Flora and fauna of the deserts of South America. Flora of South America (photo)

Deserts in South America occupy small areas and are located in the coastal strip of Chile and Peru, as well as along the southeastern coast of the Patagonian Plateau in Argentina. The Peruvian-Chilean deserts (Atacama, Sechura), located approximately between 4 and 29 south latitudes, stretch for more than 3 thousand km and occupy 1.3 of the Pacific coast. The formation of the Peruvian-Chilean deserts is due to the following factories. The South Pacific High causes a constant current of wind towards the coast. In the eastern part of this anticyclone the winds blow very great strength, which causes a noticeable temperature inversion at altitudes from 300 to 1500 m above sea level. The air over this inversion zone is dry, and as a result of this dryness and territorial inversion, the amount of precipitation is very small. Cold Peruvian Current Pacific Ocean. This current explains the temperature inversion in the atmosphere. Air in contact with water cools faster than at high altitudes. An anomaly is created: a thick layer of cold air is located below the warm layers. At an altitude of 3000 to 9000 m, a thick layer of clouds, up to 400 m thick, is formed, which prevents the warming of the surface layers of the atmosphere. Moisture in the air condenses over northern Chile and over the central 500 km long Peruvian coastline, where thick fogs form. Fogs, in turn, reduce solar radiation and water evaporation decreases, especially in winter months. The Andes are a powerful barrier to movement air masses, forms over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The narrow coastal deserts of Peru and Chile form an elongated corridor stretching from north to south, sandwiched between the coasts of the Pacific Ocean and the giant wall of the majestic Andean ranges. Relief coastal strip and the western slope of the Andes is extremely complex. In the Peruvian-Chilean deserts, wind activity has become widespread. Aeolian landforms are represented mainly by single dunes (barchans) and their chains. The soil cover of the Peruvian coastal deserts consists of alluvial soils (5%), lithogenic soils (65%), rocky soils (25%), red desert soils and black clay soils (5%). All these soils are usually thin and low in humus. In the deserts of Chile, there are mainly 3 types of soils: skeletal soils of mountains and plains, modern alluvial soils of temporary stream beds and other nitrogen soils.

Atacama Desert- the largest of the deserts located in the zone of the closest deserts of the South American continent [Fig. 15.] It is a vast highland, gradually rising from 300 m on the Pacific coast to 9500 m at the foot of the Andes.

Fig. 15.

On the coast average temperature January up to 20, July - up to 15, in Atacama, respectively, slightly higher - plus 22 and lower - plus 11. Precipitation does not fall annually, and its total amount ranges from 10 to 50 mm per year. A narrow strip of coastal desert receives some moisture from thick fog. There are areas in the desert where precipitation has never been recorded. On the slopes of the coastal ridges, people collect water from the fog. The soils are poorly developed (salt crusts, etc.). The distribution of plant associations by height and distance from the coast is determined by humidity conditions, which depend not on precipitation in the form of rain, but on the intensity and frequency of fogs. From the coast to heights of 200 m above sea level, fog forms only at night and early in the morning, and in this coastal zone conditions for plant growth are particularly extreme in terms of moisture deficiency. As you ascend into the mountains, the frequency and intensity of fogs gradually increases, and at altitudes of 100 m or more, first blue and blue-green algae appear, and then bushy shrubs, and crustose lichens on the rocks. The belt of ephemerals and ephemeroids begins at an altitude of 200 m. Finally, at altitudes of 500-700 m, fogs reach their maximum: in winter, a damp blanket of fog lies on the slope almost around the clock. Representatives of the nightshade, clove, iris, and mallow families grow here. The tree-shrub layer is very sparse (acacia, whitish carica). Babaev A.G.

Patagonian desert. A vast and bleak desert stretches along Atlantic Ocean up to 1600 km, from 39 to 53 northern latitude, occupied by the Patagonian Plateau at an altitude of 600-800 m on an area of ​​400,000 square meters. km. [Fig. 16.] This is the only coastal desert in high latitudes.

Fig. 16.

Average monthly temperature warm month Patagonian desert - January - about 20 with an absolute maximum of up to 40. Winters in general, despite the mildness and positive temperatures, are very harsh. In severe frosts, the temperature can drop to -21. Water resources limited, stocks groundwater significant.

The soil cover is represented mainly by poorly developed desert rocky soils. Saline soils, even salt marshes, occupy drainage depressions. The Patagonian deserts lie in temperate zone, and in relatively more humid areas, a sparse grass cover is formed, with the dominance of feather grass, fescue, bluegrass, and bromegrass. However, in most places the cover is very sparse, with bare gravelly soil lying between individual specimens. Azorella, mulinum, etc. are found here. Animals found here are: long-haired armadillo, mara, (pig family) or Patagonian hare, rodents, wild llama (the only ungulate of Patagonia), Patagonian fox, birds (nandus ostriches), lizards (mostly iguanas) and others. Zaletaev V.S.

NATURE OF CONTINENTS AND OCEANS

§ 33. PLANT AND ANIMAL WORLD OF SOUTH AMERICA

To which continent? natural conditions, is South America similar?

South America, like Africa, is located mainly in the hot zone. This led to the existence there tropical forests, savannas and deserts.

The location of South America in a hot zone has led to a rich and diverse plant and animal world mainland.

On both sides of the equator there are evergreen and multi-tiered rainforests. The tropical forests of South America are wetter than those in Africa, so the flora and fauna there are more diverse. In the upper tier of the forest there are trees with spreading crowns up to 80 m high, under them there are palm trees, ficus, bananas, pineapples, papaya (or melon tree), cocoa (or chocolate tree), vines, orchids (Fig. 104).

Orchids Cocoa Papaya

Rice. 104. Plants of the tropical forests of South America

Animals inhabit all layers of the tropical forest. The kingdom of spiders and insects reigns here. Many different monkeys and birds live in the trees. Only in the tropical forests of South America lives the most long snake- anaconda, as well as its main enemy - the jaguar. Only here you can meet tiny hummingbirds and large predatory harpies.

Consider the animals that live in the tropical forests of South America, read their names (Fig. 105).

Anaconda Hummingbird Macaw

Jaguar Sloth Harpy

Rice. 105. Animals of the tropical forests of South America

To the north and south of the rainforests lie savannas covered with grasses, trees and shrubs. In the north they are very reminiscent African savannas, but here instead of baobabs there are palm trees.

In the drier savannas, which are located south of the equator, trees do not grow. Shrubs and tree-like cacti predominate here, the stems of which accumulate water reserves. What happens here is that the kebrago tree is very hard and sinks in the water.

In South American savannas, unlike African ones, the fauna is somewhat poorer. You won't find large flocks of herbivores here.

Look at the animals of the savannas of South America, read their names (Fig. 106).

Tapir Anteater Nandu

Rice. 106. Animals of the South American savannas

Deserts in South America are located in the south of the continent. The vegetation cover in the desert is very sparse and poor. Mostly small animals live here: lizards, snakes and rodents.

The tropical forests and savannas of South America are characterized by a diversity of plants and animals. Deserts are home to organisms adapted to the lack of water.

1. Why is the flora and fauna of South America so diverse? 2. What are the flora and fauna of tropical forests like? 3. What plants and animals are common in the savannas of South America? 4. What plants and animals are in the deserts of South America? 5. Find information and prepare a report about a plant or animal common in South America.

Latin America is the very place on Earth where natural resources have remained virtually untouched since the Mesozoic era.

The favorable climate and features of the development of the continent are the reason why today the nature of the countries Latin America attracts more and more tourists. They are eager to see many strange plants that are not found anywhere else. Vegetable world South America is rightfully considered the main wealth of the continent. Such well-known plants as tomatoes, potatoes, corn, chocolate trees, and rubber trees were discovered here.

Rainforest Plants

The tropical rainforests of the northern part of the continent still amaze with the richness of species, and today scientists continue to discover new plant species here. In these forests there are different types palm, melon tree. There are 750 species of trees and 1,500 species of flowers per 10 square kilometers of this forest.

The forest is so dense that it is extremely difficult to move through it; vines also make movement difficult. A characteristic plant for the tropical forest is the ceiba. The forest in this part of the mainland can reach a height of more than 100 meters and is distributed into 12 levels!

The tropical moist (equatorial) forests of South America on ferrallitic soils, called hylea by A. Humboldt, and called selva in Brazil, occupy a significant part of the Amazonian lowland, adjacent areas of the Orinoco lowland and the slopes of the Brazilian and Guiana highlands. They are also characteristic of the Pacific coastline within Colombia and Ecuador. Thus, tropical rainforests cover areas with an equatorial climate, but in addition they grow along the slopes of the Brazilian and Guiana highlands facing the Atlantic Ocean, in higher latitudes, where there is abundant trade wind rain during most of the year, and during During the short dry period, the lack of rain is compensated by high air humidity.

The Gilei of South America is the richest species composition and by the density of vegetation cover, the type of vegetation on Earth. They are characterized by great height and complexity of the forest canopy. In areas not flooded by rivers, there are up to five tiers in the forest various plants, of which at least three tiers consist of trees. The height of the highest of them reaches 60-80 m.

The tropical rainforests of South America are especially rich in vines and epiphytes, often blooming brightly and beautifully. Among them are representatives of the aromaticaceae, bromeliads, ferns and orchid flowers, which are unique in their beauty and brightness. Tropical rainforests rise along the mountain slopes to approximately 1000-1500 m, without undergoing significant changes.

Under the influence of human economic activity, vegetation has undergone significant changes. In just 15 years, from 1980 to 1995, the forest area in South America decreased by 124 million hectares. In Bolivia, Venezuela, Paraguay and Ecuador, rates of deforestation during this period exceeded 1% per year. For example, in 1945, in the eastern regions of Paraguay, forests occupied 8.8 million hectares (or 55% of the total area), and in 1991 their area was only 2.9 million hectares (18%). In Brazil, about 15 million hectares of forests were destroyed between 1988 and 1997. It should be noted that after 1995

There has been a marked decline in deforestation rates. The main cause of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon remains the expansion of agricultural land, mainly permanent grassland. Destruction of forests leads to the destruction of the upper soil horizon, the development of accelerated erosion and other processes of soil degradation. Due to deforestation and overloading of pastures, soil degradation processes have affected almost 250 million hectares of land.

Plants of tropical savannas

To the south of the jungle there are variable-humid forests and savannas, where the quebracho tree grows, which is famous for its very hard and very heavy wood, valuable and expensive raw materials. In savannas, small forests give way to thickets of cereals, shrubs and tough grasses.

Cerrado

The Cerrado region in east-central and southern Brazil is the largest savanna biome in South America. The Cerrado contains more than ten thousand plant species, 44% of which are endemic. About 75% of the territory has been lost since 1965, and the rest has been fragmented.

Pantanal

Two other savanna regions further south are the Pantanal and the Pampas. Although the Pantanal is a savanna, during the rainy season it becomes a wetland and provides habitat for aquatic plants. When the Pantanal dries out, savannas appear instead of water. This unique area is under threat from various types human activities, including shipping, artificial drainage, mining, Agriculture and municipal waste.

Pampas

Even further south are the pampas - the South American steppes. Here you can find many types of grasses, common to Eurasia: feather grass, bearded grass, fescue. The soil here is quite fertile, since there is less rainfall and it is not washed away. Shrubs and small trees grow among the grasses.

Flora of the Mediterranean climate and temperate forests

This climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The vegetation consists mainly of leathery-leaved evergreen shrubs that are well adapted to the long summer drought. The Chilean Matorral is the only Mediterranean region that has bromeliads. In lower areas, many shrubs are arid deciduous species, meaning they shed their leaves in the summer.

Since South America extends far to the south, it has a small region with temperate forests, called Valdivian forests. They range from moderate rainfall to drier temperate forests, and in all cases, as a rule, Nothophagus predominates. Small evergreen trees and shrubs dominate here. Fuchsias, which are prized all over the world for their beautiful flowers,

grow in the undergrowth. Although not rich in species, the temperate rainforests of the southern part of the continent can be quite dense.

Desert Plants

The south of the mainland is desert, the climate there is more severe, and therefore the vegetation is much poorer. Shrubs, some types of grasses and cereals grow on the rocky soil of the Patagonian desert. All plants are resistant to drought and constant weathering of the soil, among them are resinous chañar, chukuraga, and Patagonian fabiana.

Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert, one of the driest in the world, has some moisture, but it is limited to certain areas. Coastal areas below 1000 meters receive regular fog (called camanchacas).

Rainfall in the Atacama Desert is so low that even cacti (which usually store moisture) can hardly get enough water from a single rainstorm, so many plants, including species of the Bromeliad family, take some of the moisture they need from mists. At the sites medium height no regular fog; thus there is almost no vegetation cover. In higher areas, the rising air cools enough to produce moderate amounts of precipitation, although the vegetation remains barren. Shrubs tend to grow near stream beds where their roots can reach a permanent source of water. The Atacama Desert often appears barren, but when there is enough moisture, the ephemerals change their appearance.

Patagonian desert

Conditions in the Patagonian Desert are less harsh. Vegetation ranges from tussock grasslands near the Andes to mostly shrub-steppe flora further east.

In the shrub steppes of Patagonia, cushion plants and kulembai shrubs are found. Where the soil is salty, quinoa and other salt-tolerant shrubs grow.

4 unusual plants of South America

Jacaranda

You can meet it in Brazil, Argentina and the West Indies.

Jacaranda is so beautiful during the flowering period that streets, parks and squares are decorated with it. This tree is especially loved in Buenos Aires. It blooms almost always.

So, at the end of spring and at the beginning of winter, jacaranda blooms most abundantly, and in summer and autumn it is a little more modest. However, the spectacle is incredible in any case. Bright purple delicate flowers cover the crown so thickly that it is almost impossible to see green leaves behind them, very similar to mimosa leaves.

Although jacaranda is not so rare in South America, it is unlikely that anywhere else you will be able to walk through a thick carpet of fallen purple petals and enjoy the violet aroma emanating from these beautiful trees.

Psychotria

No less interesting is psychotria - a small tree whose flowers resemble juicy scarlet lips, as if folded into a kiss. There are about a hundred species of this plant in total, and it can be found in Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica. With their seductive appearance, the flowers of this plant attract the main pollinators - butterflies and hummingbirds.

Psychotria is under threat of complete extinction due to uncontrolled deforestation. But you can still catch the “hot sponges” by finding them in Latin American forests.

Balsa

If you decide to travel to Ecuador, you may be lucky enough to see the balsa tree, or the so-called hare tree. This is very tall tree from the baobab family.

It almost disappeared from the face of the Earth because of its valuable wood: very light, soft and friable, after drying it becomes harder than oak. Balsa was once used to make boats, rafts and canoes, but today its wood is used only for surfboards and fishing lures. This tree is called a hare tree because of its fruits - pods with seeds, which, after opening, look like fluffy hare feet.

There are no more balsa forests left, but small groups of these trees can still be found in the rain and humid forests of Ecuador.

Cashew tree Pirangi

Another unique tree grows in Brazil, near the city of Natal.

This is the Piranji cashew tree, which is already 177 years old and has “grabbed” almost two hectares of land. Pirangi is a mutant tree. An ordinary cashew grows like a tree, but not Piranji, since its branches, as soon as they touch the ground, take root, as a result of which the tree continues to grow. Thus, a single tree replaced an entire forest. By the way, it still bears fruit – about 80 thousand fruits a year. Exactly this a big tree cashew tree in the world, as it is 80 times the size of a regular cashew tree.

conclusions

The plants of South America are also quite diverse. Tropical rain forests The Amazons occupy vast areas, including, in addition to the northern part of Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, the southern part of Venezuela, the west and south of Colombia, Ecuador and the east of Peru. In addition, this type of forest is found in Brazil in a narrow strip along Atlantic coast, as well as on the Pacific coast from the border of Panama to Guayaquil in Ecuador. The trees in these forests reach 80 m (ceiba), melon tree, cocoa, and rubber-bearing hevea grow. The plants are entwined with vines, there are many orchids. However, scientists fear that these “lungs of the planet” will end of XXI centuries may disappear from the surface of the Earth (this sad forecast was expressed by climatologists taking part in the climate change conference, which was held in Copenhagen from March 6 to 18, 2009).

Savannas occupy the Orinoco Lowland and most of the Guiana and Brazilian highlands. In the northern hemisphere, among the tall grasses (llanos) there are tree-like spurges, cacti, mimosas, bottle trees. The southern one (campos) is much drier and has more cacti. The South American steppes (pampa) have fertile reddish-black soils, dominated by cereals. Deserts and semi-deserts are located in the temperate zone in Patagonia. Soils are brown and grey-brown, dry cereals, cushion-shaped shrubs.

Video

Sources

http://latintour.ru/sa/sa-info/rasteniya.html

The main area of ​​the vast territory of the South American mainland extends in equatorial-tropical latitudes, so it does not feel a lack of sunlight, although the climate of this part of the world is not at all as hot as Africa.

It is the wettest continent on the planet, and there are many natural reasons for this. The difference in pressure between warm land and the ocean environment, currents off the coast of the continent; The Andes mountain range extends across a huge part of its territory, blocking the path of westerly winds and contributing to increased humidity and significant amounts of precipitation.

The climate of South America is extremely diverse, because the continent extends through six climatic zones: from subequatorial to temperate. Along with areas of fertile nature, there are areas known for mild winters and cool summers, but famous for frequent rain and winds.

In the center of the continent there is much less precipitation. And the highlands are distinguished by clean, dry air, but a harsh climate, where the bulk of the heavenly moisture falls, even in the summer months, in the form of snow, and the weather is capricious, constantly changing throughout the day.

A person does not survive well in such places. Naturally, the vicissitudes of the weather also affect other organisms living there.

It is not surprising that given natural features, the world of fauna is incredibly diverse and rich. List of animals of South America is very extensive and impressive with its individual bright features of organic life that has taken root in this territory. It includes many wonderful and rare species creatures that amaze with their fantastic originality.

What animals are in South America live? Most have adapted perfectly to existence in harsh conditions, because some of them have to endure the discomfort of tropical downpours and survive in the highlands, get used to the peculiarities of the shroud and subequatorial forests.

The fauna of this continent is amazing. Here are just some of its representatives, the diversity of which can be seen at photo of animals of South America.

Sloths

Interesting mammals– the inhabitants of forests are known throughout the world as very slow creatures. The peculiar animals are closely related to armadillos and anteaters, but purely outwardly they have little resemblance to them.

Number of sloth species included animals endemic to South America, only about five. They are united into two families: two-toed and three-toed sloths, which are quite similar to each other. They are half a meter tall and weigh about 5 kg.

Remind external features the appearance of an awkward monkey, and their thick, shaggy hair looks like a haystack. It's interesting that internal organs These animals differ in structure from other mammals. They lack hearing and visual acuity, their teeth are underdeveloped, and their brain is quite primitive.

The animal in the photo is a sloth

Armadillos

Fauna of South America would be significantly poorer without mammals. These are the most unusual animals among the edentates, a group that includes sloths.

The animals are dressed by nature in something similar to chain mail, as if clad in armor, girded with hoops consisting of bone plates. They have teeth, but they are very small.

Their vision is not well developed, but their sense of smell and hearing are quite acute. When feeding, such animals grab food with their sticky tongue, and are able to bury themselves in loose soil in the blink of an eye.

Pictured is an armadillo

Ant-eater

Scroll South American animal names wouldn't be complete without this amazing creation, How . This is an ancient, outlandish mammal that existed back in the early Miocene era.

These representatives of the fauna inhabit the territories of savannah and rain forests, also live in swampy areas. They are divided by scientists into three genera, differing in weight and size.

Representatives of the genus of giants weigh up to 40 kg. They, like members of the genus of large anteaters, spend their lives on the ground and cannot climb trees. Unlike their relatives, dwarf anteaters skillfully move along trunks and branches with the help of clawed paws and a prehensile tail.

Anteaters do not have teeth, and spend their lives searching for termite mounds and anthills, absorbing their inhabitants with the help of a sticky tongue, sticking their a long nose. An anteater can eat several tens of thousands of termites per day.

The animal in the photo is an anteater

Jaguar

Among South American forest animals, dangerous predator, killing with one jump, is . It is precisely in his dexterous, lightning-fast ability to kill his victims that the meaning of the name of this beast, translated from the language of the indigenous inhabitants of the continent, lies.

The predator is also found in shrouds and belongs to the panther genus, reaches a weight of just under 100 kg, has a spotted color like a leopard, and has a long tail.

Such animals live in the north and central parts of America, but are found in Argentina and Brazil. And in El Salvador and Uruguay some time ago they were completely exterminated.

In the photo there is a jaguar

Mirikina monkey

American monkeys are endemic, and differ from their relatives living on other continents by a wide partition separating the nostrils of these animals, for which many zoologists call them broad-nosed monkeys.

This type of creature inhabiting mountain forests includes the Mirikina, otherwise called durukuli. These creatures, which are about 30 cm tall, are notable for the fact that, unlike others, they lead an owl-like lifestyle: they hunt at night, seeing perfectly and orienting themselves in the dark, and sleep during the day.

They jump like acrobats, eat small birds, insects, frogs, fruits and drink nectar. They know how to publish huge number interesting sounds: dog barks, meows; roar like jaguars; chirping and chirping like birds, filling the darkness of the night with devilish concerts.

Monkey Mirikina

Titi monkey

It is not known exactly how many species of such monkeys exist in South America, since they have taken root in impenetrable forests, whose wilds cannot be fully explored.

Appearance Titi resemble myrikin, but have long claws. During the hunt, they guard their prey on the branch of a tree, tucking their arms and legs together and lowering their long tail down. But in right moment in the blink of an eye they deftly grab their victims, be it a bird flying in the air or running along the ground, Living being.

Pictured is a titi monkey

Saki

These monkeys live in the forests of the interior regions of the continent. They spend their lives on the tops of trees, especially in areas of the Amazon that are flooded with water for a long time, as they cannot tolerate dampness.

They jump on branches very deftly and far, and walk on the ground on their hind legs, helping themselves to maintain balance with their front legs. Zoo workers, observing these animals, noticed their habit of rubbing their own fur with pieces of lemon. And they drink by licking the water from their hands.

White-faced saki

Uakari monkey

Close relatives of the saki, living in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins, are known for the shortest tail among the continent's monkeys. These peculiar creatures, classified as endangered species and rare animals of South America, have red faces and a bald forehead, and with their lost and sad expression on their faces they look like an old person, confused in life.

However, appearances are deceptive, because the character of these creatures is cheerful and cheerful. But when they are nervous, they smack their lips noisily and shake the branch they are on with all their might.

Uakari monkey

Howler

South American harpy bird

Titicaca whistler frog

Otherwise, this creature is called a scrotum due to the flabbiness of its skin, hanging in folds. She uses her fancy skin for breathing, since her lungs are small in volume.

This is the most big frog in the world, found in the reservoirs of the Andes and Lake Titicaca. Some specimens grow up to half a meter and weigh about a kilogram. The color of the back of such creatures is dark brown or olive, often with light spots, the belly is lighter, creamy-gray.

Titicaca whistler frog

American manatee

Large mammal, inhabiting the shallow waters of the Atlantic coast. Capable of living also in fresh water bodies. Average length is three or more meters, weight in some cases reaches 600 kg.

These creatures are colored a rough gray and have flipper-like forelimbs. They feed on plant foods. They have poor eyesight and communicate by touching their muzzles.

American manatee

Amazonian inia dolphin

The largest of the. His body weight can be 200 kg. These creatures are dark in color and sometimes have a reddish skin tone.

They have small eyes and a curved beak covered with tinny bristles. No more live in captivity three years and are difficult to train. They have poor eyesight, but a developed echolocation system.

river dolphin inia

Piranha fish

This aquatic creature, famous for its lightning-fast attacks, received the title of the most voracious fish on the continent. Having a height of no more than 30 cm, she mercilessly and brazenly attacks animals and does not hesitate to feast on carrion.

The body shape is like a rhombus, laterally compressed. Usually the color is silver-gray. There are also herbivorous species of these fish that feed on vegetation, seeds and nuts.

Pictured is a piranha fish

Giant arapaima fish

According to scientists, the appearance of this ancient fish, a living fossil, remained unchanged for millions of centuries. Some individuals, as local residents of the continent say, reach four meters in length and weigh 200 kg. True, ordinary specimens are more modest in size, but they are valuable commercial fish.

Giant arapaima fish

Electric eel

The most dangerous big fish, having a mass of up to 40 kg, found in the shallow rivers of the continent and having a fair share of human casualties.

Capable of emitting electric charge of great power, but feeds only on small fish. It has an elongated body and smooth, scaly skin. The color of the fish is orange or brown.

Electric eel fish

Agrias claudina butterfly

The most beautiful of tropical forests with a scope, rich colors, bright wings of 8 cm. The shape and combination of shades depends on the subspecies of the described insects, of which there are about ten. It is not easy to see the butterfly, as they are rare. It's even harder to catch such beauty.

Agrias claudina butterfly

Nymphalid butterfly

With wide, medium-sized wings, bright and variegated colors. Its lower part usually merges with environment against the background of dry leaves. These insects actively pollinate flowering plants. Their caterpillars feed on grass and leaves.

Nymphalid butterfly

Located in three climatic zones: temperate, subtropical and tropical, the flora and fauna of these zones have differences due to climatic features.

In temperate semi-deserts climate zone the predominant plants are plants of the cereal family, wormwood, breastwort, cinquefoil, fescue, prutnyak, as well as bulbous plants - ephemeroids, which transform its appearance into a short time in the spring, as a result of soil moisture, but under the influence of high daytime temperatures, they quickly fade, and the semi-desert again takes on the appearance of a scorched space with a fragmentary arrangement of specific vegetation. In addition to herbs, shrubs and trees grow in this zone: sand acacia, juzgun, oleaster, white saxaul, etc. Southern Hemisphere Succulent plants are added to these species. In the semi-desert zone there are conditions for cattle breeding.

The fauna is represented by rodents (there are hamsters, jerboas, gophers, mice, a long-eared hedgehog), reptiles, and insects that hide from the heat of the day in burrows. Predators – polecat, fox, gazelle antelope, saiga, birds – larks, bustard, which is an endangered species, eagle, etc.

in South America, in addition to the listed rodents, there are nutria, viscacha, armadillo, deer, Pampas cat, and birds: Nandu ostrich, tinamu, palamedea, and condor.

sand acacia

The film below tells about the bustard, which lives in the semi-desert zone of Kazakhstan.

In Russia, semi-deserts are located along the southern border, in the Caspian and Ciscaucasia regions.

A distinctive feature of semi-deserts of the subtropical climate zone from the temperate one is the absence negative temperatures in winter. In the semi-deserts of the subtropical climate zone North Africa, Central Asia, in the Caucasus, Australia, and South America, the shrubby type of vegetation predominates, although turf grass species, wormwood are also common, prickly pear cactus, Billardier's saltpeter, astragalus, dwarf tree, lavender, and wild spurge are also common.

Wild spurge

In semi-deserts North America Typical representatives of vegetation are cacti, creosote bush, agave, dasylyrion, yucca, parfolia, xerophytic bromeliads.

Animal world subtropical zone Semi-deserts, in addition to rodents and reptiles, are supplemented by ungulates (gazelles, donkeys), and predators - leopard, cheetah, lions, hyenas, jackals. There are reptiles (turtles, lizards, geckos), birds, among which the black vulture and vultures are notable. Insects are widely represented: many beetles, spiders, termites.

The tropical semi-desert zone is characterized by an arid and hot climate throughout the year. Plants are drought-resistant, with some ephemerals. The sparse vegetation consists of acacia and tamarisk bushes, wide range succulents, irises, amaryllis, and lilies grow here, which bloom during the rainy season. Among the herbs, saltworts, cereals, and succulents predominate. Found in Australia a small amount of eucalyptus trees in close proximity groundwater. In the Kalahari semi-desert area, acacia is also the most common, among the grasses are aristida, aloe, and cereal plants. The semi-deserts of America are characterized by cacti, presented in a huge variety of species, and thorny acacia thickets.

See the video about how aristida grows in semi-desert conditions.

The fauna of the tropical semi-desert of America is inhabited by antelope ground squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, kangaroo mice, predators: coyote, puma, skunk, fox, wolf live here.

In Africa, in addition to rodents, snakes, reptiles, there are jackals, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, ostriches, ibises, camels, and in Australia - kangaroos, Dingo dogs, and dromedary camels.

The film tells about the plants and animals of the African semi-desert and desert:

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