Small coniferous forest. coniferous forest

coniferous forests- This is a natural area, which consists of evergreens - coniferous trees. Coniferous forests grow in the taiga of Northern Europe, Russia and North America. In the highlands of Australia and South America in some places there are coniferous forests. Climate coniferous forests very cold and humid.

According to the international classification, there are the following types of coniferous forest:

• evergreen;
• with falling needles;
• present in swamp forests;
• tropical and subtropical.

According to the density of the canopy, light coniferous and dark coniferous forests are distinguished.

There is such a thing as artificial coniferous forests. In the territory of mixed or deciduous forests coniferous trees were planted in North America and Europe to restore forest where it had been heavily cut down.

Coniferous forests of the taiga

In the northern hemisphere of the planet, coniferous forests lie in the taiga zone. Here are the main forest-forming species the following:

In Europe, there are pure pine and spruce-pine forests.

pine forests

There is a wide variety of coniferous forests in Western Siberia: cedar-pine, spruce-larch, larch-cedar-pine, spruce-fir. In the territory Eastern Siberia growing larch forests. In coniferous forests, birch, aspen or rhododendron can be used as undergrowth.

In Canada, black spruce and white spruce, balsam fir and American larches are found in forests.

White spruce

There is also Canadian hemlock and lodgepole pine.

Aspen and birch are found in impurities.

Coniferous forests of tropical latitudes

Coniferous forests are found at some points in the tropics. On islands caribbean Caribbean, western and tropical pine grows.

In South Asia and on the islands, Sumatran and island pines are found.

In South American forests, such coniferous plants like Fitzroy cypress and Brazilian araucaria.

In the tropical zone of Australia, coniferous forests are formed by podocarps.

Importance of coniferous forests

There are quite a lot of coniferous forests on the planet. As trees were cut down, people began to create artificial coniferous forests in the place where broad-leaved species grew. In these forests, a special plant and animal world. The coniferous trees themselves are of particular value. People cut them down for construction, furniture making and other purposes. However, in order to have something to cut, you first need to plant and grow, and then use softwood.

Today is Friday again, and again the guests are in the studio, spinning the drum and guessing the letters. The next issue of the capital show Field of Miracles is on the air and here is one of the questions in the game:

What was the coniferous forest called in the European part of Russia and the Urals? 11 letters

Correct answer - Krasnolesye

Since ancient times, our country was considered a country of forests. And for good reason: 45% of the territory falls on forest zones. The forest and human life are two links, the existence of which is impossible without each other. For a long time, the forest fed, clothed, warmed the Russian people, saved them from enemies. And a special place has always belonged to the coniferous forest. In Rus', the coniferous forest was called red forest. It owes this name due to the fact that it is green all year round, which means it is beautiful, red.

Krasnolesye ... Listen to this word. Everything is in it: surprise, admiration and even reverence for a real work of nature - coniferous forest. It is really red in all seasons, especially the pine forest with its reddish-golden trunks illuminated by the sun, solemnly rising into the blue of the sky. Greens and gold - how not to appreciate this luxury, born in the harsh northern region. And our ancestors loved and appreciated the red forest, involuntarily contrasting it with black forest - a deciduous forest that loses its leaves for the winter and becomes faceless, dark, black. The black forest was also usually considered a refuge for black, evil spirits: it was in it, and not in the pine forest, according to popular beliefs, goblin, witches and mermaids settled.

Between the tundra in the north and the deciduous forest in the south stretch vast and picturesque coniferous forests. One type of such forest is called northern boreal, it is located between 50 ° and 60 ° north latitude. Another type is coniferous forest temperate zone , grows at lower latitudes North America, Europe and Asia, on the high elevations of the mountains.

Coniferous forests are found mainly in the northern hemisphere, although some of them can be found in the southern.

This largest terrestrial biotope in the world consists mainly of coniferous trees- trees on which needles grow instead of leaves, instead of flowers - cones, and seeds develop in cones. Conifers tend to be evergreen, meaning their needles stay on the branches all year round. An exception can be considered only the genus of larches, the needles of which turn yellow and crumble at the end of each summer. Such adaptations help plants survive in very cold or dry areas. Some of the most common species are spruces, pines, and firs.

Precipitation in coniferous forests is from 300 to 900 mm per year, and in some forests of the temperate zone - up to 2000 m. The amount of precipitation depends on the location of the forest. In the northern boreal forests, winters are long, cold and dry, and summers are short, moderately warm, with an abundance of moisture. At lower latitudes, precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year.

The air temperature in the areas where pine and spruce forests grow is from -40° C to 20° C, the average summer temperature is 10° C.

Coniferous forests - an evergreen kingdom

Conifers grow where summers are short and cool and winters are long and harsh, with heavy snowfall that can last up to 6 months. The needle-shaped leaves have a waxy outer coating that prevents water loss in frosty weather. The branches, on the other hand, are soft and flexible and usually point downwards, so that the snow rolls off them without difficulty. Larches have been found in some of the coldest regions on our planet.

Evergreen forests consist mainly of species such as spruce, fir, pine and larch. The leaves of these trees are small and needle-like or scale-like, and most of them remain green all year round (evergreen). All conifers are able to live in cold and acidic soil.

All coniferous forests in the world are classified according to the following types:

• Eurasian coniferous forest with the dominant Siberian pine, Siberian fir, Siberian and Daurian fir in the east ( LAndsvennitsa Gmelin) larches. Scotch pine and Scotch spruce are important forest-forming species in Western Europe.
• WITHNorth American coniferous forest dominated by white spruce, black spruce and balsam fir.
• tropicalth and subtropicalth coniferous forest with an abundance of cypresses, cedars and sequoias.

Northern coniferous forests, such as the coniferous forest in Siberia, are called taiga or boreal forests. They cover vast areas of North America from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean and are located throughout Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and throughout Asia through Siberia and Mongolia to northern China and northern Japan.

The length of the growing season in boreal forests is 130 days.

Cypresses, cedars and sequoias grow strictly vertically. The highest of them can reach 110 m in height. Trees are usually pyramidal. The short side branches grow quite close together, but they are so flexible that the snow just slides off.

(predominantly pine and larch):

(spruce and fir predominate):

Life in the coniferous forest

The biome is noticeably higher compared to the tundra: there are 120-150 species of nesting birds alone, and up to 40-50 species of mammals. At the same time, the biodiversity of coniferous forests is significantly inferior in its richness to tropical regions.

Even evergreen trees eventually shed their leaves and grow new ones. The needles fall on the forest floor and form a thick springy carpet of pine needles. Light, usually acidic soils of coniferous forests are called podzols and have a compacted layer of humus, which contains many fungi. filamentous mushrooms help to decompose needles that have fallen to the ground. These organisms provide nutrients from the fallen needles back to the roots of the trees. But since the needles decompose very slowly, the soils under such trees are low in minerals and organic matter, and the number of invertebrates such as earthworms there are very few of them.

Mosquitoes, flies and other insects are common inhabitants of the coniferous forest, but due to low temperatures there are few cold-blooded vertebrates such as snakes and frogs. Coniferous forest birds include woodpeckers, crossbills, kinglets, hazel grouses, waxwings, black grouse, hawks and owls. Mammals include shrews, voles, squirrels, martens, elks, deer, lynxes and wolves.

Too little light penetrates through the thick canopy of coniferous trees. Due to constant darkness, only ferns grow in the lower tier and very little herbaceous plants. Mosses and lichens, on the contrary, are found everywhere on forest soil, trunks and branches of trees. There are very few flowering plants.

Currently, extensive logging in boreal forests may soon lead to their extinction.

Importance of coniferous forests

Coniferous forests are the world's main source of commercial timber. Their use has many advantages:

• Except in very cold areas, they grow rapidly and can be cut down every 40-50 years.
• Many conifers coexist well.
• Frozen soil makes it easier to access wood for machinery and transport in winter.
• Softwood has many different uses - paper, construction and furniture, etc.
• Softwood can be easily harvested as a crop using modern machinery.

acid rain

Over the past 50 years, coniferous forests around the world have been suffering from acid rain. The main reasons for which are:

• Air emissions sulfur dioxide power plants, industrial plants
• Increased emissions from power plants as well as cars nitrogen oxides

These pollutants are transported by air masses to areas Western Europe. Fifty million hectares of woodlands in 25 European countries suffers from acid rain. So, for example, coniferous mountain forests in Bavaria are dying. Cases of defeat of coniferous, and also deciduous massifs of Karelia, Siberia are noted.

The most common conifers:

• Norway spruce
• White spruce
• Spruce black
• Canadian hemlock
• Lebanese cedar
  
• European larch
  
• Common juniper (veres)
  
• Fir
• podocarp
• western pine
• Caribbean pine
• Scotch pine
• pine tree
• Fitzroy cypress

The coniferous forest is natural area composed of evergreens. Their unpretentiousness, lack of fear of excess moisture and large temperature changes, as well as the need for natural light, determined the habitat and unique features.

Coniferous forests of Russia make up 2/3 of total area forests of the country. In this regard, Russia is a world leader. From the world heritage of coniferous forests, Russian part is more than half.

All coniferous forests in Russia are taiga, which extends mainly in the northern part of the country, occupies its European zone, the territory of Western and Eastern Siberia, as well as the Far East.

coniferous forest zone

There are three subzones of the taiga, each of which is characterized by its own special vegetation:

• Northern.
• Medium;
• South;

(northern taiga)

The northern subzone of the taiga is dominated by spruce forests and stunted vegetation. From the side of the tundra, they are sparse, but gradually thicken towards the south.

(Pine forest of the Urals)

The coniferous forests of the Urals are characterized by pine forests, the Far Eastern region of Siberia is represented mainly by larch

(Southern taiga forest)

The southern taiga boasts a wide variety of vegetation. Fir, spruce, cedar and larch grow here.

Forests in Russia are found formed by only one type of tree or are mixed forest stands. Depending on the composition of the coniferous forest, it is also divided into light coniferous (pine and Siberian larch), as well as dark coniferous forests. The latter are fir, cedar and spruce.

(Typical coniferous forest)

In coniferous forests, trees tend to be tall with straight trunks and large, dense crowns. Some of them, such as pines, can reach a height of 40 meters. Such conditions do not allow the formation of a diverse undergrowth. It is represented mainly by moss, low bushes of berries and club mosses. New, young trees that also need light cannot always break through, and therefore grow more often on the outskirts of the forest and edges.

The climate of coniferous forests

In the coniferous forests of Russia, the climate is special, it is characterized by warm and sometimes hot summers and frosty, harsh winters. The maximum temperatures reach 45 degrees with a plus and minus sign, respectively. A similar climate is suitable for conifers that are undemanding to such temperature changes. For them, the main thing is the sufficient availability of natural light.

Another feature of the climate Russian taiga- high humidity. Precipitation here exceeds the actual volume of evaporation. Not infrequently, especially in Siberia, there are large areas of wetlands. This is partly due to the close approach of groundwater.

Human economic activity

The territory of the taiga is represented by timber, the volume of which exceeds 5.5 billion cubic meters.

Such resources, as well as the presence of oil, gas and coal reserves in the subsoil of the regions, determined the main types of economic activity in taiga:

• extraction of oil, gas and minerals;
• logging;
• timber processing.

For example, pine wood is used to make building materials, furniture, it is valued as a fuel, cellophane, rayon and, of course, paper are also produced from it.

Spruce and fir also act as a material for construction. Paper, artificial viscose, etc. are made from their wood. An interesting feature spruce is a resonant wood that is used to make musical instruments.

Coniferous forest fascinates with its beauty and aroma. At any time of the year, it retains its crown, which is why it is also called evergreen. But in addition to its beauty, it serves as an excellent filter that purifies our air. Being in a pine forest for some time, you can feel a surge of strength, since the atmosphere of this place is saturated with phytoncides, which have a detrimental effect on pathogens. That is why many people like to visit the coniferous forest and enjoy its air.

Families of evergreen trees

Usually in a coniferous forest there are only a few tree species. The entire class of conifers can be divided into several families:

• cypress (juniper, thuja, sequoia, some shrubs and, of course, cypress);
• pine (more than 120 varieties of pines, cedar, fir, spruce, hemlock, larch);
• yew (yew, torreya);
• araucariaceae (wollemia, agatis, araucaria);
• pediculate;
• also some botanists make a division into capitate and taxodia families.

Features of evergreens

Coniferous forest trees have their own characteristic differences. Large breeds almost always have a straight large trunk and a cone-shaped crown. If the plant is in a dense forest, its lower branches begin to die due to lack of light.

Also, conifers are gymnosperms, they are pollinated mainly due to the wind. Strobili, or, in other words, cones, grow on trees. When they ripen, their scales open and the seed falls to the soil, after a while it germinates.

In addition, it is worth noting that the zone of coniferous forests is located mainly in the Northern Hemisphere (a significant part of it is taiga). This location explains the shape of the "leaves". They are quite rigid and have a needle-like or scaly shape, they are also flat, in the form of strips. Since the climate of the area in which conifers grow is mostly cold, they have received a dark green color to better absorb the rare sunlight. Also, the wax surface of the “leaves” does not allow snow to linger on the branches, while moisture remains inside the needles during frosts.

Coniferous forest and its plants

Compared to deciduous forests in coniferous forests, the vegetation is not so diverse, but it is not sparse. They contain many shrubs and herbs. In addition, there are mosses and lichens. The soil of coniferous forests contains a lot of organic matter, so it is too oxidized for ordinary grass and shrubs. But the plants of the coniferous forest are arranged in such a way that local conditions suit them. Most often here you can find nettle, celandine, elderberry, strawberry, shepherd's purse, acacia, fern.

In such forests, moss feels best of all, which can occupy a significant area, creating a green carpet. There is a huge variety of mosses here, since the conditions for them are ideal. Due to the shade of the crowns, moisture practically does not evaporate, and the snow is in no hurry to melt. All mosses differ in color and height from each other. Some are able to reach 10 centimeters in height.

Interesting facts

The coniferous forest attracts not only with its beauty and benefits, but also with some interesting facts:

• Among conifers there is a champion in height. This is an evergreen sequoia, whose height exceeds 115 meters.
• The main part of coniferous trees is evergreen. They do not change their "leaves" from 2 to 40 years! The exception is larch, glyptostrobus, metasequoia, pseudolarch and taxodium, which shed their needles for the winter.
• There are long-lived trees on earth, and almost all of the champions among them are conifers. For example, in California there is a pine tree that, according to some estimates, is about 4,700 years old.
• There is a New Zealand dwarf pine that surprises with its small size. Its height is about 8 centimeters.
• Coniferous trees can save from beriberi. These plants contain seven times more vitamin C than lemons. But besides this, they also contain other trace elements, so the drug from these plants can replace the multivitamin complex from the pharmacy.
• The air in the pine forest destroys the tubercle bacillus.
• The most durable coniferous wood is larch. For example, Venice is still supported on piles made of this material.