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Tundra is located. What is tundra and forest tundra

Tundra - treeless spaces of the subarctic latitudes of the northern hemisphere with a predominance of moss-lichen vegetation, as well as low-growing perennial grasses, shrubs and low-growing shrubs. The rhizomes of herbs, roots, shrub trunks are hidden in the moss and lichen turf. The main cause of tundraless forests is low air temperatures in combination with high relative humidity, strong winds, permafrost, and unfavorable conditions for the germination of tree seeds on moss-lichen cover.

In the tundra in the European North of Russia.

Plants in the tundra zone are pressed to the soil surface, forming densely intertwining pillow-shaped shoots. The leading role is played by sedges, buttercups, rosaceae, poppies, some cereals; evergreens - wild rosemary, vodnik; deciduous shrubs - willow, birch, alder. In July, the tundra is covered with a carpet of flowering plants. On the warm-up areas of the banks of rivers and lakes one can find, as it were, real flower beds: golden polar poppies, buttercups, dandelions, saxifrage, pink flowers of mytnik, sky-blue polar forget-me-nots. Among this magnificence dazzle astragalus, stars. According to the prevailing vegetation, there are three subzones of the tundra.

Arctic tundra  in the north it borders on an ice zone. The average temperature of the warmest month is no higher than + 5–6 ° C. The vegetation cover is torn: from lichens, undersized grasses and low shrubs; no shrubs. Vegetation covers up to 60% of the surface. Significant areas are occupied by swamps, heaving mounds, lakes, and spotted tundra. In the summer, deer graze in the vast arctic tundra.

Moss-lichen tundra  located in the middle of the zone. Lots of moss tundra from various types of green hypnosis and other mosses alternate with lichen tundra from sphagnum mosses that do not form a continuous cover. In the vegetation cover there are sparse sedges, bluegrass, dryad, creeping willow, etc. Large areas are occupied by spotted tundra. As pasture for reindeer, the most valuable areas of mossy tundra.

Shrub, the southern subzone of the tundra in the south turns into forest tundra. The average air temperature in July is +9–11 ° C. Shrub thickets in river valleys and on watersheds are widespread, especially yernik (polar willow, bush alder). In some places, thickets rise to the height of a person and higher (willow trees). In the Far East thick thickets of cedar elfin are common. Shrubs are an important source of fuel. Large areas are also occupied by hilly moss and sedge lowland marshes.

Throughout each subzone, there are different types of tundra. So, for the subzone of the arctic tundra are characteristic polygonal tundra  with special microreliefs in the form of large polygons separated by frost cracks. Sometimes the ground is broken by cracks into regular four-, five-, hexagonal polygons. On such territories, ice wedges (veins) go into the ground by several meters (sometimes more than 10–20 m); above them and cracks in the soil. On clay substrates also distributed spotted tundra. It consists of slightly convex rounded and oval spots of soil across from 10–20 cm to 2–3 m, devoid of vegetation. Such bare spots are surrounded by rollers of rubble, overgrown with moss, lichens, grass and shrubs. The origin of the spots, some experts attribute to the action of frost, causing movement (like cold boiling) of the soil.

AT rocky tundra  (crushed stone, rocky) at the outcrops of bedrock there are developed stone placers, covered with sparse bushes and grassy plants forming sockets or pillows; Lichen deer moss (moss) lichen, eagerly eaten by reindeer, is particularly prevalent.

In the south of the tundra zone and in the forest tundra common hilly tundra. It occupies low, clayey areas covered with sphagnum and grass-hypnosis marshes with mounds of permafrost. Tundra is distinguished as flat and hilly with a thick, up to 4–6 m, peat layer. The surface of hilly tundra is very uneven; steep-sloping hillocks of 1.5–4 m high are combined with waterlogged depressions — hollows covered with mosses, cotton grass, and sedges.

In northeastern Siberia, east of Kolyma, and in the Far Eastern tundra region is widespread tail point tundra. The cyclonic activity of the atmosphere is active here, the winter is warmer, but less snow than in the Siberian tundras. Under the conditions of the development of thermokarst processes, many lakes and swamps are formed; vast areas are occupied by sedge-pushicic tuskar tundra, transitional from real tundra to marshes. Characterized by low-power peaty horizon and a strong soil gleisiness.

In different areas of the tundra zone, various types of tundra are usually found, depending on the relief, geological structure, water content, and microclimate conditions. Tundras are developed on multi-year (permafrost) permafrost.

The nature of the tundra is very vulnerable. Following the tracks of tracked vehicles, ravines and subsidence occur. The width of the roads is growing due to the grinding of all new and new strips of tundra turf with tractors and all-terrain vehicles in summer. Therefore, the most decisive measures are being taken to rationally and rationally use the tundra in the process of intensive industrial development of the vast natural resources of the Far North.

In the past, the tundra zone seemed enchanted land. Over its endless expanses covered with snow most of the year, the polar night reigned. And the harsh climate, and the icy silence, and the darkness of the polar night surrendered to man. Geologists discovered untold riches of underground treasures. It turned out that accumulated with a purely Siberian generosity is stored here, and often near the surface almost all elements of the periodic table. These riches are being mastered in a comprehensive manner, which means a comprehensive attack on the northern and Siberian lands, the development of simultaneously diverse branches of the economy. In order to extract ore, oil and gas, an energy base is created - thermal, hydraulic, nuclear; complexes for the processing of raw materials at a metallurgical or chemical plant are built on excess electrical energy, cities and towns are built using industrial methods, roads are built. Especially rapidly developing gas and oil. More and more new fields are opening up in Western Siberia and elsewhere in the Far North. However, a small part of the inaccessible tundra has been involved in the research. Its main territories are still waiting for subsoil scouts. Each significant discovery is the result of hard, collective work of an entire army of geologists, their knowledge, energy, and awareness of the importance of the cause.

The development of the Far North of our country, the tundra and forest-tundra zones, with their focal industrial centers, is impossible without creating here our own food base, without developing agriculture. This does not mean that plant growing is possible in the tundra and it is hardly advisable to cultivate grain crops here. But the cultivation of forage grasses and the development of dairy farming, as well as poultry farming, is quite profitable and will be widely developed in the near future. In the meantime, agricultural development in the North is lagging behind the pace of development of industrial centers there, although subsidiary farms are created around them, for example, at the Severonikel mills (Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company) on the Kola Peninsula, Vorkutaugol, Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical (Norilsk Nickel ") and etc.

Dairy cattle breeding is still developing on imported feed. Hay is delivered by the North Sea or by river. It is very expensive. Therefore, the production of local hay increases every year. Succulent and pasture feed is grown in the floodplains of rivers. On fertile floodplain-sod soils - rich grasslands. The areas of the floodplain of our northern rivers are huge, especially in such large rivers as the Pechora, Ob, Yenisei, Lena. The cultivation of meadows is carried out by the destruction of shrubs, "feeding" the land with mineral fertilizers. The yield of haymaking rises by 2-3 times. Good results are brought also by tinning of the tundra. To this end, the soil is first treated with disc harrows, which chop the tundra vegetation, then it is lime and fertilized. Herbs sow perennial, usually a mixture of foxtail and meadow bluegrass. Large yields of green mass for silage and give crops of oats.

The use of the huge mineral resources of the North requires the simultaneous development of animal husbandry. Millions of hectares of tundra land will be occupied by grass and vegetables. They will fully feed a herd of cows, which will provide milk to fast-growing villages and towns. And even in this case, no more than 3% of the territory of the North will be occupied under the meadows, and 97% will remain under pastures for reindeer and as hunting and fishing grounds.

Reindeer husbandry is the basis of the tundra food base. In Russia, a significant part of the global population of reindeer is concentrated. The cost of deer meat is 2.5-3.5 times lower than other species of animals bred in the North. In addition to meat, a deer gives the inhabitant of the North everything - clothes, shoes, portable dwellings - plague, yaranga are made from the skin. No less important is deer as a vehicle, although in the tundra mechanical transport, such as snowmobiles, is now increasingly used. The use of these machines reduces the number of transport deer, and at their expense increases the number of broodstock ...

The slogans about conquering the North, about its storming, about white silence became the property of history. Now, the task of developing a system for the use of nature, the rules of human relations and the easily vulnerable, but difficult to recover nature of the North comes up to its full height.

"Tundra" - this word is associated with something cold, deserted, not suitable for life.

Meanwhile, the tundra is an interesting natural area, which is of value not only for researchers, but also for all of us - residents of northern latitudes.

Tundra

The natural zone, called the tundra, is located north of the taiga, where the earth never thaws. It is along the border that the border of the tundra passes, it is she who determines all the features of this region of the Earth. The whole zone of the tundra belongs to the Arctic - this is its southern part. In the Eastern Hemisphere, the territories belonging to the tundra are in Russia and the Scandinavian countries, in the Western - in the USA and Canada.

The climate of the tundra is extremely harsh. Most of the year, from October to April, winter reigns here and negative temperatures are maintained. May is spring of tundra, September - autumn. And even in summer, the air in the tundra does not warm up to more than 10 degrees. At the same time, the snow cover in the tundra is small, which negatively affects the flora.

All life in the tundra is subject to a cold climate and the fact that the layer of soil necessary for the existence of plants is very small. The local flora - stunted, creeping plants on the ground, having a very limited root system. These are mainly various herbs, mosses, lichens. In the southern part of the tundra appear low shrubs and miniature crooked trees, of which the most famous is perhaps the twisted Karelian birch.

Despite such harsh conditions, many animals live in the tundra. Fat, very tasty and valuable commercial fish is found in rivers and lakes. Among mammals, reindeer, arctic foxes, wolves, foxes, and hares are common.

Some birds have perfectly adapted to life in the tundra. These include, for example, the polar owl, ptarmigan and others. All animals and birds that live in the Arctic, have warm fluffy fur or feathers.



  The tundra is of great ecological importance for the northern countries and for all of humanity as a whole. Here, in particular, incredible reserves of fresh water are located, which are distributed through a network of rivers and lakes over vast territories. Unfortunately, human activities, including the development of oil and gas fields, put the ecological situation, as well as the life of the indigenous peoples of the tundra, to the brink of disaster.

Subzone forest tundra

To the south of the tundra is a transition zone - forest-tundra. Some researchers refer it to the tundra, others - to the taiga, but everyone agrees that this zone has its own essential features.

From the Kola Peninsula to the Indigirka River, the forest-tundra stretches in a continuous strip, then - in fragments. The vast expanses of forest-tundra are occupied by lakes and swamps - these are the greatest reserves of fresh water on the planet.

The flora and fauna of the forest-tundra is richer than in the tundra, because here it is somewhat warmer. Along with grasses and mosses, in this zone there are shrubs (polar willows), various types of birch, spruce, and larches. A special variety of plants is noted along the river valleys, which warm the earth and protect the living from the cold breath of the Arctic. Mushrooms and berries grow in abundance in the forest tundra, which are an essential component of nutrition for the peoples living in these territories.

The forest tundra is inhabited by the same animals that are found in the tundra. These are reindeer, arctic foxes, lemingas, foxes, partridges, and polar owls. The forest-tundra is a real paradise for migratory birds, who spend a short summer here and hatch chicks.

Indigenous peoples are engaged in reindeer herding and fishing. In some areas you can use the land of the forest-tundra and for agriculture. Here they practice greenhouse cultivation of plants, and also cultivate some unpretentious garden plants in open ground.



  Modern civilization stepped into the forest tundra. Indeed, in this zone are the richest deposits of oil, gas and other minerals. The industrial activity of man has not in the best way affected the ecological situation, which is a subject of concern for environmental organizations and society as a whole.

Tundra - one of the types of natural zones that lie beyond the northern limits of forest vegetation, a space with permafrost soil not poured by sea or river water. The tundra is located north of the taiga zone. By the nature of the surface of the tundra are swampy, peaty, stony. The southern boundary of the tundra is taken as the beginning of the Arctic.

The tundra (together with the forest tundra) makes up 15% of the entire territory of Russia, occupying the northern coast of Russia except the shores of the White Sea. Plants in the tundra are pressed to the soil surface, forming intertwining pillow shoots. Three main factors hinder the growth of forests in tundra zones - cold and short summers, strong winds and high humidity. There are many swamps in the tundra. From high places the snow is blown off, and the soil freezes through so much that in summer it does not have time to thaw. Therefore, permafrost is almost ubiquitous in the tundra. On the Kola Peninsula, the forest continues for one or two hundred kilometers to the north beyond the Arctic Circle. The influence of the non-freezing Barents Sea is strong here, and the winter is even warmer than in central Russia. The tundra is only a strip of seashore with its winds and mists. Treeless tops on the peninsula are also treeless, which the indigenous people, the Saami, call turturi, from which the word "tundra" originated. Beyond the Urals, in the Asian part, in the edge of the Arctic seas and cold currents, the tundra extends already in a wide strip. Even more extensive is its zone in the northeast, where even at the latitude of St. Petersburg and Vologda there is a very damp, cool and windy summer.

Tundra is very beautiful twice a year. The first time in August when cloudberries ripen and the landscape changes color first from green to red and then to yellow. The second time is in September, when the leaves of the dwarf birch and shrubs turn yellow and red. Vegetation, both in the south and in the middle “typical” tundra, is most abundant in places where snow accumulates. In winter, the snowdrifts shelter the plants from the cold and winds, and in the summer in their place you can see high grasses among the bushes.

The tundra soils are characterized by low snow cover - 0-50 cm, which due to strong winds is demolished, the permafrost in the soil affects its fertility. Soils are tundra-gley and peaty.
  There is little precipitation in the tundra (200–300 mm per year), and the more continental the climate, the less precipitation. However, evaporation in the tundra is so small that the amount of precipitation constantly exceeds evaporation. As a result, the tundra is swamped.

  Climate

The tundra is distinguished by a very harsh climate (subarctic), only those plants and animals live here that are not afraid of cold and strong winds. In the tundra is quite rare large fauna.
  Winter in the tundra is extremely long. Since most of the tundra is located above the Arctic Circle, the tundra experiences a polar night in winter. The severity of winter depends on the continental climate.
  Tundra, as a rule, is devoid of climatic summer (or it comes for a very short time). The average temperature of the warmest month (July or August) in the tundra is 10-15 ° C. With the arrival of summer, all vegetation comes to life, as the polar day comes (or the white nights in those areas of the tundra where the polar day does not occur).
  May and September are spring and autumn of the tundra. It is in May that the snow cover disappears, and already in early October it is usually set again.

By the nature of the surface of the tundra are swampy, peaty, stony. The southern boundary of the tundra is taken as the beginning of the Arctic. From the north, the tundra is bounded by the arctic desert zone. Sometimes the term “tundra” is applied to similar natural areas of the Antarctic.

The main feature of the tundra is the swampy lowlands in a harsh climate, high relative humidity, strong winds and permafrost. Plants in the tundra are pressed to the soil surface, forming intertwining pillow shoots.

Etymology of the term

Classification

Tundras are usually subdivided into three subzones (landscapes of the same subzones, depending on longitude, may differ significantly):

  • The Arctic tundra is predominantly grassy, ​​sedge-mushroom, with pincushion forms of shrubs and mosses in wet basins. The vegetation cover is not closed, there are no shrubs, clayey bare “medallions” with microscopic algae and mounds of permafrost heaving are widely developed.
  • The middle tundra, or typical tundra, is predominantly moss. Around the lakes - sedge-cotton grass vegetation with a small admixture of herbs and grasses. Creeping polar willows and dwarf birches appear, hidden by mosses and lichens.
  • Southern tundra - shrub; The vegetation of the southern tundra differs especially sharply depending on the longitude.
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