Natural zone tundra. What does the tundra look like in summer and winter? Natural zone tundra: description

Along the coasts of the Arctic Ocean there is a wide strip of tundra - an area without forests with swamps, rivers and streams.

The climate here is so harsh that tall trees can't grow. The long frosty winter, lasting 9 months a year, gives way to short and cool summers. Because of low temperatures the ground freezes, in the summer only the most top layer soil on which mosses, lichens, grasses, small shrubs grow - blueberries, cloudberries, lingonberries, as well as creeping dwarf willow and dwarf birch. Plants have adapted to such a harsh climate: as soon as summer comes, they begin to hastily bloom in order to produce fruits and seeds before the onset of cold weather. Ripe seeds wait long winter without freezing.

In the short northern summer, the tundra is covered with a bright carpet of flowers, variegated moss and dwarf trees. Plants, hidden under snow for nine months of the year, strive to show all their beauty and enjoy the rays of the sun.

Tundra zones, natural areas of continents, mainly the Northern Hemisphere (in Southern Hemisphere found in small areas on islands near Antarctica), in Arctic and subarctic zones. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Tundra zone is located between the zones of Arctic deserts in the North and forest-tundra in the South. Stretched in a strip 300-500 wide km along the northern coasts of Eurasia and North America.

River in Tundra.

Climatic conditions

The latitudes in which the Tundra zones are located have a low annual radiation balance. Winter continues 8-9 months per year, with 60-80 days The polar night lasts, during which no radiation heat is supplied. In the Tundra zone of the European part of Russia, the average January temperature is from - 5 to - 10 ° C; in the North-East of Siberia and the Far East, frosts down to - 50 ° C and below were observed. Snow cover occurs from October to June, its thickness in the European part is 50-70 cm, V Eastern Siberia and Canada 20-40 cm, snowstorms are frequent. Summer is short, with a long polar day.

Positive temperatures (sometimes up to 10-15 °C) are observed within 2-3 months, however, frosts are possible on any day of summer. Duration of the growing season 50-100 days. Summer is characterized by high relative humidity air, frequent fogs and drizzling rains. There is little precipitation (150-350 mm per year on the plains, up to 500 mm in the mountains), however, their quantity almost everywhere exceeds evaporation, which contributes to the development of swamps and the formation of waterlogged soils with denudation processes.

Flora

Distinctive features of the Tundra zone are treelessness, the predominance of sparse moss-lichen cover, severe swampiness, widespread permafrost and a short growing season. Severe climatic conditions The tundra zone is caused by depletion organic world. The vegetation includes only 200-300 species of flowering plants, about 800 species of mosses and lichens.

Tundra plants.

1. Blueberries.

2. Lingonberry.

3. Black crowberry.

4. Cloudberry.

5. Loidia late.

6. Bow of speed.

7. Prince.

8. Cotton grass vaginalis.

9. Sedge Sword-leaved

10. Dwarf birch.

Most of the tundra zone of the Northern Hemisphere is occupied by subarctic tundras (northern and southern), on its northern outskirts they are replaced by arctic tundras, where there are no thickets of shrubs, along with mosses, lichens and grasses, arctic-alpine shrubs play a large role.

In the Eastern European part of Russia and Western Siberia, the southern Tundras are characterized by large-bush Tundras, with a well-defined layer of dwarf birch with an admixture of willows. Towards the North, the layer of shrubs thins out, they become more squat and, along with mosses, shrubs and semi-creeping shrubs, sedge takes on a greater role in the vegetation cover, and there is an admixture of dryads. In Eastern Siberia, with increasing continental climate, the large-bush Tundras are being replaced by small-bush Tundras with another type of birch. Chukotka and Alaska are dominated by hummocky Tundras with cotton grass and sedge, with the participation of hypnum and sphagnum mosses and an admixture of low-growing shrubs, which become fewer in number towards the North. The subarctic Tundras of Canada and Greenland are dominated by Tundras dominated by ericoid shrubs. Tundras serve as pastures for deer, hunting grounds, and places for collecting berries (cloudberries, blueberries, shiksha).

Forget-me-not. Polar poppy

Animal world

The main occupations of the population are reindeer husbandry, fishing, fur hunting and sea ​​beast. Because of large quantity Various waterfowl - geese, ducks, loons - fly south with the onset of winter. Animals have also adapted to difficult conditions: some hibernate in winter, others (for example, lemmings) stay awake under the snow, others leave the tundra for the winter. Features tundra fauna - extreme poverty associated with the severity of living conditions and the relative youth of the fauna, the presence of endemics, sometimes belonging to independent genera, as well as homogeneity determined by the circumpolar distribution of most species, and the connection of many inhabitants with the sea (birds living in bird colonies, polar bear, a number of pinnipeds). Birds are characterized by a small number of passerine species, especially granivores, an abundance of waders and waterfowl, of which the white-fronted and black geese and bean goose, white goose and white owl, snow bunting and Lapland plantain, rough-legged buzzard, the peregrine falcon is typical, white (living in the taiga) and tundra (found in the mountains) partridges, horned lark (found not only in the tundra, but also in treeless highlands and steppes) are widespread. There are no reptiles. Among the amphibians, some frogs come from the south. The predominant fish species are salmonids; Dalliya lives in Chukotka and Alaska. Of the insects, dipterans predominate (mosquitoes are abundant). Relatively numerous: Hymenoptera (especially sawflies, as well as bumblebees, associated in their distribution with leguminous plants), beetles, springtails, butterflies. Most species of vertebrate animals leave the tundra for the winter (birds fly away, mammals migrate), only a few, such as lemmings, stay awake under the snow. Permafrost and the associated swampiness are not conducive to the existence of hibernating forms and earthmovers.

Among the insectivores found in the Tundra fauna, only shrews are found; among rodents - species of common and ungulate lemmings are endemic, mainly in southern parts Some voles are found in the tundra (for example, root vole, Middendorff's vole, red vole, red-gray vole, and some others); of the lagomorphs - the white hare; among the predators - the arctic fox, which migrates to the forest-tundra for the winter, and partly to the northern taiga; ermine and weasel are widespread, foxes and wolves are found, polar bears come from the North and brown bears from the South; Among the ungulates, the musk ox is common, and reindeer is typical.

Reindeer

Reindeer is a symbol of the tundra. This is the only representative of ungulates capable of existing in the open northern tundra and on the islands of the Arctic Ocean. Both males and females have large horns. It feeds mainly on lichens (moss moss), grass, buds and shoots of shrubs. In winter, it takes out food from under the snow, breaking it with its hooves.

Body length of males up to 220 cm, height at withers up to 140 cm, weigh up to 220 kg; females are smaller. The hair coat in winter is thick and long, with a highly developed undercoat; in summer it is shorter and sparse. The color in summer is uniform, brownish or grayish-brown, in winter it is lighter, sometimes almost white. Horns are developed in males and females; in males they are larger. The head is small; the nasal part is covered with hair. The ears are short, with a rounded top. The toes are able to move widely apart; the middle hooves are wide and flat, the side hooves are long (in a standing animal they touch the ground); as a result, reindeer hooves have relatively large area supports, which makes it easier to move through deep snow and muddy places.

Reindeer is widespread in Europe, Asia and North America; inhabits polar islands, tundra, lowland and mountain taiga. Herd polygamous animal. Reindeer make seasonal migrations, moving to winter months to places rich in moss pastures, sometimes located many hundreds of kilometers from summer habitats (from the tundra to the forest-tundra and northern part of the taiga).

The reindeer herd is divided into several groups. In each such group there is one main male, who proves his superiority to other males in fights. These fights can last up to 30 minutes. Fighting between male reindeer is not as aggressive as in other deer species. They are usually ritual in nature. The main weapon in such battles is horns. The antlers of reindeer are the largest relative to body weight compared to the antlers of other deer. have horns complex structure. This is where the danger of fights between males lies. More often than other species of deer, the antlers of reindeer intertwine with each other, the animals cannot free themselves and die.

In May - June, females give birth to 1 fawn, rarely 2; feed them milk 4-5 months Sexual maturity in the 2nd year of life. Shortly after the rut, males shed their antlers. New antlers develop from April to August. Females shed their antlers after calving; development of new ones ends in September. Shedding once a year. Reindeer is a cautious, sensitive animal with a well-developed sense of smell. Swims freely across rivers and lakes.

Tundra is a treeless flat hill, translated from Finnish.

Tundra is an area characterized by permafrost, short summers and long winters.

Geographical location

The tundra is located in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth, being in the northern part of the Eurasian continent, North America, and the islands that are part of the subpolar geographical zone.

They occupy almost 5% of all land on the planet. The borders are the Arctic - from the south, the Arctic deserts - in the north.

Characteristics of the tundra

The tundra is represented by three subspecies, which differ in vegetation:

• Forest-tundra or southern, where willows, berries, mushrooms, and shrubs grow, represented by dwarf birches and bushy alder;
• Arctic, where swamps and wetlands, mosses and lichens predominate;
• Subarctic or typical average, which is characterized by mosses, shrubs, lichens, and berries.

tundra in summer photo

The Arctic tundra is located between the North Pole and the taiga. Winter here is very harsh; it differs in that the water always freezes, and the entire territory resembles a desert. In summer, the soil can only heat up from 40 to 60 centimeters deep. Summer is dull and gray, greenery does not appear everywhere, and from a distance it resembles spots.

In the southern tundra, summers are somewhat longer, and this contributes to deeper warming of the earth. Therefore, shrubs, mosses and lichens can grow on them. Summer is also characterized by the opening of rivers and lakes, which are surrounded by lush and colorful vegetation.

dwarf birch trees in the tundra photo

Somewhere in the middle of summer, a polar day may occur (the sun does not set below the horizon), lasting several months. During this period, herbaceous plants bloom here, shrubs and small trees are covered with leaves. Their height is no more than 50 centimeters.

Tundra climate

The climate of the tundra is subarctic, which is characterized by the absence of summer as a season. When it arrives, it can last only a few weeks and is cool, with temperatures ranging from 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, with frosts occurring at night.

In summer there is precipitation, which is slightly more than in winter period. The average annual precipitation in the tundra is 200 - 400mm. Moisture significantly exceeds evaporation, which contributes to the formation of wetlands. Winter lasts a very long time and is characterized by cold weather. The temperature drops to -50 degrees. Snow cover in the tundra lies from October to June.

Soils

The area is represented by several types:

• Rocky;
• Peaty;
• Swampy.

The soils are waterlogged, therefore they are represented by arctic tundra (north) and gelatin tundra (center and south). The gelation process is very active, so the soils have a bluish and green tint.

There is very little humus in the soils, since few shrubs and plants grow on the surface, the processes of humification and mineralization occur very slowly. Therefore, the peat layer is very thin.

Among other features of tundra soils, it is worth noting the impossibility of finding soil horizons, since they are constantly moving, which is associated with the following processes:

• Swelling;
• Outpourings.

The permafrost becomes larger at the northern borders. Soils are acidic, minerals and nutrients there is little in them.

Flora and fauna of the tundra

The plant world here is sparse. These are mainly mosses and lichens, shrubs. Dwarf trees (birch, alder, willow) are found on the southern border of the tundra. But flowers that have survived the harsh winter bloom in summer (buttercups, polar poppies, wild rosemary, forget-me-nots). It’s beautiful in August and September - the berries ripen, and the greenery changes its color to red, then to yellow.

tundra plants photo

I continue the series of blogs I started about natural areas of the world.

Part one, dedicated to the Arctic deserts, is here: http://site/index-1334820460.php

From the Arctic desert zone we will move south. There is more heat in the lenient period of the year, temperatures rise, and the length of summer increases. Where a closed vegetation cover appears, the tundra zone begins.

The word “tundra” is translated from Finnish as “open, treeless place.” Indeed, the distinctive feature of tundras is the absence of forest vegetation.

1 Tundra. From October to May bitter frosts reign here. The low sun often “puts on mittens” - it forms optical phenomenon"halo" when three suns seem to shine in the frosty sky.

Tundras are located within the subarctic climate zone, that is, in winter Arctic conditions dominate here air masses, and in summer - moderate. The average temperature of the warmest month of the year is August +5-+10° C. Annual precipitation is 200-300 mm in the north and 400 mm in the south (in Tomsk about 500 mm/year). Snow lies for 280 days and has a thickness of 30-60 cm. More precipitation falls than can evaporate and therefore the soils are constantly waterlogged. It is for this reason that swamps are common in the tundra, and the lake level of the surface can reach 50%. In summer, the soils thaw to a depth of 2.5 m.

2

Within Russia, the tundra occupies south island Novaya Zemlya, Bely, Vaygach, Kolguev islands, as well as the entire continental coast north of the Arctic Circle. The southern border runs south of the Arctic Circle and dips south only within Western Siberia. It goes along the line Murmansk - coast Kola Peninsula- south of the Kamen Peninsula - Naryan-Mar - south of New Port - north of Dudinka, then along the lower reaches of the Khatanga River basin - Olenek - Lena - Yana - Indigirka - Kolyma. Only in the extreme east does the tundra occupy the plain in the area of ​​the river. Anadyr and almost meridionally descends to the south to 60° N. latitude.

3 Thermokarst polygons on the tundra surface

Within Foreign Europe tundra is widespread in Iceland, northern Finland and Norway up to 65 degrees north latitude.

In North America, the southern border of the tundra approximately coincides with the Arctic Circle (66.5 degrees N), and only in the Hudson Bay area does it drop to a latitude of 55 degrees (Tomsk is located at 56 degrees N, by the way. Who are we there? complains about the climate of Western Siberia???). This anomalous distribution of the tundra is explained by the presence of the cold Hudson Bay jutting into the land from the north, which in the literature is sometimes called an “ice bag.” It cools the air masses and greatly reduces the temperatures of the summer months. In flat terrain, the cooling influence of Hudson Bay can be traced for many hundreds of kilometers.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the tundra is poorly expressed - only on Tierra del Fuego and on the Antarctic Peninsula there are insignificant areas occupied by tundra vegetation.

4 Natural areas of the world. Tundra marked purple (second from the top in the map legend)

5. Iceland in summer

6. Iceland. Tundra may be like that.

7. North America. Hudson Bay in September

8 Hudson Bay Coast in Summer

9 Hudson Bay Coast in Early Winter

Due to the uneven thawing of soil in tundra conditions, specific forms of relief develop: solifluction (slow drainage of waterlogged and waterlogged soils under the influence of gravity), thermokarst (soil subsidence due to thawing of permafrost with rising temperatures and the formation of craters), heaving mounds (they aka pingo, they are bulgunnyahs..php, fig. 18,19), etc. You can read a couple of lectures about these landforms.

10. Actually, everything is signed. Pay attention to solifluction (d), cellular structures (f), polygonal soils (h)

11. Solifluction. Gray tones show watered, melted soils. Burgundy-red-pink tones - frozen soils. Under the influence of gravity, the upper layers of soil slide down.

12. Thermokarst lakes on the Yamal Peninsula (north West Siberian Plain, Russia). In short, they are formed like this: in certain place the soil melts faster than in the surrounding area, water accumulates and seeps into the frozen soil. Under the influence of water, soils melt and soil subsidence occurs. The depression fills with water. The thermokarst lake is ready. Often such lakes have a regular round shape.

13. Thermokarst

14. Polygonal soils

15. In the foreground are cellular forms of soil. Landfills overgrown with moss and lichen are surrounded by rocky placers. From above, such cells look like a honeycomb. They are formed due to uneven heating of soils.

Climatically, the southern border of the tundra coincides with the 10° C isotherm. This isotherm is the boundary for the spread of woody vegetation to the north. If the temperature of the warmest month of the year is below +10, then trees cannot grow.

Tundra landscapes develop under conditions of polar day and night, permafrost, which lies almost on the surface. Because of this, the vegetation cover is monotonous and poor, dominated by mosses, lichens, shrubs, cereals and sedges. Vegetation responds to even a slight increase in heat.

Tundra vegetation is cold-resistant. Can tolerate winter temperatures down to -60° C, summer temperatures -7° and below. Vegetation is characterized by great age and small size. For example, lingonberry can equal the lifespan of oak, dwarf birch lives 80 years, dryad - more than 100 years, wild rosemary - 95.

16. Lingonberry

17. Dwarf birch in autumn

18. Dwarf birch. Notice how she pressed herself against the stone. The fact is that the stone protects it from the wind that constantly blows in the tundra. In addition, the stone quickly heats up in the sun. The birch tree is warming up =)

19. Ledum. A plant that deserves its own blog. It includes essential oil, which has a nerve paralytic effect, causing headaches, nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness. It is used in leather tanning and soap making. Serves as a remedy against bloodsuckers (the main thing is not to die along with mosquitoes) and moths. Bees collect so-called “drunk” honey from wild rosemary, which is poisonous to humans. The bees themselves eat it without much harm to their health.

Vegetation is characterized by “viviparity”. For example, in Arctic bluegrass and pike grass, bulbs ripen on the branches, which fall into the ground with an already formed root system and leaves.

20. Arctic bluegrass

Plants are characterized by dwarfism, because near the ground the temperature is significantly higher than at a height of 1 m above the ground.

In the tundra there are many fluffy plants and plants with a waxy coating on the leaves (for example, lingonberries). Such devices not only allow you to keep warm, but also protect against burns from excessive UV radiation during the polar day.

The tundra has three subzones: arctic, typical and southern.

Arctic tundra. Snow in such a tundra can fall at any time of the year and day. Mosses and lichens completely dominate here. Cereals, polar poppy and saxifrage appear. The land is covered by 60% vegetation.

21. Arctic tundra

22. Polar poppy

23. Saxifraga

Typical tundra-moss-shrub. Dwarf willow and birch are typical. In the east of Russia, vast spaces appear overgrown with dwarf cedar. In the swamps there are thickets of lingonberries, blueberries, cranberries, wild rosemary. Mosses, lichens. Crowberry is widespread. An interesting thing is dryad (partridge grass) - a creeping evergreen plant - the leaves are leathery, shiny, pubescent below, and the flower looks like a chamomile.

24. Typical tundra and grazing reindeer.

25 Siberian pine is typical of the tundra of Eastern Siberia and the Far East

26 Blueberry

27 Cranberry

28 Lichen moss (reindeer moss). It is quite edible, although when boiled it tastes like a dishwashing sponge - completely tasteless. A decoction of reindeer moss is recommended to drink when coughing.

29 Green - cuckoo flax moss.

30 Crowberry (aka crowberry, aka shiksha). Edible.

31 Dryad (partridge grass) Named after the forest nymph Dryad. The Greek word "dryad" itself means "tree, oak." The dryad's leaves are similar to oak leaves, so Carl Linnaeus did not think long about what to call this northern plant. So to answer the question “Do oak trees grow in the tundra?” The Greeks can safely answer that they are growing. All other nationalities should answer this question in the negative.

Southern tundra. It is characterized by a powerful, closed layer of shrubs, and in river valleys by woody vegetation. In Europe, birch appears in river valleys, in Western Siberia, spruce, in Eastern Siberia and Far East larch.

32 Southern Tundra.The red-orange bushes are dwarf birch.

33 Southern tundra. Taimyr Peninsula. larch branch in the foreground

The fauna of the tundra is not particularly rich. The permanent inhabitants of the tundra include lemmings, arctic foxes, reindeer, and polar wolves. In North America natural inhabitant tundra is the musk ox. In Russia, musk oxen were completely exterminated already in historical time(or they became extinct themselves, it’s difficult to say anything definite), but in the 70s of the 20th century, work began on the reintroduction of this species into the Russian tundra. The introduction was completed successfully. Now musk oxen in Russia live on Taimyr, on the island. Wrangel, in the Polar Urals, in Yakutia, in the Magadan region.

In the summer the polar bear grazes in the tundra, but in the winter the bears go to the arctic desert zone.

All animals that live in the tundra have warm fur, significant fat reserves, small ears, short legs, and in their body structure there is clearly a tendency to turn into a ball - so from the point of view of preserving heat, it is most advantageous to exist, although, of course, to escape from a predator or On the contrary, it is problematic for the balls to catch up with prey, which is why both predators and their victims have not completely turned into balls.

34Lemmings are an important part of the menu of predators living in the tundra - owls and arctic foxes. They reproduce quite moderately, with 5-6 litters per year. In Scandinavian countries, there are legends that say that lemmings are sometimes so afraid of living that they commit suicide by throwing themselves into rivers and lakes. In fact, this legend is just a myth that is based on real facts. This myth arose in the 19th century, when scientists could not find an answer to the question: why in some years the number of lemmings drops sharply.In addition, this myth gained popularity thanks to the staged suicide of lemmings in the documentary film about the nature of Canada - “White Wasteland”. To film this scene, the sadistic filmmakers drove dozens of lemmings they bought into the river with a broom.

The reality is this: every few years there is a sharp jump in the rodent population. Then they begin to run out of food, and the fluffies rush at all costs to get a bloody nose, but to devour them, forgive me my capacious Russian. They even start eating poisonous plants and behave aggressively towards predators. And when there is absolutely nothing to eat, huge crowds of lemmings rush in search of food. In years when the populationThe number of lemmings is decreasing, arctic foxes have to change their place of residence in search of food, and owls do not even lay eggs, because then they will have nothing to feed their chicks.

35 Norwegian Lemming

36 The Arctic fox is the main predator of the tundra

37 Reindeer. Lives in the northern part of Eurasia and North America. It eats not only grass and lichens, but also small mammals and birds. In Eurasia, reindeer are domesticated and are important source food and materials for many northern peoples. Both males and females have horns. Females need horns to drive away presumptuous males from eating and for protection from predators. Reindeer are largely domesticated. People get milk, meat, wool, antlers, bones, and antlers from deer. From humans, deer only need salt and protection from predators.

38 polar wolf. Subspecies of wolf. Listed in the Red Book.

39 Muskox

Birds that permanently live in the tundra include the white partridge, polar owl, and Lapland plantain.

40 Ptarmigan in winter

41 Ptarmigan in summer

42 Ptarmigan chick. Look. what shaggy legs he has!

43 Polar (white) owl. One of the largest flying birds. The weight of females reaches 3 kg (males are usually smaller than females), and the wingspan is up to 170 cm. Adult birds are white with dark speckles. Females have more speckles. One polar owl eats an average of 1,600 lemmings per year, although it hunts not only them - its diet includes partridges, hares, and even arctic foxes. Having built a nest, the polar owl actively guards it - it does not allow predators even within 1 km of the nest. In addition, the owl does not hunt near the nest. This is used by all kinds of birds that set up their nests next to the owl’s nest - geese, ducks, waders, etc.

44 Beauty

45 Who wrote the fairy tale about ugly duckling? The baby swans are handsome compared to this stuffed animal! And the stuffed animal will grow into a beautiful snow-white owl. This is who the fairy tale should have been written about. About the ugly owlet!

46 Lapland plantain is widespread in Siberia, Eastern and Northern Europe. Its breeding ranges are located in northern Russia, Norway and Sweden.

There are quite a lot of birds that nest in the tundra in the summer, for example, the Siberian Cranes, red-breasted geese, ducks and other representatives of waterfowl that have recently thundered throughout Russia. All of them leave the tundra in the fall and fly to warmer countries.

47 Siberian crane (white crane). Breeds in Yakutia and west of the mouth of the Ob. For the winter it flies to India and Iran. There are about 3,000 Siberian Cranes left in the wild. There are about 40 Ob Siberian Cranes. The bird is large, about 140 cm tall, with a wingspan of more than 2 meters. Lives on lakes and swamps.

48 Red-breasted goose. Large duck, noisy, fussy. Easily tamed. Breeds in Taimyr, winters in the Black Sea and Caspian regions. Listed in the Red Book.

One of the main representatives of the tundra fauna is ( drum roll) ......

49 Mosquito

During the lazy period of the year in the tundra, the midge does not allow anyone to live in peace - mosquitoes, midges, horseflies are ready to devour anyone who is not naturally endowed with thick fur and thick skin.

The main problem of the tundra remains the extreme vulnerability of its ecology. Due to the slow restoration of disturbed soil and vegetation cover, even traces of a car are overgrown for many decades. The construction of oil and gas production facilities destroys many thousands of hectares of tundra. Even if all construction in the tundra were stopped, ecological restoration would take hundreds of years.

It would seem that in this harsh region, where the icy prickly wind cuts the skin in winter, and in the summer hordes of bloodsuckers attack, what should people do? But ask anyone who has been to the tundra - is it worth going there? And you will almost certainly get the answer - it’s worth it. Whether because of the northern lights, or because of the polar day, because of the endless expanses or because of the frightening desolation, because of the “whisper of the stars” or because of the arctic fox stealing your lunch, because of the creaking on the crust runners or because of snow flying from under the deer’s hooves.

50

By the way, about the “whisper of the stars”. Sometimes the tundra experiences such frosts that the steam escaping from the mouth when breathing instantly freezes. In calm weather, in the extraordinary silence of the tundra, you can hear the micro-ice flakes formed from your breath rubbing against each other, “whispering.” It is this phenomenon that polar explorers call the “whisper of stars.”

As a conclusion, a control paragraph, so to speak. According to annual research by various “British scientists,” Iceland, which lies entirely in the tundra zone, is recognized as the happiest state in the world. The people there are the happiest! According to the same studies, Russians are somewhere in the second hundred in terms of happiness per capita =) Maybe it’s time for us all to move to the tundra? =)

Tundra - where is it? Not everyone is able to answer this seemingly simple question. Let's figure it out. The tundra is (more precisely, a type of zone) lying behind the northern forest vegetation. The soil there is permafrost, not flooded by river and sea ​​waters. Snow cover rarely exceeds 50 cm, and sometimes does not cover the ground at all. Permafrost and constant strong wind negatively affect fertility (humus that does not have time to “ripen” in the summer is blown out and frozen out).

Etymology of the term

In principle, tundra is a general concept. Some clarifications are still needed here. Tundras can actually be different: swampy, peaty, rocky. From the north they are limited arctic deserts, but their southern side is the beginning of the Arctic. The main feature of the tundra is considered to be swampy lowlands with high humidity and strong winds. The vegetation there is relatively sparse. Plants press against the soil, forming multiple intertwining shoots (plant “cushions”).

The concept itself (the etymology of the term) was borrowed from the Finns: the word tunturi means “treeless mountain.” For a long time this expression was considered provincial and was not officially accepted. Perhaps the concept took root thanks to Karamzin, who insisted that “this word should be in our vocabulary,” since without it it is difficult to designate the vast, low, treeless plains overgrown with moss that travelers, geographers, and poets could talk about.

Classification

As already mentioned, tundra is a generalized concept. In fact, it is divided into three main zones: Arctic, middle and southern. Let's look at them in a little more detail.

Arctic tundra. This subzone is grassy (mostly). Characterized by cushion-shaped subshrubs and mosses. There are no “correct” shrubs. It has many bare clay areas and mounds of frost heaving.

Middle tundra(it is called typical) predominantly mossy. Near the lakes there is sedge vegetation with modest forbs and cereals. Here you can see creeping willows with dwarf birches, lichens, and hidden mosses.

Southern tundra- This is a predominantly bushy area. Vegetation here depends on longitude.

Climate

The climate here is quite harsh (subarctic). That is why the fauna in the tundra is very scarce - not all animals are able to withstand such strong winds and cold. Representatives of large fauna are very rare. Since the bulk of the tundra is located above the Arctic Circle, winters here are not only much harsher, but also much longer. They do not last three months, as usual, but twice as long (called polar nights). It is especially cold in the tundra at this time. Continental climate dictates the severity of winter. In winter, the average temperature in the tundra is -30 ºС (and sometimes lower, which is also not uncommon).

As a rule, there is no climatic summer in the tundra (it is very short). August is considered the most warm month. The average temperature at this time is +7-10 °C. It is in August that the vegetation comes to life.

Flora, fauna

The tundra is the kingdom of lichens and mosses. Sometimes you can meet angiosperms(most often these are low grasses), low shrubs, dwarf trees (birch, willow). Typical representatives of the animal world are fox, wolf, bighorn sheep, brown hare, lemming. Birds also found in the tundra include the white-winged plover, Lapland plantain, polar owl, plover, snow bunting, and red-throated pipit.

Tundra is the “end of the earth”, whose reservoirs are rich in whitefish, omul, and nelma). There are practically no reptiles: due to low temperatures, the vital activity of cold-blooded animals is simply impossible.

The tundra is an endless plain along which you can walk for a long time, but still not come across a single tree or hill. In summer there is a kingdom of swamps with swamps squelching underfoot, in winter there is a white field stretching beyond the horizon. And many meters deep into the earth there is permafrost.
Most of the natural tundra zone of Eurasia is located in the north of the Russian Federation. The existence of the tundra has always been known, but several dozen definitions were used to designate it: from “cold desert” and “frozen treelessness” to “mossy glades” and “walking wind”. Only after the Siberian word “tundra” flashed into literary works, Nikolai Karamzin (1766-1826) - Russian historian and writer - stated in 1803: “The Siberian word tundra should be in the Russian lexicon; for we have not described in any other way the vast, low, treeless plains overgrown with moss, which a poet, geographer, traveler can talk about when describing Siberia and the shores of the Arctic Sea...”
Most of the tundra lies in the permafrost zone in the Arctic, beyond the Arctic Circle, and is represented primarily by flat or undulating plains.
The tundra zone stretches along the entire coastline within the Russian Federation, it occupies about 15% of the entire territory of Russia - from the border with Finland in the west to the Bering Strait in the east. The tundra is located on a narrow coastal strip in the extreme north of the European part of Russia, but in Siberia it reaches a maximum width of 500 km (in the extreme northeast of Russia, descending south to the northern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula).
In the north of Sweden large areas occupies the tundra zone of Swedish Lapland. Also, areas of tundra are found in northern Norway, Finland and Iceland.
The tundra was formed over many thousands of years in cold conditions humid climate and the presence of permafrost in the soil, which lies close to the surface and retains water that was formed when the top layer of soil thawed, forming the so-called gley.
For six to nine months of the year, the average temperature in the tundra remains below freezing. For short summer The surface of the tundra thaws only a few centimeters.
Since the annual amount of precipitation significantly exceeds evaporation, many small lakes have formed here, and large areas are occupied by wetlands.
Tundra vegetation varies depending on local conditions. In particular, the climate of the Norwegian tundra is milder than the Siberian one due to the proximity of the warm Atlantic current, and therefore there are more trees here than in the north of Russia.
Home natural feature tundra - polar day and polar night.
The tundra is a very vulnerable ecosystem: there are very short food chains here, for example, deer feed on lichen, which is hunted by wolves and bred by humans. A violation in one link immediately breaks the entire system. To preserve it, nature reserves and national parks have been created in countries where there is tundra.
Nevertheless, as a result of human activity, the tundra ecosystem has already been severely disturbed: traces from the wheels and tracks of vehicles remain here for years, and destroyed reindeer moss forests are restored only after decades.
The natural zone of typical Eurasian tundra occupies the coast of the Arctic Ocean and some islands.
Botanical geography describes the tundra of Eurasia as a zonal type of vegetation in the subarctic latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. These places are characterized by treelessness, the predominance of spore plants (moss) and low-growing perennial grasses and, to the south, small shrubs (no higher than 40 cm): due to permafrost, trees are simply not able to take root. According to the predominant type of plants, the tundra is, for example, moss or lichen. It depends on the location of a given area of ​​tundra. In the north they distinguish arctic tundra, where there is either no vegetation at all, or there is a lot of moss and lichen. Closer to the south is shrub tundra with moss, lichen, low-growing grasses and dwarf birch.
Since survival conditions in the tundra are extremely difficult, the local fauna is not rich in species. Large herbivores are represented by reindeer, predators - fast-moving weasels, foxes and wolves, birds - polar owls adapted to hunting lemmings, ptarmigan and loons.
The most famous tundra animal after the reindeer is the small rodent lemming. He lives throughout the tundra. A widespread myth is associated with the lemming about the “mass suicide” of the animals, which supposedly drown in rivers following the leader. In fact, the lemming is a solitary creature, and in a hungry year, when there is little food, it goes looking for it, and each moves on its own, in large groups they gather only on the banks of rivers and lakes. Not everyone drowns, since the lemming can swim quite well. The main trouble for humans from this seemingly harmless animal is that it is a natural carrier of infectious diseases: tularemia, pseudotuberculosis and hemorrhagic fever.
In addition to deer, the Russian tundra zone is also home to muskox, although its numbers are small - only a few thousand animals, and all of them are descendants of animals brought here in the mid-1970s. for breeding from Canada and the USA.
The population density in the tundra is extremely low; for example, in the Finnish tundra it barely reaches 0.45 people/km 2 . There are practically no large settlements here, the population leads a nomadic lifestyle, and mining - mainly oil and gas - is carried out on a rotational basis.
The occupations of the indigenous population of the tundra are the same throughout almost the entire territory: reindeer herding, fishing and hunting for elk, wolves and birds.
Domesticated reindeer are allowed to graze freely in the summer, and the size of the herd can reach many thousands of animals. Deer themselves look for pasture, mainly reindeer moss.
Reindeer ensures the survival of people in the tundra in all respects: the skins are used for sewing clothes and shoes, making roofs and walls of tents and yarangs, saddles and sleds. Reverse side skins were previously used to create primitive maps of the area.
Deer meat serves as one of the main sources of energy for local residents. It is frozen and stored. In summer, the diet is based on dried fish and poultry. Plant food is almost never used anywhere (tundra plants are unsuitable for food, and imported ones cannot be preserved). Nevertheless, on the shelves of local residents you can see store-bought flour, tea and canned goods.

General information

Location: northern Eurasia, along the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

Administrative affiliation: Russian Federation, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland.

Largest cities: Murmansk - 299,143 people. (2014), Norilsk - 176,559 people. (2014), Vorkuta - 61,638 people. (2014).

Languages: Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Sami (Finland, Norway, Sweden), Russian and languages ​​of the small peoples of the North (Russia), Icelandic.

Ethnic composition: Sami (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia), Evenks, Khanty, Mansi, Nenets, Dolgans, Chukchi, Koryaks, Selkups, Nganasans, Enets, Evens, Negidapts, Sroki, Orochi, Nanais, Itelmens, Eskimos, Aleuts, Yukaghirs, Kets, Nivkhs (Russia), Icelanders.

Religions: Lutheranism (Finland, Iceland), Church of Norway (Norway), Church of Sweden (Sweden), animism (Sweden, Russia), Orthodoxy (Russia, Finland).

Currency: Russian ruble, euro (Finland), Swedish krona, Norwegian krone, Icelandic krone.

Large lakes: Taimyr (Russia), Inari (Finland), Turnetresk (Sweden).

Large rivers: Tana (Norway).

Numbers

Area: over 3 million km2.

Width: 30-500 km.

Average permafrost depth: from 30-80 to 200 cm.
Maximum depth of permafrost: over 100 m.

Climate and weather

Subarctic, humid.

Average January temperature: up to -30°C.

Average temperature in July: from +5 to +10°С.

Average annual precipitation: 200-400 mm.
Duration of snow cover: 7-9 months
Snow depth: in the west - about 50 cm, in the east - up to 25 cm.

Wind speed: up to 40 m/sec.

Relative humidity: 70%.

Economy

Minerals: oil, natural gas, gold, diamonds, coal, non-ferrous metals.
Agriculture: livestock (reindeer husbandry).

Hunting and fishing.

Traditional crafts: bone carving, making clothes from deer and arctic fox skins.
Service sector: tourism, transport, trade.

Attractions

■ Natural: national parks Urho-Kekkonen and (partly) Lemmenjoki (Finland), national park Hardangervidda (Norway), Abisko national parks (Sweden), Great Arctic, Lapland, Wrangel Island and Taimyr nature reserves (Russia).
■ Historical: Ukonkivi (Ukkoi stone and Hautuumaasaari island (cemetery island of the ancient Sami on Lake Inari, Finland), ancient trail of nomadic reindeer herders Nordmannslepa (Norway).

Curious facts

■ In conditions of lack of food, reindeer have adapted to eat not only grass and lichens, but also small mammals and birds.
■ Scandinavians and Russians called the Sami “Lapps”, from this came the name Lapland (Lapponia, Lapponica), or “land of the Lapps”. Accordingly, the science that studies the ethnography, history, culture and languages ​​of the Sami is called loparistics or laponistics.
■ The survival rate of other tundra animals that feed on them depends on the number of lemmings. If the number of lemmings decreases, the predatory snowy owl stops laying eggs, since it cannot feed the chicks, and arctic foxes leave the tundra and move en masse south, into the forest-tundra.
■ The Sami make shoes from kamus - pieces of skin from the legs of reindeer - or from processed reindeer skin, and the shoes are the same for men and women.
■ A female lemming can give birth to up to six litters of five to six young each year, up to 36 young per year.
■ The Sami have their own flag: the four colors of the flag - red, blue, green and yellow - are the colors of takti (traditional Sami costume), and the circle symbolizes the shape of the Sami tambourine, the sun and the moon.
■ During archaeological excavations in the territory of the Norwegian national park Several hundred Stone Age nomadic settlements associated with reindeer migration have been discovered in Hardangervidda.
■ A lemming eats twice as much per day own weight, per year - about fifty kilograms various plants.
■ The strange-sounding name of the tundra animal - musk ox - was born as a result of the uncertainty of its classification in the system of world fauna: it was classified both in the bovid family (to which the bull belongs) and in the goat subfamily (which also includes small domestic animals). Russian name"musk ox" is a literal translation of the Latin name ovibos, or "ram ox".
■ In total, the tundra flora contains about 1000 species of lichen and moss, 1300-1500 species of flowering plants.
■ The Russian tundra is home to the bulk of the world's reindeer population: more than 2 million domestic and about a million wild.