Description and features of the natural tundra zone. Description and features of the natural zone of the tundra Fauna of the tundra

Where the taiga has already ended, but the Arctic has not yet begun, the tundra zone stretches. This territory occupies more than three million square meters and is about 500 kilometers wide. What does the permafrost zone look like? There are almost no plants, very few animals. This mysterious territory holds many amazing secrets.

Tundra zone

The tundra zone stretches along the shores of the northern seas. Everywhere you look, a cold plain stretches for thousands of kilometers, completely devoid of forest. The polar night lasts two months. Summer is very short and cold. And even when it does, frosts often occur. Cold, sharp winds sweep across the tundra every year. For many days in a row in winter, a blizzard rules the plains.

The top layer of soil thaws only 50 centimeters deep during the cold, unkind summer. Below this level lies a layer of permafrost that never thaws. Neither melt nor rain water penetrates to depth. The tundra zone is a huge number of lakes and swamps, the soil is wet everywhere, because due to low temperatures water evaporates extremely slowly. The climate in the tundra is very harsh, creating almost unbearable conditions for all living things. However, life here is somewhat more diverse than in the Arctic.

Vegetable world

What does the tundra look like? Its surface for the most part consists of very large bumps. Their size reaches a height of up to 14 meters and a width of up to 15 meters. The sides are steep, they consist of peat, the inside is almost always frozen. Between the hillocks, at intervals of up to 2.5 meters, there are swamps, the so-called Samoyed ersei. The sides of the mounds are covered with mosses and lichens; cloudberries are often found immediately. Their body is formed by mosses and tundra shrubs.

Closer to the rivers, to the south, where tundra forests can be observed, the hummocky zone turns into sphagnum peat bogs. Cloudberry, bagoong, cranberry, gonobol, and birch dwarf grow here. extend deep into the forest zone. To the east of the Taman Ridge, mounds are found very rarely, only in low-lying, swampy places.

Tundra subzones

The flat regions of Siberia are occupied by peaty tundra. Mosses and tundra shrubs stretch in a continuous film over the surface of the earth. Mostly moss covers the ground, but cloudberry clearings can also be found. This type of tundra is especially common between Pechora and Timan.

In high places, where water does not stagnate, but the wind blows freely, there is fissured tundra. The dry, cracked soil is broken up into small areas with nothing but frozen ground. Grains, shrubs and saxifrage can hide in cracks.

For those who are interested in what the tundra looks like, it will be useful to know that there is also fertile soil here. The herbaceous-shrub tundra is rich in shrubs; mosses and lichens are almost absent.

The most characteristic species of this natural zone are moss and lichen, thanks to which the tundra is colored light gray. In addition, standing out as spots against the background of reindeer moss, small shrubs huddle close to the ground. The southern regions boast small islands of forest. Dwarf species of willows and birch dwarf are quite common.

Animal world

The way the tundra looks does not in any way affect the number of animals permanently living in this region. One of the common inhabitants of the tundra, the rough-legged bird nests directly on the ground or rocks. The white-tailed eagle, an indigenous inhabitant of the tundra, lives on the seashore. Found in the northernmost areas of the region, the gyrfalcon is the most common bird in the region. All birds hunt partridges and small rodents.

This natural area is home to not only birds, but also furry ones, and of different sizes. So, of the largest, it is the species most adapted to climate conditions. In Europe it is almost extinct, with representatives remaining only in Norway. Deer are also rare on the Kola Peninsula. They were replaced by domestic reindeer.

In addition to humans, deer also have a natural enemy - the wolf. These predators have a much thicker undercoat than their forest counterparts. In addition to these animals, polar bears, musk oxen, arctic foxes, Parry's ground squirrels, lemmings, white hares and wolverines are found in the tundra.

Climate

The climate of the tundra is very harsh. The temperature in short summers does not rise above 10 degrees, the average temperature in winter is no higher than minus 50. A thick layer of snow falls by September, only increasing the layers every month.

Despite the fact that the sun barely appears above the horizon throughout the long winter night, there is no impenetrable darkness reigning here. What does the tundra look like on a polar night? Even during moonless periods there is enough light. After all, there is dazzling white snow all around, perfectly reflecting the light of distant stars. In addition, the northern lights provide excellent lighting, painting the sky with different colors. At some hours, thanks to him, it becomes as bright as day.

What does the tundra look like in summer and winter?

In general, summer can hardly be called warm, because the average temperature does not rise above 10 degrees. In such months, the sun does not leave the sky at all, trying to have time to warm the frozen earth at least a little. But what does the tundra look like in summer?

In the relatively warm months, the tundra is covered with water, turning vast areas into huge swamps. The natural tundra zone is covered in lush color at the very beginning of summer. Considering that it is very short, all plants strive to complete the development cycle as soon as possible.

In winter there is a very thick layer of snow on the ground. Since almost the entire territory lies beyond the Arctic Circle, the tundra natural zone is deprived of sunlight for most of the year. Winter lasts a long time, much longer than in other areas of the globe. There are no adjacent seasons in this territory, that is, neither spring nor autumn.

Wonders of the Tundra

The most famous miracle is, of course, the northern lights. On a dark January night, stripes of bright colors suddenly light up against the black background of the velvet sky. Green and blue columns, interspersed with pink and red, glide across the sky. The dance of radiance is similar to the flashes of a giant fire reaching the sky. People who saw the northern lights for the first time will never again be able to forget this stunning spectacle, which has captivated the minds of people for thousands of years.

Our ancestors believed that lights in the sky brought happiness as they were a manifestation of the celebration of the gods. And if the gods have a holiday, gifts will certainly go to people. Others thought that the radiance was the wrath of the god of fire, angry at the human race, so they expected only troubles and even misfortunes from the multi-colored heavenly spray.

Whatever your opinion, it is worth seeing the Northern Lights. If such an opportunity ever arises, it is better to be in the tundra in January, when the northern lights flare up in the sky especially often.

Winter is so difficult that all living things tend to leave it at this time of year: reindeer migrate south to the “edge of the forest”; wolves follow the deer; Snow buntings descend even further, which are the usual winter guests of our central zone, where they like to stay in flocks along the roads, pecking out grains from horse manure, 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 shore of the open sea, where they pick up the surf emissions.

But there is no rule without exception. This exception is made up of pieds, otherwise arctic fox mice, widely known in the literature under the Norwegian name lemmings. They not only continue to make their snow passages with snow, but, as we recently found out, they even continue to reproduce in winter. The reason for such prosperity of variegates is that in the tundra there are relatively many evergreen plants that overwinter under the snow in a preserved state, having fully developed leaves and buds, and fruits and seeds at varying degrees of ripening. This phenomenon is a remarkable adaptation to the short summer, during which many plants do not have time to complete their life cycle. Thanks to this, pieds have adequate 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 faces, are formed only in depressions, mainly along ravines, in the tundra reindeer, white hares, snow and Lapland plantains, tundra and white partridges. Thus, snow, on the one hand, prevents partridges from getting food, and on the other hand, it gives them shelter from winter blizzards. But for a number of animals, snow cover is favorable in all cases: only thanks to it can lemmings, voles and shrews, numerous in the tundra and taiga, live without hibernating, and lemmings and voles even reproduce 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, thanks to the presence of these animals, a certain number of predators still remain in the tundra for the winter: wolves, arctic foxes, snowy owls, buzzards, or ruffed buzzards. Gyrfalcons also remain, continuing to kill in flight their favorite prey - white partridges. Finally, the omnivorous raven remains - this truly omnipresent bird.

1. Using the map in the textbook, color in the tundra zone on the contour map (p. 36-37).

Map in the textbook

To select a color, you can use, as in the last lesson, the “key” given below.

You need to paint over the areas marked in purple.

2. Do you know the living world of the tundra? Cut out the pictures from the Appendix and arrange them correctly. Test yourself with the drawing in the textbook.

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

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

3. The questioning ant dreams of eating tundra berries, but does not know what they look like. Look at the pictures. Compare the appearance of cloudberries, blueberries and lingonberries. Explain to Ant how these plants can be recognized in nature.

You can find additional information about blueberries and lingonberries in the atlas-identifier “From Earth to Sky” (p. 90-91).

Cloudberry- a herbaceous plant up to 30 cm high. Usually two to three rounded leaves and one berry grow on thin stems. The berry is round, yellow-red (unripe) or orange (ripe) in color, and resembles a raspberry in appearance.

Blueberry grows on low bushes. The leaves on the bush are oblong and very dense. Blueberries are round or elongated. The skin of the berries is blue with a bluish coating, and the pulp inside is purple.

Cowberry It also grows on low bushes, but its leaves are shiny, leathery and with tips curved down. Lingonberries are shiny, round and small. They sit in clusters on branches like currants.

4. Draw a diagram of the food chain characteristic of the tundra. Compare it with the diagram proposed by your desk neighbor. Using these diagrams, tell about the ecological connections in the tundra zone.

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

Tractors and all-terrain vehicles destroy soil and destroy plants. Then nature cannot recover for a very long time.

Mining: oil and gas. Because of this, the environment is subject to severe pollution.

Domestic reindeer are bred in the tundra, but they do not always manage to transfer the reindeer from one pasture to another in time. As a result, the vegetation cover of the pasture does not have time to recover and the pasture dies.

Poaching is very common in the tundra. This leads to the extinction of rare species of animals and plants.

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

6. Continue filling out the poster “The Red Book of Russia”, which was drawn by Seryozha and Nadya’s dad. Find rare tundra animals on the poster and write their names.

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

7. Here you can complete the drawing according to the instructions in the textbook (p. 93).

Draw how you imagine the tundra. You can try to make a model of a tundra area from plasticine and other materials.

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

Using additional literature and the Internet, prepare a report about one of the plants or animals of the tundra. In your workbook, write down the outline of your message and the most important information about the plant or animal.

Message subject:

Message plan:

1. Distribution of merlins
2. Appearance of gyrfalcons
3. Gyrfalcon nutrition
4. Falcon hunting
5. Threats to the species and animal protection

Important message information:

The gyrfalcon is a bird of prey of the falcon family.

The gyrfalcon is a bird from the order Falconiformes. The gyrfalcon lives in the tundra and arctic zones of Russia, at the northernmost tip of Europe and North America. There is also a mountain Asian species of gyrfalcon that lives in the Tien Shan mountains.

Gyrfalcons are the largest representatives of falcons. Their length reaches 60 cm, and their wingspan is 135 cm. In Siberian gyrfalcons, the color of the back varies - from almost white to brownish-gray; the ventral side of gyrfalcons is always white with a dark pattern.

Gyrfalcons are typical predators. They feed on small birds or small animals. Birds attack prey from above. They fold their wings and grab prey with their tenacious paws. In general, these birds are excellent flyers. Just a few flaps of its wings and the bird rushes forward at great speed or falls down like a stone.

In the Middle Ages, hunting with falcons, including gyrfalcons, was widespread. They were used as birds of prey throughout Europe and Russia. Nowadays, falconry is also a favorite hobby of many people around the world.

With the cost of one bird reaching up to $30,000, poachers are catching them and selling them. In addition, gyrfalcons often die in traps set by poachers for arctic foxes, valuable fur-bearing animals. Security authorities are actively fighting poachers and gyrfalcons; fortunately, extinction is not yet in danger.

Source(s) of information: Internet

The natural tundra zone is located mainly beyond the Arctic Circle and is limited to the north by arctic (polar) deserts and to the south by forests. It is located in the subarctic zone between 68 and 55 degrees north latitude. In those small areas where cold air masses from the Arctic Ocean are blocked by mountains in the summer—these are the valleys of the Yana, Kolyma, and Yukon rivers—the taiga rises into the subarctic. One should separately distinguish between mountain tundra, which is characterized by a change in nature with the height of the mountains.

The word "tundra" comes from the Finnish tunturi, which means "treeless, bare upland." In Russia, the tundra occupies the coast of the seas of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent territories. Its area is about 1/8 of the entire area of ​​Russia. In Canada, the tundra natural zone includes a significant part of the northern territories, which are practically uninhabited. In the United States, tundra occupies most of the state of Alaska.

a brief description of

• The natural tundra zone occupies about 8-10% of the entire territory of Russia;
• The tundra has a very short summer with an average temperature in the warmest month, July, from +4 degrees in the north to +11 degrees in the south;
• Winter in the tundra is long and very harsh, accompanied by strong winds and snowstorms;
• Cold winds blow throughout the year: in summer - from the Arctic Ocean, and in winter - from the cooled mainland of Eurasia;
• The tundra is characterized by permafrost, that is, the upper level of the ground frozen through, part of which thaws in the summer by only a few tens of centimeters.
• In the tundra zone there is very little precipitation - only 200-300 mm per year. However, soils in the tundra are widely waterlogged due to impermeable permafrost at shallow surface depths and poor evaporation due to low temperatures even with strong winds;
• The soils in the tundra are usually infertile (due to humus being blown away by the winds) and are very swampy due to freezing in the harsh winter and only partial warming up in the warm season.

Tundra is a natural area of ​​Russia

As everyone knows from school lessons, nature and climate on the territory of Russia have a clearly defined zonality of processes and phenomena. This is due to the fact that the country's territory extends from north to south and is mainly dominated by flat terrain. Each natural zone is characterized by a certain ratio of heat and moisture. Natural areas are sometimes called landscape or geographic.

The tundra occupies the territory adjacent to the coast of the Arctic Ocean and is the most severe inhabited natural zone in Russia. To the north of the natural tundra zone there are only arctic deserts, and to the south the forest zone begins.

The following are represented on the plains of Russia: natural areas, starting from the north:

• Arctic deserts;
• Forest-steppe
• Steppes
• Semi-deserts
• Deserts
• Subtropics.

And in the mountainous regions of Russia, altitudinal zonation is clearly expressed.

Natural areas of Russia on the map

The tundra is characterized by harsh climatic conditions, relatively low rainfall and the fact that its territory is located primarily in Arctic Circle. Let's list the facts about the tundra:

• The natural tundra zone is located north of the taiga zone;
• Mountain tundras are found in the mountains of Scandinavia, the Urals, Siberia, Alaska and Northern Canada;
• Tundra zones stretch in a strip 300-500 km wide along the northern coasts of Eurasia and North America;
• The climate of the tundra is subarctic, it is quite harsh and is characterized by long winters with polar nights (when the sun practically does not appear above the horizon) and short summers. A particularly harsh climate is observed in the continental tundra regions;
• Winter in the tundra lasts 6-9 months a year, it is accompanied by strong winds and low air temperatures;
• Frosts in the tundra sometimes reach minus 50 degrees Celsius;
• The polar night in the tundra lasts 60-80 days;
• Snow lies in the tundra from October to June, its height in the European part is 50-70 centimeters, and in Eastern Siberia and Canada 20-40 cm. In winter, snowstorms are frequent in the tundra;
• Summer in the tundra is short, with a long polar day;
• August in the tundra is considered the warmest month of the year: positive average daily temperatures of up to +10-15 degrees are noted, but frosts are possible on any day of summer;
• Summer is characterized by high air humidity, frequent fogs and drizzling rains;
• Tundra vegetation includes 200-300 species of flowering plants and about 800 species of mosses and lichens.

The main occupations of the population in the tundra:

• Reindeer husbandry;
• Fishing;
• Hunting for fur and sea animals.

The population of the tundra is limited in their choice of activities due to the peculiarities of natural conditions and relative isolation from large cities, just like the population of the tundra, isolated on small islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the following types of tundra with characteristic vegetation are distinguished:

• arctic tundra(marsh soils and moss-lichen plants dominate);
• Subarctic tundra or typical middle tundra(moss, lichen and shrub plants, berries);
• or southern tundra (shrub plants - dwarf birch, bushy alder, various types of willows, as well as berries and mushrooms).

arctic tundra

In the Arctic, on the northern edge of European and Asian Russia, as well as in the far north of North America, there is the Arctic tundra. It occupies the coastal territory of the northern seas and is a flat marshy area. Summer there brings only a brief thaw, and plants are not found due to the too cold climate. Permafrost is covered with melt lakes of melted snow and ice. Perennial plants in such conditions are able to grow only for a short period of time - at the end of July and August, grouping in low places and protected from the winds, and annual plants do not take root here, since due to the harsh natural conditions they have a very short period of time. growing season. The predominant species are mosses and lichens, and shrubs do not grow at all in the Arctic tundra.

More southern types of tundra up to the forest-tundra zone are called Subarctic. Here, the cold Arctic air briefly gives way to warmer temperate air in the summer. The days there are long, and under the influence of the penetration of a warmer climate, tundra plants have time to develop. These are mainly dwarf plants that cling to the ground, which radiates a little heat. This is how they hide from the winds and from freezing, trying to spend the winter under the snow cover as if in a fur coat.

IN middle tundra There are mosses, lichens and small shrubs. Small rodents are found here - lemmings (pieds), which feed on arctic foxes and polar owls. Most animals in the tundra are covered in snowy white fur or plumage in winter, but turn brown or gray in summer. Large animals in the middle tundra include reindeer (wild and domestic), wolves, and tundra partridge. Due to the abundance of swamps, the tundra is home to a gigantic amount of all kinds of midges, which in the summer attracts wild geese, ducks, swans, waders and loons to breed their chicks in the tundra.

Farming in the subarctic tundra is impossible in any form due to the low temperature of the soil and its poverty of nutrients. The territory of the middle tundra is used by reindeer herders as summer reindeer pastures.

On the border of the tundra and forest zones there is forest-tundra. It is much warmer than the tundra: in some areas the average daily temperature exceeds +15 degrees for 20 days a year. During the year, up to 400 mm of precipitation falls in the forest-tundra, and this is significantly more evaporated moisture. Therefore, the soils of the forest-tundra, as well as the subarctic tundra, are heavily waterlogged and swampy.

In the forest-tundra there are rare trees growing in sparse groves or singly. The forests consist of low-growing curved birches, spruces and larches. Typically, trees are far apart from each other, since their root system is located in the upper part of the soil, above permafrost. There are both tundra and forest plant species.

In the eastern part of the forest-tundra there are tundra forests, characterized by thickets of low-growing trees. Subarctic mountain regions are dominated by mountain tundra and barren rocky surfaces, on which only mosses, lichens, and small rock flowers grow. Resin moss grows much faster in the forest-tundra than in the subarctic tundra, so there is freedom for deer here. In addition to deer, the forest-tundra is home to moose, brown bears, arctic foxes, white hares, wood grouse and hazel grouse.

Agriculture in the tundra

In the forest-tundra it is possible vegetable growing in open ground, here you can grow potatoes, cabbage, turnips, radishes, lettuce, and green onions. Techniques have also been developed for creating high-yielding meadows in the forest-tundra territory.

Did you know that...

In Iceland, which is entirely located in the natural tundra zone, potatoes were grown in the past and even barley was cultivated. It turned out to be a good harvest, because Icelanders are stubborn and hardworking people. But now open-air farming has been replaced by a more profitable activity - growing plants in greenhouses heated by the heat of hot springs. And today, various tropical crops, especially bananas, grow beautifully in the Icelandic tundra. Iceland even exports them to Europe.

There are also mountain tundras, which form a high-altitude zone in the mountains of the temperate and subarctic zones. They are located above the border of mountain forests and are characterized by the dominance of lichens, mosses and some cold-resistant grasses, shrubs and shrubs. There are three zones in the mountain tundra:

• Shrub belt- forms on rocky soils, like lowland tundra.
• Moss-lichen belt is located above the shrubby one, its characteristic vegetation is represented by subshrubs and some herbs.
• Upper belt mountain tundras are the poorest in vegetation. Here, among the stony soils and rocky formations, only lichens and mosses grow, as well as squat shrubs.

Mountain tundra (in purple)

Antarctic tundra

The Antarctic Peninsula and islands in the high latitudes of the southern hemisphere have a natural zone similar to the tundra. It was called the Antarctic tundra.

Tundra in Canada and the USA

In the northern part of Canada and the US state of Alaska, very large areas are located in the natural tundra zone. It is located in the Arctic in the northern regions of the Western Cordillera. There are 12 types of tundra in Canada and the USA:

• Tundra of the Alaska Range and St. Elias Mountains (USA and Canada)
• Coastal tundra of Baffin Island
• Tundra of the Brooks Range and British Mountains
• Davis Strait upland tundra
• Tundra of the Torngat Mountains
• Alpine tundra of the interior
• Alpine tundra Ogilvy and Mackenzie
• Arctic tundra
• Subpolar tundra
• polar tundra
• Tundra and ice fields of the mountains of the Pacific coast
• arctic tundra

Flora and fauna of the tundra

Since the entire tundra is characterized by permafrost and strong winds, plants and animals have to adapt to life in difficult cold conditions, clinging to the ground or rocks.

Plants in the tundra have characteristic shapes and properties that reflect their adaptation to harsh continental climate. There are many mosses and lichens found in the tundra. Due to the short and cold summers and long winters, most of the plants in the tundra are perennials and evergreens. Lingonberries and cranberries are examples of such perennials. shrub plants. They begin their growth as soon as the snow melts (often only in early July).

But the bushy lichen moss (“reindeer moss”) grows very slowly, only 3-5 mm per year. It becomes clear why reindeer herders constantly wander from one pasture to another. They are forced to do this not at all because of a good life, but because the restoration of reindeer pastures is very slow, it takes 15-20 years. Among the plants in the tundra there are also many blueberries, cloudberries, princelings and blueberries, and there are also thickets of bushy willow. And in the wetlands, sedges and grasses predominate, some of which have evergreen leaves covered with a bluish, waxy coating that gives dull colors.

A distinctive feature of the tundra is its large population, but small species composition of animals. This is also due to the fact that the tundra is located literally at the very edge of the earth, where very few people live. Only a few species have adapted to the harsh conditions of the tundra, such as lemmings, arctic fox, reindeer, ptarmigan, snowy owl, mountain hare, wolf, and musk ox.

In summer, a mass of migratory birds appear in the tundra, attracted by the variety of insects that are found in abundance in swampy areas and are especially active in summer. They hatch and feed their chicks here, so that they can soon fly to warmer climes.

Numerous rivers and lakes of the tundra are rich in various fish. Here you can find omul, vendace, broad white salmon and nelma. But cold-blooded reptiles and amphibians are practically not found in the tundra due to low temperatures, limiting their life activity.

Tundra partridge is one of the most famous birds of the tundra

Watch an interesting video about the tundra natural area:

Imagine barren lands that are unsuitable for tree growth, too cold for many animals and too isolated for most people. Although such a place may seem incredible, there is a natural area on our planet that fully matches this description, known as the tundra. The uniqueness of this region lies in the harsh climate, as well as the scarcity of flora and fauna.

The tundra is one of the youngest natural zones in the world. According to some estimates, its formation occurred about 10,000 years ago. It is located in the northern parts of Asia, Europe and North America, as well as in the high mountains of the mid-latitudes and distant regions of Oceania and South America. Some areas of Greenland and Alaska are good examples of tundra. However, this natural area also covers large areas of the northern regions of Canada and Russia.

Classification

Depending on the geographical location, the tundra is divided into three main types: Arctic, Alpine and Antarctic. The Arctic tundra covers large areas of the northern regions of Eurasia and North America, where permafrost and poor soils prevent the growth of most plant species. The Antarctic tundra is mostly covered with ice and is located at the South Pole, including the islands of South Georgia and Kerguelen. Alpine tundras are found high in the mountains around the world, where cold temperatures mean that only low-growing vegetation is found.

The tundra of the northern hemisphere can be divided into three separate zones, which differ in climate, as well as in the species composition of flora and fauna:

• Arctic tundra;
• Middle tundra;
• Southern tundra.

Natural conditions of the tundra

The natural conditions of the tundra are among the most difficult on earth. Barren soils, extreme cold, low biodiversity and isolation make the region virtually uninhabitable for humans. Unlike the natural steppe zone, where it is easier to grow grains and vegetables, vegetation in the tundra is rarely edible for humans. Therefore, the peoples of the tundra (such as the Eskimos) survive on hunting, as well as marine resources such as seals, walruses, whales and salmon. For a detailed examination of the natural conditions of the tundra, one should study the main factors influencing people’s lives:

Geographical position

Tundra on the map of the main natural areas of the world

Legend: - Tundra.

The natural tundra zone is found throughout the world and occupies 1/5 of the land. The Arctic tundra is located between 55° and 75° north latitude, covering the following regions of the planet: Alaska (in the northern regions), Northern Canada (from the Mackenzie River delta to Hudson Bay and northeastern Labrador), Greenland (northern edges of the island), Northern Scandinavia (from the Arctic Circle to the North and Baltic Seas) and Russia (northern Siberia from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean). Natural conditions characteristic of the tundra are also found in Antarctica and high in the mountains on all continents of the Earth.

Relief and soils

The tundra is an amazing flat landscape, which, under the constant influence of freezing and thawing of the earth, creates unique patterns on its surface. In the summer, water accumulates underground, and then freezes in the cold season and pushes up the soil, forming small hills called pingos.

Most of the tundra's soils were formed by sedimentary rocks left behind by retreating glaciers. Organic matter also serves as the main material for these young soils, which were still covered with ice 10,000 years ago. The harsh climate of the tundra keeps the soils of the natural zone frozen for most of the year, which plays an important role in the planet's carbon cycle. It is too cold here for organic matter to decompose, so all dead organisms remain trapped in the ice for thousands of years.

Climate

The tundra is famous for its extreme climate, which is the main reason for the sterility (with the exception of a few shrubs and lichens) of most of the lands of the natural zone. Winter lasts from 8 to 10 months, and summer is cool and short. Also, due to the fact that most of the tundra territory is located within the North Pole, it is characterized by 6-month periods of light and darkness. The sun's rays pass at a strong angle, not providing normal heating. Below are the main temperature indicators characteristic of this natural area:

• Average January temperature: -32.1° C;
• Average July temperature: +4.1° C;
• Temperature range: 36.2°C;
• Average annual temperature: -17° C;
• Minimum recorded temperature: -52.5° C;
• Maximum recorded temperature: +18.3° C.

The amount of precipitation in the tundra throughout the year is very low, averaging 136 mm, of which 83.3 mm is snow. This is due to low evaporation as average temperatures are below freezing, which does not allow enough time for snow and ice to melt. For this reason, the tundra is often called.

Vegetable world

Although most natural areas are covered with trees, the tundra is known for its absence. The term "tundra" comes from the Finnish word "tunturia", which means "treeless plain". Many factors influence the absence of trees. Firstly, due to the short summer, the growing season is shortened, which makes it difficult for trees to grow. Constant and strong winds also make the natural conditions of the tundra unsuitable for tall plants. It also prevents roots from penetrating into the soil, and low temperatures slow down decomposition, limiting the amount of nutrients circulating in the environment.

Although some trees are found in the tundra, the flora of the natural area consists of small plants, such as low shrubs, grasses, mosses and lichens.

Plants native to this region have developed important adaptations that ensure their survival in such a harsh environment. During the winter months, many plants go into a dormant state to survive the cold. Plants that are at rest remain alive, but stop active growth. This allows you to save energy and use it during the more favorable conditions of the summer months.

Some plants have developed more specific adaptations for survival. Their flowers move slowly behind the sun throughout the day to capture the heat of the sun's rays. Other plants have a protective coating, such as thick hairs, that help protect against wind, cold, and drying out. Although plants in most natural areas shed their leaves, there are species of flora in the tundra that retain old leaves to increase survival. By leaving old leaves, they retain nutrients and also provide protection from cold weather.

Animal world

Even though the tundra natural area is not rich in wildlife diversity, there are several species of animals found in it. Large herbivores such as reindeer and elk live here. They feed on moss, grasses and shrubs that come across their path. As for predators, they are represented by the wolf and the common arctic fox. They play the most important role in the tundra ecosystem by controlling herbivore populations. Otherwise, the herbivores would eat all the plants and eventually starve to death.

There are also many birds that nest in the tundra during the summer months and migrate south in the winter. Polar and brown bears are also not uncommon in this natural area. Some other animals of the arctic tundra include: snowy owl, lemmings, weasels, and arctic hare. But perhaps the most annoying of all the fauna of the region are mosquitoes and midges, which fly around in huge flocks.

Due to the extreme climate, tundra animals had to develop appropriate adaptive features. The most common adaptation among animals is thick white fur or feathers. The snowy owl uses white camouflage to disguise itself from potential predators or prey. Among insects, dark color predominates, allowing them to capture and retain most of the daytime heat.

Natural resources

The tundra has many natural resources, and most of them are very valuable, such as the remains of the woolly mammoth. Another important natural resource of the natural area is oil, which can pose a serious threat to nature. If an oil spill occurs, many animals will die, disrupting the fragile ecosystem. The region is rich in, for example, berries, mushrooms, whales, walruses, seals and fish, as well as, for example, iron.

Tundra natural zone table

Peoples and cultures

Historically, the tundra natural area has been inhabited by people for thousands of years. The region's first inhabitants were early humans Homo glacis fabricatus, which had fur and lived in low vegetation. Then came people from many indigenous tribes in Asia, Europe, and other places in the northern hemisphere. Some of the inhabitants of the tundra were nomads, while others had permanent homes. The Yupik, Alutiiq, and Inupiat are examples of the tundra peoples of Alaska. Russia, Norway and Sweden have their own tundra inhabitants called Nenets, Sami or Lapps.

Meaning for humans

As a rule, the harsh climate of the tundra natural zone prevents human activity. The region is rich in valuable, but
Biodiversity and habitat conservation programs protect it from harmful interference. The main benefit of the tundra for humans is the retention of large volumes of carbon in the frozen soil, which has a positive effect on the global climate of the planet.

Environmental threats

Due to the extreme living conditions in the tundra natural area, many do not realize that it is very fragile. Pollution due to oil spills, large trucks, and factories disturb the environment. Human activities are also creating problems for the aquatic life of the region.

Major environmental threats include:

• Melting permafrost as a result of global warming has the potential to radically alter local landscapes and negatively impact biodiversity.
• Depletion of the ozone layer at the North and South Poles increases ultraviolet radiation.
• Air pollution can lead to smog, which contaminates lichens, which are an important source of food for many animals.
• Exploration for oil, gas, and other minerals, as well as the construction of pipelines and roads, can cause physical disturbances and habitat fragmentation.
• Oil spills cause enormous harm to wildlife and the tundra ecosystem.
• Buildings and roads increase the temperature and pressure on the permafrost, causing it to melt.
• Invasive species deplete native flora and reduce plant cover diversity.

Protection of the natural tundra zone

To protect the tundra from anthropogenic human activity, it is necessary to solve the following priority tasks:

• Transition to alternative energy sources to minimize anthropogenic global warming.
• Establishing protected areas and reserves to limit human impact on wildlife.
• Limitation of road construction, mining, and pipeline construction in the tundra natural area.
• Limiting tourism and honoring the culture of the indigenous peoples of the region.