Map of natural areas of northern America. America's Natural Areas

The essay was completed by Gennady Osipik, 7th grade

Angarsk

Geographical position.

North America, like South America, lies in the Western Hemisphere. The size of the territory is 24.2 million square km (including islands). It is inferior to Eurasia and Africa. North America lies in the subarctic, northern, temperate and subtropical zones.

The shores of the continent are washed by the waters of three oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic). In the south it is connected by the narrow Isthmus of Panama to South America, through which a shipping canal was dug at the beginning of the 20th century. North America is separated from Eurasia by the narrow Bering Strait. In the past, at the site of the strait there was an isthmus that connected North America with Eurasia, which determined the similarity of the flora and fauna of these continents.

From the history of the discovery of the continent.

Long before Columbus, at the end of the 10th century, the Norman Eirik Rowdy with several companions set off from Iceland to the west, reaching a previously unknown land - Greenland. Here, in the harsh conditions of the north, the Normans created settlements. The Normans lived in the south and southwest of Greenland for several centuries. Later they visited the northeastern shores North America. In the late 15th century, Europeans rediscovered Newfoundland and Labrador and then the east coast of the mainland. At the beginning of the 16th century, detachments of Spanish conquerors led by Cortes captured Mexico and some lands of Central America.

Relief and minerals.

Plains. At the base of the plains of North America lies the ancient North American Plate. As a result of the subsidence and flooding of its northern part, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Greenland were formed. In the northeast of the continent there is a hill where the crystalline rocks of the platform (granites and gneisses) come to the surface. To the south of the highlands lie the Central Plains. Here the foundation of the North American platform is covered with sedimentary rocks. The northern part of the continent, up to 40 degrees N, was subject to glaciation several times (the last glaciation ended 10-11 thousand years ago): here the glaciers, retreating, left sediments of clay, sand and stones. In the western part of the North American platform, along the Cordillera, the Great Plains stretch in a wide strip, composed of thick marine and continental sediments. Rivers flowing from the mountains cut the plains into deep valleys. To the south, the Central Plains merge into the Mississippian Lowland, composed of river sediments. The Mississippian lowland in the south merges with the coastal lowlands of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. They were formed relatively recently as a result of the submergence of these land areas and the accumulation of sediment from rivers on the continental shallows.

Appalachia. In the east of the continent stretch the Appalachian Mountains.

Cordillera. Along the coast Pacific Ocean The Cordillera mountain system extends. The Cordillera stretches in several parallel ridges. Some of them pass near the ocean, others retreat far to the east. The ridges diverge especially widely in the middle part. There are deep depressions, vast plateaus and highlands covered with solidified lava. The most significant of them are the Great Basin and the Mexican Highlands.

Climate.

Reasons influencing the climate of North America.

Great length of the continent.

Prevailing winds (northeast winds south of 30 degrees N and westerlies in moderate latitudes).

The influence of warm and cold currents

The influence of the Pacific Ocean.

Flat terrain in the middle part of the continent (does not interfere with the movement of air masses).

The listed reasons determined the great diversity of the climate of North America.

Climatic zones and regions.

Arctic air masses dominate in the Arctic belt throughout the year. Severe winters are accompanied by frequent snowstorms, and cold summers are accompanied by constant fogs, cloudy weather. Largest territory This belt (Greenland and some other islands) is covered with glaciers.

The subarctic zone is characterized by frosty winters and moderately cool summers. Precipitation is low and snow cover in winter is insignificant. Permafrost is widespread throughout, with only a small top layer of soil thawing in the summer months. The eastern, internal and western regions of the temperate zone differ markedly in climate. In the east of the region the climate is temperate continental, with frequent fogs on the coast.

In the subtropical zone, summers are hot and warm winter. However, intrusions of cold air masses from the north cause short-term frosts and snowfalls. The humid climate in the east of the belt gives way to continental in the middle and Mediterranean in the west.

In the east tropical zone The climate is tropical humid, while the interior parts of the Mexican Highlands and the California Peninsula have a tropical desert climate.

The extreme south of North America lies in the subequatorial belt. There is a lot of rainfall here throughout the year and high temperatures.

Natural areas.

In the north of the mainland natural areas stretch in stripes from west to east, while in the middle and southern parts they extend from north to south. Altitudinal zonation is evident in the Cordillera.

By species composition, plant and animal world The north of the continent is similar to Northern Eurasia, and the south is similar to South America, which is explained by their territorial proximity and common development.

Arctic desert zone.

Greenland and most of the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are located in the Arctic desert zone. Here, in places freed from snow and ice, mosses and lichens grow on poor rocky and marshy soils during the short and cool summer. The musk ox has been found in this area since the Ice Age. The animal is covered with thick and long dark brown fur, which protects it well from the cold.

Tundra zone.

The northern coast of the mainland and the adjacent islands are occupied by a tundra zone. The southern border of the tundra in the west lies near the Arctic Circle, and as it moves east it enters more southern latitudes, capturing the coast of Hudson Bay and the northern part of the Labrador Peninsula. Here, under conditions of short and cool summers and permafrost, tundra soils are formed, in which plant residues decompose slowly. In addition, the frozen layer prevents the seepage of moisture, resulting in the formation of excess moisture. Therefore, peat bogs are widespread in the tundra. On the tundra-gley soils in the northern part of the tundra, mosses and lichens grow, and in the southern part - marsh grasses, wild rosemary shrubs, blueberry and blueberry bushes, low-growing birch, willow, and alder with curved trunks. The North American tundra is home to arctic fox, arctic wolf, caribou reindeer, ptarmigan, etc. In summer, many migratory birds fly here. There are many seals and walruses in the coastal waters of the zone. Found on the northern coast of the mainland polar bear. In the west, in the Cordillera, mountain tundra extends far to the south. To the south, woody vegetation appears more and more often, the tundra gradually turns into forest-tundra, and then into coniferous forests or taiga.

Taiga zone.

The taiga zone extends in a wide strip from west to east. Podzolic soils predominate here. They are formed under humid and cool summer conditions, as a result of which minor plant litter slowly decomposes and produces a small amount of humus (up to 2%). Under a thin layer of humus lies a whitish layer with insoluble rock elements, the color of which resembles ash. Because of the color of this horizon, such soils are called podzolic. Mostly coniferous trees grow in the taiga - black spruce, balsam fir, pine, American larch; There are also deciduous ones - paper birch with smooth white bark, aspen. In the forests there are predatory animals - bears, wolves, lynxes, foxes; there are deer, elk and valuable fur-bearing animals - sable, beaver, muskrat. The slopes of the Cordillera, facing the ocean, are covered with dense coniferous forests, mainly of Sitka spruce, hemlock, and Douglas fir. Forests rise along the mountain slopes up to 1000-1500 m; higher they thin out and turn into mountain tundra. In the mountain forests there are bears - grizzlies, skunks, raccoons; there are a lot of rivers salmon fish, there are seal rookeries on the islands.

Zones of mixed and deciduous forests.

South of the zone coniferous forests zones of mixed and broad-leaved, as well as variable rain forests. They are located only in the eastern part of the mainland, where the climate is milder and more humid, reaching in the south to the Gulf of Mexico. Under mixed forests in the north there are gray forest soils, under broad-leaved forests there are brown forest soils, and in the south under variable wet soils there are yellow soils and red soils. IN mixed forests yellow birch, sugar maple, beech, linden, white and red pine predominate. Broad-leaved forests are characterized by different kinds oaks, chestnut, plane and tulip trees.

Zone of evergreen tropical forests.

Evergreens rainforests in the south, the Mississippi and Atlantic lowlands consist of oaks, magnolias, beeches and dwarf palms. The trees are entwined with vines.

Forest-steppe zone.

To the west of the forest zone there is less precipitation, and herbaceous vegetation predominates here. The forest zone passes into the zone of forest-steppes with chernozem-like soils and steppes with humus-rich chernozems and chestnut soils. Steppes with tall grasses, mainly cereals, reaching a height of 1.5 m, are called prairies in North America. Woody vegetation is found in river valleys and in moist low areas. Closer to the Cordillera, there is even less rainfall and the vegetation becomes poorer; low grasses - Grama grass (grass) and buffalo grass (perennial grass only 10-30 cm high) - do not cover the entire ground and grow in separate bunches.

Lesson topic: Natural areas of North America

Goals And lesson objectives: Continue to develop students’ ideas and knowledge about the nature of North America; introduce the typical features of the natural areas of the continent, the plants and animals common here; continue to develop the ability to establish cause-and-effect relationships between various components of nature using the example of natural areas.

Educational and visual complex: a set of pictures with species of animals and plants of North America, a physical map, a map of natural areas of North America, atlases for grade 7, educational supplies.

Lesson type: lesson learning new material

During the classes.

1. Class organization.

2. Introductory part. Preparation for the main stage of the lesson.

Teacher's opening speech. Each lesson of learning new material is the next step in your ladder of knowledge. This is another step in climbing to the pinnacle of knowledge. And the more such steps you take in your life, the higher your intellectual level. I would like these steps on the path of knowledge to be firm and confident. And they only led you forward, overcoming any difficulties and obstacles.

Therefore, I want to start the lesson with a legend about the leader of one of the Indian tribes, who sent young men to the top of Aconcagua, the highest point in South America.

“Go while you have enough strength. Let anyone who gets tired return home, but let everyone bring me a branch from the place where he turned off the road,” said the leader. Soon the first one returned from the road and handed over a cactus leaf. The leader grinned: “You did not cross the desert. You haven’t even been to the bottom of the mountain.” To the second, who brought a silver branch of wormwood, the leader said: “You were at the foot, but you didn’t even try to start climbing.” The third with a poplar branch even earned praise: “You reached the spring.” Similar encouragement for the fourth one, with a buckthorn branch. The fifth man, who brought a cedar branch, nodded approvingly: “You were halfway to the top.” The last young man came empty-handed, but his face shone with joy. He explained that he had been where trees did not grow, but he had seen the sparkling sea. The leader not only believed him, but also gave the greatest tribute of recognition: “You don’t need a symbolic branch. Victory shines in your eyes, sounds in your voice. This is one of the peaks of your life. You saw the mountain in all its grandeur.”

Guys, why did the leader decide that the young man had reached the top? (Discussion of the issue)

Each of you can leave class today with the same shining eyes. With a feeling of victory of learning something new. But this victory requires your attention and hard work.

Geography as you already know amazing science. Almost every lesson in learning something new begins with a map. And today we will also turn to it several times. But the map that will accompany us on the topic of the lesson is not a physical one, but a map of natural areas. Therefore, I think you have already guessed what the topic of today’s lesson is.

Open your notebooks and write down the topic of the lesson: “NATURAL AREAS OF NORTH AMERICA”

Before we get started, I wanted you to remember the definition - natural area

Students: define the concept of a natural zone - wide strips of homogeneous nature of the land, determined by climatic conditions and flat topography on land.

Natural zones are territories extending in a latitudinal direction with similar natural conditions(climate, soils, vegetation, animals)

Vertical zonality is a gradual change in climates, soils, plants, and animals in mountainous regions depending on altitude.

Explanation of new material:

Due to the large extent of the continent from north to south, it organic world extremely rich in all kinds of plants and animals. This is a polar bear, a resident of the Arctic deserts and bison, the most characteristic animal of the North American prairies.

Unlike the southern continents already known to us, North America changes natural zones in a special way. In the northern part of the continent, natural zones replace each other from north to south. This occurs due to changes in the amount of solar heat.

Compare the maps “Climatic zones and regions”, “Climate map of North America” and the map “Natural zones” on page 35 of the atlas. What conclusion does this suggest?

CONCLUSION: Natural arctic desert zone located in Arctic climate belt. Even in summer, negative temperatures or temperatures close to zero remain throughout almost the entire territory. Cloudiness, fog, and snow storms prevail throughout the year. The winter polar night lasts up to five months. Within this belt there are centers of modern sheet glaciation. Soils are practically absent. Vegetable world presented mosses and lichens. Animal world a little more diverse, but its nutrition is inextricably linked with the water space (walruses, seals, polar bears).

To the south of the Arctic Circle it becomes a little warmer, there is a natural tundra and forest-tundra zone, which occupies areas subarctic climate zone. It is characterized by harsh winters (working with climate map), cool summers with cloudy rainy weather. The entire territory of the tundra is located in the permafrost zone. That's why there are a lot of surface swamps here. Tundra soils are swampy. The vegetation is represented by low-growing grasses (blueberries, blackberries, cloudberries) and dwarf trees (dwarf birch, willow, pine). The fauna is more diverse than in the Arctic deserts (Appendix 1.)

As you move south, the amount of solar heat increases. This leads to the replacement of the tundra by a zone of coniferous forests - taiga. On podzolic soils, reminiscent of the color of ash, coniferous forests grow, represented by pine, fir, spruce, and larch. In the west, thanks to the warm current and westerly winds carrying moisture to the mainland, coniferous forests stretch much further south along the Pacific Ocean. Giant coniferous trees – sequoia – are found here. Giant sequoia - The tallest and largest tree in the world, the General Sherman sequoia, grows in California. Its height is 84 m, trunk diameter is 35 m, branch thickness is more than 3 m, age is about 2500 years, weight is 2500 tons.

The warm Gulf Stream flows through the central part of eastern North America. It promotes the formation of rain clouds. And the amount of precipitation is increasing in the east of the continent. Here on the gray forest soils is located zone of mixed and deciduous forests , and a little further south variable-humid forests. The dominance of the temperate zone is felt here. Cold and snowy winter, warm summer with fogs on the coastal Atlantic Ocean. The flora and fauna are more diverse.

As you approach the west inland, the amount of precipitation decreases, and therefore the forests are replaced forest-steppes and steppes, which extended in the meridional direction. In North America, steppes are most often called prairies, which are divided into dry (on chestnut soils) and wet on chernozems. The fauna of this treeless zone is no less diverse than the forest.

The cold California Current runs along the central part of the western coast of the continent, so the amount of precipitation decreases. The cold current and mountainous terrain of the mainland forms here desert and semi-desert zone . Treeless area with sparse vegetation and wildlife

As new material is explained, students work with a contour map. (They sign the names of natural zones, soils and prominent representatives of the flora and fauna.)

Game to reinforce new material

“Recognize the natural area by description”

1. Enormous spaces with tall herbaceous vegetation with a predominance of feather grass, matlik, and wheatgrass appear before your eyes. Herds of steppe bison roam through them, and pronghorn antelopes run briskly. Coyotes, red fox, badger, ferret, white-tailed hare - all these animals can be found in the blue expanses of the zone. There are countless rodents here. Perhaps it is the gophers, together with their closest relatives, the prairie dogs, who are the true rulers of this natural area. (steppe - prairie)

2. Flying skuas are visible everywhere, and woe to a lemming that gapes or runs out into the snow. In summer there are bright carpets of polar poppies, partridge grass, and buttercups. And how many berries there are - cloudberries, blueberries, blackberries. An amazing spectacle of colors. (tundra)

Changes in natural areas as a result economic activity person

Analysis of a comprehensive map p. 37 atlas.

In what natural zone of the continent is it located? greatest number national monuments and nature reserves?

Why do you think these natural areas are the most vulnerable?

Primary control of knowledge of new material

Compliance test (Appendix 2)

Summing up the lesson.

What new did you learn in class today?

What part of the lesson did you particularly like and why?

Natural areas of North America.

Goals: - name and show rivers and lakes, boundaries of natural zones and representatives of the flora and fauna of each zone;

Define GP large rivers, lakes, natural areas;

Describe natural components;

Consider the features of natural areas of North America;

To develop students’ ability to characterize natural areas

Explain the peculiarities of nutrition and regime of rivers, vegetation cover of natural areas.

Equipment: physical map of North America I-7kl-1, map of natural areas, 1101060

During the classes

I. Organizing time.

II. Checking homework. 1. Oral survey on the following questions:

1) Name the reasons that influence the formation of the climate of North America.

2) What winds dominate in North America and why?

3) Why does Arctic air reach the Gulf of Mexico?

4) Why does the amount of precipitation increase from west to east (along the parallel of 40°N latitude)?

5) Why does southwestern North America receive little rainfall?

6) Why are climatic regions distinguished in some climate zones?

2. Test work.

1. Arctic VMs dominate throughout the year. Average July temperature 0 +8°С, average temperature January about -28°C. Annual quantity precipitation mm. This climate is formed at the mouth of the river:

a) Mackenzie; c) Colombia;

b) Yukon; d) St. Lawrence.

2. Despite the possibility of earthquakes, several hydroelectric power stations have been built on the Columbia River. Why?

A) River water contains many rock particles.

C) The river has large reserves of cheap electricity.

D) It is necessary to prevent the possibility of floods.

3. The Yukon River is covered with ice for almost half the year because it

a) flows high in the mountains;

b) flows into the Arctic Ocean;

c) flows from east to west;

d) flows through an area with a subarctic climate.

4. Rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean are deep even in summer, because they receive water: a) from lakes and swamps;

b) from normal monsoon rains;

c) from the melting of glaciers in the mountains.

5. Through the river... water from the Great North American Lakes enters... the ocean.

6. The Niagara River, connecting Lake Erie and..., is famous for its...

IP. Learning new material.

Students in the class fill out the table using the text from the textbook.

Temperature

Year. amount of precipitation, mm

Sun height

Vegetation

Animal

polar night

Permafrost, rocky, marshy

Here and there mosses and lichens

polar night

Peat bogs, permafrost

Mosses, lichens, marsh grasses, wild rosemary, blueberries, blueberries, dwarf birch, willow, alder.

Arctic fox, polar wolf, deer, caribou, ptarmigan.

Podzolic

Bear, wolf, lynx, fox, deer, elk, moose, sable, beaver, muskrat.

Brown, yellow soils, red soils

Yellow birch, sugar maple, beech, linden, white and red pine, oak, chestnut, tulip tree.

Fox, beaver, muskrat, coyote.

Chestnut, black soils

Cereal herbs, rarely trees.

Bison, coyote.

Serozems, saline

Thorn bushes, cacti, wormwood, solyanka.

Lizards, coyote, rodents.

Conversation on questions:

1) Name the peculiarity of the distribution of land protection zones in North America (in the north they are subject to the law of zonation, that is, they stretch from west to east, and in the central and southern parts they are located in the meridional direction).

2) What influenced this arrangement of natural areas (relief and prevailing winds)?

3) Which parts of the continent are rich in water? Why?

IV. Consolidation of the lesson. Game “Who is this? Whatsuch?

Colorado

Yellowstone

Grand Canyon

V. Homework: § 54, 55; on a contour map, label the names of the Great North American lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and use arrows to show the movement of water in this huge water system.

The natural zones of North America stretch along the meridians, so each section of the continent has the opportunity to develop a certain industry. The deeper the natural zone is, the more it is elongated along the meridian. The fact is that the features of the relief lead to changes in the ratio of heat and moisture not only from north to south, but also from west to east.

Natural areas of North America, located in the area of ​​​​Greenland and the Canadian archipelago, are called Since climatic conditions the landscapes here are very harsh, which contributed to a very poor representation of flora and fauna. In those areas that are not occupied by ice, only mosses and lichens can be seen. Almost all animal life lives in the ocean.

In the far north of the continent there is a tundra zone. Since there is always high humidity here, the area has become swampy. Almost the entire territory is covered with mosses and lichens. As for trees, alder does not reach a height of more than 5 cm.

The further south you go, the more natural areas of North America become like forest-tundra. It is considered a transitional stage and is characterized by alternating areas of forest and tundra. It is also characterized by the presence of thickets of alder and willow. Only in the river area do spruce and larches begin to appear.

Altitudinal zonation is especially clearly represented in the Cordillera.

North America is located within all geographical zones, with the exception of . Each of them contains several natural zones. The temperate one has the greatest natural diversity.

In the north of the continent, latitudinal zoning is clearly manifested: natural zones are elongated along parallel lines and replace each other in latitude. The main reason for the pronounced latitude is the flatness of the territory of this part of the continent and, in connection with this, a gradual increase from north to south in the amount of solar heat reaching the Earth's surface.

To the south, natural zones are elongated meridionally, and replace each other as they move away from the coasts. This happens due to the fact that mountain barriers, meridionally extended along the western and eastern coasts, do not allow Pacific and Atlantic ones to freely penetrate into the interior of the continent. Therefore, change (and therefore natural zones) occurs in two directions: from north to south and from the oceanic margins to the interior of the continent.

Natural areas of the Arctic and geographical zone. Arctic deserts occupy the Severny Islands. Cold and abundant precipitation contribute to the development of glaciation. In summer, mosses, lichens, cold-resistant grasses and shrubs appear in depressions and cracks. Arctic soils contain almost no organic matter. The life of representatives of the animal world is connected with the sea, which provides food. Bird colonies are typical on the islands. The waters of the seas are inhabited by seals, walruses, and whales. Polar bears, wolves, and arctic foxes enter coastal areas from the mainland. The largest mammal, the musk ox, lives in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

The tundra also occupy the north of the continent. Permafrost is widespread. In the north - in the Arctic - in moss and lichen forests you can occasionally find grasses (sedge, cotton grass) and polar flowers - forget-me-nots, polar poppies, dandelions.

To the south, in the subarctic zone, the tundra becomes shrubby: low-growing dwarf birch and willow, wild rosemary, blueberries, and blueberries appear. Due to waterlogging caused by summer thawing, tundra-gley soils form in the tundra. To the south, along the river valleys, trees appear - black and white spruce, and the forest-tundra begins.

Tundra vegetation provides food for a variety of animals: reindeer, polar hares, lemmings. Small animals are hunted by the polar bear, polar wolf, and arctic fox. There are ptarmigan, a predatory polar owl, and waterfowl - geese and ducks - fly in in the summer.

The temperate geographical zone occupies more than 1/3 of the continent's area. The climate is characterized by the presence of contrasting seasons - warm summers and frosty winters. The taiga is represented by dark coniferous forests of black and white spruce and balsam fir. In dry places, pine trees grow: white (Weymouth), Banksa (stone) and red. The taiga is characterized by podzolic and gray forest soils, and in the lowlands - peat-swamp soils. Coniferous forests of the Pacific coast grow in conditions of abundant moisture, which is why they are called “rain forests.”

Whole thickets in these forests are formed by shrubs, sometimes thorny, herbs and ferns; mosses cover the trunks, the soil, and hang from the branches with long “beards”. Due to the dense layer of forest litter, seeds rarely fall into the ground, so young trees grow directly on the trunks of rotting predecessors.

The world giants stand out in the dense forest. These are the Douglas fir, or Douglas fir, and the evergreen sequoia, or “mahogany,” which forms the densest forest in the world. The height of these giants reaches 115 m. Mountain brown forest soils are formed under the rain forests. The forests have been heavily cut down for their valuable timber.

The fauna of the taiga is diverse. There are many large ungulates here: elk, elk; In the mountains there are snow goats and bighorn sheep. There are brown and black American bears; - gray and red squirrel, chipmunk; predators - puma (or cougar), marten, wolf, Canadian lynx, ermine, wolverine, fox; along the river banks - beaver, otter and musk rat (muskrat). There are numerous birds - crossbills and warblers. One of the largest animals on the continent is the inhabitant of the “rain forests” - the grizzly bear. The length of its body can exceed 2.5 m.

In the eastern part of the mainland, winter is warmer, so among coniferous trees Deciduous trees appear: elm, beech, linden, oak, birch. The taiga gives way to a zone of mixed and broad-leaved forests. They occupy the environs of the Great Lakes and Appalachia. Maples are especially diverse in these forests - sugar, red, silver. Closer to the coast, broad-leaved forests become dominant. They are distinguished by their antiquity and richness of species composition: oaks, chestnuts, beeches, hickory wood, deciduous magnolia, yellow poplar, black walnut, tulip tree. The decomposition of falling leaves leads to the accumulation of organic matter in the soil. Therefore, soddy-podzolic soils are formed under, and fertile brown forest soils are formed under broad-leaved soils.

The fauna of forests was previously distinguished by its unique richness. Its typical representatives are: Virginia deer, gray fox, lynx, black bear, arboreal porcupine, American mink, weasel, badger, raccoon. Among the endemics there are flying squirrels, skunks, and the only marsupial in North America - opossums. There are a variety of birds, many snakes, freshwater turtles and amphibians.

For natural zoning North America is characterized by: the presence of several natural zones within each geographical zone; change of natural zones within the belts: to the north - in latitude: from north to south, south of the 45th parallel - meridionally: from the coasts to the center of the continent; a wide range of natural areas in the temperate geographical zone.

North America is located in the western hemisphere of our planet. total area of the mainland (including islands) is 24.2 million km 2. North America is smaller than Eurasia or Africa. It lies in the subtropical, temperate, northern and subarctic zones. The waters of three oceans wash the continent. All this, combined with the relief, formed the natural areas of North America. Character traits each of them will be discussed below.

It should also be noted that the formation of natural zones was influenced by the gradual movement of heat from north to south. And when moving from east to west, dryness increases in the southern part of the continent. Characteristics of the natural zones of North America comes down to an analysis of their climate, average summer and winter temperatures, and amount of precipitation. They also pay attention to the composition of the soil, the types of plants and animals that can be found in the described area.

North America: natural areas of arctic deserts and tundra

The first zone (Arctic deserts) occupies most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Greenland. A huge area occupied by glaciers is located in the east of the zone. West Side busy with rocky arctic deserts. Glaciers are practically lifeless space. Neither plants nor animals of the natural zones of North America live here. The exception may be some types of algae. In the rocky part you can find, in addition to algae, bacteria, mosses and crustose lichens. Also on land live lemmings - polar mice, which feed on wolves and arctic foxes.

The tundra zone of the mainland is located in the subarctic climatic zone. It is quite similar to the Asian or European tundra. Soils and soils are characterized by widespread waterlogging due to big amount precipitation and low temperatures. There are quite a lot of rivers, lakes and swamps in this area. On peat-gley soils you can find grasses such as cassiopeia, forget-me-nots, polar poppies, and cotton grass. Dwarf birches, wild rosemary and willows also grow here. Huge areas are covered with lichens and mosses. Among the animals you can find wolves, arctic foxes, lemmings, musk oxen and caribou.

Forest-tundra and taiga zones

Compared to Eurasia, the forest-tundra here is more colorful and diverse. The river valleys located closer to the south are covered with forests. The northern border is home to spruce (white and black), mosses and lichens. In the western part you can see larch, but in Labrador you can see balsam fir. The forest-tundra zone extends for 500 km.

North America, whose natural zones are largely located in the temperate climate zone, can boast of a zone of coniferous forests stretching from the Atlantic coast in the east to the Pacific coast in the west. There are a lot of swamps here. The vegetation cover consists primarily of balsam fir, white spruce, and black spruce, but paper birch, American larch, and several species of pine trees can also be found. The trees here are powerful, their height is often 70-100 meters. Animals in the taiga include wood bison, American elk, several species of bears (grizzly, baribal), as well as red fox, raccoon, muskrat, skunk, and beaver.

North America: natural areas of mixed and broadleaf forests

The first of these zones occupies the territory of the Great Lakes. Here, tracts of coniferous trees are wonderfully combined with small-leaved species (poplar, birch) and deciduous forests. The soils are brown forest and soddy-podzolic. Here you can find several types of maple (silver, red, sugar), beech, oak, linden, elm, ash. Coniferous species include pine, thuja, fir, larch, and spruce.

Broadleaf (Appalachian) forests are located on the south and southeast side of mixed forests. Basic forest-forming species of this natural zone - oak (large-fruited, red and white), chestnut, beech, linden. Magnolias, black walnuts and hickories can be found here. The diversity of vegetation is complemented by vines, forbs and dense undergrowth. This wealth of broadleaf forests is associated with fertile brown forest soils. As for the animal world, it has been preserved only in protected areas, in nature reserves, in which North America is rich.

Natural areas of forest-steppe and prairie

The prairies are located on the territory of the Central and Great Plains, just south of the taiga. They occupy part of the Central Plains (western). They are treeless plains covered with tall grass and cereal vegetation. 80% of the entire plant world is made up of the small and blue bearded vulture. The latter reaches 1.8 m in height. This is due to the chernozem-like soils of this subzone. This area has now become one of the main agricultural areas of the United States, where corn is grown. The forest-steppe subzone runs from west to east across the Great Plains. The flora is represented mainly by small aspen groves and meadows (fescue, wheatgrass, reed grass). The soils are meadow-chernozem and gray forest.

Zones of steppes, deserts and semi-deserts

The steppe is quite heterogeneous. This zone receives on average up to 600 mm of annual precipitation. The black soil plains are overgrown with fescue, wheatgrass and bearded grass. This area is almost completely plowed and cut up by ravines and gullies. The dry part of the steppes receives up to 400 mm of precipitation per year, which, together with soils with low humus content, does not produce high yields.

Deserts and semi-deserts occupy the driest areas of the Columbia Plateau, as well as the bulk of the Great Basin. No more than 250 mm of precipitation falls here per year. The main vegetation on gray-brown soils is wormwood; quinoa grows on saline soils.

Tropics and subtropics, mixed monsoon forests

The tropical zone has a lot of heat. The change of natural zones is carried out from east to west, which is associated with various moisturizing territories. Monsoon forests grow in the southeast of the subtropical zone, on red and yellow earth soils. In addition to coniferous trees, you can see dwarf palms, evergreen oaks and shrubs, and magnolias intertwined with vines. Cypress trees grow in the swamps, and sabal palms and pine trees grow in drier areas. A huge number of birds, turtles and alligators live here.

Also in North America there is a narrow strip of hard-leaved forests and shrubs and zones altitudinal zone. For clarity, it is better to put all the information provided in a table, analyzing the natural zones of North America. The table will help organize the information and knowledge received. Generalized material will also be more convenient for memorization.