Facts about the tundra. Interesting about the tundra An interesting moment about the plants of the forest tundra

The tundra zone is quite extensive, extending 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.

The tundra is natural area, which is located in the northern part of the continents. It's boundless space 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 is small in size: strong gusts of wind blow off the fallen snow, consisting of hard ice crystals, moving it from high speed. This phenomenon is called snow corrosion, it not only damages plants, but also contributes to the fact that even a stone is subjected to grinding.

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

However, representatives of the flora short day can't survive here. Consider what plants and animals of the tundra have adapted to these harsh conditions.

Features of the flora and fauna of the tundra

The most common here are lichens and mosses, undersized shrubs, shrubs and grasses. 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 rare trees sometimes come across, however, these zones it is more correct to call the 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 the local representatives of the fauna. Why do they manage to survive in harsh conditions:

• They are undersized, so even a small layer of snow reliably covers them.
• These plants are not obtained from the soil nutrients and moisture, 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 with small filamentous processes.

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

• cuckoo flax;
• chylocomium;
• pleurium;
• deer moss (moss).

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

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

Plants, herbs and shrubs of the tundra

Among flowering plants, perennial grasses, shrubs and dwarf shrubs are primarily represented. Shrubs and shrubs are very low, 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, there are several types of legumes. What herbs can be seen in the tundra zone:

• alpine meadow;
• alpine foxtail;
• squat fescue;
• arctic bluegrass;
• sedge hard;
• obscure kopeck;
• umbrella astragalus;
• the arthropod is dirty;
• highlander viviparous;
• bathing suit European and Asian;
• rhodiola rosea.

Many representatives of the flora have large flowers of various colors: crimson, white, yellow, orange. Therefore, the summer flowering 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 Bottom part the leaf plate is densely pubescent, which also helps to avoid abundant evaporation.

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

The branches of the plant do not rise horizontally, but are flattened on the ground, the leaves are small, rounded and wide. In the summer season, they have a rich green color, by autumn they become crimson-red. The catkins of the plant 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 pinkishness. The fruits are round berries, similar to blueberries, but larger.

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

Animal world of the tundra

The world of fauna 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 magnificent plumage.

In the tundra, you can most often find such animals:

• Reindeer.
• Polar Wolf.
• White polar partridge.
• Fox.
• Polar owl.
• Lemming.

Lemmings serve as food for arctic foxes, so in winter predators migrate after their victims. In famine years, animals often have to eat plant foods or even carrion.

By the winter they well adapted: the fur becomes thick and warm in autumn, helping animals survive even icy frosts. Interestingly, Arctic foxes have small ears that are completely hidden in wool - this is how they are protected from frostbite.

reindeer they like to eat reindeer moss: with their powerful hooves they get lichen from under the snow. In summer, an abundance of birds flock here for nesting: waders, ducks, geese, swans. They feed on a large number of insects: mosquitoes, gadflies and midges.

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

Between the Arctic deserts and the taiga is a dull area devoid of large vegetation, which Nikolai Karamzin proposed to call the Siberian word "tundra". Attempts have been made to derive the name from the Finnish or Sami languages, in which words with a similar root mean "a mountain without a forest", but there are no mountains in the tundra. And the word "tundra" has long existed in Siberian dialects.

The tundra occupies large areas, but long time explored it very sluggishly - there was nothing to investigate. Only with the discovery of minerals in Far North paid attention to the tundra. And not in vain - it is in the tundra zone that largest deposits oil and gas. To date, the geography, flora and fauna of the tundra have been studied quite well.

1. Although in general the tundra can be described as northern steppe its landscape is far from homogeneous. In the tundra, there are also quite high hills, and even rocks, but low-lying spaces are much more common. The tundra is also heterogeneous in terms of vegetation. Closer to the coast and the Arctic deserts, plants do not cover the ground completely, there are large bald patches of bare earth and stones. To the south, moss and grass form a continuous cover, there are shrubs. In the zone adjacent to the taiga, trees also come across, however, due to the climate and lack of water, they look like sick specimens of their more southern counterparts.

2. The tundra landscape is diluted with water spaces, which can be very extensive. Through the tundra into the Arctic Ocean flow major rivers: Ob, Lena, Yenisei and a number of smaller rivers. They carry huge volumes of water. During the period of floods, these rivers overflow so that one cannot see the other from one bank. When high water subsides, numerous lakes are formed. There is nowhere for water to go from them - low temperatures prevent evaporation, and frozen or clay soil prevents water from seeping into the depths. Therefore, there is a lot of water in the tundra in the most different forms, from rivers to swamps.

3. average temperature summer does not exceed +10°С, and the corresponding winter figure is -30°С. There is very little rainfall. An indicator of 200 mm per year is quite comparable to the amount of precipitation in the southern part of the Sahara, but with low evaporation, this is enough to increase waterlogging.

4. Winter in the tundra lasts 9 months. At the same time, frosts in the tundra are not as strong as in the regions of Siberia located much to the south. Typically, the thermometer does not fall below -40°C, while in continental regions temperatures below -50°C are not uncommon. But summer in the tundra is much cooler due to the proximity of huge arrays of cold ocean waters.

5. Vegetation in the tundra is subject to strong seasonality. At the beginning short summer it comes to life literally in a week, covering the ground with fresh greenery. But just as quickly it fades away with the advent of cold weather and the onset of the polar night.

6. Due to the lack of natural obstacles, winds in the tundra can be very strong and sudden. They are especially terrible in winter, combined with snowfall. Such a bundle is called a storm. It may take several days. Despite the snowfalls, there is not much snow in the tundra - it is very quickly blown away into the lowlands, ravines and to the protruding elements of the landscape.

7. Willow is very common in the tundra, however appearance it is far from the willows growing in the European part of Russia. Willow in the tundra vaguely resembles beautiful tree, whose branches hang down to the ground, only in the south near the rivers. To the north, the willow is a continuous and almost insurmountable strip of bushes fused together, clinging to the ground. The same can be said about the dwarf birch - the dwarf sister of one of the symbols of Russia in the tundra looks like either a short freak or a shrub.

dwarf willow

8. The poverty of vegetation leads to the fact that an unusual person in the tundra, even at an altitude below sea level, has the effect of middle mountains - difficulty breathing. It is connected with the fact that there is relatively little oxygen in the air above the tundra. The small leaves of small plants give the air very little of the gas necessary for human breathing.

9. A very unpleasant feature of the summer in the tundra is midges. Myriads of small insects poison the life of not only people, but also animals. Wild deer, for example, migrate not only because of the climate, but also because of the gnats. The invasion of insects lasts for two weeks at the beginning of summer, but it can become a real natural disaster - even numerous herds of deer scatter from midges.

10. Edible berries grow in the tundra and have time to ripen in two months. The best is the princess, or arctic raspberry. To taste, its fruits really resemble raspberries. The inhabitants of the north eat it raw, and also dry it, boil decoctions and make tinctures. The leaves are brewed into a drink that replaces tea. Also in the tundra, closer to the south, blueberries are found. Cloudberries are common, ripening even at the 78th parallel. Several types of inedible berries also grow. All types of berry plants are characterized by a long, but creeping root. If in desert plants the roots go almost vertically deep into the earth, then in tundra plants roots curl horizontally in a thin layer of fertile soil.

princess

11. In view of the practical total absence fishermen, the rivers and lakes of the tundra are very rich in fish. Moreover, there is an abundance of fish of those species that are considered elite or even exotic to the south: omul, whitefish, seal, trout, salmon.

12. Fishing in the tundra is very diverse. locals, fishing for purely utilitarian purposes, in the summer they catch the inhabitants of the river kingdom with nets. Nets are set up in winter. Absolutely the entire catch is used - small and weedy fish are fed to dogs.

13. Siberians who go fishing in the tundra prefer spinning or fly fishing. For them, fishing is also a commercial activity. But lovers of the exotic from the European part come fishing to the tundra, mainly for the sake of sensations - taking into account the cost of the trip, the caught fish turns out to be really golden. Nevertheless, there are many such lovers - there are even tours that include not only traveling across the tundra on all-terrain vehicles, but also fishing on the southern (but very cold) coast. Kara Sea or the Laptev Sea.

14. They hunt deer, sables, hares and birds in the tundra: wild geese, swans, partridges, etc. As in the case of fishing, hunting in the tundra is more like entertainment or emphasizing one's status. Although deer are hunted professionally. Meat and skins are sold in northern cities, and antlers are bought by businessmen who come from Southeast Asia. There, horns are not only a popular remedy, but also fodder for cultured pearl farms.

15. Tundra, especially the steppe, is a favorite habitat for arctic foxes. These beautiful animals feel great in cold climates, and omnivorous nature allows them to soak even in the meager flora and fauna of the tundra.

16. A lot of lemmings live in the tundra. Small animals are the main food for many predators. They, of course, do not throw themselves from the rocks into the water in millions of individuals. It’s just that, having become excessively prolific, they begin to behave inappropriately, rushing even to large predators, and their population size is decreasing. There is nothing good in this - next year, difficult times will come for those animals for which lemmings are food. Wise owls, noticing a decrease in the number of lemmings, do not lay eggs.

17. On the coast of the North Arctic Ocean polar bears, seals, and walruses live, but it would hardly be appropriate to consider them inhabitants of the tundra, since these animals get their food in the sea, and if there were taiga or forest-steppe instead of the tundra on the coast, nothing would fundamentally change for them.

Someone didn't feel good

18. Since the mid-1970s, a unique experiment has been underway in the tundra to restore the musk ox population. The experiment began from scratch - no one saw a live musk ox in Russia, only skeletons were found. I had to turn to the Americans for assistance - they had both experience in resettling musk oxen and "extra" individuals. Musk oxen took root very well, first on Wrangel Island, then on Taimyr. Now several thousand of these animals live on Taimyr, on about. Wrangel about a thousand. The problem is a large number of rivers - musk oxen would have settled further, but they cannot cross them, so they have to be imported into each new region. Small herds already live in the Magadan region, in Yakutia and Yamal.

19. Those who are a little familiar with the behavior of swans know that the character of these birds is far from angelic. And the swans living in the tundra refute the axiom that only humans kill for fun, and animals kill only for food. In the tundra, swans pounce on creatures they don't like without any intention of eating them. The objects of attack are not only birds, but also arctic foxes, wolverines and other representatives of the poor animal world. Even predatory hawks are afraid of swans.

20. Modern Nenets, who make up the bulk of the tundra population, have not lived in camps for a long time. Families live permanently in small villages, and the camps are one remote tent, in which men live who look after the herd of deer. Helicopter collects children to the boarding school. He also brings them on vacation.

21. The Nenets practically do not eat vegetables and fruits - they are too expensive in the North. At the same time, reindeer herders never suffer from scurvy, which claimed many lives in much more southern latitudes. The secret is in sheep's blood. The Nenets drink it raw, getting the necessary vitamins and minerals.

In Alaska, sleds would be dragged

22. In addition to dogs, the Nenets have no other pets - only specially bred dogs can survive the harsh cold. Even such dogs suffer from the cold and then they are allowed to spend the night in the tent - it is very difficult to manage a herd of deer without dogs.

23. In order to ensure basic survival, a Nenets family needs at least 300 deer, and there are centuries-old proven proportions of the distribution of the herd into producers, females, riding deer, castrates, calves, etc. The income from renting one deer is about 8,000 rubles . To buy a regular snowmobile, you need to sell about 30 deer.

24. The Nenets people are very friendly, so the case that occurred in December 2015, when in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region as a result of a shootout with the Nenets, two senior employees of the Gazprom company, who had come to hunt, were killed. There was not a single person for tens of kilometers around the scene of the incident ...

25. The tundra "trembles". Due to the general rise in temperature, the permafrost layer is thinning, and the methane below it begins to break through to the surface, leaving huge holes of great depth. While such funnels are calculated in units, however, in the case of emissions a large number methane could change the climate much more than the greenhouse effect alarmists predicted at the height of the theory's popularity.

South of the zone Arctic deserts there is a beautiful harsh zone without a forest, long summer and heat - tundra. The nature of this climate is very beautiful and most often snow-white. Winter cold can reach -50⁰С. Winter in the tundra lasts about 8 months, there is also a polar night. The nature of the tundra is diverse, each plant and animal has adapted to the cold climate and frost.

1. During the period of a short summer, the surface of the tundra warms up, on average, half a meter in depth.
2. There are many swamps and lakes in the tundra, because due to constant low temperatures, water from the surface slowly evaporates.
3. AT flora tundra a great variety of moss. A lot of reindeer moss will melt here, it is a favorite food for cold winters.
4. Because of severe frosts there are few trees in this climate, most often tundra plants are stunted, since the cold wind is less felt near the ground.
5. In summer, many swans, cranes and geese fly to the tundra. They try to quickly acquire offspring in order to have time to raise chicks before the onset of winter.
6. Minerals, oil and gas are being explored in the tundra. Equipment and vehicles for carrying out works disturb the soil, which leads to the death of plants that are important for animal life.

The main types of tundra

The tundra is usually divided into three zones:

1. Arctic tundra.
2. Middle tundra.
3. Southern tundra.

arctic tundra

The Arctic tundra is characterized by very harsh winters and cold winds. Summers are cool and cold. Despite this, in arctic climate tundra live:

• seals;
• walruses;
• seals;
• musk oxen;
• wolves;
• arctic foxes;
• hares.

Most of this region lies beyond the Arctic Circle. characteristic feature this region is considered that it does not grow tall trees. In summer, the snows partially melt and form small swamps.

Middle tundra

The average or typical tundra is richly dotted with mosses. In this climate, a lot of sedge grows; reindeer love to eat it in winter. Since the weather is milder in the middle tundra than in the arctic tundra, dwarf birches and willows appear in it. Mosses, lichens and small shrubs are also found in the middle tundra. Many rodents live here; owls and arctic foxes feed on them. Because of the swamps in the typical tundra, there are many midges and mosquitoes. For humans, this area is used for breeding. Too cold summers and winters do not allow any farming here.

southern tundra

The southern tundra is often called "forest", because it is located on the border with the forest zone. This area is much warmer than other areas. At the very hot month in summer the weather reaches +12⁰С for several weeks. In the southern tundra, individual trees or forests of low-growing spruce or birch grow. The advantage for humans is that it is already possible to grow vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage, radishes and green onion. Yagel and other deer favorite plants grow here much faster than in other areas of the tundra, therefore, reindeer prefer the southern territories.

09.10.2009

Have you ever been interested in the climate and ecosystems of the tundra? We will try to talk about this in our article.

What is "tundra"?
The tundra is a natural area in which the growth of trees is hindered low temperature and short times of the year. This type of geographical area is located near the North and South Poles. Thus, the tundra is divided into arctic and antarctic. But there is another type of tundra - mountain (alpine) tundra.

In the tundra ecosystem, vegetation primarily consists of mosses and lichens, as well as dwarf shrubs and grasses.

arctic tundra
The Arctic tundra region is located near North Pole. The soil of this region is called "permafrost" or "permafrost". At least 25 - 90 centimeters of soil are frozen here. Thus, trees cannot grow in such conditions. Therefore, the vegetation here is extremely scarce and rare. Mosses, lichens and heather can sometimes be found on the rocks of these barren landscapes.

The Arctic tundra is inhabited mainly by nomadic tribes such as the Nenets and Nganasan, who have been herding reindeer for several centuries.

There are only two seasons in the tundra - winter and summer. During the main part of the year, the soil of the region is frozen. The average temperature ranges from -28 C (-18.4 F) to -50 C (-58 C). In summer, the ice melts, forming streams, lakes, swamps and bogs. From this, the soil becomes very marshy and marshy. AT summer months the temperature ranges from +12 C (+53.6 F) to + 3 C (+37.4 F). In the summer season, a certain amount of precipitation falls here, it varies annually from 15 to 25 centimeters.

Plants grow and reproduce during the summer months.

An interesting feature of the tundra climate is that it can be very windy here, winds usually blow at a speed of 48 - 96 kilometers per hour.

Another interesting fact about the tundra climate is that during the summer months, when the ice begins to melt, the water here cannot soak into the soil. This is because only the top layer of permafrost thaws in summer, while the bottom layer is still frozen.

The biodiversity of the tundra ecosystem is also very low. Only about 1,700 plant species and about 48 species have been found on the territory of the tundra. land mammals. The main animal population of the Arctic tundra consists of reindeer, polar bears, arctic foxes, white hares, snowy owls, lemmings and musk oxen.

It is interesting to note that in the tundra there is an extensive reserve natural resources such as oil and uranium. It is thanks to these minerals that many states have paid attention to similar regions of the globe.

Antarctic tundra
The Antarctic Tundra is located on south pole Earth. However, the climate in this region is very cold, which prevents the existence of vegetation. In the Antarctic tundra there is always an extensive ice cover. However, there are areas of rocky soil on the fringes of the Antarctic Peninsula where some plant species can grow. Here you can find 300 species of lichens, 700 species of seaweed and about 100 species of mosses. Not found in the Antarctic tundra large mammals, however, penguins and seals live here.

Alpine tundra
The Alpine Tundra is an area of ​​the earth's surface where there is no vegetation due to the high mountainous nature of the terrain. Alpine tundra is found in different parts of the world. There may also be permafrost here.

Tundra ecosystems under threat
As mentioned above, there are vast deposits of oil and uranium in the Arctic tundra. Therefore, many countries are exploring this region in search of oil deposits. However, this may soon upset the unstable balance of the tundra ecosystem.

Another threat is that the tundra accounts for approximately one third of the carbon contained in the planet's soil layer.
And when the permafrost begins to melt in the summer, this carbon is released into the atmosphere, forming " the greenhouse effect". Since carbon is a greenhouse gas, it contributes to the threat of global warming, which in turn creates a vicious circle, increasing the melting of permafrost every year.

Over time, these phenomena can radically change the conditions for the existence of living organisms living here, all flora and fauna, and subsequently the life of people on planet Earth. Therefore, many scientists and researchers spend a lot of time trying to analyze these problems and reduce the threat of disturbance to tundra ecosystems.

Also don't miss...

// 17.12.2012

Chichen Itza is a major archaeological site in Mexico dating back to the pre-Hispanic era. The city is located in the eastern region of the Mexican state of Yucatan (Yucatan) and is the real pride of the country. Chichen Itza is not only one of the objects

Between the taiga forests and the polar regions there is tundra. There are no trees here, because the climate is very cold, the ground is bound by permafrost. This Arctic territory is practically undeveloped by man. The word "tundra" in translation from Finnish means "desert plain without forest". Introducing Interesting Facts about the tundra.

Climate

There is a lot of carbon dioxide in the air, because sparse vegetation cannot process it in such volumes as forests process it.

In summer, the air temperature rarely exceeds 10 degrees Celsius, at night it is often frosty. Summer is short, winter lasts about eight months, spring is a month and a half, and autumn takes the same amount. So summer lasts up to two months.

Above the tundra you can see the northern lights (it is also called the aurora borealis, or the southern lights, if it occurs in southern hemisphere land). This is a natural phenomenon occurs in the sky usually in the first half of winter. Radiance occurs due to the fact that the upper atmospheric layers under the action of magnetic field Earths interact with charged particles solar wind. This is atmospheric phenomenon possible not only on earth, but also on any planet that has an atmosphere, a strong magnetic field, and is close enough to the Sun (or to another star).

Vegetation

The fertile soil layer is about 10 centimeters, followed by permafrost. In summer, the soil warms up to a depth of about 30 centimeters.

There is little precipitation here, but it is cold, moisture evaporates slowly, so the soil is moist, there are many swamps. The main plants are mosses and lichens. They love moisture and can grow in cold climates.

Mosses and lichens grow very slowly, so all-terrain vehicles that drive in this area are very harmful to the soil - traces from heavy vehicles overgrow for a very long time.

Reindeer moss or reindeer moss is not a moss, but a lichen. This is the main food for reindeer.

Here grow dwarf trees - polar willow, dwarf birch, because of the permafrost, their roots do not penetrate deep into the ground. The thickness of the trunks of dwarf trees is up to one centimeter, the height is 20-30 centimeters.

Animal world

There are practically no reptiles in the tundra that need a warmer climate.

There are a lot of blood-sucking insects - mosquitoes, horseflies, wood lice, midges that fly in large numbers in the summer.

Among insects, you can find the May beetle, pine scoop, Siberian pine and gypsy moth, red ants.

Mammals - white fox, reindeer, polar Wolf, polar bear, lemming, arctic hare.

Occasionally there are musk oxen. This animal disappeared from Siberia several centuries ago. In the wild, musk oxen lived in North America, in Canada they were taken under state protection in 1917. In Russia, in the 70s of the twentieth century, the restoration of the population of these animals began. Today, about 8 thousand musk oxen live in the tundra on the Taimyr Peninsula. There are also herds of these animals on Wrangel Island, in the Polar Urals, in Yakutia, in the Magadan Region.

The most numerous animals are lemmings. These rodents sometimes make large migrations in search of food, during which large areas the tundra is covered with animals running in one direction.

wool reindeer very warm, the hairs of these animals are hollow, filled with air, which allows you to keep warm well in cold winters, when the temperature can drop to minus 40 degrees Celsius.

Birds - snowy owl, white partridge. There are birds that fly to the tundra for the summer - the tundra duck, the long-tailed duck, two species of eiders (also ducks), geese, arctic terns, waders, the largest birds are swans. Among predators, except snowy owl, you can meet the buzzard (from the hawk family) and peregrine falcon (from the falcon family).