“Climate, natural zones of Eurasia. Natural zones of Eurasia Soils of natural zones of Eurasia

All the natural areas of the world are located on the territory of the largest continent, Eurasia. Therefore, its flora and fauna are very diverse. It should be noted that this is the continent that is most populated and it was here that industry began to develop first, requiring the development of new territories, new mineral deposits, as well as new transport routes. All this had a negative impact on the species composition of animals and plants in Eurasia. Many of them have disappeared from the face of the Earth, many are listed in the Red Book and taken under protection. Nowadays, most plant communities and animal species in Eurasia can be found within protected areas.

Among the animals of Eurasia there are many representatives of invertebrates, insects, reptiles and mammals. Since the largest area on the continent is located within the taiga zone, representatives of the fauna of this natural zone occupy significant areas of Eurasia. Among the inhabitants of the taiga, the most common are wolverine and brown bear, fox and wolf, hare and squirrel, and many rodents and birds. Among them are black grouse, hazel grouse, wood grouse, crossbills, crows and tits. This list is very incomplete. In fact, the species diversity of taiga animals is quite an impressive list.

A very rich and diverse fauna of the reservoirs of Eurasia. This is a whole range of waterfowl, amphibians, and valuable commercial fish.

Despite the difficult living conditions of the tundra and desert zones, which occupy large areas in Eurasia, the animals living there have adapted to both the arid conditions of the desert and the low temperatures in the tundra.

Flora of Eurasia

The flora of Eurasia is also diverse. A significant territory of the mainland is occupied by coniferous, broad-leaved, equatorial and variable-humid forests. Trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation grow here in open areas. Among the typical representatives flora Eurasia Siberian cedar, oak, beech, banyan, bamboo, tulip tree and the largest and most smelly flower in the world - rafflesia.

Vast steppe spaces are covered with cereal grasses and feather grass. It should be noted that most of the steppes of Eurasia are under crops and natural vegetation has been preserved in a rather limited area of ​​the steppes.

The interior of the continent is occupied by deserts. The most common species here are wormwood, kurai, camel thorn and saxaul, a plant that does not provide shade. In deserts, as in steppes, there are many ephemerals, plants with a short growing season. During spring period the desert is filled with flowering plants different types, and with the onset of summer drought, all this blooming splendor quickly disappears without a trace.

I listened carefully to my niece’s retelling of the natural areas of Russia. The list seemed so long to me, and this is only within our country. How many are there in Eurasia?

Natural areas

This term should be understood as a separate territory of the mainland, which is characterized by certain forms and types natural processes and components. The formation of these zones occurs under the influence of climate and topography, i.e. elements of nature on which the formation and development of its other elements (flora, soil cover, fauna) depends. It follows that if the climate changes in belts from the equator to the poles, then the natural zones, therefore, replace each other in the indicated direction. And they also do this broadly.

Natural areas of Eurasia

I opened the corresponding map, and my eyes began to run wild from the abundance of colors. Turning his gaze to the corner symbols, everything became more or less clear. 12 natural zones have formed on the continent, and a separate zone of altitudinal zonation is distinguished. Here's the long list:

1. Zone arctic deserts.
2. Variably humid forests.
3. Mixed forests.
4. Savannah and woodlands.
5. Forest-steppes and steppes.
6. Hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs.
7. Taigi.
8. Broad-leaved forests.
9. Ocean meadows.
10. Deserts and semi-deserts.
11. Constantly wet equatorial and tropical forests.
12. Tundra and forest-tundra.

These are the main zones, but there are also transition zones where external features are mixed natural ingredients neighboring territories.

I will continue analyzing the map. Particularly large areas are occupied by the colors: orange and dark green, which correspond to the desert, semi-desert and taiga zones, respectively. The central part of the continent and the Arabian Peninsula are clearly characterized by drought, since it is in these areas that deserts have formed. Regarding the taiga, everyone who lives in Russia knows about its territorial scope. The most modest in size in Eurasia are the zones of arctic deserts, hard-leaved evergreen forests, shrubs, oceanic meadows and mixed forests.

Since Eurasia lies in all climatic zones northern hemisphere, all natural areas of the globe are represented here.

Arctic deserts, tundra and forest-tundra

Zones of arctic deserts, tundra and forest-tundra stretch in a narrow continuous strip across the entire continent. The climate of the Arctic deserts is very strict. The vegetation is very poor. Large areas have no vegetation cover.

Here we meet the arctic fox, polar bear, reindeer. In summer, many waterfowl arrive; they settle on high rocky shores, forming bird colonies.

In the tundra there is little precipitation, temperatures are low, and permafrost is characteristic, which contributes to the formation of swamps.

Taiga

There are many peat and sedge bogs here. The European taiga is dominated by pine and spruce. They are mixed with small-leaved species - birch, aspen, rowan. South of 60°N. w. broad-leaved species appear in the forests - maple, ash, oak. In the Asian taiga, fir, Siberian pine or cedar grow, as well as larch - the only conifer tree, sheds its needles for the winter.

Animal world coniferous forests very rich. It is home to elk, squirrel, mountain hare and forest lemming. The most common predators are wolf, fox, lynx, pine marten, ferret, weasel and brown bear. Otters live in ponds. Among the birds, the most numerous are crossbills, woodpeckers, ptarmigan, wood grouse, black grouse, hazel grouse and owls.

Mixed forests

The main part of mixed forests in Europe is located on the East European Plain and gradually disappears in a western direction. In these forests, broad-leaved species grow alongside coniferous and small-leaved species. There is already abundant grass cover on soddy-podzolic soils, and swamps are less common. In Asia there is also a zone of mixed forests, but it appears only in the Pacific sector of the temperate zone, where forests grow in a monsoon climate and their composition is more diverse.

Western, Atlantic broad-leaved forests are characterized by beech and oak. As we move east and the amount of precipitation decreases, beech forests are replaced by lighter oak forests.

Hornbeam, linden, and maple grow in broad-leaved forests. In addition to animals living in the taiga, there are wild boar, roe deer, and deer. The brown bear is found in the Carpathians and Alps.

Forest-steppe and steppe

In the forest-steppe, islands of forests on gray forest soils alternate with steppe areas. The steppes are dominated by herbaceous vegetation. Various grasses are most common in the grass cover.

Among the animals, rodents predominate - gophers, marmots, and field mice. Natural vegetation has been preserved only in nature reserves.

In the eastern part of the Gobi Plateau there are dry steppes: the grass is low or the soil surface is completely devoid of grass cover, and there are saline areas.

Semi-deserts and temperate deserts

These zones extend from the Caspian lowland across the plains of Central and Central Asia. Brown semi-desert soils and brown and gray-brown desert soils are developed here.

In deserts, conditions are unfavorable for plant development: little rainfall and dry air. In clayey and rocky deserts there is no soil cover of vegetation. In the sandy deserts of the temperate zone, saxaul, wormwood, solyanka, and astragalus grow.

The fauna of these zones is also poor. In semi-deserts and deserts the Przewalski's horse, wild kulan donkeys, camels, and various and numerous rodents are still preserved.

Subtropical forests and shrubs

Coast Mediterranean Sea there is a zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs. The climatic conditions of the zone are characterized by dry and hot summers, rainy and warm winters.

Holm and cork oaks, wild olive, Mediterranean pine, and cypress grow on chestnut soils. The forests on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea are now almost completely cut down. Now there are thickets of evergreen bushes and low trees growing here.

In the south of China and the Japanese islands there is a zone of variable-humid (monsoon) forests. Summers here are humid, winters are relatively dry and cool. In the forests on red soils and yellow soils, magnolias, palm trees, ficuses, camellias, camphor laurel grow, and bamboo is found.

Subtropical and tropical semi-deserts and deserts

Inland deserts feature hot and dry climates throughout Eurasia. average temperature July can reach +30 °C. It rains extremely rarely.

The plants in these zones are the same as those in temperate deserts. Acacias grow along dry riverbeds, and date palms are grown in oases.

The fauna of deserts is relatively poor. In Arabia there are wild Przewalski's horses, wild ass, fleet-footed antelopes, and wild donkeys and onagers. There are also predators - striped hyena, jackal. Lots of rodents - jerboas, gerbils.

Savannas and subequatorial forests

In the savannas of Eurasia, palm trees, acacias, teak and sal trees grow among tall grasses. There are areas of sparse forests. Subequatorial humid variable-humid forests cover the western coast of Hindustan, the region of the lower reaches of the Ganges and Brahmaputra, the coast of the Indochina Peninsula and the northern part of the Philippine Islands. The vegetation of the zone is reminiscent of the southern humid equatorial forests, but some trees shed their leaves during the dry season.

The fauna of savannas and subequatorial forests is diverse. Many ungulates, especially antelopes, many monkeys. Tigers and leopards hunt along the rivers of Hindustan. Wild elephants still live in Hindustan and on the island of Sri Lanka.

Equatorial rainforests

In Eurasia they occupy quite a lot large areas and varied. There are more than 300 species of palm trees alone. The coconut palm grows on the coast of the Philippine Islands and the Malay Archipelago. Numerous species of bamboos grow in equatorial forests.

Altitudinal zone

Brighter altitudinal zone found in the Alps and Himalayas - the highest mountain systems in Europe and Asia. The highest mountains of Europe are the Alps. Their highest point, Mont Blanc, reaches an altitude of 4807 m. In addition, this mountain system is an important climate for Europe. Glaciers and eternal snow decrease in the Alps to 2500-3200 m.

The highest mountain system in Asia and the entire globe is the Himalayas. Their highest point is the city of Chomolungma. The Himalayas are the natural boundary between the mountainous deserts of Central Asia and the tropical landscapes of South Asia.

At the foot of the Eastern Himalayas are the Terai. Tall bamboo, various palm trees, and sal tree grow in them. Elephants, rhinoceroses, buffaloes live here, among the predators are tigers, spotted and black leopards, many monkeys, and snakes. Above 1500 m and up to 2000 m there is a belt of evergreen subtropical forests. At an altitude of 2000 m, these forests give way to forests of deciduous species with an admixture of conifers. Above 3500 m the belt of bushes and alpine meadows begins.

On the southern slopes of the Alps, the landscapes of the lower altitudinal zone up to an altitude of 800 m have Mediterranean features. In the northern regions of the Western Alps, beech and mixed forests predominate in the lower belt; in the drier eastern Alps, oak and pine forests alternate with steppe meadows. Up to an altitude of 1800 m, a second zone with oak and beech forests with the participation of coniferous trees is widespread.

The subalpine belt extends to an altitude of 2300 m - shrub and tall grass meadow vegetation predominates. In the alpine belt, most of the mountain surface is devoid of vegetation or covered with crustose lichens. The upper zone is a belt of high-mountain rocky and glacial deserts, in which higher plants and animals are practically absent. The Alps are one of the most important recreational areas in Europe.

Changing nature by man

Over the course of historical time, the natural conditions of the continent have been changed by man. In many areas, natural vegetation has been almost completely destroyed and replaced by cultivated vegetation. The steppe and forest-steppe zones were especially affected.

In many cases, irreversible changes have occurred in nature, many species of plants and animals have been destroyed, and soils have been depleted. Created to preserve nature National parks, nature reserves and other protected areas.

GEOGRAPHICAL BELT AND ZONES OF EURASIA

In Eurasia, more fully than on other continents, the planetary law is manifested geographical zonation land landscapes. Everything is expressed here geographical zones northern hemisphere, and the large extent of the continent from west to east determines the differences in nature between the oceanic and continental sectors.

The widest part of Eurasia is located in the subtropical and temperate zones. THE NATURAL AREAS HERE are not only elongated in the latitudinal direction, but also HAVE THE FORM OF CONCENTRIC CIRCLES.

In the tropical latitudes of the continent, the monsoon type of climate and the meridional location of mountain ranges contribute to the change of natural zones not from north to south, but from west to east.

In areas of mountainous relief, latitudinal zonality is combined with vertical zonality. As a rule, each zone has its own structure of altitudinal zonation. Range altitude zones increases from high to low latitudes.

Geographical zones and zones of Foreign Europe

Features of nature geographical zones in Foreign Europe are determined by its position in the oceanic sector of the continent of the Arctic, subarctic, temperate and subtropical zones.

THE ARCTIC BELT occupies the island outskirts. Low radiation balance values ​​(less than 10 kcal/cm2 per year), negative average annual temperatures, formation on large territory stable ice cover. Spitsbergen is located in the Western European sector of the belt.

Its climate is softened by the warm West Spitsbergen Current. Loss is relative large quantity precipitation (300-350 mm) and low annual temperatures contribute to the accumulation of thick layers of snow and ice. The ICY DESERT ZONE predominates. Only a narrow strip on the western and southern coasts is occupied by Arctic STONEY DESERT (about 10% of the area of ​​Spitsbergen). In places where fine earth accumulates, saxifrage, snowy buttercup, polar poppies, and Spitsbergen carnations grow. But lichens (lichens) and mosses predominate. The fauna is poor in terms of species: polar bears, arctic foxes, lemmings, and the musk ox has been introduced. In summer there are extensive bird colonies: guillemots, loons, gulls.

THE SUBARCTIC BELT covers the far north of Fennoscandia and Iceland. The radiation balance reaches 20 kcal/cm2 per year, average temperatures in the summer months do not exceed 10C. There is no woody vegetation. The dominant zone is the TUNDRA ZONE. There are northern - typical and southern tundra. The northern one does not have a closed vegetation cover; areas with vegetation alternate with patches of bare soil. Mosses and lichens (moss moss) dominate; shrubs and grasses rise above them. Plants do not have time to go through the entire development cycle from germination to seed ripening in a short summer. Therefore, biennials and perennials predominate among higher plants. Due to low temperatures, physiological dryness. The dry uplands are dominated by reindeer moss (Jagel tundra), buttercups, saxifrage, poppies, partridge grass (Drias), some sedges and grasses. Shrubs - blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries.

The southern (shrub) tundra is characterized by a predominance of shrubs and dwarf shrubs: dwarf birch, polar willow, wild rosemary, bearberry, lingonberry, crowberry. In depressions (weak winds) there are thickets of dwarf birch (ernik) 1.0 - 1.5 m high.

Soils develop under waterlogged conditions. They are characterized by the accumulation of coarse humic organic matter, the development of gley processes, and an acid reaction. Peat-gley soils predominate.

In Iceland, in the coastal lowlands and valleys, oceanic grass-forb meadows with anemones and forget-me-nots are common, under which meadow-turf soils are formed. In some places there are clumps of low-growing trees: birch, rowan, willow, aspen, juniper.

The animal world is poor. Typical: Norwegian lemming, arctic fox, ermine, wolf, snowy owl, ptarmigan, and swamp geese, geese, ducks.

Reindeer husbandry, in Iceland - sheep breeding.

THE MODERATE BELT occupies most of Northern and all of Central Europe. The radiation balance ranges from 20 kcal/cm2 per year in the north to 50 kcal/cm2 per year in the south. Western transport and cyclonic activity contribute to the supply of moisture from the ocean to the mainland. Average January temperatures range from -15° in the northeast to +6 in the west. Average July temperatures range from +10° in the north to +26° in the south. Forests dominate. In the Atlantic sector, when moving from north to south, zones of coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests replace each other. In the southeastern part, the zone of broad-leaved forests is pinched out and replaced by zones of forest-steppe and steppe.

THE CONIFEROUS FOREST ZONE occupies most of Fennoscandia (southern border at 60°N) and the north of Great Britain. The main species are Norway spruce and Scots pine. The plains of Sweden are dominated by swampy spruce forests on heavy loams. A significant part of Fennoscandia is occupied by pine trees on dry rocky or sandy soils. Forest cover exceeds 60%, reaching 80% in places, and up to 35% in Norway. In the west of the Scandinavian Peninsula, in place of cleared forests, meadows and heaths are common.

Altitudinal zones are developed in the mountains. Coniferous forests on slopes up to 800-900 m in the south and 300 m in the north. Further there is open birch forest up to 1100 m. The upper parts of the mountains are occupied by mountain-tundra vegetation.

In the coniferous forest zone, thin acidic podzolic soils, poor in humus, predominate. In the depressions there are peat-bog and gley-podzolic soils with low fertility.

The fauna is diverse: moose, wolves, lynxes, brown bears, foxes. Birds: hazel grouse, partridges, wood grouse, owls, woodpeckers.

Scandinavian countries are the most forested in Foreign Europe. Forest plantations on drained peat bogs are widely developed. Livestock farming for meat and dairy production has been developed. The structure of crops on cultivated lands is subordinated to it. Agriculture is developed in a limited area. In the north of the zone there is reindeer husbandry, in the mountains there is sheep breeding.

THE MIXED FOREST ZONE occupies small areas in the southwest of Finland, partly the Central Swedish Lowland and the northeast of the Central European Plain. Among the species appear pedunculate oak, ash, elm, Norway maple, and heart-shaped linden. The undergrowth has abundant herbaceous cover. Zonal soils are soddy-podzolic - up to 5% humus.

The fauna is richer than in coniferous forests: elk, bear, European roe deer, wolf, fox, hare. Birds: woodpeckers, siskins, tits, black grouse.

Forest cover is up to 20%, the largest tracts are preserved in the Masurian Lake District. Agricultural production.

THE ZONE OF LEAVED FORESTS occupies southern part temperate zone. Warm summer, mild climate, favorable ratio of heat and moisture contribute to the spread of predominantly beech and oak forests. The richest forests in terms of species are confined to the Atlantic part. Here the forest-forming species is chestnut. In the undergrowth there is holly oak and berry yew. Beech forests are usually monodominant, dark, and the undergrowth is poorly developed. In transitional climates, beech is replaced by hornbeam and oak. The oak forests are light, with hazel, bird cherry, rowan, barberry, and buckthorn growing in the undergrowth.

Along with forest vegetation, in the zone of broad-leaved forests there are formations of shrubs - heathers on the site of cleared forests (European heather, juniper, gorse, bearberry, blueberry, blueberry). Heather heaths are characteristic of northwestern Great Britain, northern France, and the west of the Jutland Peninsula. On the Baltic coast and North Sea large areas are occupied by pine and pine-oak forests on the dunes.

Vertical zonality is most represented in the Alps and Carpathians. The lower slopes of the mountains up to 600-800 m are occupied by oak-beech forests, giving way to mixed ones, and from 1000-1200 m - spruce-fir forests. The upper border of the forest rises to 1600-1800 m, above which there is a belt of subalpine meadows. At an altitude of 2000-2100 m, alpine meadows with brightly flowering herbs grow.

The main type of soil in deciduous forests is forest brown soil (up to 6-7% humus), which has high fertility. In more humid places, podzolic-brown earths are common, and on limestones - HUMUS-CARBONATE (RENDZINS).

Red deer, roe deer, wild boar, bear. Small ones include squirrel, hare, badger, mink, and ferret. Birds include woodpeckers, tits, and orioles.

Forests in the zone make up 25% of the area. Indigenous oak and beech forests have not survived. They were replaced by secondary plantations, coniferous forests, wastelands, and arable lands. Reforestation work.

FOREST-STEPPE ZONES have a limited distribution and occupy the Danube plains. Almost no natural vegetation has been preserved. On the Middle Danube Plain, in the past, areas of broad-leaved forests alternated with steppes (pushta), now the plain is plowed. Chernozem soils and favorable climatic conditions contribute to the development of agriculture, gardening, and viticulture.

On the Lower Danube Plain, where there is less moisture, the landscapes are close to the Ukrainian and South Russian steppes. Zonal soil type - leached chernozems. IN eastern parts they are replaced by dark chestnut soils, also plowed.

The SUBTROPICAL BELT is somewhat smaller in area than the temperate one. Radiation balance 55-70 kcal/cm2 per year. In winter, the belt is dominated by polar masses, and in summer by tropical masses. Precipitation decreases from coastal areas inland. The consequence is a change in natural zones not in the latitudinal, but in the meridional direction. Horizontal zoning is complicated by vertical zoning in the mountains.

The southern part of Foreign Europe is located in the Atlantic sector of the belt, where the climate is seasonally humid, Mediterranean. Minimum precipitation in summer. Under conditions of prolonged summer drought, plants acquire xerophytic characteristics. The Mediterranean is characterized by a ZONE OF EVERGREEN LEAF FORESTS AND SHRUBS. The forest formations are dominated by oak: in the western part there is cork and holm oak, in the eastern part there is Macedonian and Walloon oak. They are mixed with Mediterranean pine (Italian, Aleppo, seaside) and horizontal cypress. In the undergrowth are laurel, boxwood, myrtle, cistus, pistachio, and strawberry tree. Forests have been destroyed and have not been regenerated due to grazing, soil erosion, and fires. Shrub thickets have become widespread, the composition of which depends on the amount of precipitation, topography, and soils.

In a marine climate, MAKVIS is widespread, which includes shrubs and low (up to 4 m) trees: tree heather, wild olive, laurel, pistachio, strawberry tree, juniper. Shrubs intertwined climbing plants: multi-colored blackberries, mustachioed clematis.

In areas of the continental climate of the Western Mediterranean, on rocky mountain slopes with intermittent soil cover, GARRIGA is common - sparsely growing low shrubs, subshrubs and xerophytic herbs. Low-growing thickets of garrigue are widely found on the mountain slopes of southern France and the east of the Iberian and Apennine peninsulas, where shrubby kermes oak, prickly gorse, rosemary, and orchard tree predominate.

The Balearic Islands, Sicily and the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula are characterized by thickets of PALMITO, formed by the only wild palm tree, Hamerops, with a short trunk and large fan leaves.

In the interior parts of the Iberian Peninsula, the TOMILLARY formation is developed from aromatic subshrubs: lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme in combination with herbs.

In the eastern Mediterranean, FRIGANA is found on dry rocky slopes. It includes astragalus, spurge, gorse, thyme, and acantholimon.

In the east of the Balkan Peninsula, in conditions of hot summers and rather cold winters, SHIBLJAK predominates, formed mainly by deciduous shrubs: barberry, hawthorn, thorn, jasmine, rose hips. The southern ones are mixed in with them: dwarf tree, mackerel, wild almond, pomegranate.

Evergreen subtropical vegetation is confined to the plains and lower parts of the mountains up to a height of 300 m in the north of the zone and 900 m in the south. Deciduous trees grow up to an altitude of 1200 m. broadleaf forests: from downy oak, sycamore, chestnut, silver linden, ash, walnut. Often pine grows in the middle mountains: black, Dalmatian, coastal, armored. Higher up, with increasing humidity, dominance passes to beech-fir forests, which from 2000 m give way to conifers - Norway spruce, white fir, Scots pine. The upper zone is occupied by shrub and herbaceous vegetation - juniper, barberry, and grasses (bluegrass, bromegrass, white grass).

In the zone of evergreen hard-leaved forests and shrubs, brown and gray-brown soils (up to 4-7% humus) with high productivity are formed. On the weathering crust of limestones, red-colored soils develop - TERRA ROSS. Mountain-brown leached soils are common in the mountains. There are podzols suitable only for pastures. The fauna has been greatly exterminated. Mammals include the civet genet, porcupine, mouflon ram, fallow deer, and local species of red deer. Reptiles and amphibians predominate: lizards (gecko), chameleons, snakes, snakes, vipers. A rich world of birds: griffon vulture, Spanish and rock sparrow, blue magpie, mountain partridge, flamingo, rock thrush. High population density. Plowed lands are confined to coastal plains and intermountain basins. Main crops: olives, walnuts, pomegranate, tobacco, grapes, citrus fruits, wheat.

Climate, natural zones of Eurasia.

Climate.

The climatic features of Eurasia are determined by the huge size of the continent, its large extent from north to south, the diversity of the prevailing air masses, as well as the specific structural features of its surface relief and the influence of the oceans.

Natural areas.

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

IN temperate zone Large areas include zones of coniferous forests (taiga), mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, broad-leaved forests, forest-steppes and steppes, semi-deserts and deserts.

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

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

Zone deciduous forests also does not form a continuous strip. In Europe, it stretches from the Atlantic to the Volga. As the climate becomes more continental, moving from west to east, beech forests are replaced by oak forests. In the east of the continent, broad-leaved forests have been mostly cut down.

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

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

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

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

Zone monsoon evergreen mixed forests expressed in the Pacific sector of the subtropical belt. The climatic conditions here are different: precipitation falls mainly in the summer - during the growing season. The forests are ancient.

Subequatorial belt covers the peninsulas of Hindustan, Indochina and the north of the Philippine Islands. In this belt different conditions hydration. The zone of subequatorial forests stretches along the western coasts of the peninsulas and receives up to 2000 mm of precipitation per year. The forests here are multi-tiered and distinguished by a variety of species composition (palm trees, ficus, bamboos). Zonal soils are red-yellow ferralitic. Zones seasonally wet monsoon forests, shrub savannas and woodlands present where precipitation decreases.

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

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

Lesson summary “Climate, natural zones of Eurasia.” Next topic: