What happens in the tundra. Tundra: geographical location, climate features, animals and vegetation of the natural zone

It is located along the coast of the North Seas Arctic Ocean, which is mainly associated with climatic processes.

The tundra is a zone of cold, strong winds, heavy clouds, polar night and polar day. There are short and cold summers, long and harsh winters, low precipitation (on average 200-500 mm per year), with most of it falling in July and August. Frosts in the tundra last from six months to eight to nine months; temperatures in the Asian tundra sometimes reach -52°C. Frosts and snowfall are possible in the tundra in any month. Strong winds blow away the snow, and the soil not protected by snow freezes heavily. This is one of the reasons for the formation of a layer of permafrost. Thawing extends in summer to a depth of 0.5-1 m. Permafrost cools the soil, retains moisture, and contributes to swamping of the area (about 70% of its territory is swampy).

In the second half of September, a long winter sets in in the tundra. In December, the sun goes below the horizon and the polar night begins. At the end of February, the sun appears above the horizon and the day length increases. White nights begin from the first days of April, and from the second half of July the sun does not set at all. The sun is not high above the horizon, the sun's rays have to penetrate a significant thickness of the atmosphere, so most of them are absorbed and scattered. Despite the abundance of light in summer, there is not enough heat in the tundra; moreover, a significant part of it received by the atmosphere is spent on melting snow, as well as on warming frozen soil and cold masses of arctic air.

The climate of the tundra changes not only from north to south, but also from west to east. In the west, the influence of the Atlantic is strong and, as a result, an excessively humid climate prevails here. To the east, continentality increases and climatic differences in the tundra increase. The tundra is characterized by a cold and moderately cold and humid arctic and subarctic climate. Beyond Kolyma the climate is influenced Pacific Ocean, so winters there are less severe with thicker snow cover.

On the tundra coast, a young flat relief is developed, caused by marine transgressions and river activity. To the south, this flatness is broken by hills and ridges of glacial origin and remnant hills of bedrock (Kanin Kamen, Taimyr Mountains and Chukotka Peninsula). Permafrost plays a leading role in the formation of tundra morphosculptures. Polygonal soils and spots - medallions - are common here. Solifluction processes are widely developed on slopes. The surface of the tundra is dotted with shallow lakes of thermokarst and partially moraine origin.

Soil formation in the tundra is determined by low temperatures, permafrost, excess moisture and source rocks. Low temperatures make it difficult for the soil to chemically and biological processes, and excess moisture creates swampiness and anaerobic soil formation conditions. Soil solutions and groundwater have an acidic reaction and low mineralization and contain a large amount organic matter, iron and vivianite. The main soils of the tundra are tundra-gley and podbur.

They have a small thickness, low humus content (2-3%), and a rough mechanical composition.

Tundra is a treeless zone with low and not always continuous vegetation cover. Its basis is formed by mosses and lichens, against which low-growing flowering plants - grasses, shrubs and shrubs - develop. In tundra plants, the root system develops within a small active layer. Plants rise low above the ground and often have cushion-shaped and creeping forms. Shrubs - dwarf birch and willows - often rise above the snow, and therefore suffer from mechanical damage from wind-blown snow. In places where snow accumulates, plants can better withstand harsh winters, so their composition is more diverse here, but the slow melting of snow delays the growing season. Unfavourable conditions growth determines the low productivity of biomass, but the dominance of perennials in the composition of plants determines its rather significant reserves - from 40 to 280 c/ha.

In the Northern Hemisphere, along the outskirts of North America and Eurasia, south of the polar deserts, as well as on the island of Iceland, there is a natural tundra zone. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is found only on some islands. These latitudes can be called subpolar; winters here are harsh and long, and summers are cool and short, with frosts. Temperature itself warm month- July does not exceed +10... + 12 °C, it may snow already in the second half of August, and the established snow cover does not melt for 7-9 months. Up to 300 mm of precipitation falls in the tundra per year, and in areas Eastern Siberia, where the continental climate increases, their number does not exceed 100 mm per year. Although there is no more precipitation in this natural zone than in the desert, it falls mainly in the summer and, at such low summer temperatures, evaporates very poorly, so excess moisture is created in the tundra. The ground, frozen during the harsh winter, thaws only a few tens of centimeters in the summer, which does not allow moisture to penetrate deeper; it stagnates, and waterlogging occurs. Even in minor decreases The relief forms numerous swamps and lakes.

Cold summers, strong winds, excess moisture and permafrost determine the nature of vegetation in the tundra. +10… +12°C are the maximum temperatures at which trees can grow. In the tundra zone they acquire special, dwarf forms. On humus-poor infertile tundra-gley soils, dwarf willows and birches with curved trunks and branches, low-growing shrubs and shrubs grow. They press themselves to the ground, densely intertwined with each other. The endless flat plains of the tundra are covered with a thick carpet of mosses and lichens, hiding small trunks of trees, shrubs and grass roots.

As soon as the snow melts, the harsh landscape comes to life, all the plants seem to be in a hurry to use the short warm summer for their growing season. In July, the tundra is covered with a carpet of flowering plants - polar poppies, dandelions, forget-me-nots, myrtle, etc. The tundra is rich in berry bushes - lingonberries, cranberries, cloudberries, blueberries.

Based on the nature of the vegetation, three zones are distinguished in the tundra.

Northern arctic tundra It has a harsh climate and very sparse vegetation. The moss-lichen tundra located to the south is softer and richer in plant species, and in the very south of the tundra zone, in the shrub tundra, you can find trees and shrubs reaching a height of 1.5 m.

To the south, the shrub tundra gradually gives way to forest-tundra - a transition zone between tundra and taiga. This is one of the most swampy natural areas, because more precipitation falls here (300-400 mm per year) than can evaporate. Low-growing trees such as birch, spruce, and larch appear in the forest-tundra, but they grow mainly along river valleys. The open spaces are still occupied by vegetation characteristic of the tundra zone. To the south, the area of ​​forests increases, but even there the forest-tundra consists of an alternation of open forests and treeless spaces, overgrown with mosses, lichens, shrubs and shrubs. The harsh climate of the tundra and the lack of good food force the animals living in these regions to adapt to difficult living conditions. The most large mammals tundra and forest-tundra - reindeer. They are easily recognized by the huge horns that not only males, but also females have. The horns first move back, and then bend up and forward, their large processes hang over the muzzle, and the deer can rake snow with them, getting food. Deer see poorly, but have sensitive hearing and a keen sense of smell. Their dense winter fur consists of long, hollow, cylindrical hairs. They grow perpendicular to the body, creating a dense thermal insulation layer around the animal. In the summer, deer grow softer, shorter fur.

Large divergent hooves allow the deer to walk on loose snow and soft ground without falling through. In winter, deer feed mainly on lichens, digging them out from under the snow, the depth of which sometimes reaches 80 cm. They do not refuse lemmings, voles, they can destroy bird nests, and in hungry years they even gnaw each other’s antlers.

Deer lead a nomadic lifestyle. In the summer they feed in the northern tundra, where there are fewer midges and gadflies, and in the fall they return to the forest-tundra, where there is more food and warmer winters. During seasonal transitions, animals cover distances of 1000 km. Reindeer run fast and swim well, which allows them to escape from their main enemies - wolves.

Reindeer of Eurasia are distributed from the Scandinavian Peninsula to Kamchatka. They live in Greenland, on the Arctic islands and on the northern coast of North America. New World reindeer are called caribou. In September - October, caribou also migrate from the tundra to the south, into the taiga zone.

The peoples of the North domesticated reindeer, receiving from them milk, meat, cheese, clothing, shoes, material for tents, vessels for food - almost everything necessary for life.

The fat content of the milk of these animals is four times higher than that of cows. Reindeer are very hardy; one reindeer can carry a load weighing 200 kg, walking up to 70 km per day.

Along with reindeer, polar wolves, arctic foxes, arctic hares, white partridges, and polar owls live in the tundra. In summer, many migratory birds arrive; geese, ducks, swans, and waders nest along the banks of rivers and lakes.

Of the rodents, lemmings are especially interesting - touching furry animals the size of a palm. There are three known species of lemmings, which are common in Norway, Canada, Greenland and Russia. All lemmings are brown in color, and only the hoofed lemming changes its skin to white in winter. These rodents spend the cold period of the year underground; they dig long underground tunnels and actively reproduce. One female can give birth to up to 36 cubs per year.

In the spring, lemmings come to the surface in search of food.

Under favorable conditions, their population can increase so much that there is not enough food for everyone in the tundra.

Trying to find food, lemmings make mass migrations - huge wave rodents rush across the endless tundra, and when a river or sea meets on the way, hungry animals, under the pressure of those running after them, fall into the water and die in the thousands. Life cycles Many polar animals depend on the number of lemmings. If there are few of them, the polar owl, for example, does not lay eggs, and arctic foxes - polar foxes - migrate south, to the forest-tundra, in search of other food.

There are especially many birds. Eiders, loons, geese, geese, swans, ducks, waders, sparrows and owls nest in the tundra, on coastal cliffs and islands. Most of them fly south with the onset of cold weather, but some, such as white and tundra partridges and snowy owls, remain to spend the winter.

During the nesting period, when “bird colonies” are formed on rocky cliffs and coastal cliffs, hundreds of thousands of birds gather there.

Ducks and geese nest along the banks of rivers, lakes and swamps.

Coastal waters - rivers, streams and lakes of the tundra - are rich in fish. On the coast you can often find marine mammals: ringed seal, bearded seal, walrus, harp seal.

A special feature of the tundra is the complete absence of reptiles. But there is an incredible number of blood-sucking insects here: midges, mosquitoes, black flies, gadflies.

In the Eastern Hemisphere - where it is possible to hit extreme situation- these are, in addition to the islands listed above, the Malozemelskaya and Bolypezemelskaya tundras, some areas Kola Peninsula, the Yamal, Kanin Nos, Taimyr and Chukotka peninsulas.

The relief of the tundra zone includes both flat (Bolypezemelskaya and Malozemelnaya tundras, the Yamal Peninsula, northern Yakutia) and elevated areas. In the Eastern Hemisphere, upland and mountain tundras are located on the Kola Peninsula, Taimyr and Chukotka.

In the Western Hemisphere, the tundra zones of Alaska and northern Canada should be distinguished. In Alaska, the Seward Peninsula, with a low mountain plateau in the center, fades to the north and northwest into a low-lying, undulating tundra plain. Alaska's main watershed, the thousand-kilometer Brooks Range, is 200 km wide and is an extension of the Rocky Mountains, crossing Alaska from east to west. The coastal plain with numerous rivers has a calm and monotonous topography. To the north of the Seward Peninsula, the coast ends with three-hundred-meter, inaccessible cliffs.

Northern Alaska's climate winter period depends on the Aleutian cyclones, which cause a sharp increase in temperature. Average January temperatures range from -23...-29 °C. The main prevailing winds (except summer months) northeastern. In summer there are thick clouds and a lot of precipitation.

Arctic Canada occupies not only the entire northern part of North America, but also, as already mentioned, the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, located between the Beaufort Sea and the Bering Strait.

The mainland of Arctic Canada is mountainous and is clearly defined in relief by the Mackenzie Range west of the Mackenzie River. To the east of the Mackenzie River lies a vast lowland. The northern part is also a plain with numerous lakes and rivers. The highest part, the Labrador Peninsula, has an alpine topography.

The climate is mostly continental. Spring is long and mild. Summer is short and sunny. Autumn is short and cold, quickly turning into a very frosty, windless and little snow winter. There is not much precipitation, and it falls mainly in summer and autumn.

Geographical position

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. Due to low temperatures, the ground freezes; in the summer, only the very top layer of soil has time to thaw, 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 zones of continents, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere (in the Southern Hemisphere they are found in small areas on islands near Antarctica), in the Arctic and subarctic zones. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Tundra zone is located between the zones 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 average temperature January 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, in 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, frequent fog and drizzling rain. 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.

Vegetable world

Distinctive features of the Tundra zone are treelessness, the predominance of sparse moss-lichen cover, severe swampiness, widespread permafrost and a short growing season. The harsh climatic conditions of the Tundra zone cause the impoverishment of the 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 in 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 an increase in 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. Due to the large amount of water in the tundra, various waterfowl willingly spend the summer - geese, ducks, loons, which 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. Characteristic features of the tundra fauna are 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, there is 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 during the winter months to places rich in reindeer 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. Fights between male reindeer are not as aggressive as in other deer species. Usually they are 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. The horns have a 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 Puberty 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 location between parallels

• Geographical location of the tundra. In North America, the tundra zone is located along the entire coast of the far north of the mainland. (It occupies most of the territory of Greenland, the Canadian Archipelago and reaches the 60th parallel.) This is due to the cold breath of the Arctic Ocean. In Russia, tundra occupies about 15% of the entire territory of the state. It stretches along the coast of the Arctic Ocean in a relatively narrow strip. However, in some places it occupies larger areas. Such regions include Taimyr Island, Chukotka
• The tundra zone is located in the north of North America and Eurasia (mainly in Russia and Canada) mainly in the subarctic climate zone. In the Southern Hemisphere, the tundra zone is practically absent. Mosses and lichens are common vegetation in the tundra. In the south, the tundra turns into forest-tundra with coniferous and small-leaved tree species: dwarf birch, polar willow, Siberian larch. Among the animals: reindeer, arctic foxes, wolves, hares. In the north of the temperate climate zone, the forest-tundra turns into taiga. The average temperature in summer (July, August) in the tundra is +5 +10 C. In winter, the average temperature is -30 C. In the tundra, winter can last up to 9 months.

  Average air temperatures in the forest-tundra in July are +10 +14 C, and in January from -10 to -40 C. Despite the small number atmospheric precipitation(200400 mm), the forest-tundra is characterized by high humidity due to the sharp excess of moisture over evaporation, so there are a lot of lakes here. There are also many swamps in the forest-tundra.

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. During the summer months there is more heat, 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” - an optical phenomenon “halo” is formed, when it seems that three suns are shining in the frosty sky.

The tundras are located within the subarctic climate zone, that is, in winter arctic climates 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 - the coast of the Kola Peninsula - the 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 conditions of flat terrain, the cooling influence of Hudson Bay can be traced for many hundreds of kilometers.

In the Southern Hemisphere, 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 pingos, they are also 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 a certain place the soil melts faster than in the surrounding area, water accumulates, which 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 areas. 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 carry winter temperatures up to -60° C, summer -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 with vegetation by 60%.

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 look like oak leaves, so Carl Linnaeus didn't think long about what to call it 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, spruce in Western Siberia, larch in Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

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 times (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 an important source of 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 Musk Ox

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 common 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 ( drumroll) ......

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 hooves of a deer.

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? =)

The natural tundra zone is located in the northern hemisphere on the northern coast of Eurasia, North America and some islands of the subpolar geographical zone, occupying about 5% of the land. The climate of the zone is subarctic, characterized by the absence of climatic summer. Summer, which lasts only a few weeks, is cool, with average monthly temperatures not exceeding +10 - + 15 ° C. Precipitation occurs frequently, but its total amount is small - 200 - 300 mm per year, most of which occurs in summer period. Due to low temperatures, the amount of accumulated moisture exceeds evaporation, which leads to the formation of vast wetland areas.

Winter is long and cold. During this period, the thermometer can drop to -50 ° C. Cold winds blow throughout the year: in summer from the Arctic Ocean, in summer from the mainland. A characteristic feature of the tundra is permafrost. Poor animal and vegetable world adapted to harsh conditions existence. Tundra gley soils of the zone contain a small amount of humus and oversaturated with moisture.

Arctic tundra is a zone sparse in vegetation, located between North Pole And coniferous forests taiga In winter, all the water here freezes, and the area turns into a snow-covered desert. Under the snow there is a layer of frozen soil approximately 1.5 km thick, which warms up by 40–60 cm in summer. The polar night lasts for months. Strong winds are blowing, the ground is cracking from frost. In the Greenland tundra, wind speeds can reach 100 km/h. Even in summer, the local landscape does not please the eye with variety. There are scatterings of rubble and bare loam everywhere. Only here and there are spots and stripes of green visible. That's why these places are called spotted tundra.

Where summers are longer, where the earth warms up deeper, and where there is more snow in winter, moss-lichen (typical) tundra stretches in a wide strip. The flora here is richer and more diverse. In summer, rivers and lakes sparkle in the sun, playing with waters, surrounded by bright flowering vegetation. In mid-summer the Polar Day begins, which lasts for several months. In a typical tundra, herbaceous plants predominate, represented by sedge, swamp grass, and cotton grass. Dwarf birch, alder, polar willow, and juniper grow in river valleys and on wind-protected slopes. They are very low and do not rise above 30 - 50 cm. Short stature contributes to maximum use of heat upper layers soil in summer and better protection by snow cover from wind and frost in winter. The thickness of the snow is measured by the height of the bushes in the tundra.

Most of the tundra is used as summer pasture for reindeer. Resin moss, which deer eat, grows very slowly, only 3–5 mm per year, so the same pasture cannot be used for several years in a row. It takes 10–15 years to restore the lichen cover.

Difficult climatic conditions and the constant struggle for survival are not the only Problems modern tundra. The construction of oil pipelines that pollute the soil and water bodies, the use of heavy equipment that destroys the already poor vegetation cover leads to a reduction in pasture areas, the death of animals and puts this region on the brink environmental disaster.

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

Etymology of the term

Classification

Tundras are usually divided into three subzones (landscapes of identical subzones, depending on longitude, can differ significantly):

• The Arctic tundra is predominantly herbaceous, sedge-cotton grass, with cushion-shaped subshrubs and mosses in damp pockets. The vegetation cover is not closed, there are no shrubs, bare clay “medallions” with microscopic algae and mounds of frozen heaving are widely developed.
• The middle tundra, or typical tundra, is predominantly moss. Around the lakes there is sedge-cotton grass vegetation with a small admixture of forbs and cereals. Creeping polar willows and dwarf birches appear, hidden by mosses and lichens.
• Southern tundra - shrubby; The vegetation of the southern tundra varies especially sharply depending on longitude.

Mountain tundra

Mountain tundras form altitude zone in the mountains of the subarctic and temperate zones. In Ukraine in the Carpathians they are called meadows, in Crimea they are called yails. On rocky and gravelly soils from high-altitude open forests they begin as a shrub belt, as in the lowland tundra. Above are moss-lichens with cushion-shaped subshrubs and some herbs. The upper belt of mountain tundras is represented by crustose lichens, sparse squat cushion-shaped shrubs and mosses among stone placers.

Antarctic tundra

There is also Antarctic tundra, which occupies part of the Antarctic Peninsula and islands in high latitudes southern hemisphere(e.g. South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands).

Climate

The tundra has a very harsh climate (the climate is subarctic); only those plants and animals live here that can withstand cold and strong winds. Large fauna is quite rare in the tundra.

Winter in the tundra is extremely long. Since most of the tundra is located above the Arctic Circle, the tundra experiences the polar night in winter. The severity of winter depends on the continental climate.

The tundra, as a rule, is deprived of climatic summer (or it comes for a very short period). The average temperature of the warmest month (July or August) in the tundra is 5-10 °C. With the arrival of warmth, all vegetation comes to life as the polar day approaches (or white nights in those areas of the tundra where the polar day does not occur). The entire warm period does not exceed 2-2.5 months.

May and September are the spring and autumn of the tundra. It is in May that the snow cover disappears, and usually sets in again at the beginning of October.

In winter the average temperature is up to −30 °C

There may be 8-9 winter months in the tundra.

Soils

Precipitation

Animal and plant life

Tundra vegetation consists primarily of lichens and mosses; found angiosperms - low grasses (especially from the Poaceae family), sedges, polar poppies, etc., shrubs and dwarf shrubs (for example, dryad, some dwarf species of birch and willow, berry shrubs of princeling, blueberry, cloudberry).

Rivers and lakes are rich in fish (nelma, whitefish, omul, vendace and others).

The swampiness of the tundra allows the development of a large number of blood-sucking insects that are active in the summer. Due to the cold summer, there are practically no reptiles in the tundra: low temperatures limit the ability of cold-blooded animals to live.

Ecological crisis of the Russian tundra

Due to human activity (and primarily due to oil production, construction and operation of oil pipelines), the danger of environmental disaster looms over many parts of the Russian tundra. Due to fuel leaks from oil pipelines, the surrounding area is polluted; burning oil lakes and completely burnt areas that were once covered with vegetation are often encountered.

Despite the fact that during the construction of new oil pipelines, special passages are made so that deer can move freely, the animals are not always able to find them and use them.

Road trains move across the tundra, leaving behind garbage and destroying vegetation. The tundra soil layer damaged by tracked vehicles takes decades to recover.

All this leads to increased pollution of soil, water and vegetation, and a reduction in the number of deer and other inhabitants of the tundra.

see also

Write a review about the article "Tundra"

Notes

Literature

• Tsinzerling Yu. D. Geography of vegetation cover in the North-West of the European part of the USSR. - L., 1932
• Tundra / Alexandrova V.D. // Tardigrades - Ulyanovo. - M. : Soviet Encyclopedia, 1977. - (Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / chief ed. A. M. Prokhorov; 1969-1978, vol. 26).
• Gribova S. A. Tundra. - L., 1980

Links

• (inaccessible link - story , copy)

Land World Ocean

Excerpt characterizing Tundra

“Well, you want to free the peasants,” he continued. - This is very good; but not for you (you, I think, did not detect anyone and did not send them to Siberia), and even less for the peasants. If they are beaten, flogged, sent to Siberia, then I think that it is no worse for them. In Siberia he leads the same bestial life, and the scars on his body will heal, and he is as happy as he was before. And this is needed for those people who are perishing morally, making repentance for themselves, suppressing this repentance and becoming rude because they have the opportunity to execute right or wrong. This is who I feel sorry for, and for whom I would like to free the peasants. You may not have seen it, but I saw how good people, brought up in these traditions of unlimited power, over the years, when they become more irritable, become cruel, rude, they know it, cannot resist and become more and more unhappy. “Prince Andrei said this with such enthusiasm that Pierre involuntarily thought that these thoughts were suggested to Andrei by his father. He didn't answer him.
- So this is who I feel sorry for - human dignity, peace of conscience, purity, and not their backs and foreheads, which, no matter how much you cut, no matter how much you shave, will still remain the same backs and foreheads.
“No, no, and a thousand times no, I will never agree with you,” said Pierre.

In the evening, Prince Andrei and Pierre got into a carriage and drove to Bald Mountains. Prince Andrei, glancing at Pierre, occasionally broke the silence with speeches that proved that he was in a good mood.
He told him, pointing to the fields, about his economic improvements.
Pierre was gloomily silent, answering in monosyllables, and seemed lost in his thoughts.
Pierre thought that Prince Andrei was unhappy, that he was mistaken, that he did not know the true light, and that Pierre should come to his aid, enlighten him and lift him up. But as soon as Pierre figured out how and what he would say, he had a presentiment that Prince Andrei with one word, one argument would destroy everything in his teaching, and he was afraid to start, afraid to expose his beloved shrine to the possibility of ridicule.
“No, why do you think,” Pierre suddenly began, lowering his head and taking on the appearance of a butting bull, why do you think so? You shouldn't think like that.
- What am I thinking about? – Prince Andrei asked in surprise.
– About life, about the purpose of a person. It can't be. I thought the same thing and it saved me, you know what? Freemasonry No, don't smile. Freemasonry is not a religious, not a ritual sect, as I thought, but Freemasonry is the best, the only expression of the best, eternal sides of humanity. - And he began to explain Freemasonry to Prince Andrey, as he understood it.
He said that Freemasonry is the teaching of Christianity, freed from state and religious shackles; teachings of equality, brotherhood and love.
– Only our holy brotherhood has real meaning in life; “everything else is a dream,” said Pierre. “You understand, my friend, that outside of this union everything is full of lies and untruths, and I agree with you that the smart and good man there is nothing left to do but live out your life like you, trying only not to interfere with others. But assimilate our basic beliefs, join our brotherhood, give yourself to us, let us guide you, and now you will feel, as I did, part of this huge, invisible chain, the beginning of which is hidden in the heavens,” said Pierre.
Prince Andrey, silently, looking ahead, listened to Pierre's speech. Several times, unable to hear from the noise of the stroller, he repeated the unheard words from Pierre. By the special sparkle that lit up in the eyes of Prince Andrei, and by his silence, Pierre saw that his words were not in vain, that Prince Andrei would not interrupt him and would not laugh at his words.
They arrived at a flooded river, which they had to cross by ferry. While the carriage and horses were being installed, they went to the ferry.
Prince Andrei, leaning on the railing, silently looked along the flood glittering from the setting sun.
- Well, what do you think about this? - asked Pierre, - why are you silent?
- What I think? I listened to you. “It’s all true,” said Prince Andrei. “But you say: join our brotherhood, and we will show you the purpose of life and the purpose of man, and the laws that govern the world.” Who are we, people? Why do you know everything? Why am I the only one who doesn’t see what you see? You see the kingdom of goodness and truth on earth, but I don’t see it.
Pierre interrupted him. – Do you believe in a future life? - he asked.
- To the future life? – Prince Andrei repeated, but Pierre did not give him time to answer and took this repetition as a denial, especially since he knew Prince Andrei’s previous atheistic beliefs.
– You say that you cannot see the kingdom of goodness and truth on earth. And I have not seen him and he cannot be seen if we look at our life as the end of everything. On earth, precisely on this earth (Pierre pointed in the field), there is no truth - everything is lies and evil; but in the world, in the whole world, there is a kingdom of truth, and we are now children of the earth, and forever children of the whole world. Don't I feel in my soul that I am part of this huge, harmonious whole. Don’t I feel that I am in this huge number of beings in which the Divinity is manifested - high power, as you wish, - that I constitute one link, one step from lower beings to the highest. If I see, clearly see this staircase that leads from a plant to a person, then why should I assume that this staircase breaks with me, and does not lead further and further. I feel that not only can I not disappear, just as nothing disappears in the world, but that I will always be and always have been. I feel that besides me there are spirits living above me and that there is truth in this world.
“Yes, this is Herder’s teaching,” said Prince Andrei, “but that, my soul, is not what convinces me, but life and death, that’s what convinces me.” What is convincing is that you see a being dear to you, who is connected with you, before whom you were guilty and hoped to justify yourself (Prince Andrei’s voice trembled and turned away) and suddenly this creature suffers, suffers and ceases to be... Why? It cannot be that there is no answer! And I believe that he is... That’s what convinces, that’s what convinced me,” said Prince Andrei.
“Well, yes, well,” said Pierre, “isn’t that what I’m saying!”
- No. I’m only saying that it’s not arguments that convince you of the need for a future life, but when you walk in life hand in hand with a person, and suddenly this person disappears out there into nowhere, and you yourself stop in front of this abyss and look into it. And, I looked...
- Well then! Do you know what is there and that there is someone? There is - future life. Someone is God.
Prince Andrei did not answer. The carriage and horses had long been taken to the other side and had already been laid down, and the sun had already disappeared halfway, and the evening frost covered the puddles near the ferry with stars, and Pierre and Andrey, to the surprise of the footmen, coachmen and carriers, were still standing on the ferry and talking.
– If there is God and there is a future life, then there is truth, there is virtue; and man's highest happiness consists in striving to achieve them. We must live, we must love, we must believe, said Pierre, that we do not live now only on this piece of land, but have lived and will live forever there in everything (he pointed to the sky). Prince Andrey stood with his elbows on the railing of the ferry and, listening to Pierre, without taking his eyes off, looked at the red reflection of the sun on the blue flood. Pierre fell silent. It was completely silent. The ferry had landed long ago, and only the waves of the current hit the bottom of the ferry with a faint sound. It seemed to Prince Andrei that this rinsing of the waves was saying to Pierre’s words: “true, believe it.”
Prince Andrei sighed and with a radiant, childish, tender gaze looked into Pierre’s flushed, enthusiastic, but increasingly timid face in front of his superior friend.
- Yes, if only it were so! - he said. “However, let’s go sit down,” added Prince Andrei, and as he got off the ferry, he looked at the sky that Pierre pointed out to him, and for the first time, after Austerlitz, he saw that high, eternal sky that he had seen lying on the Field of Austerlitz, and something that had long fallen asleep, something that was best in him, suddenly woke up joyfully and youthfully in his soul. This feeling disappeared as soon as Prince Andrei returned to the usual conditions of life, but he knew that this feeling, which he did not know how to develop, lived in him. The meeting with Pierre was for Prince Andrei the era from which, although in appearance the same, but in the inner world, his new life began.

It was already dark when Prince Andrei and Pierre arrived at the main entrance of the Lysogorsk house. While they were approaching, Prince Andrey with a smile drew Pierre's attention to the commotion that had occurred at the back porch. A bent old woman with a knapsack on her back and a short man in a black robe with long hair, seeing the carriage driving in, rushed to run back through the gate. Two women ran out after them, and all four, looking back at the stroller, ran into the back porch in fear.

The tundra zone is quite extensive, located from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka - that is, it covers almost the entire north of Russia. The boundaries of the tundra almost coincide with the Arctic Circle in the south and west, and in the east it extends quite far, to the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Tundra is a natural zone that is located in the northern part of the continents. These are limitless expanses of permafrost. The local soil never thaws to a depth of more than a meter. Therefore, all the vegetation of the tundra, as well as all its inhabitants, are adapted to life in such a way as to be the least demanding of external conditions.

The tundra zone is characterized by very harsh living conditions:

So, short cold summer, harsh long winters, permafrost, special lighting - these are the conditions in which the flora of the tundra grows.

Tundra vegetation differs in small sizes: strong gusts of wind blow away the fallen snow, consisting of hard ice crystals, moving it at high speed. This phenomenon is called snow corrosion; it not only damages plants, but also causes even stone to be sanded.

In summer, plants grow in absolutely amazing conditions: the sun is low and heats weakly, but it shines 24 hours a day, this phenomenon is called “polar day”. Therefore, herbs and shrubs adapt well to such a long day that does not interfere with their development.

However, representatives of short-day flora will not be able to survive here. Let's consider which plants and animals of the tundra have adapted to these harsh conditions.

Features of the flora and fauna of the tundra

The most common species found here are lichens and mosses, low-growing shrubs, shrubs and herbs. Trees for the most part cannot live in such harsh conditions.

Summer is too short, so young shoots simply do not have time to build up the protective layer necessary for overwintering. Only in the southern regions do they sometimes come across rare trees, however, these zones it would be more correct to call it forest-tundra.

Lichens and mosses. These are very important representatives of the flora of the tundra, of which a huge number of species grow here. Mosses often form a continuous carpet and serve as food for local fauna. Why do they manage to survive in harsh conditions:

• They are short-growing, so even a small layer of snow reliably covers them.
• These plants do not obtain nutrients and moisture from the soil, taking them from the atmosphere. Therefore, poor soil does not interfere with their normal development.
• Lack of true roots - mosses and lichens are attached to the soil by small thread-like shoots.

The main varieties of mosses and lichens of the tundra are as follows:

• cuckoo flax;
• chylocomium;
• pleurocium;
• reindeer moss (moss).

Average height of moss reaches 15 cm. This is one of the largest lichens. Each light gray plant resembles appearance amazing tree, which has a “trunk” and thinner “branches”.

Wet moss lush and soft, a dry plant becomes hard, but very fragile, crumbling from the slightest mechanical impact. It has a very slow growth rate - only a few millimeters per year, which is why reindeer cannot be grazed on the same reindeer pasture for several years in a row.

Plants, grasses and shrubs of the tundra

Among flowering plants, perennial herbs, shrubs and shrubs are primarily represented. The shrubs and shrubs are very low and in winter they are completely covered with snow. The most common types include the following:

Some are evergreen, others – deciduous. Tundra grasses are mostly perennial, the most common are grasses and sedges, and there are several types of legumes. What kind of grasses can be seen in the tundra zone:

• alpine meadow grass;
• alpine foxtail;
• squat fescue;
• arctic bluegrass;
• hard sedge;
• obscure penny;
• umbrella astragalus;
• the hollyweed is rather dirty;
• viviparous knotweed;
• European and Asian swimsuit;
• Rhodiola rosea.

Many representatives of the flora have large flowers of various colors: crimson, white, yellow, orange. Therefore, the summer blooming tundra looks very picturesque. Tundra vegetation well adapted to harsh conditions: the leaves of shrubs and shrubs are small - this reduces the evaporation of moisture from their surface, and the lower part of the leaf blade is densely pubescent, which also helps to avoid excessive evaporation.

The most common inhabitant of the tundra is dwarf birch, also called yornik. The height of such a plant is less than a meter, it grows not as a tree, but as a shrub, so it bears little resemblance to the birch we are used to, although these plants belong to related species.

The branches of the plant do not rise horizontally, but are spread out on the ground, the leaves are small, round and wide. In the summer season they have a rich green color, and by autumn they become crimson-red. The plant's catkins are also small, usually oval in shape.

Blueberry is a low deciduous shrub, whose length rarely reaches more than half a meter. The leaves are bluish in color, the flowers are small, white, sometimes with a pinkish tint. The fruits are round berries, similar to blueberries, but larger.

Cloudberry is a perennial herbaceous plant.. It has a thin rhizome, from which in the spring a stem grows with several rounded leaves and a single flower. By winter, the above-ground parts of the plant die off and appear again in the spring. The fruit is a complex drupe.

Fauna of the tundra

The fauna world in the tundra is unique. There is little food here, the climate is very harsh, so the animals have to adapt with all their might. That is why the fur of the local inhabitants is thick, and the birds have lush plumage.

The following animals can most often be found in the tundra:

• Reindeer.
• Polar Wolf.
• White Arctic partridge.
• Arctic fox.
• Polar owl.
• Lemming.

Arctic foxes feed on lemmings, so in winter predators migrate after their victims. In hungry years, animals often have to eat plant foods or even carrion.

By wintering they well adapted: the fur becomes thick and warm in the fall, helping animals survive even freezing temperatures. Interestingly, arctic foxes have small ears that are completely hidden in their fur - this way they are protected from frostbite.

Reindeer They love to feast on reindeer moss: with their powerful hooves they pull out the lichen from under the snow. In summer, an abundance of birds flock here to nest: waders, ducks, geese, swans. They feed on a large number of insects: mosquitoes, gadflies and midges.

The flora and fauna of the tundra is an example of how in nature all the inhabitants learned to adapt to difficult conditions and survive in the harshest climate.