surface of the planet is heterogeneous: it has relief, underground and above-ground waters, different kinds organisms, climate. All these components are interconnected and a change in one complex leads to a change in another.

one system

Everyone knows that a natural complex is a system that belongs to a single whole. If we consider this from the very beginning, then a natural complex can be an area where there are components similar in origin, history of development, and composition. This area has a single geological foundation, a similar surface, underground water, vegetation, microorganisms and wildlife. Such natural complexes have been formed for a very long time, and they are closely interconnected with each other. If you change even one component of the complex, the entire system will be disrupted.

Who started the study of complexes?

First Russian person who tried to understand what a natural complex is and how it works, became L. Berg. He identified complexes with similar features, for example, grouped them by relief. This is how forest complexes appeared, as well as natural complexes of the ocean, steppe, and desert. Berg noted that any system is like an organism, consisting of parts, where each element plays its role, but without it this organism cannot live.

They are different

When comparing natural complexes, you can see slight differences from each other. For example, the geographical envelope of our planet is a huge natural complex, the same as its smaller components. Meadows and clearings are even considered natural complexes, but these species are more homogeneous and have many similar properties than larger objects.

Natural ingredients

All natural-territorial complexes are usually divided into two large groups:

1. Zonal.

2. Azonal.

Zonal components of the natural complex are external factors that depend on the heating of the planet by the Sun. This indicator changes from the equator to the poles in a decreasing direction. Because of this feature, zones of natural-territorial complexes were formed: geographical zones, natural zones. The complexes are especially pronounced on the plains, where the boundaries run parallel to the latitudes. In the oceans, natural-territorial complexes change with depth and height. Examples of natural-territorial complexes are alpine meadows, mixed forest zones, taiga, steppes, etc.

Non-zonal or azonal types of natural complexes are represented by internal factors on which the processes occurring in the bowels of the planet depend. The result of such complexes is the geological structure of the relief. It is because of azonal factors that azonal natural-territorial complexes were formed, examples of which are the Amazon Lowland, the Himalayas, and the Ural Mountains.

Zonal and azonal complexes

As already mentioned, all natural complexes of the Earth are divided into azonal and zonal. They are all closely related.

The largest azonal complexes are the oceans and continents, and the smaller ones are plains and mountains. They are divided into even smaller ones, and the smallest are individual hills, river valleys, and meadows.

Large-type zonal complexes include geographic zones. They coincide with climatic zones and have the same names. The belts are divided according to heat and moisture level into areas that have similar natural components: vegetation, wildlife, soil. The main component of a natural area is climate. All other components depend on it. Vegetation influences the formation of soil and the animal world. All this characterizes natural areas by type of vegetation, character and helps to reflect features.

Natural complexes of the oceans

Aquatic complexes have been studied somewhat less well than land systems. However, the law of zoning also applies here. This territory is conventionally divided into latitudinal and vertical zones.

The latitudinal zones of the World Ocean are represented by equatorial and tropical zones, which are found in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Here the waters are warm, but at the equator the water temperature is lower. In the tropics the water is very salty. Such conditions in the oceans created unique conditions for the formation of various organic world. These areas are characterized by the growth of coral reefs, which are home to numerous species of fish and other aquatic creatures. In warm waters there are snakes, sponges, turtles, shellfish, and squid.

What natural complexes of the oceans can be identified? Scientists distinguish into separate components coral reefs, schools of fish, places with the same depth where similar species live. sea ​​creatures. Separate groups include those areas of the oceans that are located in the temperate, tropical and other zones. Scientists then divide these zones into smaller components: reefs, fish, etc.

Temperate zones include areas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, where the average annual temperature differences are quite large. Moreover, the water in the Indian Ocean is colder than in the Atlantic and Pacific at the same latitude.

In the temperate zone, intense mixing of water occurs, due to which those waters that are rich in organic matter rise from the depths, and waters saturated with oxygen go to the bottom. This area is home to a variety of game fish.

Polar and subpolar zones surround the North Atlantic Ocean, as well as the northern regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There are few species of living organisms in these places. Plankton appears only in summer period, and only in places that are free of ice at this time. Following the plankton, fish and mammals come to these regions. The closer to the North Pole, the fewer animals and fish there are.

The vertical zones of the ocean are represented by stripes of land and ocean, where all the earth's shells interact. In such areas there are ports and many people live. It is generally accepted that natural complexes in such zones have been altered by humans.

The coastal shelf warms up well and receives a lot of precipitation, fresh water from rivers flowing into oceans. There are a lot of algae, fish, and mammals in these places. The most concentrated in the shelf zones more quantity a wide variety of organisms. With depth, the amount of heat penetrating into the ocean decreases, but this does not have a strong effect on the diversity of aquatic life.

Taking all this into account, scientists have developed criteria that help determine the differences natural conditions World Ocean:

1. Global factors. These include the geological development of the Earth.
2. Geographic latitude.
3. Local factors. This takes into account the influence of land, bottom topography, continents and other indicators.

Components of the ocean complex

Scientists have identified several smaller components that make up the oceanic complexes. These include seas, straits, and bays.

The seas are, to some extent, a separate part of the ocean, where there is its own special regime. A part of the ocean or sea is called a bay. It goes deep into the land, but does not move away from sea or ocean areas. If there is a thin line of water between land areas, then they speak of a strait. It is characterized by rising bottom.

Characteristics of natural objects

Knowing what a natural complex is, scientists were able to develop a number of indicators by which the characteristics of objects are determined:

1. Dimensions.
2. Geographical position.
3. A type of living organism that inhabits an area or water.
4. When it comes to oceans, the degree of connection with open space, as well as the flow system.
5. When assessing natural land complexes, soils, vegetation, fauna, and climate are taken into account.

Everything in the world is interconnected, and if one link in this long chain is broken, the integrity of the entire natural complex is disrupted. And no living creature, except people, has such an influence on the Earth: we are able to create beauty and at the same time destroy it.

There is a lot of interesting things in the natural world - various rivers, landscapes, soils, animals and plants. We hardly think about the fact that all this can be systematized in a certain way. Occasionally I (like you) have heard a lot about natural areas, natural complexes, but understood little about it until decided to figure it out. After all, you want to understand where you live! Below I will share the information I obtained, and I guarantee: it will be interesting!

Natural complex - special zone

As I already said, in natural world there are many different elements. I will list the main ones here:

• flora and fauna;
• climatic conditions;
• terrain;
• water;
• the soil.

A kind of vinaigrette from all of the above components forms a natural complex. There are many types and sizes of natural complexes. In general terms, a natural complex is a certain zone within which the interaction of natural components occurs, determined by laws.

The largest natural complex is the geographical envelope of the Earth. An example of a small natural complex would be a single lake or sea bay. A natural complex can be a mountain range or an entire ocean; it all depends on how broadly one is prepared to systematize the interaction of certain factors.

How a natural complex is formed

There are 2 groups of factors that influence the formation of natural complexes. The first group includes the so-called. zonal factors, that is, those that depend on the heating of the Earth by the Sun. They are also called external factors. Thanks to this group of factors, geographic zones and natural zones were formed.

The second group of factors includes azonal (internal) factors. These are the ones that pass inside the Earth itself. In short, I note that the result of such processes was the formation of the relief and general geological structure of the Earth. As an example of natural complexes formed by internal factors, I can cite the Cordillera, the Ural Mountains, the Alps and other mountainous regions.