Drawing of the tundra 4. Natural zone of the tundra - characteristics, birds, animals, vegetation, types. The main types of tundra

In winter, they are so heavy that all living things strive to leave it for this time of year: reindeer migrate south to the “edge of the forest”; wolves follow the deer; snow buntings descend even further, which are ordinary winter guests of our middle zone, where they like to flock along the roads, pecking out grains from horse dung, and the snowy owl in winter is found not only in the steppes of Europe, but also in Central Asia. Even Arctic foxes, these indigenous inhabitants of the tundra, in the fall begin to "flow" to the south, into the taiga, penetrating far into its depths, and partly migrate north to the coast of the open sea, where they pick up the surges of the surf.

But there is no rule without exception. This exception is made up of lemming, otherwise Arctic fox mice, widely known in the literature under the Norwegian name of lemmings. They not only continue to make their snow passages with snow, but, as we recently found out, they even continue to breed in winter. The reason for such prosperity of pestles is that there are relatively many evergreens in the tundra, which overwinter under the snow in a preserved state, having fully developed leaves and buds, and fruits and seeds at varying degrees of ripeness. This phenomenon is a wonderful adaptation to the short summer, during which many plants do not have time to complete their life cycle. Thanks to this, pies have a nutritious food all year round. Under the dense snow, where they flock for the winter, they are not afraid of either frost or blizzards.

On the contrary, only due to the fact that the snow cover of the tundra in winter is shallow and large accumulations of it, the so-called slaughter, are formed only in depressions, mainly along ravines, in the tundra, reindeer, white hares, snow and Lapland plantains, tundra and ptarmigan. Thus, snow, on the one hand, prevents the partridges from getting food, on the other hand, it gives them shelter from winter blizzards. But for a number of animals, the snow cover is favorable in all cases: only thanks to it, lemmings, voles and shrews, which are numerous in the tundra and taiga, can only live without hibernation, and lemmings and voles even breed in winter. This is explained by the fact that the air under the snow is warmer than on the surface. Experience shows that the animals listed above, released on a frosty day, quickly freeze. In turn, due to the presence of these animals in the tundra, a certain number of predators still remain for the winter: wolves, polar foxes, snowy owls, buzzards, or rough-legged buzzards. Gyrfalcons also remain, continuing to beat their favorite prey, the white partridges, in the summer. Finally, the omnivorous raven, this truly ubiquitous bird, remains.

To the south of the zone of the arctic deserts there is a beautiful harsh zone without a forest, long summer and warmth - the tundra. The nature of this climate is very beautiful and most often snow-white. Winter colds 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.

During the short summer, the tundra surface warms up on average by half a meter in depth.
There are many swamps and lakes in the tundra, as water from the surface slowly evaporates due to constant low temperatures.
The flora of the tundra has a wide variety of moss. A lot of lichen will melt here; it is a favorite food for cold winters.
Due to severe frosts, there are few trees in this climate, most often tundra plants are undersized, since the cold wind is less felt near the ground.
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 winter arrives.
The search for minerals, oil and gas is being carried out in the tundra. Technique and transport for work disturb the soil, which leads to the death of plants that are important for the life of animals.

The main types of tundra

The tundra is usually divided into three zones:

Arctic tundra.
Middle tundra.
Southern tundra.

Arctic tundra

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

seals;
walruses;
seals;
musk ox;
wolves;
Arctic foxes;
hares.

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

Middle tundra

Medium or typical tundra richly covered with mosses. A lot of sedge grows in this climate; reindeer like to feed on it in winter. Since the weather in the middle tundra is milder than in the arctic tundra, dwarf birches and willows appear in it. The middle tundra is also home to mosses, lichens and small shrubs. Many rodents live here, owls and arctic foxes feed on them. Because of the bogs in the typical tundra, there are a lot of midges and mosquitoes. For people, this territory 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. In the hottest month of summer, the weather reaches + 12⁰С for several weeks. In the southern tundra, individual trees or forests of low-growing spruces or birches grow. The advantage for humans is that it can already grow vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage, radishes and green onions. Yagel and other favorite reindeer plants grow here much faster than in other areas of the tundra, therefore, reindeer prefer the southern territories.

The tundra is a cold, treeless plain located to the south of the arctic desert zone. The natural conditions in the tundra are less severe than in the arctic deserts. Therefore, the flora and fauna are richer here.

Using the map in the textbook, paint over the tundra zone on the contour map (The world around us, grade 4, pp. 36-37). To select a color, you can use, as in the last lesson, the "key" below.

2. Do you know the living world of the tundra? Cut out pictures from the Application and arrange them correctly. Check yourself with the drawing in the tutorial.

Tundra

Give a mini-exam to your deskmate. Arrange the pictures so that there are 2-3 mistakes. Let the neighbor find them and fix them (put the pictures correctly).

Ask your deskmate to arrange the same exam for you. When you are confident in your knowledge, paste the pictures into a notebook.

Ant Voprosik dreams of eating tundra berries, but does not know what they look like. Consider the pictures. Compare cloudberries, blueberries, and lingonberries in appearance. Explain to Ant, by what signs these plants can be recognized in nature.

You can find more information about blueberries and lingonberries in the Atlas-Identifier "From Earth to Heaven" (pp. 90-91).

Make a diagram of the tundra food chain. Compare it with the one suggested by the deskmate. Using these diagrams, tell about the ecological connections in the tundra zone.

Dwarf birch twigs - Lemming - White Owl
Yagel - Reindeer - Wolf
Cloudberry - Ptarmigan - Gyrfalcon
Polar willow buds - Lemming - Arctic fox - Wolf

Think what environmental problems in the tundra zone are expressed by these signs... Formulate and write down.

	From all-terrain vehicles and tractors, the soil surface is disturbed, plants die
	During oil production, the surrounding area is often heavily polluted.
	In many reindeer pastures, lichen disappears because reindeer are not always driven from one pasture to another on time. The most valuable pastures often perish.
	Illegal hunting - poaching - causes great harm to the fauna of the tundra.

Suggest conservation measures for class discussion that can help solve these problems.

Continue filling the poster "The Red Book of Russia", which was drawn by the father of Seryozha and Nadia. Find rare tundra animals on the poster and sign their names.

White crane (Siberian crane), tundra swan, red-breasted goose, gyrfalcon

7. Here you can complete a drawing as instructed by the textbook (p. 93).

Draw how you imagine the tundra

On the instructions of the textbook (p. 93), prepare a report about one of the plants or animals of the tundra.

Message subject: Polar Mouse (Lemming)

Important information for the message: Perhaps the most numerous inhabitants of the tundra are lemmings, or polar mice. In summer, they live in shallow burrows (and would be happy to hide more reliably, but the permafrost does not let them in) or under lichen-covered rocks. In winter, lemmings make their own nests of grass and moss under a layer of snow, but they do not even think of hibernation, but busily scurry back and forth in a real labyrinth of tunnels carefully laid in the snow, only occasionally crawling out to feast on buds, twigs and bark dwarf tundra plants. It was then that white owls are waiting for them, sitting in ambush on the top of the snowdrifts. Arctic foxes also do not disdain polar mice.
The most striking thing is that on the long and cold polar night, lemmings reproduce successfully in their nests of snow. Females can raise three to five broods. At this time, the main enemies of lemmings are not owls and arctic foxes, but nimble ermines, which easily penetrate the intricate network of tunnels dug by rodents and even cheekily use their nests for rest and breeding.

Source (s) of information: Encyclopedia. Interesting about the unknown

The tundra zone is, in its own way, a unique part of the territory of Russia. Its existence is due to climatic changes observed when moving from anywhere in the world to the north or south. Landscapes, flora and fauna take on a different look: closer to the north there are fewer trees and more lichens, and Arctic foxes, reindeer and other animals that are not found in other regions live there.

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The concept of a natural-geographical zone

Natural (otherwise, physical and geographical) zone such an area in the geographic shell of the Earth is called, which is characterized by a complex of climatic, geological and geochemical conditions inherent only in it. In addition, the characteristics and composition of the soil, the relief, what types of plants and animals are characteristic of a particular area are taken into account. But nevertheless, it is the climatic conditions that are of greatest importance in identifying and describing the location of the natural zone.

Zonal changes in climate and landscape can be practically observed through every degree along the meridian or through 120-140 kilometers. If you move from the equator to one of the poles of the Earth, you can arrange the physical and geographical belts in this way:

Each natural zone corresponds to a certain climatic zone. For example, mixed forests are located in the temperate zone, and constantly wet - in the equatorial.

The presence of this natural area typical for the Northern Hemisphere, on the map, it stretches across two continents, North America and Eurasia, occupying a significant part of the area of Russia. The location of the tundra is determined by its neighboring location with the arctic deserts and taiga.

The richness of the natural resources of the tundra entails a serious interest in the peculiarities already from school. Typical topics are "Plant life" or "Birds of the tundra" for reports in grade 4, various tables are compiled, students prepare messages about the local population or even write interesting stories based on information received from the lessons according to a certain plan.

The tundra is located in the subarctic (or subantarctic) belt between temperate and arctic. This determines the rather harsh living conditions in this area. There is a very long winter here, the duration of which reaches seven months, and in the short summer period it is very often snowing and frosts occur. The upper temperature limit is 10 degrees above zero. Due to low temperatures, a small amount of water evaporates from the surface of the earth, so the soils in the tundra are very moist. For the same reason, there is practically no relatively heavy rainfall.

Another important characteristic in describing the climate of the tundra is a very strong wind. It prevents deep snow from forming and the land is often left open. Therefore, the entire living world of the tundra is forced to survive in permafrost conditions: closer to the north, the land freezes over 500 meters. The short summer period does not contribute to the thawing of the soil: on average, about 40 centimeters of land are freed from the ice shell. The absorption of moisture in such conditions is difficult, therefore, a significant part of the territory is swamped.

The animals and plants of the tundra are very peculiar, since the local nature is determined by the harsh climatic conditions, the polar night, which lasts all winter, and the short summer day.

Vegetable world

The main feature of the tundra vegetation consists in the fact that trees cannot grow here: frozen soils do not allow the development of the root system, and a strong wind simply blows away tall plants. Therefore, undersized species are especially common here: various shrubs and shrubs, grasses, mosses and lichens. Closer to the south, where the tundra turns into forest-tundra, some trees may grow, but this is not observed in the rest of the natural zone. This fact influenced the name of this area: translated from Finnish tunturia means "land without forest".

Mosses and lichens

Perhaps the most important in the tundra ecosystem are numerous species of mosses and lichens: cuckoo flax, lichen or reindeer moss, pleurotium and many others. They are an important part of the diet of herbivores and survive in such harsh conditions due to the following factors:

The largest of the tundra lichens: reindeer lichen. Its height ranges from 9 to 15 cm. This is a real tree in miniature. The largest specimens show a striking resemblance to the branches and leaves of a real tree.

Shrubs and herbs

Besides mosses and lichens, there is a variety of shrubs and shrubs... These are dwarf willows and birches, wild rosemary, blueberry, crowberry. Perennial grasses are widespread: alpine meadow, fescue, arctic bluegrass, sedge, rhodiola rosea and cloudberry. Shrubs do not exceed one meter in height. Their branches are not directed upward, but, on the contrary, are spread along the ground. The small size of the leaves reduces the amount of evaporated moisture, and the back of the leaf is pubescent.

In summer, the leaves of trees and grass are bright green, and closer to autumn, crimson shades appear more and more in their color. Many species are blooming, so yellow, white and reddish flowers against a bright green background make these places especially beautiful in summer, allowing you to fully enjoy the way the tundra looks.

Fauna of the tundra

Fauna of the tundra are distinguished by significant diversity, despite the harsh conditions for survival in this natural area. It is impossible to find here only lizards and other reptiles: the absence of a long warm season does not allow cold-blooded species to live here.

Land mammals

Animals in the harsh subarctic climate are forced to adapt to the conditions: they have thick and dense wool, and birds acquire lush feathers. Among herbivores, the most famous reindeer... Their wide and powerful hooves facilitate long walks on the snow (the length of the migratory routes of reindeer is up to 500 km), and special depressions allow you to shovel snow and find lichen or other plants that they feed on.

Powerful antlers allow the deer to successfully defend against predators. But in especially harsh and hungry years, they weaken and often become victims of tundra wolves. Those live in large flocks with a pronounced hunting specialization: there are beaters and attackers. This is a very hardy animal, able to go without food for a week. But if you manage to catch someone, then a feast begins: the wolves sometimes eat the victim with the skin and bones.

Another dangerous predator of the tundra is the wolverine... Outwardly, she resembles a bear and seems very clumsy. But this is not the case. The body of the wolverine is very flexible, strong legs allow it to develop high speed. At the same time, the wolverine is distinguished by its endurance: if the prey cannot be caught, then the predator starves it out, pursuing it until it collapses from fatigue.

Lemmings are often prey to wolverines, and sometimes wolves: small and prolific rodents. They do not hibernate and are constantly in search of food. The food can be deer antlers, bark, buds of shrubs. As lemmings breed rapidly, their habitat becomes overpopulated and the animals are forced to migrate. Predators also migrate after them: owls, arctic foxes and others.

The Arctic fox is known for its coat: it is fluffy and long (up to 30 cm). Usually they hunt lemmings and move after them, but sometimes they do not disdain carrion. The fox holes dug in the hills are used by several generations of predators: making new moves in permafrost conditions is a difficult task. They live in small flocks, helping each other, including caring for cubs whose parents have died.

Bird species

Along with mammals, the tundra is inhabited by significant number of bird species... This is determined by two interrelated factors:

an abundance of wetlands, rivers and lakes;
the presence in these areas of a significant number of insects, especially in summer.

Many birds adapt to seasonality and do not migrate, such as the ptarmigan. In winter, its color allows it to camouflage in the snow from large predators, and in summer the feathers become variegated. At the same time, the partridge relatively rarely rises into the air and lives in holes that it digs in the snow.

Lives near the swamps white crane or Siberian crane... This is an endemic species and is on the verge of extinction, therefore it is listed in the Red Book. The Siberian Crane is a rather large bird, its body size reaches half a meter in height. Habitat conditions determined the body structure of the white crane: it has the longest beak in comparison with the rest of the genus, and long legs allow it to move on a viscous surface. The Siberian Crane is omnivorous: it can eat both eggs of other birds and fish, as well as various berries and certain parts of plants.

A serious danger to small mammals and other birds is the white, or polar, owl. She has excellent eyesight, therefore, from a low height (most often she examines the area from high bumps or stones), she discovers a possible victim. After a successful hunt, it does not eat the prey entirely, leaving everything that has not been eaten by various scavengers. In this case, an owl can go without food for a long time, but this significantly affects the appearance of offspring.

The abundance of rivers and direct access to the seas and the ocean is the reason that the tundra is home to many waterfowl. Among them, a special place is occupied by tundra swan is another rare animal that is under the threat of extinction. Tundra swans feed on algae, plants growing near water, and also fish. The short duration of the summer period forces the animals to raise young animals in a short time: on average, this happens in 40 days.

Another representative of waterfowl - loon... On land it is a clumsy bird, easy prey for predators, but it is almost impossible to catch it on water: due to its streamlined body and sharp beak, the loon is an excellent diver. This skill allows you not only to catch fish for food, but also to avoid many dangers.

Aquatic mammals

Many mammals also live in the water. A thick layer of subcutaneous fat saves them from low temperatures. Some also have thick fur, for example, a sea lion. This protection allows him to dive to a depth of 400 meters. During the warm season, sea lions often go ashore to bask in the sun. In this case, they move on four limbs.

Seals have become a kind of symbol of the tundra.... They live in coastal areas, which is due to their mode of life. They get food in water, and reproduce on land. The nose and ears of the seal are built in such a way that they close tightly when immersed. An interesting fact is that this animal is able to hold its breath for up to one hour, and this allows it to escape from ground predators.

Another characteristic of the tundra regions animal - walrus... Its mass ranges from one ton to one and a half, and its body size reaches five meters. Walruses are known for their large and powerful tusks. Their direct purpose may seem surprising: with their tusks, walruses dig up the bottom in search of mollusks, which make up the bulk of their diet. But if his life is in danger, the walrus use tusks as a formidable weapon. In addition, it is a matter of status: the longer the tusk, the more authority the walrus has in its group.

Tundra is a treeless flat hill, translated from Finnish.

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

Geographical position

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

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

Characteristics of the tundra

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

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

summer tundra photo

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

In the southern tundra, summer is somewhat longer, and this contributes to a deeper warming of the land. Therefore, shrubs, mosses and lichens are able to grow on them. Summer is also characterized by the opening of rivers and lakes, which are surrounded by lush and vibrant vegetation.

dwarf birches in the tundra photo

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

Tundra climate

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

In summer, there is precipitation, which is slightly more than in winter. Average annual rainfall in the tundra is 200 - 400mm. Moisture significantly exceeds evaporation, which contributes to the formation of wetlands. Winter is very long and cold. The temperature drops to -50 degrees. The snow cover in the tundra is from October to June.

Soil

The area is represented by several types:

Stony;
Peaty;
Swampy.

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

There is very little humus in the soils, since there are few shrubs and plants growing on the surface, the processes of humification and mineralization are very slow. Therefore, the peat layer is very thin.

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

Swelling;
Outpouring.

Permafrost is getting more near the northern borders. The soils are acidic, with few minerals and nutrients.

Flora and fauna of the tundra

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

tundra plants photos