Arctic natural zone. Arctic deserts - the planet's ice cap

The Antarctic desert is the largest and coldest on Earth, characterized by large temperature changes and almost complete absence precipitation. It is located in the very south of the planet, completely occupying the sixth continent - Antarctica.

Cold deserts of the Earth

Deserts evoke associations among all people with heat, endless expanses of sand and small bushes. However, there are also cold types of them on Earth - these are the Arctic and Antarctic deserts. They are called that because of the continuous ice cover and due to the low temperature, the air cannot retain moisture, so it is very dry.

In terms of precipitation, the objects we are considering resemble hot southern ones, such as the Sahara, which is why scientists gave them the name “cold deserts.”

Arctic and Antarctic desert zones are the territories of continents and adjacent islands at the North Pole (Arctic) and South Pole (Antarctic), belonging, respectively, to the Arctic and Antarctic climatic zones. They consist of glaciers and rocks and are practically lifeless, but scientists discover microorganisms under the ice.

Antarctica

The territory of the Antarctic desert is 13.8 million square meters, which is the area of the ice continent, which is located in the southern polar part of the world. WITH different sides it is washed by several oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian, the shores are made of glaciers.

The geographical position of the Antarctic deserts that occupy Antarctica is determined not only by the mainland zone, but also by the islands located near it. There is also the Antarctic Peninsula, jutting into the depths of the ocean of the same name. On the territory of Antarctica lie dividing the continent into 2 parts: western and eastern.

The western half is located on the Antarctic platform and is a mountainous area almost 5 km high. In this part there are volcanoes, one of which, Erebus, is active and is located on an island in the Ross Sea. In coastal areas there are oases where there is no ice. These small plains and mountain peaks, called nunataks, have an area of 40 thousand square meters, located on the coast Pacific Ocean. There are lakes and rivers on the mainland that appear only in the summer. In total, scientists have discovered 140 subglacial lakes. Only one of them does not freeze - Lake Vostok. The eastern part is the largest in area and the coldest.

Mineral resources located in the bowels of the continent: ore of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, mica, graphite, coal, there is information about reserves of uranium, gold and diamonds. According to geoscientists, there are deposits of oil and gas, but due to the harsh climate, mining is not possible.

Antarctic deserts: climate

On southern continent a very harsh and cold climate, which is caused by the formation of cold and dry air currents. Antarctica is located in the Earth's belt.

In winter, temperatures can reach -80 ºС, in summer - -20 ºС. More comfortable is the coastal zone, where in summer the thermometer reaches -10 ºС, which occurs due to natural phenomenon, called “albedo,” is the reflection of heat from the ice surface. The record for the lowest temperature was recorded here in 1983 and amounted to -89.2 ºС.

The amount of precipitation is minimal, about 200 mm for the entire year, it consists only of snow. This is due to the intense cold, which dries out moisture, making the Antarctic desert the driest place on the planet.

The climate here is different: in the center of the continent there is less precipitation (50 mm), it is colder, on the coast the wind is less intense (up to 90 m/s), and precipitation is already 300 mm per year. Scientists estimate that the amount of frozen water in the form of ice and snow in Antarctica accounts for 90% of the world's total fresh water supply.

One of the essential signs of the desert is storms. They also happen here, only with snow, and the wind speed during the storm is 320 km/h.

In the direction from the center of the continent to the coast, there is constant movement of shelf ice, in summer months parts of glaciers break off, forming masses of icebergs that drift in the ocean.

Mainland population

There is no permanent resident population in Antarctica, according to international status it does not belong to any state. On the territory of the Antarctic desert zone there are only scientific stations, on which scientists conduct research. Sometimes tourist or sports expeditions are carried out.

The number of research scientists living at scientific stations increases to 4 thousand people in the summer, and only 1 thousand in the winter. According to historical data, the first settlers here were American, Norwegian and British whalers who lived on the island of South Georgia, but with 1966: Whale hunting is banned.

The entire territory of the Antarctic desert is icy silence surrounded by endless expanses of ice and snow.

Biosphere of the southernmost continent

The biosphere in Antarctica is divided into several zones:

coast of the mainland and islands;
oases located near the coast;
nunatak zone (mountains near Mirny station, mountainous areas in Victoria Land, etc.);
ice sheet zone.

The richest flora and fauna is the coastal zone, where many Antarctic animals live. They feed on zooplankton from sea water(krill). Land mammals not at all on the mainland.

In nunataks and coastal oases, only bacteria, lichens and algae, worms can live, and birds can occasionally visit. The most favorable climate zone is the Antarctic Peninsula.

Vegetable world

The plants of the Antarctic deserts are those that appeared millions of years ago, even during the existence of the continent of Gondwanaland. Now they are limited to several species of mosses and lichens, which, according to scientists, are more than 5 thousand years old.

Flowering plants were found on the territory of the peninsula and nearby islands, and in fresh water blue-green algae live in oases, which form a crust and cover the bottom of reservoirs.

The number of species of lichens is 200, and there are about 70 mosses. Algae usually settle in the summer when the snow melts and small reservoirs form, and they can be of various colors, creating bright multi-colored spots that resemble lawns from a distance.

Only 2 species of flowering plants were found:

Colobanthus Quito, belonging to This is a “pillow-shaped” grass, decorated with small flowers of white or light yellow shades, about 5 cm in size.
Antarctic meadow grass from the grass family. Grows in sunny areas, tolerates frost well, grows up to 20 cm.

Animals of the Ice Desert

The fauna of Antarctica is very poor due to the cold climate and lack of food. Animals live only in places where there are plants or zooplankton in the ocean, and are divided into 2 groups: land-dwelling and water-dwelling.

There are no flying insects because due to the strong cold wind they cannot fly into the air. However, small mites, as well as wingless flies and springtails, are found in oases. Only in this area lives the wingless midge, which is the largest terrestrial animal of the Antarctic desert - this Belgica Antarctica measuring 10-11 mm (photo below).

In freshwater bodies of water in the summer you can find the simplest representatives of the fauna, as well as rotifers, nematodes and lower crustaceans.

Animals of Antarctica

The fauna of Antarctica is also quite limited and is present mainly in the coastal zone:

17 species of penguins: Adelie, emperor, etc.;
seals: Weddell seals (up to 3 m long), crabeaters and the predatory leopard seal (the skin reaches up to colored spots), sea lion, Ross seals (endowed with vocal abilities);
whales that feed on small crustaceans and ice fish live in the ocean;
huge jellyfish weighing up to 150 kg;
some birds settle here in the summer, creating nests and raising chicks: gulls, albatrosses, white plover, cormorants, great pipit, petrels, pintail.

The most representative species of animals is penguins, of which the most common are emperor penguins, living on the coast of the mainland. The height of these beauties can reach human height (160 cm), and weight - 60 kg.

Another numerous representative of birds is the Adélie penguin, the smallest, growing up to 50 cm and weighing no more than 3 kg.

The Antarctic ecosystem and its conservation

The continental ice deserts and cold ocean waters that surround Antarctica provide an ecosystem inhabited by living organisms that have existed here for thousands of years. The main food of animals is phytoplankton.

Due to warming, glaciers and masses of snow in Antarctica are gradually retreating, moving closer to the coast. Ice shelves are gradually melting, and the soil is gradually exposed, which helps create a more favorable environment for plant growth. However, the appearance of non-native plant species is not at all welcome on the continent.

The ecosystem of Antarctica and the Antarctic desert needs protection from the appearance of “alien” species of life, so every scientist or tourist who comes here undergoes mandatory processing. In the process, plant parts or spores are washed away and destroyed.

In accordance with the Treaty signed by 44 countries of the world, military operations and tests, including nuclear tests, burial are prohibited on the territory of Antarctica radioactive waste. Only scientific research is permitted.

General characteristics of the Arctic desert

Note 1

There are special territories on our planet - these are the northernmost outskirts of two continents, North America and Eurasia, as well as the island part of the Arctic, enclosed by the borders polar belt. Ice and snow cover vast areas here, and day and night last half the year - this is an area of arctic deserts.

Arctic deserts Russia belongs to the most unexplored natural areas. Their lower limit is the 71st parallel or Wrangel Island. The upper limit is the 81st parallel or Franz Josef Land.

Part of the Taimyr Peninsula also belongs to the Arctic deserts, Severnaya Zemlya, a number of islands of Novaya Zemlya, New Siberian Islands.

Among the territories of other countries, this will be the island of Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and the island of Spitsbergen, which belongs to the Netherlands.

The severity of nature is explained by the high geographical latitude, and a feature of the zone’s landscapes is snow and ice cover throughout the year.

The relief of the Arctic islands is quite complex - the coastal areas, with flat low-lying plains located on them, have a pronounced zonal landscape. In the interior of the islands there are high mountains and table plateaus. For example, on Franz Josef Land the highest point is 670 m high, and on Severnaya Zemlya it is about 1000 m.

The New Siberian Islands are dominated by flat landforms.

Up to 85% of Arctic deserts are occupied by glaciers. The islands of the Russian Arctic have total area glaciation up to 56 thousand square meters. km. Continental ice has the ability to slide onto the coast and break off, forming giant icebergs. The thickness of the permafrost exceeds 500 m. There are fossil ices of glacier and vein origin here.

Islands and archipelagos washed by the seas of the North Arctic Ocean, cover special ice– perennial arctic pack and coastal fast ice.

Low annual temperatures lead to intense frost weathering, which in turn slows down intense chemical and natural weathering. This circumstance leads to the fact that the soils of the Arctic desert are represented by large rock fragments.

The close location to the surface of permafrost and frequent changes in air temperature lead to the fact that soil supersaturated with water flows down the frozen surface of the ice-cemented base (solifluction) and soil heaving.

Such soils, prone to the formation of ravines and erosion, are called polygonal. When permafrost thaws, lakes, sinkholes, and depressions are formed, characteristic of thermokarst landscapes. Most often they are found on the New Siberian Islands.

Erosion erosion and thermokarst contribute to the appearance of conical earthen mounds - bajzharakhs, the height of which can reach 2-12 m. Such bajzharakh small mounds are found on the coast of Taimyr and the New Siberian Islands.

Within this zone, there are rocky outcrops from the ground - these are dikes or cracks filled with magmatic melt. Their length varies from several tens of meters to hundreds of kilometers.

The presence of nodules is another feature of the Arctic desert. Concretions are round-shaped mineral formations in sedimentary rocks. The growth of the nodule occurs according to the principle of pearl formation, i.e. around some kind of “core”.

Characteristic of the Arctic deserts is the northern lights, shimmering in different colors.

There is no indigenous population in the Arctic and very few representatives of flora and fauna.

Arctic desert climate

The climate of the Arctic deserts is distinguished by its severity; it is a zone of eternal snow and ice.

The climate of the continental part of the Arctic desert differs from the climate of the island part and the climate of the ocean. The reason is heat transfer water masses ocean.

Water releases when it freezes thermal energy, so the temperature in winter on the extreme coast and on the islands is about 30 degrees. The continental part of the zone has a temperature of -32…-36 degrees. IN winter period it can reach -60 degrees. Arctic cold winds are not uncommon here.

Summer is short and cold, with temperatures no higher than 0…+5 degrees. This temperature is typical only for low-lying areas. At low temperatures the air contains a large number of water vapor, so there is little precipitation - up to 300 mm.

But, it must be said that their number increases to 500-600 mm on the northern island of Novaya Zemlya, in the Byrranga mountains and on Chukotka Plateau. Precipitation falls in the form of snow, and the snow cover has a small thickness, generally no more than 0.5 m.

Fallen snow can remain unchanged for several years. When cold summer period Snow melting does not occur.

In addition to snow, there are rains in the summer, and since there are more warm ocean As moisture evaporates, thick fogs form. On Wrangel Island, which is south island Arctic desert, winter comes immediately after the short Arctic summer, there is no autumn here.

The formation of the Arctic climate is associated not only with high latitudes and low temperatures, but also with thermal reflection in the daytime. This phenomenon is called albedo. Reflection from the surface of ice and snow occurs all year round.

When summer temperatures are above zero, the effect of thermal reflection leads to the evaporation of moisture from the surface of glaciers, and this, in turn, leads to the fact that the sky is constantly overcast with lead clouds.

Permafrost plays an important role on the climate of Arctic deserts.

Note 2

Thus, Arctic deserts are patches of rocky land that are very short period freed from under the snow. This is a territory of severe and long winter with a long polar night in winter, and an equally long cold polar day.

Flora and fauna of Arctic deserts

Harsh climate with low temperatures cannot create conditions for flora zone, so he is not rich.

There are no more than 350 species of higher plants. There are no bushes here, just scattered moss and lichens. There are some types of flowers - polar poppy, foxtail, buttercup, saxifrage, etc.

Representatives of herbaceous vegetation include sedges and grasses. Vegetation is forced to simply “bite into” everything just to catch on to something.

In the southern part of the zone you can find shrubs of polar willow. The productive production of phytomass, with a predominance of the above-ground part, is very low and amounts to less than 5 t/ha.

The peculiarity of the Arctic flora influences the scarcity of terrestrial fauna, which is not very diverse.

Animals have adapted to harsh conditions of its habitat. Arctic fox, polar bear, and lemming live here.

The birds that fly here from year to year - waders, geese, eiders, guillemots, gulls, etc. - are not afraid of the harsh climate.

Mammals have “settled” in the coastal seas - beluga dolphin, seal, ringed seal, sea seal, and walrus. In cold seas there is an abundance of phytoplankton, and this is food for fish such as nelma, cod, cod, and vendace.

The polar bear, the main symbol of the Arctic, leads semi-aquatic image life.

The main task of animals, which they cope well with, is to adapt to the harsh climate and maintain thermal conditions. For this purpose, for example, arctic foxes and polar bears have warm and thick fur, birds have loose plumage, and seals have a solid layer of fat.

Their characteristic color, which they can change depending on the season, also helps them adapt. But polar bears do not have such a feature, and remain white all year round.

The Arctic (translated from Greek as bear) is the edge of the northern land, where in the summer the sun does not set beyond the sunset line. And in winter there are severe frosts, hurricane winds, causing severe snowstorms and polar night, which lasts from 98 to 127 days. At the North Pole itself it lasts six months. And the only sources of light here in winter are the stars, the moon and the flickering polar light. The Arctic is divided into the Arctic deserts of the earth, icy and polar. Simply put, into the territory of eternal snow and ice and areas of land with vegetation. The climate of the Arctic deserts due to their location in the natural zone, part geographical zone, falling on the Arctic Ocean, is very cold and harsh. That is why this region of the Arctic desert is called a zone of eternal snow and ice. The Arctic deserts of the earth are nothing more than varieties of deserts, with very sparse and poor vegetation, among ice and snow arctic belt Earth.

Such deserts are widespread throughout almost the entire territory of Greenland, the northern part, most of North America, falling on the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and on a significant part of the islands with complex mountainous topography, located in the icy ocean and having their own unique climate of Arctic deserts. The cold climate of the Arctic deserts does not allow vegetation to grow in abundance. Because, short summer the air temperature does not rise above 0° +5°, in winter its average weighted temperature ranges from 10-35°, and in the Greenlandic and Asian North up to -50°, -60° Celsius. Precipitation does not exceed the norm of 200 - 400 millimeters per year. The Arctic deserts of the earth, during short-term snow melting, have insignificant land areas isolated by snow and ice - polar oases, where lichens, scale mosses and herbaceous vegetation in the form of sedge and simple grasses grow, approximately up to five tons of green mass per hectare. This is very, very little. But no matter how harsh it is arctic desert climate, nature has decreed that during the short cold summer, the insignificant rocky and marshy areas of soil, freed from snow, are covered with beautiful colors of some types of flowers growing here, such as buttercup, saxifrage, foxtail, polar poppy. Many of these plants are considered medicinal by the peoples inhabiting the Far North. And for most of the animals common here, sparse vegetation is the main source of food. The almost never changing climate of the Arctic deserts has adapted to itself a small number of animal species that have chosen the territories of the harsh Arctic deserts. Here in this land, you can meet such animals as the polar fox, the “master” of these glacial places, the polar bear, the Greenland musk ox, the small rodent lemming (pied), often in the summer, you can also see the polar hare, which scientists initially consider it to be a brown hare .
The harsh climate of the Arctic deserts did not in any way affect the families of birds living here. Waders, geese, eiders, guillemots, guillemots, glaucous gulls, which from year to year, flying here, gather here their multimillion-dollar bird colonies. And such mammals as the beluga dolphin, seals, ringed seals, sea seals, walruses, only the climate of the Arctic deserts and their immediate habitat, the Laptev Sea and the Kara Sea, are suitable for habitat. In cold weather, phytoplankton is found in abundance and in sufficient quantities, such fish as nelma, cod, cod, and vendace. The Arctic deserts of the earth, which are favored by polar bears, have been declared nature reserves, one of which is called Wrangel Island, the surface area of which is a continuous glacier strewn with broken stones and rubble. The climate of the Arctic deserts owes its formation not only to the low temperature of high latitude, but also to thermal reflection (albedo) during the daytime, from the surface of the ice and snow that remains in the Arctic all year round. In summer, when the air temperature rises above zero, the effect of thermal reflection leads to significant evaporation of moisture from the surface of glaciers, which is why the sky of the Arctic deserts is almost constantly covered with low-weight lead clouds. It rains constantly, often with snow. The evaporation of water from the ice-opened ocean contributes to the formation of thick fogs. Not the least influential role on the climate of the Arctic deserts is played by the underwater East Greenland Current and the clockwise movements of the ice field in the ocean caused by it, with the resulting removal of drifting ice into the Atlantic Ocean. The last and no less important role on the climate of the Arctic deserts is played by permafrost, which binds the land and waters of the Arctic with centuries-old thickness of ice. The thickness of the permafrost ice shell ranges from 100 - 150 meters in the area of Franz Josef Land in the northern regions of the Taimyr Peninsula to 500 - 550 meters and on Novaya Zemlya over 680 meters. In some mountain and high places Ice from the mainland breaks off and slides into the ocean, forming giant floating icebergs. Like this naturally, Mother Nature herself maintains and regulates the harsh climate of the Arctic deserts.

), the predominant landscape of the northernmost (Arctic) natural land zone. Characteristic basically for coastal areas. Snow and ice cover these areas all year round. The areas of glaciers are very large - up to several tens of thousands of square kilometers. Sometimes they cover more than 80% of the Northern Islands. Arctic Ocean (for example, on Franz Josef Land). In some places they descend to the ocean, and huge fragments break off from them - icebergs. The climate is harsh and cold. Long harsh winter gives way to short (sometimes less than 2 weeks) cold summers. Wed. the temperature of the coldest month is from –12 °C on Spitsbergen to –38 °C on Northern Greenland; the same warm month 5°C. Precipitation will be approx. 300 mm per year, mainly in the form of snow, which is blown into depressions by strong winds, exposing lifeless rocks. There is virtually no life in icy deserts. Occasionally in summer, multi-colored colonies of microscopic algae develop on melting snow.

Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Edited by prof. A. P. Gorkina. 2006 .

See what “ice desert” is in other dictionaries:

Noun, g., used. often Morphology: (no) what? deserts, why? desert, (see) what? desert, what? desert, about what? about the desert; pl. What? desert, (no) what? deserts, why? deserts, (I see) what? deserts, what? deserts, about what? about deserts 1. Deserts... Dictionary Dmitrieva

desert- I pu/destiny and; and.; see deserts II deserts/nya and; pl. genus. you/n; and. see also desert 1) a) A vast arid area with a small amount precipitation, sharp fluctuations in air and soil and sparse vegetation... Dictionary of many expressions

DESERT, and, female. 1. A large space not inhabited by people, devoid of vegetation or with sparse vegetation. Bezvodnaya village. Ice, snow village (translated: about large expanses of ice, snow). 2. Deserted or sparsely populated area... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

AND; pl. genus. tyn; and. 1. A vast arid region with little rainfall, rapid fluctuations in air and soil, and sparse vegetation. Boundless, sultry, hot, scorched p. Solonchakovaya p. P. Sahara. P. Karakum. Deserts... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (polar desert, icy desert), a type of desert (see DESERT) with extremely sparse, sparse vegetation among the snows and glaciers of the Arctic and Antarctic belts of the Earth. Distributed over most of Greenland (see GREENLAND) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Same as ice desert. Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. M.: Rosman. Edited by prof. A. P. Gorkina. 2006 ... Geographical encyclopedia

Designated gray Arctic desert (“Arktos” means bear in Greek) natural area, part of the Arctic geographical zone, the Arctic Ocean basin. This is... Wikipedia

This article describes minor geographical features, described in the works that are part of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Contents 1 A 1.1 Avallone 1.2 Avatar ... Wikipedia

The Journey and Adventures of Captain Hatteras Les Aventures du capitaine Hatteras Genre: Adventure

The Journey and Adventures of Captain Hatteras Les Aventures du capitaine Hatteras Genre ... Wikipedia

Books

Jules Verne. Collected Works in 8 volumes (set of 8 books), Jules Verne. To a French writer Jules Gabriel Verne was 34 years old when he found his true calling and turned from a writer of comic plays to a scientific novelist. Over 40 years of continuous literary...

Plan

1. Location
2. Natural conditions
3. Flora
4. Birds
5. Animal world
6. Power circuits
7. Population
8. Environmental issues

The Arctic desert zone on the map is highlighted in gray-blue color
1. Location of the Arctic desert zone:

Geographical position: Arctic Ocean, northern seas and islands. The seas of the Arctic Ocean are very cold. All year round they are almost completely covered with ice, floating ice floes.
Islands: Franz Joseph Land, Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, New Siberian Islands, Wrangel Island.
Seas: Barents Sea, White Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Sea

Rivers carrying water to the seas of the Arctic Ocean: Pechora, Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Indigirka, Kolyma.

2. Natural conditions

Sun in the Arctic never rises high above the horizon. Its rays glide over the surface of the earth, giving it very little heat. That's why here kingdom of ice and snow . Long frosty winter of 10-11 months, short cool summer. The surface of the ocean is covered with ice 3-5 meters thick or more. Snowstorms are raging over the ocean, frosts are raging. The cold air in this zone can spread far to the south. The icy breath of the Arctic is felt throughout Russia. Therefore, the ice zone is often called the “refrigerator” of our country. In winter it's as cold as freezer. The air temperature drops to -40–50 degrees below zero. In summer, in the ice zone the temperature rises to +4 degrees above zero. This is also the temperature in the refrigerator, but in the fruit compartment.

Sometimes amazingly beautiful polar lights appear. The whole sky sparkles. And the reflection of light plays everywhere on the ice. The masses of light are divided into brilliant multi-colored stripes and intertwined in the most bizarre way, sparkling with unusually pure and bright colors of the rainbow.

3. Flora

To the harsh conditions of the Arctic deserts few species of living organisms have adapted . Lichens are found on the rocks of the islands; they are very small. Mosses and polar poppies have also adapted to life on the rocks. In the water column, not covered with ice, there is a large number of planktonic and algae, which enrich the water with oxygen and cleanse it of bacteria. During the Arctic summer, they quickly grow in the water and serve as food for millions of animals, which in turn feed on fish, squid and even giant whales.

4. Birds

Of the animals in these parts most birds . In summer, seagulls, guillemots, and auks gather on the rocky shores. Noisy Congestions seabirds on steep rocky shores they are called “bird colonies”. Living in such a concentration, on inaccessible rocks, has its advantages: the birds are well protected from many predators. Here the birds hatch their chicks. Interestingly, guillemots do not build nests, but lay eggs on bare rock ledges. Why don't eggs roll off cliffs? Because they are pear-shaped. But in the bird market, guillemots, puffins and kittiwakes have enemies. Large gulls – glaucous gulls and long-tailed skuas – nest near the bazaar. These birds have learned to take advantage of other people's labor. A skua will take fish away from any bird. He chases and pounces until the bird throws the fish, and he catches it on the fly! For this, the skua was nicknamed Fomka the Robber.

5. Animal world

Except for warm-blooded birds in the ice zone large mammals live .

Feels great here polar bear . White fur helps it camouflage itself and sneak up on its future victim unnoticed. The thick, long coat is lubricated with a fatty substance secreted by the skin glands, does not get wet in water, and does not freeze in cold weather. Polar bears travel on Arctic ice, but they are also excellent swimmers. Polar bears hunt seals near ice holes, waiting for them to come up for air. A thick layer of fat, evenly distributed under the skin, protects against cold weather. In the most severe frosts, polar bears bask in water whose temperature is +2°C. When winter comes, bears dig a den in the snow, where they shelter from unfavorable weather conditions. weather conditions(females).

They wander in search of food wolves, arctic foxes. Arctic fox is also called polar fox. In winter, its fur becomes white and extremely thick. The white color allows the arctic fox to camouflage itself in the snow and hunt more easily. It is an omnivore and feeds on birds, crabs or fruits.

Seals and walruses They spend most of their lives in water, and come to land to give birth and molt. They are clumsy on hard surfaces due to their sheet-like limbs. Walruses are larger than seals; walruses have tusks. The walrus uses bottom mollusks for food, the seal feeds on fish. A walrus can rest right in the water, but a seal needs to climb out onto ice floes to rest, where a polar bear can lie in wait for it.

Numerous aquatic animals that live in the ice zone include fish feeding on small crustaceans and algae. I live in the seas of the Arctic zone narwhal, bowhead whale, polar dolphin or beluga whale, orca .

6. Food chains that have developed in the Arctic.

1. Algae——>crustaceans——>fish——>birds

2. Algae crustaceans fish birds

seals

//////
White bears

7. Population

Live hereEskimos, Chukchi, Yakuts . Man is not a native inhabitant of the Arctic, but it has always attracted people with its mystery. The Northern Sea Route has been laid. Scientific stations operate on the islands and in the ice of the Arctic Ocean. Brave polar explorers live and work here. They monitor the weather around the clock, day after day, and report it on the radio. mainland. People are engaged in fishing and hunting. But this is not always done wisely.

8. Environmental issues

Main environmental problems of this region are

— climate change and melting arctic ice;
— water pollution northern seas oil and chemical compounds, as well as by sea transport;
— reduction in the population of Arctic animals and changes in their habitat.

In general, according to research, temperatures in the Arctic are rising faster than in the rest of the world. According to 2004 data, over the past 30 years, the thickness of Arctic ice has decreased by half on average. In the 21st century, most of the Arctic waters will be completely ice-free. And by 2070, the Earth may completely lose its northern ice cap

The main sources of pollution are the mining and transport industries, military facilities, and processing industries. One more important issue is a reduction in the population of Arctic animals. Every year at the beginning of March, seal pups are born. At the age of 3-4 weeks, when small seals cannot hide from danger even in the water, people catch them on the ice in the thousands and kill them for their skins. The main enemy of the arctic fox is man. The Arctic fox attracts him with its luxurious fur. Thousands and thousands of these animals are destroyed for the sake of luxurious fur coats. The walrus and pink gull have become rare; they are included in the Red Book of Russia.

The dramatic increase in industrial fishing and the increasing exploitation of oil and gas deposits since the second half of the 20th century have seriously threatened resources once considered inexhaustible. People thought about their behavior, protected rare animals, limited fishing, and created nature reserves.

9. Reserve “Wrangel Island”

Reserve "Wrangel Island" located on two islands: o. Wrangel and Fr. Herald, it was organized in 1976. Three chains of mountains, separated by valleys, run across the entire island from west to east. Mother bears come to Wrangel Island from different corners Arctic. Every spring, scientists count up to two hundred dens on the island in which babies are born. That's why the island is called " maternity hospital” polar bears. The island is home to the largest ungulate animal in the Arctic - the musk ox, brought to the reserve from America. The reserve has the largest concentration of walruses. A large number of birds fly to the island to nest. In spring you can meet rare bird- the pink gull, it is called the firebird of the north. Wrangel Island is the only place where white geese nest.

According to experts from the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve, poachers kill 200-300 polar bears in the Russian Arctic every year.