Nature, plants and animals of the Middle Urals. Southern Urals Presentation on the topic of the unique nature of the Urals

“The Urals is an area of great past and great future, generously endowed with an amazing variety of natural resources.”

A. P. Karpinsky

The nature of the Urals is unique in its diversity and can amaze with its beauty and richness.

On Ural mountains you can observe a pronounced altitudinal zone, that is, if you start climbing in the mountain-forest zone, you can end up in the mountain tundra.

In some places in the Urals there are relict plants (glacial and post-glacial) and endemics that live in a relatively limited range.

The danger in the Urals comes from ticks, which transmit many dangerous infections, including encephalitis (there are especially many of them in May-June), and poisonous snakes, of which only vipers are found in the Urals. There is also a danger of meeting the owner of the taiga - the bear.

Natural attractions

Far beyond the borders of the Urals, such unique natural attractions of the Urals are known as weathering pillars on the Manpupuner Plateau, Kapova Cave (Shulgan-Tash) with ancient rock paintings, underwater gypsum Orda Cave, Kungur Ice Cave, Chusovaya River, Mount Narodnaya, Taganay National Park and many other places.

In the east of the Komi Republic and the west of the Yamal-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug there are the most high mountains Ural (including the highest point of the Ural Mountains - Mount Narodnaya in the Subpolar Urals, 1895 m). Here, in hard-to-reach places, in some places almost virgin Ural nature is still preserved.

In the Sverdlovsk region, on the contrary, in places you can drive through the Urals without even noticing the mountains. This is the lowest part of the Ural Mountains. In the Yekaterinburg area, the predominant heights are on average around 500 meters.

The Perm region has the most rivers, including those suitable for tourist rafting. There are also many caves here (including the Divya Cave, the longest in the region). Bashkiria is also very rich in caves. And the Chelyabinsk region has the most lakes. There's a lot here and beautiful mountains, relatively easy to visit.

Rivers flowing from the western slope of the Urals carry their waters into the Caspian Sea, and from the eastern slope - into the Northern Arctic Ocean. The longest river in the region is the Ural (formerly Yaik).

Unique Feature The Urals is also due to the fact that almost every river has factory ponds. Now water energy is no longer used in factories; ponds have begun to be used mainly for recreation.

Problems of the Urals

But not everything is as rosy as we would like. The Urals are experiencing great environmental problems. The environment is polluted by numerous factories, and many mountains, as a result of mining and simply crushed stones, forever change their appearance, or even disappear altogether. Soon a quarry should appear even on such an iconic peak as the Konzhakovsky stone.

Radioactive contamination of the Urals is also very significant. First of all, as a result of the activities of the Mayak plant in the Chelyabinsk region. More than one generation of Ural residents will experience the harmful effects of Mayak.

There are fewer and fewer animals and fish in the Urals. Many species of animals and plants are on the verge of extinction and are listed in the Red Book.

Almost all of the Ural forests were completely cut down at least two or three times in the 18th-19th centuries to produce charcoal for mining factories. Active logging is still going on. Only in some places there are areas of untouched forests (mainly in the north).

Film about the nature of the Urals

The rich nature of the Urals is reflected in literature and art. The writer D.N. wrote best about the Ural nature. Mamin-Sibiryak. The Urals have been depicted in paintings by many artists; photographers have been photographing them since the end of the 19th century.

Many travelers, having once visited the Urals and admired its nature, want to return here again and again. Appreciate and take care of the nature of the Urals!

Geographical position The territory of the Urals is located in the interfluve of the great rivers Volga-Kama and Ob-Irtysh. From west to east, the Urals are conventionally divided into three parts. The first part is the Western Urals, or the Cis-Urals, the Urals. Here the western foothills of the Ural Mountains gradually transform into the Russian Plain. The second part is the Ural Range, or Mountain Urals. The Ural range from north to south is divided into Polar, Subpolar, Northern, Middle and Southern. The third part is Trans-Urals. The eastern slope of the Ural ridge ends with a protrusion into the West Siberian Lowland.

Relief In the relief of the Urals, two strips of foothills (western and eastern) and a system of mountain ranges located between them, stretched parallel to each other in the submeridional direction corresponding to the strike of the tectonic zones, are clearly distinguished. There may be two or three such ridges, but in some places their number increases to six to eight. The ridges are separated from each other by extensive depressions along which rivers flow. As a rule, the ridges correspond to anticlinal folds composed of more ancient and strong rocks, and the depressions are synclinal.

Relief The Ural Mountains are located in northwestern Russia. They lie between the East European and West Siberian plains. The length of the Ural ridge is more than 2000 kilometers, width - from 40 to 150 km. The highest point of the Urals is Mount Narodnaya (1895 m). The Ural Mountains were formed in the late Paleozoic during an era of intense mountain building (Hercynian folding). Formation mountain system The Urals began in the late Devonian (about 350 million years ago) and ended in the Triassic (about 200 million years ago). In ancient sources, the Ural Mountains are called the Riphean or Hyperborean Mountains. Russian pioneers called it Stone; these mountains were first mentioned in Russian sources at the end of the 17th century under the name Ural.

Climate The climate of the Urals is typical mountainous; precipitation is distributed unevenly not only across regions, but also within each region. The West Siberian Plain is a territory with harsh continental climate; in the meridional direction its continentality increases much less sharply than on the Russian Plain. Mountain climate Western Siberia less continental than climate West Siberian Plain. Interestingly, within the same zone on the plains of the Cis-Urals and Trans-Urals natural conditions noticeably different. This is explained by the fact that the Ural Mountains serve as a kind of climatic barrier. To the west of them there is more precipitation, the climate is more humid and mild; to the east, that is, beyond the Urals, there is less precipitation, the climate is drier, with pronounced continental features. The climate of the Urals is varied. The mountains extend for 2000 km in the meridional direction, and the northern part of the Urals is located in the Arctic and receives solar radiation much smaller than the southern part of the Urals, located south of 55 degrees north latitude.

Northern Urals This region is wider and higher than the Middle Urals (up to 1600 m). The area is located in mountain zone, covered with forests. The climate is more severe. The area is sparsely populated. In the Northern Urals there are Pechora-Ilychsky and Vishera nature reserves (the fourth largest in Europe). There are a lot of berries and mushrooms in the forests, and there is good fishing in the rivers. Tourist routes pass through uninhabited areas in complete autonomy.

Central Urals This is the narrowest and lowest (up to 1000 m) part of the Urals. The area is in the zone coniferous forests(spruce, pine, larch). The Middle Urals are densely populated, the transport network and industry are developed, business tourism is widely developed.

Southern Urals This is the widest part of the Urals. The eastern slopes are characterized by forest-steppe with numerous lakes, the western slopes up to an altitude of 1200 m are covered with forest, and the southern part is covered with steppe. The weather here is clearest and warmest in July and August. Karst phenomena are developed on the western slope. The area is quite densely populated, with developed railway and road connections.

The work can be used for lessons and reports on the subject "Geography"

Ready-made presentations on geography contribute to schoolchildren’s perception and understanding of the materials being studied, broadening their horizons, and studying maps in an interactive form. Presentations on geography will be useful for both schoolchildren and students, as well as teachers and lecturers. In this section of the site you can download ready-made presentations on geography for grades 6,7,8,9,10, as well as presentations on economic geography for students.

“Bashkortostan Republic” - 2.8% of the Russian population lives on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Composition of the Republic of Belarus. Oil refining. Bashkortostan is a multinational republic. The banking system of the republic includes 15 credit organizations. The remaining nationalities together make up 10.4% of the population of Bashkortostan.

"Fauna of the Urals" - Po river valleys otter and beaver meet. They are home to ungulates (elk, deer, roe deer, etc.) as well as birds of various species. Fauna of the Urals. But rodents (hamsters, field mice) have spread on the plowed lands. A couple of centuries ago fauna was richer than now. Disappeared wild horses, saigas, bustards, little bustards.

“The originality of the nature of the Urals” - Subpolar Urals. Iron and steel are being mined in the Southern Urals, copper ores, asbestos. Inhabitants of the Polar Urals. The Subpolar Urals are distinguished by the highest ridge heights. Lemming. Rock "Stone Tent". Minerals of the Middle Urals. The highest peak of the Northern Urals is Mount Telpos-Iz (1617 m). Ural.

"UER" - Population of UER. Bashkortostan Chelyabinsk region Ural economic region. G.P. P.I. Ural Mountains Wildlife. Ural and Ural economic region. Production natural resources. Ural mountains. To the south the number of altitudinal zones increases. U E R Composition. Permian. Mound. Relief, tectonics.

“Kamensk-Uralsky” - L. Sorokin. History and sights of the city of Kamensk-Uralsky. Kamensk-Uralsky is one of the oldest industrial cities in the Urals. Kamensk-Uralsky is included in the list of historical cities of Russia. Mount Bogatyrek. Natural monuments. Railway bridge. October 15, 1701. Rock Stone Gate - business card cities.

"Ural Region" - Ilmensky Nature Reserve. Mineral. The total length of all cave passages is 5 km 600 m. Asbestos. Population. Nizhny Tagil. 4. Severo-Uralsk. The forests are rich in furs, medicinal raw materials, and mushrooms. Quite large forest resources Ural. Objective of the lesson: The age of the cave is about 10-12 thousand years.

There are 8 presentations in total

Multimedia encyclopedia on the Ural region

Animal world

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Here you can learn about the fauna of the Urals, as well as look at some representatives of this fauna.

figurative

4.Rodents

5. Chiroptera,

or volatile

3.Parnoko-

6.Insectivores

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Lagomorphs.

Pikas: This is the smallest form of pikas of the USSR fauna (less than 20 cm). She has a dark grayish-brown surface on her back. It is found mainly in the shrub-rocky steppe.

Hares: There are two species of hares in the Southern Urals - the hare and the hare. In the hare there is a line along the outer edge of the ear white stripe, the hare's is black. The hare's tail is rounded, with grayish fur on the upper side in summer, and all white in winter. The hare has an oblong tail, with black fur on the upper side in both winter and summer.

Bears: One species of this family lives in our region - brown bear, one of the largest representatives of the local fauna. In a strict sense, it cannot be called a predator - the bear eats a variety of foods: both animal (elk, roe deer) and large quantities of plant food (berries, nuts). Therefore, the bear’s carnassial tooth is almost not expressed: it is not sharp, but has a tuberous surface. In the fall, bears quickly gain fat and hibernate in September–November. The den is built in a dry place.

Canids: The wolf belongs to the most harmful predators. It feeds on wild and domestic ungulates, hares, birds, and carrion. The she-wolf makes a den under an upturned tree, under the roots, and sometimes in the burrow of an arctic fox or fox. Since September, wolves leave the den area and begin a wandering life.

Common fox: The appearance of a red cheat we well-

we have been representing since childhood. What distinguishes a real fox from other similar species is white end tail, dark coloration of the ears and the front side of the paws. Ural foxes are quite large (60-90 cm). They are found throughout the Urals. Foxes live in holes. The fox is one of the most important commercial species, its fur is highly valued.

Corsac: Only in the southern regions of the Urals is a small steppe fox - the corsac - found. Corsac is a typical steppe animal. In the virgin steppe, it digs holes sometimes with 8-11 holes. Korsak leads night look life, going out hunting at dusk

Felidae: The only member of the cat family

in the Urals - lynx. A typical cat, but large, about a meter long, on very high legs, with magnificent sides on the cheeks and large tufts at the ends of the ears. The lynx is characterized by a short, as if chopped off, tail and a very wide paw, densely covered with coarse hair. Such paws play the role of a snowshoe, and the lynx, despite its rather heavy weight(up to 30 kg), can easily move through deep snow. In the Urals, lynx are widespread within the taiga and forest-steppe zones.

European mink: Based on body structure, this predatory animal from the mustelid family, it resembles the weasel and the ferret. In terms of body size, the mink is also close to these species (28-43 cm). But its legs, especially the hind legs, are equipped with well-developed swimming membranes. The fur is thick and short, brownish-brown in color, and there is a white spot at the end of the muzzle; it often stands out on the chest. Found in all regions of the Urals.

Black or Forest Ferret: The black ferret gets one of its names from its fur color, which has a dark brown tint. On the back, a light underfur is clearly visible through the sparse guard hairs. On the elongated grayish-white muzzle there is a transverse white spot between the eyes, forming a “mask”. It spreads from the European part of the USSR to the south, north and east.

Kolonok: Kolonok has average dimensions for representatives of the mustelid family (body length 25-39 cm). It has short legs, a long fluffy tail (13-18 cm), an elongated head with low, wide ears. And of all the representatives of the mustelid family, the weasel has the reddest fur, only the end of the animal’s muzzle is brown, and its lips and chin are white.

Ermine: Has a peculiar appearance: a thin, very flexible body, a lively rounded muzzle with big ears, long, non-fluffy tail, very short paws with sharp thin claws. The ermine looks especially beautiful in winter, when its skin rivals the whiteness of the snow. Only the black end of the tail, nose and beady eyes stand out clearly on it. In summer, the color of the animal is completely different: upper part Its body and sides are brownish-brown, and its underparts are white or yellowish. It is found from the Yamal tundra to the southern tip of the Ural Range.

Weasel: This is the most small predator(body length 13-23 cm). The slender and flexible body is very similar to the ermine, but differs, except for its size, in its short tail, the tip of which in winter is pure white, like the entire winter skin of the weasel.

Badger: In terms of body shape, it does not resemble any member of the mustelid family, although it belongs to them. This is a massive, squat animal, with a very short, almost invisible neck and a sharply tapering muzzle. The badger has short massive legs resting on the ground with the entire foot, and long blunt claws on the toes. The tail is also short, covered with coarse hair, as is the entire body of the animal. The small ear openings are covered with bristly hairs that prevent soil from getting into them. In autumn they hibernate. It is more common in the southern regions - in the Chelyabinsk and Orenburg regions.

Otters: This is a large representative of the mustelid family of the Urals. The appearance is typical for inhabitants of reservoirs: a flexible elongated body (70-75 cm), a small flattened head with small ears, turning into a thin neck, short legs with well-developed swimming membranes, a tail (50 cm) densely covered with hair. Otter fur has always been highly valued: it is durable and beautiful - shiny, dark brown on the back and sides, silvery underneath.

Hedgehogs: An ordinary hedgehog lives in the Urals. He has a shell made of needles

on the head it is divided into two parts by a neat parting. The belly and sides are covered with long and coarse fur. Both the color of the needles and the color of the fur of Ural hedgehogs can be different - light, brown and almost dark. Body length – 23.7 – 27.2 centimeters, weight 240 – 350 grams.

Long-eared hedgehog: Found in the Southern Urals and south of the city of Ufa. This is a resident of steppes and deserts. The name itself draws attention to the distinctive feature - long ears: if you bend the ear forward, it goes behind the eyes. No long-eared hedgehog on the head and parting - the needles cover the head completely.

Artiodactyls

The most characteristic distinguishing feature of these animals is

two fingers on the limbs, the ends of the fingers are dressed in a horny shoe-hoof.

Elk: The largest animal in the Urals: body length up to 3 meters, height at the shoulders - more than 2 meters, weight up to 450 kilograms.

Roe deer: The smallest representative of the deer family in the Urals. This is a slender animal with thin graceful legs and a very short tail hidden in the hair. Males have beautiful small horns up to 40 centimeters long, usually with three branches. In summer, the color of the roe deer is brown or reddish, in winter it is gray, and a white “napkin” is clearly visible from the back of the roe deer.

Common Squirrel: The appearance of the squirrel is well known - graceful animal, with a fluffy tail and long ears with tassels. The fur is red, short and coarse in summer, long and soft, pleasant gray in winter. But few people know that proteins are divided into different groups based on tail color. The “darktail” has a black tail and ear tufts (10%), while the “browntail” has a brown tail and ear tassels (90%).

Flying Squirrels: They are similar to squirrels in body shape and bushy tail. Flying squirrels differ from them, first of all, in the leathery, fur-covered fold along the sides - between the front and hind legs. The color of summer fur is dark gray, winter fur is ash-gray. The flying squirrel has large eyes and is nocturnal. Doesn't hibernate

Mouse-like: All representatives of this family are characterized by a long tail - usually equal to the length of the body or slightly longer, an elongated muzzle with large eyes and large ears, and molars with three rows of tubercles.

Forest or northern mouse: This is close relative jerboa, however, in appearance it is more similar to a mouse, but with a longer and thinner tail (the body length of adult animals is about 6 cm, and the tail is 10 - 11 cm) and very large hind legs. The general color of the northern mouse is grayish-brown, and there is a black stripe along the back. In the Urals it is found throughout the forest zone.

Ordinary wood mouse: One of the common types of mice on

Southern Urals. Solid light red or you distinctive features this animal. The wood mouse prefers broad-leaved and mixed forests, clearings, shrubs, and crops.

Yellow-throated forest mouse: It is larger: body length up to 13.5 tail - up to 13 centimeters, a more intense ocher-rusty color of the skin, and a large yellow spot. It feeds on tree seeds.

Tiny Mouse: The name itself suggests that the animal is small. Indeed, the body length of a baby mouse does not exceed 6-7 centimeters. This is the smallest rodent in the Urals. The color of the fur can be different - bright red, brownish, reddish, and the belly is white.

Common hamster: The top of the body is buffy-brown, the belly is black, there are three large light spots on the sides, with the rear ones separated by a black stripe, and a light spot behind the ears. The hamster is a fairly large rodent - its body length is up to 30 centimeters, and its tail is very short - about 4 centimeters. It is found in the Southern Urals, on the Kukshik ridge.

Eversmann's Hamster: This small animal with a dark gray back with a brown tint, a white belly and a brownish or yellowish-ochre chest can be found in the Southern Urals and in the adjacent steppe regions of the Trans-Urals.

Rats: They differ from mice in being larger in size, they have large hairless ears and a long scaly tail with sparse bristles.

Chipmunk: Five black-brown stripes stretch along the back along a pale-whitish background, turning into ocher-rusty at the back.

Sonya: The main feature of this family is a fluffy tail, 16 molars, and from the anatomical features - complete absence cecum and appendix - a sign not found in any other rodents.

Jerboas: Most jerboas live in the southern

ny regions of our country. Their peculiarity is that they move by jumping on their hind legs, which is why the large jerboa and mouse have hind legs that are much longer than their front legs.

Large jerboa: An amazing animal with long hind legs, tiny front legs, large ears and a long thin tail with a black tassel. The animal is small (18-26 cm, tail 17-30 cm), but at night for some reason it seems huge. Inhabits steppe and forest-steppe regions of the Urals and Trans-Urals.

Chiroptera, or bats.

Bats: The forelimbs of bats are modified in the wings, they are the only group of mammals adapted for active flight. Like birds, they can fly over vast distances. They have very developed hearing, however, they see poorly both day and night. They navigate in flight using hearing, emitting ultrasonic signals.

ANIMAL WORLD

Currently, zoologists count on globe There are about 4 thousand species of mammals, more than 300 on the territory of the USSR. The growth or decrease, and sometimes the disappearance of a particular species inevitably gives rise to problems. Indeed, in the life of nature, where all processes are interconnected, mammals are the most important link.

All mammals of our country are united into nine orders. Representatives of 6 of them are found in the Southern Urals: insectivores, chiropterans, or bats, rodents, lagomorphs, artiodactyls and carnivores.

Insectivores.

Shrews: These are the smallest mammals of the Southern Urals, and one species of them - the tiny shrew - can generally be called the smallest mammal of the fauna of the USSR: it weighs about 2 grams with an average body length of about 4.5 centimeters.

Moles: One species lives in the Southern Urals - the common mole. Its entire appearance: a cylindrical body, a small head with a snout elongated into a proboscis, with very small eyes and without ears, shovel-shaped digging forelimbs - speaks of the underground lifestyle that this animal leads. The mole's fur is thick, velvety, the pile is directed upward, and not backward, like most mammals, so it moves easily both forward and backward. The mole sees poorly, but its senses of touch and smell are well developed. Ural moles are relatively small - body length 11.4 - 15.7 centimeters, weight up to 100 - 130 grams.

Lesser shrew: can be distinguished by well-developed auricles protruding from the fur, and the absence of brown coloring on the tops of the teeth, of which the shrew has fewer than the shrew - 28

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The largest animal in our area is the elk (the weight of a male reaches 600 kg), and the smallest is a shrew, its length without tail 3 cm, weight 3,5 G.

The most voracious animal is the mole. During the day he eats more food than he weighs. He cannot go without food for more than 8 hours.

The largest bird - the queen of the steppe lands - the bustard (weight reaches 16 kg), and the smallest is the three-gram yellow-headed kinglet.

The spindle is considered the greatest master of camouflage; this lizard has no legs and, painted bronze, resembles a snake.

second section

Do you know?...

The fauna is one of the most important components of the environment, the importance of which for scientists is enormous.

Currently, zoologists count about 4 thousand species of mammals on the globe, and more than 300 in Russia.

In total, there are more than 60 species of mammals and about 300 species of wild birds in the vastness of the region.

The commercial fauna of the Chelyabinsk region consists of 33 species of mammals and 70 species of birds.

Reptiles and amphibians are represented in the region by almost 20 species.

second section

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Herbarium

1. What herbs have “animal” names?

2. What healing herbs do they grow on your head?

3. What grass poisons cows and heals people?

4. Which mushroom is poisonous and healing for animals?

5. What tree sinks in water and does not rot?

The most common tree in the Chelyabinsk region is birch; it is found everywhere. Forest-steppe forests and steppe forests are almost entirely birch, with the exception of island forests. Herbaceous plants include: dandelion, shepherd's purse, and knotweed.

Our rarest tree is oak. Oak groves are found only in the west of the Ashinsky region. The easternmost oak trees can be found in the forest-steppe of the Nyazepetrovsky region. The most rare plant is a relict plant paradoxical bedstraw, which some researchers consider extinct.

The very south where you can find alder is Karagaysky Bor. Almonds do not grow north of the Bredinsky and Kizilsky districts.

The tallest (more than 2 meters) grasses grow in ravines and river valleys in the Ashinsky and Satka regions.

Due to the fact that the Chelyabinsk region is located in three natural areas, its vegetation cover is very diverse. Within its borders you can find the most various types landscape, ranging from mountain tundra and dark coniferous taiga, mixed and deciduous forests to the feather grass steppes. The vegetation of the Chelyabinsk region is no less rich in species composition– from mountain-arctic to semi-desert forms. The number of species reaches almost 1500. In terms of species diversity, the vegetation of the Chelyabinsk region surpasses all other regions of the Urals, second only to Bashkiria. The Ural Mountains are an important climatic boundary. They cause significant differences in the nature of vegetation on the European and Asian slopes.

In the region, more than 2,800 thousand hectares are covered with forests. The most valuable are conifers (about 28%).

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The upper parts of the mountains are occupied either by stone placers or tundra vegetation with mountain-tundra soils.

On the slopes of ridges and hills, crushed stone and woody podzolized loamy and sandy loam soils are common.

In the upper part of the forest belt there are sparse grass forests with mountain-meadow podzolized soils. Mountain gray and dark gray forest soils predominate under coniferous and mixed forests.

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In the mountainous part of the region, the vegetation cover can be traced altitudinal zone. In the most high-mountainous part of the Southern Urals, the main belt is the belt of mountain-taiga dark coniferous forests, extending to an altitude of 1000-1500 meters above sea level. Its lower zone is dominated by fir-spruce forests, among which there are larch-pine forests, sometimes with linden in the undergrowth. Forests in this belt alternate with meadow glades. Above is the subalpine belt. Wood growth here is slowed down by a harsher climate and a short growing season. The forest in this belt is sparse and low-growing (crooked forests of spruce, fir, larch, birch, rowan), alternating with wet subalpine meadows.

The peaks of mountains over 1200 m high are occupied by "chars". The forest does not grow here.

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On the western slopes of the Southern Urals, within the altitude range of 250-650m, there are southern taiga coniferous-deciduous forests. Of the coniferous species, the most common are larch-pine and mixed linden-pine forests. In the extreme west of the mountain forest zone (Asha region) broad-leaved forests are common. The main species are: linden, maple, elm, elm, alder, aspen, birch, oak and others.

The undergrowth in these forests consists of hazel, rowan, willow, euonymus, honeysuckle, bird cherry, and in some places raspberries and various types rosehip. The rich herbaceous cover includes ferns, European hoofweed, common goosefoot, common crow, delphinium, mantle, and stoneweed.

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The flat Trans-Ural spaces of the Chelyabinsk region are almost equally divided between the forest-steppe and steppe zones. The approximate border between them is the Uy River.

There is a forest in the northern part steppe zone The vegetation cover alternates between pine, spruce-pine and birch-pine forests.

The southern part of the subzone is kolkovaya forest-steppe. Meadow and forb-grass steppes alternate here with pine forests and birch forests .

Pine forests are confined to outcrops of granite rocks or to sand deposits in river valleys. Bagaryaksky, Kashtaksky, Chelyabinsk, Uysky, Duvankulsky, Varlamovsky and other pine forests are known in the zone

Birch stakes are located mainly in heavily moist depressions, but often also in watershed areas.

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Almost in the middle of the zone, along the sixtieth meridian, runs the Ural-Tobolsk watershed. There are many pine forests and pine trees on this watershed; they create the impression of a forest-steppe landscape. However, their grass cover and undergrowth consists of typical steppe species.

To the west of the watershed, along the Ural River basin, the vegetation cover is heterogeneous. In the north, in the Verkhneuralsky region, meadow steppes with rich forbs are common; to the south it is represented by feather grass and forb steppes. To the east is an area of forb-turf-grass steppe. Alkaline meadows are widespread here.

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The wild flora of the region contains about 130 species. There is a large fund of forage lands. There are over 500 thousand hectares of hayfields and more than 1 million hectares of pastures.

There are many types of honey plants: linden, maple, almond, caragana (yellow acacia), hawthorn, rose hip, bird cherry, rowan, clover and many others.

The flora of the region contains about 150 species of medicinal plants used in official and folk medicine (table.)

Industrial development and agriculture led to negative consequences: stocks of plant resources are decreasing, the living conditions of entire communities and individual species are deteriorating. Many of them are becoming rare, some are threatened with complete extinction (table.)

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The most common medicinal plants in the region

1. Adonis spring (starodubka) Forest-steppe and northern part of the steppe zone: edges, forest glades, open forests, hill slopes.

2. Downy, warty birch. Mainly in the mountain forest zone.

3. Blood-red hawthorn In the forest-steppe zone, along the edges. Cultivated

4. Common lingonberry In the mountain forest zone, in coniferous and mixed forests; in the forest-steppe - in pine-birch forests.

5. Valerian officinalis Mainly in the mountain-forest zone to the upper border of the forest belt; in the forest-steppe - river banks, swamps, forest edges.

6. Snake knotweed (crayfish) Very widespread in the mountain-forest zone and adjacent forest-steppe areas, in damp meadows and forest edges, and the outskirts of swamps.

7. Knotweed (knotweed) In all natural areas - along roads, weedy places.

8. Common oregano Throughout the region on forest edges and clearings, in sparse forests and bushes.

9. St. John's wort Often in the mountain-forest zone and adjacent areas of the forest-steppe zone, in forest clearings and edges, in dry meadows

10. Wild strawberries are green Very widely in all areas of the region, in light

(strawberries) thinned forests, clearings, clearings.

11. Stinging nettle Everywhere: near homes, in vegetable gardens, in forest clearings

and forest edges, along river banks.

Name of plants Distribution, habitat

12. Burnet in all areas of the region: in wet meadows, forest clearings and forest edges, along river banks.

13. Common raspberry It is found in all zones: in forests, in clearings and burnt areas, along river banks and in ravines.

14. Coltsfoot Very widely throughout the region along ravines, banks of rivers and streams, in construction pits and quarries.

15. Dandelion officinalis Grows everywhere, a nasty weed.

16. Common shepherd's purse - A very common weed in all areas of the region.

17. Great plantain Found in all areas of the region.

18. Common yarrow - Very widespread in all natural areas - in meadows, fields, slopes, forests, wastelands.

19. Bird cherry grows along river banks, along ravines, in floodplain meadows, mainly in the mountain forest zone.

20. Common blueberry Mainly in the mountain forest zone and adjacent forest-steppe areas, in coniferous and mixed forests, in meadows, along river banks.

21. Brown rosehip More common in northern steppe regions and southern forest-steppe, in birch and mixed forests, in meadows, along river banks.

22. Needle rose Usually in the mountain forest zone, in mixed forests, along the banks of rivers, swamps, lakes.

Rarely found plants

Name of plants Distribution, habitat

Real slipper Mountain forest zone and adjacent forest-steppe areas

Lady's slipper spotted - Coniferous, mixed and birch forests of the mountain forest zone

Lady's slipper large- Broad-leaved, mixed and dark coniferous, less often flowering light coniferous and birch forests of the mountain forest zone

Altai anemone Broadleaf forests, floodplains of rivers, streams

Anemone buttercup Shaded slopes of mountains, floodplains of rivers, streams, in birch, aspen and alder woodlands of the Nyazepetrovsky, Katav-Ivanovsky regions, the foothills of the ridge. Urenga and Taganay

Dianthus aquifolia Confined to rocks, stony steppes: Ilmen Mountains, Sugomak, Egozinskaya; Cherry and other mountains

Ural carnation On rocky outcrops in the steppe and forest-steppe zones

Pure white water lily Lakes, oxbow lakes, ponds, river backwaters

Yellow egg capsule Lakes, oxbow lakes, ponds, river backwaters

European swimsuit Mountain-forest belt

Lily curly (saranka) Forests, edges and clearings in mountain forest and forest-steppe zones

Lyubka bifolia Wet pine forests, birch forests, wet mixed forests

Fescue Krylova Moss-lichen rocky tundra: Zigalga ridge

Name of plants Distribution, habitat

Rhodiola rosea Mountain tundra and subalpine belt on the ridges (golden root) Urenga, Zigalga, Taganay

Russian hazel grouse Rocky slopes and ravines of the steppe zone: interfluve of the Ural and Bolshaya Karaganka rivers

Checkered hazel grouse Solonetz meadows, ravines

Bieberstein's Tulip Through the steppes, river valleys, steppe meadows

Phlox Siberian Steppe rocky slopes: Borzovskie mountains, Miass district

Yaskolka Krylova Moss-lichen mountain tundra: Zigalga ridge

Helmet-bearing orchis Shores of swamps, damp meadows, forest glades and edges in the mountain forest zone.

Adonis. Latin name: Adonis vernalis. Distribution zone: forest-steppe

Perennial plant of the Ranunculaceae family. The leaves are heavily dissected. The flowers are solitary, yellow, large. Stems 15-70 cm high with a short rhizome, blooms in May-early July (first flowering in 10-20 years). The fruit, a multi-nut, ripens in June-July. It reproduces mainly by seeds, which are carried by ants. Grows in forest, steppe, forest-steppe zones. Usually forms groups and sparse thickets. Prefers black soils and dark gray forest soils. Photophilous. Poisonous, but valuable medicinal plant. The grass contains cardiac glycosides (the harvesting period is from the beginning of flowering until the fruits fall off), the reserves of raw materials quickly decrease due to improper harvesting - damage to the rhizomes, harvesting in the same places, etc. To preserve the population, reserves are organized, especially in the forest-steppe regions of Western Siberia. The plant has been cultivated since the 17th century, widely used as an ornamental.

Snake knotweed or crayfish necks. Latin name: Polygonum bistorta. Distribution area: Meadows and swamps

A genus of plants in the buckwheat family. Annual or perennial herbs, less often subshrubs, shrubs and vines. The flowers are bisexual, often protandrous, in spike-shaped or paniculate inflorescences, sometimes axillary. Pollination by insects, often self-pollination. The fruits are triangular or lenticular, enclosed in an overgrown perianth. Knotweed or snakeweed is a medicinal plant.

Coltsfoot. Latin name: Tussilago farfara. Distribution zone: Forest-steppe

Already in early spring, on slightly thawed hills and southern slopes of ditches, even among the snow, the medicine you need grows. Yellow baskets of flowers, reminiscent of a dandelion, but much smaller in size, bloom on short, plump greenish-gray stems. When the flowers fade, large, jagged leaves emerge. On top they are bright green, glossy and cooling to the touch, and on the bottom they are white, covered with soft, delicate felt. Cold stepmother and tender mother.

European swimsuit. Latin name: Trollius europaeus. Distribution area: Mountain Forest

The name of the genus is from the German word "trollbloome", i.e. troll flower. A perennial herbaceous plant with a straight stem 15-20 cm in height with one or less often several flowers. The basal leaves are petiolate, palmately five-parted with rhombic lobes. Stem leaves of three to seven lower ones are on petioles, the upper ones are sessile with blades that become smaller towards the top. The flowers are large, up to 5 cm in diameter. The sepals are sulfur-yellow, broadly oval, strongly concave, overlapping each other and covering the inside of the flower. The orange nectary petals are shorter than the stamens, about 7 mm in length. The fruit consists of numerous leaflets collected by a spherical head. Boreal European look. It grows in the mountain forest belt of the Urals in forests and meadows. Ornamental plant. Intensively gathered by the population.

Saranka lily. Latin name: Lilium martagon. Distribution area: Mountain Forest

A perennial plant with a tall (50-120 cm) straight stem and whorled lanceolate leaves. The upper leaves of the inflorescence are alternate. The bulb is golden-yellow, 2-4 cm in diameter, consists of imbricated overlapping fleshy scales. The flowers are white, yellow, red, orange on arched peduncles, 3-10 located at the top of the stem in a thin raceme 10-30 cm long. The perianth is six-leafed, flesh-red in color, with dark purple specks inside, sparsely covered with cobwebby hairs on the outside. The tepals are oblong, strongly curled back, about 4 cm long and 1 cm wide. The capsule is hexagonal, with sharp edges, obovate, 26-30 cm long, three-locular, with numerous seeds. Grows in forests, forest meadows and clearings.

The Middle Urals are located in the lowlands of the Ural Mountains. It is bounded by the Konzhakovsky Stone and the Yurma and Oslyanka mountains. The Middle Urals are more developed by humans than the Northern Urals.

The attractions of the Middle Urals are not only its geographical features. Tourists come here to visit the granite rocks of Peter Gronsky, ancient mansions and watchtowers.

The city of Kushva is also interesting to people, because it is the center of mining.

Middle Urals - the place where he was born famous writer D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak.

Flora of the Middle Urals

The Middle Urals are a zone of endless forests. Warmer areas are favorable for forest-steppes.

The most common trees found in forests are pine, spruce and fir. And deciduous tree species are birch and aspen. The undergrowth of these zones is juniper, raspberry, alder and currant. And in the undergrowth of pine forests, honeysuckle, wolf's bast and currants are often found.

The Middle Urals are located between the Northern, where the taiga reigns, and the Southern, where it grows large number plant species.

The Middle Urals are famous for traditional medicine. Many herbs from these areas are used in medicinal purposes, for example, clover, forest balsam, Tibetan lofan, barberry, henbane, wintergreen, cranberry, fragrant chamomile and others.

Many plants are listed in the Red Book of the Middle Urals. Some of them are: Alpine aster, Clausia sunflower, Ural jaskola, Dianthus dianthus, Permian astragalus, Ural thyme, northern flax, swamp dremlik and many others. Also, fern species are on the verge of extinction - woodsia graceica and asiatica and wallflower. The following mushrooms are included in the Red Book of the Middle Urals: northern climacodon, felt tinder fungus, fragrant haploporus and others.

Fauna of the Middle Urals

The fauna of the Middle Urals consists mainly of species that can live in coniferous forests. For example, wolverine, sable, weasel, chipmunk, hazel grouse and black grouse.

Wooded areas are habitat for wolves, foxes, stoats and weasels. Less commonly you can find vipers, grass snakes, viviparous lizards and grass frogs.

Otters, minks and water voles live along the rivers. Here, on the lakes and swamps, you can find mallards, geese, pintails and teal. The swamps are also a habitat for snipe, snipe, woodcock and partridge.

There are much more inhabitants in broadleaf forests than in taiga forests. Hedgehogs, forest ferrets, badgers, brown hares - all these animals are the main species representing the fauna of the Middle Urals. Among the birds found here are nightingales, orioles, finches, siskins, goldfinches, starlings and rooks. And among the amphibians there are non-venomous snakes, toads and newts.

Forest-steppe zones are suitable for the life and reproduction of various squirrels, wood grouse and white hares. And in the open steppe spaces there are gophers, jerboas and hamsters. Also, these areas are suitable for life for many birds - larks, partridges, spotted eagles and falcon eagles. Fast lizard is the main representative of reptiles of the forest-steppe zone.

The taiga of the Middle Urals is suitable for the life of commercial animals - sable, weasel and martens. It was in the Urals that these animals formed a kind of symbiosis with each other, this species was called kidus. Also game animals are squirrels, chipmunks, foxes and white hares.

There are practically no large animals in the Middle Urals; they live in the northern regions, where there are no people. It is very rare to see a moose.

Many animals of these places are included in the Red Book of the Middle Urals. Endangered species are under special supervision: muskrat, common hedgehog, mink, eel, pond and water bats. Among the representatives of birds, the black stork is protected.

Climate in the Middle Urals

Spring passes very quickly in the Middle Urals. The duration of this time of year is about 1-1.5 months. Night frosts persist here until summer, with daytime temperatures rising slightly above zero.

The summer of the Middle Urals is quite warm, but rainy. Closer to the south, precipitation falls less often, and the air temperature can warm up to +20 degrees.

Autumn lasts about 2 months, from September to the end of October. Characterized by heavy rainfall and low temperatures. In November, the first snow falls in the Middle Urals, and winter sets in.

Winter is the longest and coldest season in the Middle Urals. In January average temperature is -15 degrees, and sometimes drops to -40 degrees. Snow cover begins at the end of November and lasts until mid-April.