Australia: natural areas. Australia Paint the natural areas of mainland Australia with different colors

Natural areas of Australia.

Goals:

1.Introduce students to the features of the natural area.

2. Show the relationship using the example of a natural area natural ingredients.

3.Develop skills in working with sources of geographical knowledge (atlases, maps)

4. Instill a love of nature.

Equipment: atlases, maps: physical Australia, natural areas map of plants and animals of the world.

During the classes.

1.Organizing moment:

One of Jules Verne’s heroes in the novel “The Children of Captain Grant” described this continent as follows: “...This region is the most curious on the globe! Its appearance, plants, climate - all this surprised and will still surprise... The most bizarre, most illogical country that has ever existed!

There are traces of wingless birds in the thickets,

There cats get snakes for food,

Animals are born from eggs,

And there the dogs don't know how to bark,

The trees themselves climb out of the bark,

There rabbits are worse than a flood...

(G. Usova).

I would like to invite you to go on an absentee trip to Australia.

During which we will learn how the organic world of this continent differs from other continents, we will discover something new and interesting. - Nature has created a huge reserve in Australia, where many animals close to those that inhabited the Earth in ancient times have been preserved. The organic world of Australia is unique and original: 75% of plant species and 95% of animals in Australia are endemic. There are 162 species of marsupials in Australia. But monkeys and ungulates are not found, plants with juicy fruits, there is not a single domesticated plant or animal. Oviparous and milk-feeding organisms live in Australia and are not found anywhere else on Earth. Why?

I am sure that at the end of the lesson we will be able to solve this problem.

Topic Natural areas of Australia

Target

Let's remember the definition of a natural area?

(A natural zone is a large natural complex that has common temperature and moisture conditions, soils, vegetation and fauna).

Well, we decided to travel...

Where does any journey begin?

From studying the address of the mainland where you want to go. Is not it? So tell us about the geographical location of Australia?

When we go on a trip, we need to know the weather forecast, for which we use the knowledge about the climate of the continent obtained in the previous lesson. You already know in which climate zones Australia is located (students name them) and can independently characterize each of these zones.

(Characteristic climatic conditions).

Open the atlases and try to determine which natural zones may be located in a particular climate zone?

(in the course of their work, they identify cause-and-effect relationships between climate and the location of natural zones).

Then the teacher asks to open the atlases and compare maps: the climatic and natural zones of Australia.

As a result of the comparison, students come to the conclusion that the placement of natural zones is primarily influenced by precipitation. The boundaries of natural zones almost completely coincide with the boundaries of the average annual precipitation. This suggests that there is a close connection between climatic regions and natural zones.

At the request of the teacher, they list all the natural areas of Australia.

Draw the boundaries of natural areas on a contour map

Look at the pattern we see: the location of natural areas in Australia obeys the law of latitudinal zonation?

Which natural area occupies the largest area?

Check frontally.

The student, at the request of the teacher, summarizes: “Most of the continent is occupied by tropical deserts and savannas; within Australia, the change in natural zones obeys the law of latitudinal zonation.”

The journey around Australia begins. We will visit you in different natural areas of the mainland

We will record our observations in our notebooks,

which will serve as our logbooks.

So are you ready? Then let's go!

1. Let's start with the southeast of Australia, which is located in the zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs.

There are atlases in front of you, open them and see what climate zone this zone is in, and what soils are common in it? (data is recorded in a table).

Teacher's story

So, we found out that the southeast of the continent has the most favorable climate and fairly fertile soils, which is why this area of the continent is the most populated and developed. Eucalyptus forests predominate here, with evergreen beech found in the far south. But most of these forests were cleared with the arrival of Europeans and now grow there: fruit trees, oaks, poplars, cereals and other species. Many forests have been destroyed by fires, which often occur here during dry periods. Animals brought here: rabbits, foxes, rats pushed aside or exterminated local species of animals. In general, the flora and fauna of Australia have been greatly modified by humans, especially in the most populated areas. The forests of Australia are home to green parrots, whose numbers have also declined greatly since it became fashionable to have them in European homes. Apprentice eucalyptus

Watching a movie.

Filling out the table.

Australian tropical rainforest:

1. This forest is somewhat different from other forests. The trees are 40-50 meters high and grow so close to each other that their foliage forms a dense canopy, blocking access to the sun's rays. Therefore, the grass cover here is scanty, and instead of it there is a thick layer of rotting leaves, branches, and tree trunks on the ground.

2. Creeping plants twine around the branches and trunks of trees, powerful vines hang from them. The abundance of epiphytic, fern-like, orchids, and lichens is striking. The fallen trees seem to be shrouded coat. The humidity is very high.

3. They grow here Kauri pine, araucaria, red cedar, maple, Australian walnut, eucalyptus, casuarina. The most interesting tree here is the banyan tree. Its seeds are scattered by birds, and they, getting stuck in the branches, germinate and put down roots, which, intertwined, entangle their owner and choke, taking his place.

4. Koalas are also found here. The koala is a distant relative of the wombat, and even more distantly related to the kangaroo and opossum: all of them are marsupials. Koalas do not drink at all, so the name of this animal is translated as non-drinker of water. They feed exclusively on the foliage of certain types of eucalyptus trees. Their life is spent mostly in limbo; they are quite lazy and only occasionally come down to earth. The koala has thick, warm and very wearable fur, because of which a huge number of individuals were exterminated, and now they are under state protection.

Students fill out the table as the story progresses.

Teacher's story:

3. Imagine that we will travel through the next natural area of savannas and woodlands by bus, and I will act as a guide and briefly talk about it. And at home you will look at it in more detail using the atlas. You can close your eyes, sit back and dream a little, relax while I tell you what we could see from the bus window.

Evergreen eucalyptus trees play the main role in open forests; in drier places, acacias and casuarinas are mixed in with them. The trees are located at a great distance from each other and therefore do not shade the thick green carpet of local grasses: “blue grass”, “Mitchell grass”, “kangaroo grass”, “Flinders grass”. General form The savannah changes greatly with the seasons. During the dry season, life here freezes, the soil dries out and cracks, the leaves become covered with dust, acquiring a deathly hue. And with the first rains, lush grass and bright flowers appear. The dense grass grows up to 1.5 meters and serves as nutritious food for animals. The main representative of the fauna of savannas and woodlands is kangaroo

koala

4..And now, finally, we have reached the most sultry and lifeless zone of Australia - the desert and semi-desert zone. Fill out the table yourself, using the text and atlas.

3/4 of the continent's area is occupied by deserts. What is this connected with? (students associate this with the arid climate, find out how much precipitation falls within this zone). There are no deserts in the world like Australian ones. Sandy deserts formed as a result of the destruction of ancient ferruginous parent rock are especially unique. That's why they are red-brown in color. The slopes and tops of the sandy ridges are overgrown with clumps of spinifex - a holly grass; in some places there are thorny bushes of acacias, eucalyptus, and casuarinas. The surface of rocky deserts is covered with specific Australian species of quinoa and saltwort, alternating with dense, impenetrable thickets of bushes - scrubs . (for the more curious, the teacher writes the name of scrubs made from eucalyptus and acacia on the board). The vegetation of semi-deserts is somewhat richer: hard turf grasses, wormwood and solyanka, continuous thickets of shrubby acacias and eucalyptus. The fauna of deserts is poor. There are only poisonous snakes, frilled lizards, insects, and various species live in semi-deserts kangaroo , the emu, a wild dog, the dingo, which has contributed significantly to the decline of the kangaroo population, as have humans.

6. Consolidation of knowledge acquired in the lesson.

Teacher: And now I suggest you listen to the text and find any mistakes in it.

Forests are located mainly on west Australia, they have many species monkeys , which feed on the leaves of numerous eucalyptus trees andbreadfruit trees. Parrots live in the forests of Australia. Savannahs occupy a very small area on the mainland.semi-deserts and deserts. Among the continuous thickets of bushes they slowly make their way koalas . Deserts don't seem so lifeless after all... like oases there you meet at every step.

Test:

1. Monkeys and ungulates live on the mainland of Australia.

2. Koalas only eat eucalyptus leaves.

3. Skreb – a forest consisting of tall trees.

4. Eucalyptus forests are light, as the leaves are turned edge-on to the sun.

5. Platypus and echidna are oviparous mammals.

6. The largest area in Australia is occupied by forests.

7. The Dingo dog benefits agriculture.

8. The kangaroo is depicted on the national flag of Australia.

9. There are many endemics in Australia.

10. Australia has long been separated from other continents, its organic world developed in isolation.

Teacher's Word:

As we conclude our journey, I would like to ask you to pay attention to how man has influenced and changed the nature of Australia. Firstly, the forest area is rapidly declining. Secondly, 75% of the continent's territory is now subject to desertification. Thirdly, some animal species have been completely exterminated, while others are on the verge of extinction. The flora also suffered from economic activity and introduction of a person into wildlife this unique part of the world. And despite all this, only about 2% of the country's land fund is protected areas. Until now, the efforts of conservationists in this country are in constant conflict with the interests of monopolies, and Australian scientists have expressed fears that the nature of the continent could be sacrificed to them!

D.Z.paragraph

Ratings

Natural area	Climate type	Climate Features			Vegetation	The soil	Animal world
Natural area	Climate type	Jan.	July	Total precipitation	Vegetation	The soil	Animal world
Permanently wet forests MOVIE	Tropical humid continental and subtropical monsoon			1000	Eucalyptus , palm trees, tree ferns, pandanus, flindersia, orchids, araucaria.	Red-yellow ferralite	koala, couscous, tree kangaroo, marsupials: wombat, pademelons, marsupial tiger cats and pygmy possums.
Savannas, woodlands and shrubs	Subequatorial continental and tropical continental				Eucalyptus woodlands, grasses, acacias, casaurines	Brown, red-brown and brown savannas	Marmot, echidna, kangaroo mice, giant kangaroo , wombat, marsupial mole, emu.
Deserts and semi-deserts MYSELF	Tropical continental				Mitchell's grass, triodia, plectrahne, shuttlebeard	Desert sandy and rocky	Emu, frilled lizard, snakes, kangaroo, dingo dog
Stiffleaf evergreen forests and bushes I + STUDENT	Subtropical Mediterranean climate				Low-growing species of eucalyptus, thickets of thorny acacias, saltwort, saltpeter, quinoa	Brown

create a thematic quiz, crossword puzzle about the uniqueness of flora and fauna, or more serious tasks - tests, geographical dictation. Write down your choice.

In Australia, landscape zoning is well defined. Natural zones gradually replace one another as temperatures and precipitation patterns change. This is facilitated by the flat nature of the continent's topography and the absence of distinct orographic boundaries on it.

The main part of Australia lies in tropical latitudes, so natural zones of the tropical zone are widespread on the mainland. Among them, zones of tropical deserts and semi-deserts have received the greatest development. In the north, semi-deserts give way to zones of savannas, woodlands and shrubs.

In the south, the zone of tropical deserts is framed by a zone of subtropical deserts. In the southwest there is a zone of Mediterranean dry forests and shrubs, in the southeast there is a zone of humid subtropical forests.

Forest zones of the tropical and subtropical zones stretch along the windward slopes of the Great Dividing Range.

Thus, in tropical Australia, natural zones are located in semi-concentric arcs around a tropical desert zone occupying the extra-arid regions of inland Australia.

In the subtropical zone, the zones extend submeridianally, and their set is quite wide (from east to west): the zone of humid subtropical forests, forest-steppes and steppes, semi-deserts and the Mediterranean.

In Australia, all types of soils characteristic of the equatorial-tropical space and subtropical geographical zone are common. In the area of tropical rainforests in the north and especially in the northeast, red-yellow ferrallitic soils and their variations along the slopes of the ridges are developed.

In wet savannas they are replaced by red ferrallitic soils, and in drier places by red-brown soils. Tropical black soils formed on the weathered lavas of the Great Dividing Range, and mountain-meadow varieties formed in the Australian Alps. Primitive soils of tropical deserts, often saline, are also widespread. In semi-deserts, under thickets of thorny bushes and low-growing trees with small leathery foliage, red-brown soils are developed.

In the southwest of the continent, brown and gray-brown soils predominate. And in the forests of the southeast, brown and yellow-brown forest soils are common.

The continent's flora belongs to the Australian plant kingdom. The beginning of the formation of flora dates back to the Mesozoic. Since the middle of the Cenozoic era, Australia has been isolated from other continents. On the territory of Australia there were 2 centers of flora formation: Western and Eastern, between which there was a sea before the beginning of the Anthropocene. Currently, there are more endemics in the east (New South Wales) and north-west (Queensland). In the flora of the west and east of the continent, only 10% of the species are common.

The first feature of the Australian flora is its antiquity, a high percentage of endemics. Australia is the birthplace of eucalyptus trees, there are 600 species of them, phyloid acacias - 280 species, casuarinas (desert oak) - 25 species.

The second feature of the flora is its strong xerophytic character.

The third feature is that Australia has produced few cultivated plant species.

Australian floristic kingdom. It includes Australia and the neighboring island of Tasmania, as well as some smaller islands. The Australian kingdom occupies a completely isolated position. It is separated from the rest of the land by more or less extensive sea areas.

The flora of Australia is very rich (about 15 thousand species), extremely distinctive, original and contains many ancient plants. The original core of the flora arose as a result of the transformation of elements of the ancient flora distributed on the continent of Gondwana.

Australia has very high endemism at all levels. There are more than 10 endemic families (family Cephalotidae; 1 insectivorous species herbaceous plant whose hunting shells resemble small jugs). From other families: Brunoniaceae, Davidsoniaceae, Tremanderaceae, Biblidaeaceae, Acaniaceae.

There are 570 endemic genera. These include several large genera from the Proteaceae family: Hakea, Verticordia, Conospermum, etc.

The species endemism of the Australian flora is very high. The share of endemic species in general reaches 75-80%.

The Australian flora contains many characteristic families. Among them, we can primarily name the Proteaceae family (most species of this family - more than 700 are concentrated here). Rose-grevillea, hakea, banksia. Representatives of this family have a very peculiar, often bizarre appearance.

The Australian flora contains many representatives of the myrtle family. Species of the genus Callistemon attract attention with their original bright red fluffy cylindrical inflorescences (they look like a bottle brush).

The most characteristic genus of Australia, eucalyptus, also belongs to the myrtle family. There are about 600 species of eucalyptus here. Most of them are trees, but there are also shrubs. Almost all eucalyptus trees are evergreens. The life forms of eucalyptus trees are very diverse, for example, the height of a giant eucalyptus is 100 m, its root system extends 30 m into the ground. The leaves of most eucalyptus trees, positioned edge-on to the sunlight, form a crown that does not shade the soil. However, many eucalyptus trees have the generally spaced foliage and crown characteristic of our deciduous tree species. The bluish-green foliage of eucalyptus trees gives (even the evergreen subtropical forests in southeastern Australia) a somewhat lifeless color; they do not have the bright and fresh color of European forests.

No less characteristic of the landscapes of the mainland are acacias (the legume family) - there are 500 species of them, or half of the species of this genus on Earth.

Acacia grows in a wide variety of conditions: in wet forests, and in deserts. Up to half of Australian acacia species have phyllodes, that is, the petioles have taken on the shape of leaves (flat green petioles of various shapes instead of true leaves). Acacias are evergreen plants. Their inflorescences usually look like small fluffy yellow balls and consist of extremely small individual flowers, almost invisible to the naked eye; these are false mimosa, from which they are distinguished by a larger number of stamens.

One of the reasons for the peculiarities of the flora of the Australian kingdom is the absence of some plant families and larger taxa widespread on other continents. There are no horsetails, bamboos, representatives of the apple subfamily, Rosaceae, heather, begoniaceae, valerian, or tea families. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as “flora defect”.

Wet rainforests- kingdom of dicotyledonous plants. They are most luxurious between 14-19° S. Their luxuriously developed foliage forms a dense forest tent that shades the soil. Characteristic feature tree species This forest consists of plank-shaped roots (buttresses) supporting the trunk of the plant, as well as cauliflory, that is, the development of flowers and inflorescences on trunks and old branches.

The forests of Queensland contain many Malayan types, namely: figs, pandanus, palms, acorns and many epiphytic ferns and orchids (the southern limit of the distribution of palms is the July temperature of + 25 ° C). The Malayan character of the flora is especially pronounced in the northernmost region of Cape York Peninsula, where many genera absent in the rest of Australia can be found, namely pitcher plants (cycads); palms of the genus Caryota (areca); vines (ranunculaceae, lily (wild pepper), rattan palm); epiphytes (ferns).

Among the most remarkable Australian trees are conifers from the genus Araucaria. Some species in Queensland form significant forests.

The coastal region of New South Wales has much the same type of vegetation as southern Queensland, but tropical species become less abundant, and the number of species of true Australian genera such as acacias and eucalypts increases significantly. However, tropical rainforests, with tall palm trees, tree ferns and vines, still retain a typically tropical appearance.

In New South Wales, as elsewhere in Australia, there are many representatives of the family Proteaceae, which reach their maximum development on the mainland. The most common genera are banksia and hakea. Banksias are trees with hard, toothed leaves and large, elongated flower heads.

Further inland, dense tropical rainforests are replaced rare eucalyptus forests with an undergrowth consisting of a variety of small trees and shrubs. All of them have a more or less pronounced xerophytic character.

In Australia deciduous tropical forests almost not represented. Tropical seasonally dry areas are occupied by eucalyptus and acacia woodlands. During the dry season, the well-developed grass cover dries out, but the eucalyptus retains its green foliage.

With further aridization, acacias with phyllodes, that is, with expanded leaf petioles that perform the function of photosynthesis, become more and more noticeable.

Casuarinas with green young shoots and reduced tiny leaves also become landscape plants. These shoots photosynthesize. Outwardly they look like pine needles. The similarity with conifers is complemented by the peculiar “cones” of casuarina. However, these plants belong to one of the oldest representatives of the dicotyledonous family.

In the northeast of the continent, dry acacia woodlands transform into groups characterized by the presence of various low-growing trees with swollen thick trunks called brachychitons (bottle trees). The shrub layer grows densely under the canopy of trees; there is no grass cover. But there are numerous bulbous and tuberous plants, including many beautiful orchids (there are also terrestrial ones) and lilies, which in the spring, together with the abundance of brightly flowering shrubs, present a magnificent picture.

In the interior areas, which are relatively humid, lie savannas - Australian grasslands (grass country). In the land of grasses, the trees with their gray-green foliage are scattered alone. Mixed in with the eucalyptus trees are acacias Mulga and Glacuccia, as well as casuarina, and in the north-west there are peculiar “bottle trees” that have a thick trunk that stores water in the tissues. The savannah soil scorched during the dry season after the first rain into an ocean of fresh grassy vegetation, stirred by the wind like grain fields.

Here grow kangaroo grass, alang-alang, bearded grass, blue grass, Mitchell grass and other grasses, which serve as excellent food for herds of sheep and cattle.

Vast areas of inland Australia (mainly watersheds) are covered with scrub thickets, consisting of thorny, densely intertwined, sometimes completely impenetrable evergreen shrubs. Eucalyptus scrub - Mallee scrub consists primarily of low-growing species of eucalyptus and is distributed from south-west Australia to the southern Murray Basin. The thickets have a deathly bluish-green color. The leaves of the mallee scrub are hard and stand on an edge (they do not provide shade). The soil under the scraper is covered with sparse tufts of dry-loving grasses. This scrub is brightened only by a variety of immortelle plants from the Asteraceae.

Much more impassable and even dangerous for a traveler is the “mulga-scrape”, consisting of continuous thickets of thorny acacias reaching 4 m in height. This is a typical scrub of the desert zone of Australia, where no more than 250 mm of precipitation falls per year. It occupies vast areas to the north of the distribution of the mallee scrape. Interspersed with other plant associations, mulga scrub extends from western Australia to the eastern lowland drainage plains region. It has almost no grass cover; gray saltworts occasionally grow under it.

In the eastern part of the continent, between the 20th and 33rd parallels, they alternate with light eucalyptus forests of the so-called "Brigalow Scrub"- small forests consisting of acacias with silver-bluish foliage, mixed with low eucalyptus trees.

The Great Sandy Desert, the rocky and sandy Gibson Desert and the monotonous Victorian Sandy Desert are covered with bushy thickets of spinifex - a holly, prickly grass whose stems lift from the soil to form wind-blown tumbleweeds. Spinifex, growing on shifting sands, anchors them. Thickets of this grass, rising in bushes up to 0.5-1.5 m in diameter, thanks to their prickly leaves, sometimes make movement in deserts extremely difficult. Triodia grass is common in the west. Species of the genus Triodia have very strong and spiny needle-shaped leaves and grow in the form of rather large rounded cushions. These plants are called “hedgehog grass.”

Subtropical deserts of Australia: spinifex and triodic. The Nullarbor Plain in the south of the mainland in the subtropical zone, as the name itself (“treeless”) indicates, has absolutely no woody vegetation. The soil is covered with quinoa bushes or solyanka, forming an open cover reaching 1-1.5 m in height. This is the so-called saltwort bush or blue bush, as it has a bluish tint. This vegetation is readily eaten by sheep.

In the driest regions of Australia, the Great Britain, rains fall rarely and are not confined to any particular season of the year; communities of subshrubs belonging to family of gonopods. Dominated by 2 subshrubs - quinoa vesica And Kochia sedumfolia. Both plants usually form clean thickets. Kochia grows better in areas with a more humid climate. Because of its greenish-blue color, the plant is locally known as "blue bush".

The vegetation of the south-west of Australia is unique - the Mediterranean zone - this is a land of endemics. It is dominated by light forests of eucalyptus, herbaceous tree (xanthorrhoea), casuarina and proteaceae.

In the wettest areas the forest is formed eucalyptus multicolored, which is locally called "curry". This is a tall tree (up to 70-80 m) with a loose crown and a variegated trunk (orange-pink spots are scattered on a grayish-white background). The karri forest is very light, bushes grow luxuriantly under the trees, and a thick herbaceous cover develops on the soil.

In drier areas the forest is dominated by eucalyptus fringed, or "jarrah", which is also called "mahogany". Its height is much less - usually 15-40 m (maximum 40 m). This is primarily a forest of endemics: 82% of the plants that form its undergrowth are found nowhere else. There are no palm trees in these forests. They are especially rich in species of Proteaceae (376 species), which produce bright, variedly colored flowers that decorate these forests. The eucalyptus forests of southwest Australia contain a wide variety of acacias and members of the Proteaceae family, especially the various species of the genus Banksia.

Not uncommon here grass trees. Typical representatives of the undergrowth of these forests are: tree lily ( Xanthorhoea). It has a dense dark lignified stem from 6 to 9 m in height, on which rises a bunch of narrow and long coarse herbaceous leaves, exceeding 1 m in length. Its inflorescence (cob) reaches 3 m in height. For Western Australia characterized by an abundance of beautiful terrestrial orchids, typical Australian genera, many species of sundews.

It is noteworthy that most trees and shrubs of the local forest can reproduce by seeds only after fires. Thus, the woody fruits of banksias that fall to the ground open only after exposure to fire, and herbaceous trees do not bloom until the fire passes.

In Australia subtropical rainforests are located in a narrow strip on the southeastern coast of the continent and in the lower belt of the mountains of the Great Dividing Range (up to an altitude of 1200 m). Various species of eucalyptus trees are abundant in these forests. Some of them are like eucalyptus almond, reach a height of 70-80 m; other species up to 150 m, with a trunk diameter of 10 m.

Trees from the genus have a smaller height Eugenia australis, fan palm, southern Levistona.

The plant life inside the eucalyptus forest is extremely rich. There are many tree ferns (their greenery is patterned, bright, fresh), including bearded fern. The trees of the lower tiers are often intertwined with vines.

The trunk and branches of eucalyptus trees are covered with epiphytes, among them the most striking fern antler , some of the wide fronds of which look like bowls where humus and rainwater accumulate. Many epiphytes bloom with bright flowers, such as orchids.

Antarctic species already take part in the formation of the vegetation cover of Tasmania. The main plant background here is formed by eucalyptus trees; some of these species were transferred to Europe. Antarctic species include evergreen southern beech and conifers (phylocladius, rhodocarpus). These forests are decorated with tree ferns, which are an essential element of the vegetation cover of Tasmania. On the trunks and branches of trees there are thickets of epiphytes, evergreen mosses and ferns. Flowering epiphytes are almost absent

Exceptionally unique animal world Australia. The fauna of the mainland is also distinguished by its great antiquity and endemism and has a pronounced relict character (90% of them are found only in Australia). However, the diversity of animal species is small. They form Australian faunal region. The most characteristic feature of the fauna of Australia is the wide distribution of low-organized mammals: monotremes, or cloacals (families of platypuses and echidnas); marsupials

Marsupials gave an extraordinary diversity of convergent (having similar characteristics) species corresponding to the biological types of higher mammals (marsupial predators, rodents, climbers, insectivores, herbivores). Especially numerous and diverse are kangaroos, which have been greatly exterminated by humans and the dingo dog, which came to Australia with humans and went wild.

Also characteristic couscous, marsupial bear koala, marsupial wombat, mole, badger and anteater. The fauna of reptiles and insects is unique in Australia.

Birds are endemic Australian ostrich emu, cassowaries, weedy (big-legged) chickens, honey plants; also live lyrebirds, various parrots, variegated and brightly colored birds of paradise.

The ponds are home to Australian crocodiles and turtles. Many different snakes and lizards.

Bibliography.

Physical geography of continents and oceans: tutorial for students higher ped. textbook establishments / T.V. Vlasova, M.A. Arshinova, T.A. Kovaleva. - M.: Publishing center "Academy", 2007.
Mikhailov N.I. Physiographic zoning. M.: Moscow State University Publishing House, 1985.
Markov K.K. Introduction to physical geography M.: Higher school, 1978

The flora and fauna of the Australian continent is unusual in nature. This is a consequence of the fact that the state for a long time was in an isolated state from the penetration and subsequent colonization of people. A lot of plants and animals are endemic (they cannot be found anywhere in the world). Mammals are rare here. To a greater extent, you can find species that are not found in other states. These include marsupials. In Australia they are represented by approximately one hundred and sixty species. To representatives flora include eucalyptus (about six hundred species), the acacia family (about 500 species), and casuarina. There are no cultivated plants of value to the rest of the world to be found here.

The continent is located in four climatic zones. It contains subequatorial, temperate, and other climatic zones. Temperature and precipitation affect climate change in natural areas. The terrain is flat. Most of the island is tropical. For this reason, deserts and semi-deserts have developed best. They occupy almost half of the entire state of Australia.

Australian natural areas

Savannas with open forests stretch across vast areas in the tropics and subequatorial zone. The continent is home to devastated, wet savannas. They extend in areas with red, brown, brown earth colors. From North to South, soils alternate with each other in subequatorial latitude, and in the tropics they change from east to west. Savannah consists of an area covered with bearded vulture grass, individual trees, groves of eucalyptus, and bottle tree. In the depths of the island there are bushes that are small in height and armed with sharp thorns. They are called scrubs. They consist of acacias that are not susceptible to drought, eucalyptus, and casuarinas.

Kangaroos are very common animals in the savannah. They are red, gray, similar in appearance to a hare, wombats, and wallabies. Birds, deprived of the ability to fly, are ubiquitous. These include the Australian bustard, cassowary, and emu. A parrot with feather colors similar to sea waves, hatches chicks in the forest where eucalyptus grows. Often there are structures of termite colonies - termite mounds.

About sixty different species of kangaroo live on the mainland. Distinctive feature is the absence of herbivorous ungulates. Kangaroos living here in huge numbers are a kind of replacement for them. The born baby of a female kangaroo is absolutely helpless and defenseless. For this reason, from the moment of his birth, he climbs into his mother’s pouch and she carries him to full development. The bursa is a fold located on the female's abdomen. Having climbed into it, the cub stays here for six to eight months. He receives nutrition from his mother's milk. An adult kangaroo can weigh about ninety kilograms and grow up to one and a half meters in height. The physique of kangaroos allows them to jump a distance of ten to twelve meters in length. The speed of movement across the terrain can reach up to fifty kilometers per hour. Images of the emu and kangaroo are on the coat of arms of Australia.

Desert and semi-desert zones are located in the center of the continent. The Australian state has an unofficial name - “desert continent”. On its territory are the Gibson, Sandy, and Victoria deserts. They are located in the West of the state. Open forests of casuarinas are located next to semi-desert river beds, which contain stone and sandstone. In desert areas, “cushions” of the spinifex grass have become widespread. Places devoid of vegetation and wildlife consist of stone, clay, and sandstone.

In the south of the continent in the subtropics, semi-deserts and deserts are located in the plain. It is called Nullarborn. Their formation occurred under the influence of a subtropical continental climate in brown and gray earth. In addition to cereals, here you can see plants represented by wormwood and solyanka, but vegetation of wood and shrubs is not represented.

Representatives of fauna in desert and semi-desert soils have adapted to extreme conditions. High temperatures in the scorching sun and lack of sufficient water for the body to function can kill all living things. However, local representatives of the fauna, for their safety and in order to avoid exposure to sunlight, bury themselves as deep as possible in the ground. These techniques are used by the kangaroo rat, the marsupial jerboa, and the marsupial mole. Some individuals, such as the dingo dog and kangaroo, can move considerable distances to obtain food and drink. One of the most poisonous snakes on Earth, the Taipan, finds refuge in a rock crack.

The areas of variable-humid forests completed their formation in geographical zones (temperate, subtropical, tropics, subequatorial). On the continental area in the North-Eastern part there are subequatorial variable-humid forests. There are a lot of ferns, ficus, pandanus, and palm trees growing in this place.

The green forests of the tropics grow south of 20 south latitude. It has a very humid, tropical climate. Ficuses, palms, beeches, and silver trees are being replaced by Australian cedars and araucarias.

In the north of the island of Tasmania and in the southeast of the mainland they are replaced by humid and subtropical forests. Araucarias, agathis, podocarpus, beeches grow in mountains and forest soils. On the slopes of the Great Dividing Range they are replaced by eucalyptus woodlands. In the south of Tasmania there are temperate forests.

The coat of arms of Australia is the Eucalyptus plant. Its leaves have a bizarre rib-shaped shape. For this reason, Eucalyptus crowns are not able to cast a shadow around themselves. The development of its root system is impressive. So the roots of a tree are able to extract water from a depth of up to thirty meters. Because of these features, the tree is planted wherever there is waterlogged soil. It is used in the medical and woodworking industries as a medicine for diseases and a building material.

In the mainland southwest with a Mediterranean climate, hard-leaved woodlands and shrubs are widespread, and scrub trees grow in the center of Australia.

In the forest, animals are represented in great diversity. A lot of people live here a large number of marsupials such as kangaroo, marsupial bear, marsupial marten. Among the birds you can find the lyrebird, cockatoo parrot, bird of paradise and many other forest inhabitants. Snakes and lizards are represented by the amethyst python and the giant monitor lizard. On rivers, as well as on other bodies of water, crocodiles wait for their prey.

Environmental problems in Australia

During the colonization of Australia, about forty percent of its natural forests were destroyed. Forests in the tropics have been greatly affected. The elimination of natural forest cover has led to soil degradation and deterioration of living conditions for animals and plants. Considerable damage Australian fauna brought by rabbits brought by Europeans. The final result of human economic and other activities on the flora and fauna of Australia was the destruction of eight hundred species of animals.

Today, global warming has a much stronger impact on the continent than in the past. Due to decreased rainfall, forest fires are increasing. The water level in the rivers has dropped noticeably. All this leads to desertification of fertile soils. To make the situation worse, about ninety million hectares of land are being affected by livestock grazing in the fertile continent.

One of the pressing problems today is the insufficient amount of water in Australia. Previously, this problem was solved by pumping water from deep wells. Nowadays, the water level in artesian wells has dropped significantly. All this leads to the fact that the continent was forced to introduce measures to conserve water use and preserve it in every possible way.

An option on the path to preserving nature in its natural state was that natural areas under protection. These lands occupy about 11% of the entire continent. The most widespread park is Kosciuszko. It is located in the Australian Alps. In the northern part of the state there is one of the largest parks in the world, Kakadu Park. In it, wetlands are taken under state protection. They serve as a place for rare birds to live. Here you can also visit the cave labyrinths, which have very ancient Aboriginal paintings on their walls inside. Numerous forests of eucalyptus plants and majestic mountain landscapes are found in the park called the Blue Mountains. The state also took under its protection the preservation of desert territories. The Victoria Desert and Simpson Desert parks were created in these places. A monolith of considerable size and sacred to the aborigines, called Ayers Rock, was taken under the protection of UNESCO. Underwater is the Barrier Reef, an incredible park of corals. In it, diving underwater, you can observe a large variety of corals. There are about five hundred species here.

A serious threat, in addition to the release of waste into waters near the coast and poachers destroying sea inhabitants, is the “crown of thorns” (starfish). She feeds on polyps and causes environment harm. Increased ocean water temperatures due to global warming are causing the death of corals.

In conclusion, I would like to note that Australia is a unique place in its nature and location. In it you can still find animals and plants that do not exist anywhere else in the world. However, climate change and human economic activity can cause enormous harm to this protected corner of the Earth. In order to prevent further deterioration of the environmental situation on the continent, the state took a measure to protect eleven percent of its territory.

Humid and variable humid zone equatorial forests

The zone of humid and variable-humid equatorial forests is located north of 20° N. w. Dense tropical forests are typical for the entire eastern region of the mainland. It has a tropical monsoon climate.

In the zone of equatorial forests, the soil cover is represented by red-yellow ferrallitic and red lateritic soils. Laurel trees, palm trees, ficus trees, pandanuses, and tree ferns grow on these soils. The most common are giant eucalyptus and rattan palms.

Note 1

Eucalyptus is a symbol of Australia; there are more than 300 species in the country. The trees of the Great Dividing Range reach enormous heights. Eucalyptus grows quickly and in 35 years can reach the height of a 200-year-old oak tree. Sometimes eucalyptus trees reach a height of 150 m. The trees have powerful roots and draw moisture from the very depths.

The lower tier is represented by orchids and ferns.

Figure 1. Eucalyptus forests of Australia. Author24 - online exchange of student works

The fauna is diverse. There are many climbing animals: koala (marsupial bear), tree kangaroo, wombat, tiger cat. Platypuses and black swans live along the rivers. The avifauna is diverse: cassowaries, budgerigars, lyrebirds, parrots, birds of paradise. Weed chickens are endemic to Australia.

Finished works on a similar topic

Course work Natural areas of Australia 420 rub.
Essay Natural areas of Australia 250 rub.
Test Natural areas of Australia 200 rub.

South of 20ºS w. Evergreen tropical forests are located. They are characterized by yellow soils and red soils, which are formed in a humid tropical climate. Evergreen trees (palms, ficus, silverwood, Australian cedar) are entwined with epiphytes and vines. Australian araucaria and Australian cedar are also found.

In the southeastern regions of the continent and in the north of the island of Tasmania there are subtropical variable-humid forests. Mountain brown forest soils. Southern beeches, eucalyptus, agathis, podocarpus, and araucaria grow on them.

Temperate forests are found only in the far south of the island of Tasmania.

Hardleaf forest zone

Hardleaf forests subtropical zone grow in the southwestern regions of Australia. The climate is Mediterranean. The soils are predominantly red and red-brown. Typical plants of the natural area are low-growing eucalyptus, solyanka, cereals, and acacia. Eucalyptus forests with xanthorrhea are common, and they are replaced by scrubs towards the center of the continent.

The hard-leaved forests are inhabited by the Dingo dog, wombat, and various species of snakes and lizards. This is the kingdom of marsupials: marsupial squirrel, tree kangaroo, marsupial bear, marsupial marten. Lots of birds: bird of paradise, lyrebird, cockatoos, kookaburras, weed chickens. The territory is inhabited by a giant monitor lizard and an amethyst python. Narrow-snouted crocodiles are found in rivers.

Zone of savannas and tropical woodlands

Savannas and tropical woodlands occupy a large area on the continent and resemble parks. Savannas and woodlands cover the Central Lowland and the Carpentarian Plain in an arc.

The climate is subequatorial and tropical. Savannah - open spaces, having a herbaceous cover of alang-alang, bearded vulture, individual groves and trees (eucalyptus, casuarina, acacia, Gregory baobab). Among the dense tall grasses rise acacias, eucalyptus trees, bottle tree, casuarinas. The bottle tree is distinctive feature savannah of Australia.

In Australia, the following types of savannas are distinguished (depending on the degree of moisture):

wet (red soils);
typical (red-brown soils);
desertified (red-brown soils).

They replace each other in subequatorial latitudes from north to south, in tropical latitudes - in the east-west direction, as humidity decreases.

Note 2

Scrabs are thickets of thorny, hard-leaved, densely intertwined, often completely impenetrable evergreen xerophytic shrubs of acacias, eucalyptus, myrtle and legumes. The thickets reach a height of 1-2 meters. In the driest areas the scrub consists only of scrub eucalyptus. In more humid (tropical) areas, scrubs made from sickle-leaved acacia are common.

Savannas are the main wheat growing areas on the continent. Large areas are occupied by pastures.

In places where there are significant food supplies, kangaroos (gray, red, wallaby, hare) live. Marsupial kangaroos can reach up to 3 m in height. The variety of fauna is small: anteater, wild dog dingo, echidna, emu, wombat, bustard, cassowary, budgerigars. Lots of termites.

Deserts and semi-deserts

Deserts and semi-deserts occupy large areas of the interior of Australia (almost 50% of the entire continent). The climate is tropical (continental).

Largest desert areas:

Victoria Desert. The largest desert on the continent - 424 thousand square meters. km.
Tanami. Characterized by average precipitation levels. Due to the intense heat, precipitation quickly evaporates. Gold is mined in the desert.
Sandy desert. The second largest desert on the continent. Here it is national park Ayres Rock.
Simpson Desert. Most arid desert continent. Famous for its red sands.
Gibson Desert. The soil cover is heavily weathered. Rich in iron.

In a tropical continental climate, the Western Australian Plateau is dominated by tropical semi-deserts and deserts. Woodlands of casuarinas stretch along river beds in sandy and rocky semi-deserts. Salt-tolerant species of eucalyptus and acacia and quinoa thickets grow in the depressions of clayey semi-deserts. The “pillows” of the spinifex grass are characteristic.

Common soil types in semi-deserts and deserts:

gray soils;
rocky;
clayey;
sandy.

In the south of the continent in the subtropics, semi-deserts and deserts occupy the Murray-Darling Lowlands and the Nullarbor Plain. These territories are formed under conditions of a subtropical continental climate on gray-brown and brown semi-desert soils. There is no tree and shrub vegetation; against the background of rare dry cereals, there are saltworts and wormwood.

Animals are adapted to life in conditions of low moisture and high temperatures. Some burrow underground (marsupial jerboa, marsupial mole, kangaroo rat), others can travel considerable distances (Dingo dog, kangaroo).

Small-leaved grasses and blackberry grow on the shifting sands. The emu, poisonous snakes (the asp snake, tiger snake and taipan are especially numerous), lizards, and locusts live here.

A characteristic feature of Australia is its originality. organic world, consisting in a large number of endemic species. At the same time, it should be noted that the wild vegetation of Australia did not produce a single plant that would play a noticeable role in agriculture. Among plants, the share of endemics reaches 75%. These include casuarinas with leafless thread-like branches, and grass trees, and tree ferns; there are also many types of acacias, palm trees, various herbs and shrubs.

Australia is completely unthinkable without evergreen giants - eucalyptus trees, of which there are more than 300 species - from giant ones (up to 150 m in height) to low-growing and shrubby ones. Eucalyptus trees grow very quickly. In 20 years, one hectare of eucalyptus forest can produce up to 800 m3 of valuable wood. For comparison, none of the known tree species can produce such an amount of wood in 120 years. Despite the paradox - eucalyptus grows on the driest continent, the most important property of this tree is its amazing ability to drain the soil, which is why eucalyptus is called the “pump tree”. It’s not surprising that under the eucalyptus you won’t even see another tree, you won’t even see a blade of grass.

Among animals, the proportion of endemics is even greater - about 90%. This is the symbol of Australia - the kangaroo, other marsupials: the unusually cute marsupial bear - koala, wombat, mole, marsupial wolf, etc. Such ancient animals as primitive oviparous mammals are well known: the platypus and the echidna. There are a lot of different birds: emus, birds of paradise, cassowaries, lyrebirds, black swans, weed chickens, parrots, etc. The Australian world of reptiles is also rich: there are especially many poisonous snakes and lizards.

On the mainland natural areas are distributed in concentric circles. In the center there are deserts and semi-deserts, they are surrounded by tropical forest-steppes - savannas and woodlands. The northern and northeastern parts of the continent are characterized by humid and variable-humid forests. Different kinds palm trees, laurels, ficus trees and tree ferns intertwined with vines grow here on red ferrallite soils. On the eastern slopes of the Vodorazdelnyi Range they are common eucalyptus forests. Above 1000 m you can find separate tracts of ancient coniferous species - Araucaria.

IN savannahs common species are eucalyptus, acacia and casuarina on red-brown and red-brown soils. Kangaroos and emus live here. In the extreme southwest shrub steppes give way to hard-leaved forests and shrubs, in the southeast - subtropical humid mixed forests with evergreen beeches on red-yellow ferrallite soils.

In semi-deserts and deserts you can find completely impenetrable thickets consisting of hard-leaved, thorny, densely intertwined shrubs (shrub forms of eucalyptus and acacia) - scrub s. In the western and central parts of the continent, large areas are occupied by sandy deserts - Bolshaya, Victoria, Simpson. They are characterized by long ridges, occupied places tall, tough grasses (“reed grass”). Among the animals found here are giant kangaroos, wombats, emus and the dingo dog, which is a wild domestic animal. In deserts, the soil cover is poorly developed, and in some places special desert soils, colored red, are formed.

Altitudinal zone can be found only in the Australian Alps, where the forests on the peaks give way to alpine-type meadows.

Due to Australia's arid climate, there is much less arable land than pasture. However, grazing pressures in many areas of the continent are so great and intense that they have led to a noticeable change in its flora and fauna. A lot was brought to Australia from other continents. different types trees, shrubs and herbs. Many introduced animals (foxes, rats, rabbits) pushed aside or greatly exterminated local species of animals. Almost every year, Australian forests suffer greatly from numerous fires.

Natural area	Climate type	Climate Features	Vegetation	The soil	Animal world
TJan.	TJuly	Total precipitation
Permanently wet forests	Tropical humid continental and subtropical monsoon				Eucalyptus, palm trees, tree ferns, pandanus, flindersia, orchids, araucaria.	Red-yellow ferralite	koala , couscous , tree kangaroo, marsupials: wombat, pademelons, marsupial tiger cats and pygmy possums.
Savannas, woodlands and shrubs	Subequatorial continental and tropical continental				Eucalyptus woodlands, grasses, acacias, casaurines	Brown, red-brown and brown savannas	Marmot, echidna, kangaroo mice, giant kangaroo, wombat, marsupial mole, emu.
Deserts and semi-deserts	Tropical continental				Mitchell's grass, triodia, plectrahne, shuttlebeard	Desert sandy and rocky	Emu, frilled lizard, snakes, kangaroo, dingo dog
Hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs	Subtropical Mediterranean climate				Low-growing species of eucalyptus, thickets of thorny acacias, saltwort, saltpeter, quinoa	Brown

Lecture added 03/07/2014 at 15:02:07

Australia's natural areas have a distinct latitudinal zone that is disrupted by the eastern and western edges due to increasing rainfall.

Savannah and forests correspond to the subsector climatic zone. Eucalyptus, acacia, throat with bare threadlike branches, bottle is grown on red ferrite and red-brown soil between grasses.

Wet and variable rain forests are widespread in the eastern part of the belt under uniform moisture conditions, where palms, ficus and ferns appear during eucalyptus.

Kangaroos, wombats, and marsupial anteaters live in this zone; There are many birds on the banks of reservoirs.

Tropical deserts and semi-deserts are the largest area by area. Tropical small meadows grow in the desert, there are bushes of dried bushes of curved acacia, eucalyptus.

Such bushes are called shrubs. For pastures, desert areas covered with hard grass with spinafax and shrubs are used. In the deserts there are large kangaroos, echoes, and many reptiles.

Subtropical forests, dominated by eucalyptus, evergreen beech and others, grow in the southeast and southwest of the continent.

Topic: Natural areas of Australia.

Target: formation of the scientific worldview of students in the process of studying the natural zones of Australia and identifying their dependence on the climatic features of the continent through the activation of mental and creative activity.

Lesson objectives:

Educational:

deepen students' knowledge about the features of the animal world of Australia through interdisciplinary connections;
develop interest in studying: biology, geography, in English;
improve the ability to establish connections between natural components;
Explain the patterns of location of natural zones.
develop students' communication abilities through play.
To develop the ability to briefly outline the material being studied in the form of a waybill.

Educational:

Develop self-confidence.
Cultivate a respectful attitude towards the opinions of others.
Development of creative initiative in finding the right solutions.

Educational:

Expand students' horizons.
To develop the mental activity of students through the use of various types of partially search tasks.
Develop the ability to correctly formulate your thoughts when answering a question.

Lesson type:

Equipment:

physical map of Australia;
multimedia presentation and video for the lesson;
7th grade atlases;
waybill"Natural areas of Australia".

Teacher's opening remarks:

Hello guys! I am very pleased to see you all. Sit down please.

Today we have an unusual lesson, a geography and English lesson.

The appearance of Sherlock Holmes. There's a knock on the door.

Hello, I am the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. The fact is that I made a bet with my friend Doctor Vatsan.

We bet that I would find him in any part of the world. Doctor Watson left England for hot-air balloon. I have a letter in which Watson left me clues. I ask you to travel with me and find Doctor Watson.

This is the smallest continent on Earth, but despite this its size is impressive.

It is also the driest continent in the world. 40% of its area is occupied by deserts, although not ordinary ones. You need to get through their thorny thickets with an axe.

It is sometimes called the “reverse continent”. Not all trees here provide shade. Animals raise their young in a pouch. This is a continent of secrets and surprises.

Geography teacher: As I understand it, this is the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. He speaks only English. And in order to understand it, I need your help, guys, because you are all learning English. I think we will need help and English teachers.

Eleanor Viktorovna, we need you as an expert to help Sherlock Holmes, and also to check the correctness of the guys’ answers from the point of view of the English language.

English teacher: Of course, I will try to help you. And what happened?

Geography teacher: Guys, I studied English a long time ago and I don’t remember much.

Help me explain what Sherlock Holmes' problem is.

Student: Marina Anatolyevna, the problem is that Sherlock Holmes made a bet with his friend Doctor Watson. They bet that Sherlock Holmes would find him anywhere in the world. Dr. Watson left England in a hot air balloon. Sherlock Holmes has a letter from Watson. He asks us to help him find his friend.

Listening to a letter from Dr. Watson.

English teacher: Now we will try to analyze the information and create a portrait of this country.

During our journey, we will keep a waybill (it is on your tables)

Sherlock Holmes: I believe this is Australia, but I still doubt Dr. Watson sent me these numbers in his letter. It could be a code.

1 group

km2 — Continent area

2.2 — Washed by two oceans

3.2228m.- Kosciuszko, the highest point on the mainland

16m – Lowest point from sea level (Lake Eyre)

Geography teacher: Guys, let's help Sherlock Holmes work with the map.

2nd group

Game "Do you know the map". Students are offered a map of Australia with unknown objects (presentation slides). It is necessary to determine what these objects are.

Bay
Island
River
Peninsula
Desert
Lake

3 group

Fill in the words in the missing places.

The continent of Australia is located in the ________ hemisphere from the equator.

Almost in the middle it is crossed by the ______ tropic. The northernmost point of the continent is ________. From the south, the _______ Bay juts deep into the mainland. From the north there is the bay of _______. To the south of the mainland is the island of ________, which used to be part of Australia. The _________ mountain range runs along the entire east coast. The highest peak _________ is also located here, the height of which reaches ________ meters.

The deepest river in Australia is __________, and the longest is ________.

Australia is characterized by dry rivers _______. Most lakes are salty and dry up. The largest lake is ________. A state that occupies an entire continent is called _______.

Geography teacher: Guys, Sherlock said that there is a unique flora and fauna here.

Let's make sure of this.

Using the atlas map (p. 29), let's determine which natural areas our path will pass through in search of Doctor Watson.

Name the natural areas of the continent:

wet and variable-moist forests;
savannas and woodlands;
semi-deserts and deserts;
hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs.

In mountainous regions there are areas of high altitude zones.

(slide with a map of natural areas) Let's write them down in our travel sheet.

Which natural area occupies the largest area?

Why do you think? (underline it)

Compare the map of natural areas and climate map. Establish the main reason for the change in natural zones.

(the main reason for the change in natural zones: change in precipitation). Write it down on your itinerary.

We still have a long journey ahead of us, let's warm up a little.

Physical education minute.

It's called Sides of the Horizon. I will name the geographical objects of Australia, if it is located in the northern part, then you will stretch, if in the south, bend forward, if in the west, turn to the left, and if in the east, turn to the right.

So, let's start: South - East - Point metro station, York metro station, Steep - Point metro station, Byron metro station.

We took a break and can now continue our journey.

Australia is the most amazing and unique continent on Earth. In the organic world of the continent, 75% of plant species and 95% of animal species are endemic.

Endemics- These are plants and animals that live in limited areas of the Earth.

Let's get to know plants of Australia, (write them down on the itinerary)

Watch a video lesson about natural areas of Australia

Tree ferns the most ancient plants on Earth.

Sometimes they reach heights of up to 20 m. The tops of their trunks have no branches and are crowned with groups of large leaves.

Eucalyptus- There are many types of them. Many are 100 m high.

Their roots go 30 m into the ground. Absorbs a lot of moisture. Have hardwood, the leaves are rich in essential oils.

bottle tree– the trunk is thick at the base and tapers upward.

It has a dense bark and stores a lot of moisture. Topped with a spreading crown consisting of narrow leaves 8 cm long.

Casuarina- a strange-looking tree with thin, flowing shoots without leaves.

It looks like horsetail. It has very dense wood, which is why it is called “iron wood”.

Dr. Watson's letter contained some very strange photographs.

We think this is a joke. The caption below the image was a mammal, but in the nest we see eggs and a ridiculous body made up of three animals.

Now let's take a look animal world mainland, (write them down on the itinerary)

Primitive mammals are found here:

Echidna: Resembles a hedgehog, the body is covered with spines.

Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. It feeds on ants, termites, and worms. The female lays one egg annually and carries it in her pouch. The baby, hatching from the egg, stays in the pouch for a very long time and feeds on its mother's milk.

Platypus looks like a fat puppy. There are membranes between the toes, and a duck beak on the head. The tail is like a beaver, the front paws are like a badger.

The male has hind legs spurs that secrete poison. It is nocturnal and finds food in water. Just like an echidna, a baby is born from an egg and is fed with mother's milk.

The largest group of animals are marsupials, about 125 species. These include:

Kangaroo– curious people with an original body structure are able to make unusually high and long jumps. Their height is from 23 cm to 2 m. They weigh up to 20 kg. The baby is born very small, about the size of a walnut.

Lives for a long time in the pouch, feeding on mother's milk.

Found in eucalyptus thickets koalas. Their height on average is up to 50 cm, weight up to 10 kg.

Very lazy. They sit on eucalyptus trees and eat their leaves. The leaves contain a lot of moisture, so koalas do not need to drink. Like all marsupials, the cubs are carried in a pouch for 7-8 months.

Then he climbs out of the bag and sits on his mother's back. Only after one year do the cubs become independent.

Wild dog dingo. In appearance it is something between a wolf and a dog. Leads a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle. They feed on numerous marsupials, reptiles and birds. Many scientists believe that Dingo is a contemporary ancient man on the continent - lived in Australia for more than 6 thousand.

years ago.

Ostrich Emu– a large running bird, weighing up to 50 kg. They feed on plant seeds and small animals. Can run on its long legs at a speed of 50 km/h.

Lyrebird bird– you can only see it in Australia. The feathers of this bird are incredibly expensive, so many people like to profit from them have appeared.

Cassowaries- flightless birds with long strong legs and powerful sharp claws, with which they defend themselves if necessary.

Duck bill (platypus)-platypus

Koala – koala

Kangaroo - kangaroo

Dingo (wild dog) – dingo

Echidna - echidna

Wombat

Emy - emu ostrich.

Geography teacher: Guys, you have envelopes on your tables containing photographs of representatives of the flora and fauna of Australia, your task is to distribute them among the natural areas of the continent.

catalogue of articles

Group 1: deserts

Group 2: savannas and woodlands

Group 3: monsoon and subequatorial forests, tropical evergreen forests

One student completing a task using an interactive module on a computer

http://learningapps.org/index.php?page=4&s=&category=6

Australians love their unique flora and fauna very much and therefore immortalize them on state symbols and banknotes.

(slide: coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Australia depicting a kangaroo and an emu).

The 5 cent coins feature an echidna, the 10 cent coins feature a lyrebird, and the 20 cent coins feature a platypus.

To retain representatives unique fauna Australians

established a ban on the export of animals;
established a ban on keeping in captivity;
restriction or complete ban on hunting of certain species of animals.

With this our journey has come to an end and we are returning home.

Let's remember what we learned today.

Reinforcement tasks:

"Find the odd one out":

A) Kangaroo, koala, wombat, elephant.

B) Eucalyptus, acacia, baobab, casaurina.

2. “Classification of objects.” Here is a list of objects: tropical, savannas and woodlands, Darling, kangaroo, desert, subequatorial, Murray, lyrebird, subtropical, variable rain forests.

select from it

natural areas –

climatic zones –

3. “Find mistakes”

“Most of Australia is located in the equatorial climate zone, so it has a dry climate. In subequatorial forests, among tall grasses, along with other trees (palms, ficuses), unique baobab trees grow with trunks thick at the base, sharply tapering towards the top. Australia's largest river system is the Darling, with its major tributary, the Murray.

Temporary rivers that dry up on this continent are called wadis. The relief of Australia, like Africa, is relatively simple. At its base there is folding; in the east of the continent there is the Australian platform.

The animal world is unique. The echidna and platypus live here and hatch their young from eggs. Hippopotamus, elephant, and other large animals are often seen. Lots of marsupials."

4. Identify the animals of Australia from the description.

1. A climbing marsupial arboreal mammal that eats eucalyptus leaves...__________________________________________

2. Marsupial rodent, inhabitant of the Australian savannas...________________________

3. The running bird, a relative of the emu, feeds on fruits and seeds of trees...___________________________

Conclusion: Thus, we got acquainted with the natural areas of Australia, with the features of the organic world of the continent

Letter with errors

“Most of Australia is located in the equatorial climate zone, so it has a dry climate.

In subequatorial forests, among tall grasses, along with other trees (palms, ficuses), unique baobab trees grow with trunks thick at the base, sharply tapering towards the top.

Australia's largest river system is the Darling, with its major tributary, the Murray. Temporary rivers that dry up on this continent are called wadis. The relief of Australia, like Africa, is relatively simple. At its base there is folding; in the east of the continent there is the Australian platform. The animal world is unique. The echidna and platypus live here and hatch their young from eggs. Hippopotamus, elephant, and other large animals are often seen. Lots of marsupials."

INTRODUCTION

Australia is the only country in the world that occupies an entire continent. This is the driest continent on earth, a third of the entire territory is desert. The length (from north to south) is approximately 3700 km, width - 4000 km.

In the east, the continent is divided by the Great Dividing Range, which extends from the east coast of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland to Melbourne, Victoria.

Australia's highest point is Mount Kosciusko at 2229 metres, which lies near the New South Wales-Victoria border in the snow-capped alpine region of the Great Dividing Range.

To the west of the Dividing Range lies mostly flat country with a few low mountain ranges, such as the Flinders in South Australia and the MacDonnell near Alice Springs. Australia is a relatively sparsely populated continent (only 18 million people). But the paradox is that Australia is one of the most urbanized countries in the world. Two thirds of the population live in the administrative centers, states and coasts.

§ 37. Australia: natural areas

The vast central regions, once in almost complete isolation, which was ended thanks to radio and aviation, are almost uninhabited.

Australia is the largest island and smallest continent on the planet.

The main continent contains 5 states and 2 territories.

The sixth state, Tasmania, is located 200 km south of Victoria, and is separate from big land Bass Strait.

To the east are the Australian-administered Norfolk Islands and Lord Howe Islands, as is the Antarctic area around Mawson Station.

This is the driest continent on earth, a third of the entire territory is desert. The length (from north to south) is approximately 3700 km, width - 4000 km.

In the east, the continent is divided by the Great Dividing Range, which extends from the east coast of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland to Melbourne, Victoria. Australia's highest point is Mount Kosciusko at 2229 metres, which lies near the New South Wales-Victoria border in the snow-capped alpine region of the Great Dividing Range.

To the west of the Dividing Range lies mostly flat country with a few low mountain ranges, such as the Flinders in South Australia and the MacDonnell near Alice Springs.

The center of the continent is largely sparsely populated desert. About 80% of Australia's total population lives on the east coast or along the coastline.

An extensive system of rivers carries its waters hundreds of kilometers to fill the salt lakes located in the north of South Australia. These lakes often dry up for a long time: the largest of them, Lake Eyre, with an area of 9475 sq.

km, filled in 1994 for the first time in the previous decade. The water from these lakes, in addition to that which evaporates, feeds the Central Australian Artesian Basin, a huge natural underground aquifer system. This water gives life to many springs in the most remote areas of the desert (these springs have allowed man to survive for centuries in the most “dead” areas of the desert); the same system supplies water to Alice Spring.

An object course work- mainland Australia.

Target course work to consider the natural complexes of Australia.
Based on the goal, it is necessary to decide the following tasks:

give general information about the natural complex;
consider the peculiarities of the geographical location of Australia;
consider geological development and modern composition specific natural components of the continent.

I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE NATURAL COMPLEX

1.1 Natural complexes

A natural complex is a territory that is homogeneous in origin, history of geological development and modern composition of 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 envelope of the Earth. Continents and oceans are natural complexes of the next rank.

Within the continents there are physical-geographical countries - 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.

1.2 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 geographic envelope There is a continuous exchange of matter and energy, 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 primarily by the great variety 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 know the patterns of development of this unified system- 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-secular 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 belt.

1.3 Natural zones of the globe, their brief characteristics

The great Russian scientist V.V.

At the end of the last century, Dokuchaev substantiated the planetary law geographical zonation- 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, surface waters of land and ocean, soil cover, vegetation and fauna.

The largest zonal divisions of the geographic envelope are geographic 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 –

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.

Inside geographical zones Natural zones are distinguished based on the ratio of heat and moisture. The names of the zones are given according to the type of vegetation that predominates in them.

For example, in the subarctic zone these are tundra and forest-tundra zones; in the temperate - forest zones (taiga, mixed coniferous-deciduous and broadleaf forests), zones of forest-steppes and steppes, semi-deserts and deserts.

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Continental Australia: natural areas and their brief description

Emus is the most big bird Australian continent. It has undeveloped, very small, compressed wings close to the body. Considering its size, the Australian ostrich is slightly worse than its African counterpart. The emu is an excellent sprinter that runs quite quickly. Unlike the African Loop, this bird is a great flyer and he enjoys doing it for fun.

The Emu's environment includes the islands of Tasmania and Australia.

However, the bird is now raised in China, Peru, North America and other countries that extend beyond its natural habitat on a large scale, although not as common.

Scientists have discovered that the earlier living space of these knives was much wider - from modern Egypt to Morocco, and from ancient Persia and Mesopotamia through the Middle East to South Africa.

habitat

These birds actively settle in dry and open biotopes.

In Australia, these are grass sabers and bushes. Nails can also be seen at the odd periphery, but they do not penetrate deep into the sand. They lead a fairly quiet life, for example, in the west of the continent, with regular seasonal movement: in winter they move towards the south, and in summer - towards the north.

What feeds, natural enemies

Emu nuts are used as food products by fruits, seeds and roots of plants, the smallest animals:

lizards;
beetles;
ants;
caterpillars;
keel.

Bird food comes from plant stems and soil.

Emus tolerate drought well, although it is very convenient to absorb moisture from a puddle at the right time and try to visit small bodies of water.

Dust baths, unlike water, are not Emu's favorite nightmares.

There is no federal night sleep in these birds, but in short.

The lifespan of individuals ranges from ten to twenty years - unless they die due to persecution by hawks, eagles and dingoes.

Danger to people

This bird is great for people.

Additionally, Emus Omus are very friendly as long as they feel good about themselves. They quickly adapt to their owners and become very secretive.

Ecology is a broad concept and an integral part of the planet as a whole and its parts separately. Ecology also includes such factors as environmental problems, which are slow destroyers of the planet. Our planet is divided into two hemispheres, and into different continents, which have different conditions.

To the green continent - green politics

Australia is, after all, one of the continents with a rather specific ecology, climatic conditions, nature and unique species of animals and plants.

However, this uniqueness and originality can easily be lost due to serious and very dangerous environmental news from Australia: increasingly active human intervention in the life of the green continent has a destructive effect on the flora and fauna of the mainland country.

Australia's environmental problems are, without exaggeration, the problems of the entire population of the planet. This continent is very rich in resources such as precious metals.

Naturally, this is a boost to the Australian economy, and people mine them tirelessly. Thus, during mining, the land is depleted, and the subsoil cannot restore these resources. In addition, severe destruction of the soil occurs during excavations.

In order to find ways to solve Australia's environmental problems, it is necessary to name their main causes.

Australia's main environmental problems include:

soil erosion;
depletion of land reserves.

By maintaining their economic situation by mining coal, iron, and expensive metals, people do not realize that by doing so they are slowly killing and destroying the earth, mistakenly believing that it is inexhaustible.

This problem could be corrected if people, in pursuit of money and gain, nevertheless realized that they need to give some time for resources to recover, for example, as fish populations increase in rivers and lakes through reproduction.

Therefore, catching it does not cause enormous damage to the continent. Instead, miners take the minerals so quickly that they completely deplete these gold mines, leaving no time for healing.

By the way, forest and water resources are renewable.

But if you spend them, exceeding everything possible measures, then they too may disappear. This is actually starting to happen. People don't know what to do. They use natural gifts as if it were their property and they can no longer live on this planet. Meanwhile, it is already suffocating from resource depletion.

It has been noted that the natural resources of the Australian continent are used as intensively as the mining of coal, iron and other minerals.

Due to its compactness, Australia is very easy to analyze in terms of mineral consumption, economy, and natural resource dynamics.

This is because Australia's system is not as large or complex as other countries' systems. In addition, the continent's population is not particularly large.

However, due to its uniqueness, Australia is more visible and vulnerable, on par with Iceland, from an environmental point of view.

Many people flock to Australia because of its high standard of living and well-educated, cultured people. Unfortunately, this part of the planet is also facing problems that are typical for poor areas of the Earth. For example, the lack of water resources necessary for life.

After all, this happens precisely due to human life activity. And this threat is the crown not only of developed Australia, but also of other rich countries that “live to the fullest,” squandering their resources as if this disaster had never threatened humanity.

As if the environmental news in Australia isn't constantly screaming about the deaths of people and animals from drought. And water shortages are not everything!

Human civilized life activity destroys the earth and salinizes the soil to such an extent that lush, long-lived green plants that convert carbon dioxide into oxygen can no longer grow on it so that we can breathe fresh and clean air.

Australians should think about this, if only because a large area of the continent is occupied by dry desert.

The consequence of such climatic conditions, which are influenced by this desert, is its low soil fertility.

Australia: natural areas

They are not saturated big amount nutrients. It is because of this that the country's soils bring a large number of problems and are one of the causes of environmental problems in Australia and Oceania as a whole.

This can be explained by the fact that Australia is a very ancient continent, its soil corresponds to its antiquity. Over time, it could happen that, along with the rains, everything nutrients they could just be washed with water.

Unfortunately, this factor cannot be restored practically for many reasons, but it becomes a consequence of many other problems, for example, the depletion of almost all natural resources. This led to both economic and agricultural problems in the country.

Of course, the planet is divided into many small parts, but it would be foolish to believe that environmental problems are in one earth's hemisphere won't touch anyone else.

After all, everything in life is interconnected. Nature can give, but it can also take away and punish cruelly. This should be remembered!

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§ 37. Australia: natural areas

Continental Australia: natural areas and their brief description

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Australia's main environmental problems include:

Australia: natural areas

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Australia: natural areas. Australia Paint the natural areas of mainland Australia with different colors

Australian natural areas

Environmental problems in Australia

Finished works on a similar topic

Hardleaf forest zone

Zone of savannas and tropical woodlands

Deserts and semi-deserts

catalogue of articles

§ 37. Australia: natural areas

Continental Australia: natural areas and their brief description

habitat

What feeds, natural enemies

Danger to people

To the green continent - green politics

Australia's main environmental problems include:

Australia: natural areas

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