Everyone knows that the distribution of solar heat on Earth is uneven due to the spherical shape of the planet. As a result, different natural systems are formed, where in each of them all components are closely connected with each other, and a natural zone is formed, which is found on all continents. If you follow the flora and fauna in the same zones, but on different continents, you can see a certain similarity.
The law of geographic zoning
Scientist V. V. Dokuchaev once created the doctrine of natural zones, and expressed the idea that each zone is a natural complex, where living and inanimate nature are closely interconnected. Later, on this basis of the teaching, the first qualification was created, which was finalized and more specified by another scientist L. S. Berg.
Zonality forms are different due to the diversity of the composition of the geographic shell and the influence of two main factors: the energy of the Sun and the energy of the Earth. It is with these factors that natural zonality is associated, which manifests itself in the distribution of the oceans, the diversity of the relief and its structure. As a result, various natural complexes were formed, and the largest of them isgeographical zone, which is close to the climatic zones described by B. P. Alisov).
The following geographical zones are distinguished: equatorial, two subequatorial, tropical and subtropical, temperate, subpolar and polar (arctic and antarctic). Geographical zones are divided into zones, which are worth talking about more specifically.
What is latitudinal zoning
Natural zones are closely connected with climatic zones, which means that zones like zones gradually replace each other, moving from the equator to the poles, where solar heat decreases and precipitation changes. Such a change of large natural complexes is called latitudinal zonality, which manifests itself in all natural zones, regardless of size.
What is altitudinal zoning
The map shows, if you move from north to east, that in each geographical zone there is a geographical zonality, starting from the Arctic deserts, moving to the tundra, then to the forest-tundra, taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests, forest-steppe and steppes, and, finally, to the desert and subtropics. They stretch from west to east in stripes, but there is another direction.
Many people know that the higher you climb the mountains, the more the ratio of heat and moisture changes towards low temperature and precipitation in solid form, as a result of which the flora and fauna change. Scientists and geographers gave this direction their name - altitudinal zonality (or zonality), when one zone replaces another, encircling mountains at different heights. AtIn this case, the change of belts occurs faster than on the plain, one has only to climb 1 km, and there will be another zone. The lowest zone always corresponds to where the mountain is located, and the closer it is to the poles, the fewer these zones can be found at a height.
The law of geographic zoning also works in the mountains. Seasonality, as well as the change of day and night, depend on geographical latitude. If the mountain is close to the pole, then you can meet the polar night and day there, and if the location is near the equator, then the day will always be equal to the night.
Ice Zone
Natural zonality adjacent to the poles of the globe is called ice. A harsh climate, where snow and ice lie all year round, and in the warmest month the temperature does not rise above 0 °. Snow covers the entire earth, even though the sun shines around the clock for several months, but does not warm it up at all.
Under too severe conditions, few animals live in the ice zone (polar bear, penguins, seals, walruses, arctic fox, reindeer), even fewer plants can be found, since the soil-forming process is at the initial stage of development, and mainly there are unorganized plants (lichen, moss, algae).
Tundra zone
Zone of cold and strong winds, where long long winters and short summers, because of which the soil does not have time to warm up, and a layer of perennial frozen soils is formed.
Zonality law works even in the tundra and divides it into three subzones, moving from north to south:the arctic tundra, where mainly moss and lichens grow, the typical lichen-moss tundra, where shrubs appear in places, is common from Vaigach to Kolyma, and the southern shrub tundra, where the vegetation consists of three levels.
Special mention should be made of the forest-tundra, which stretches in a thin strip and is a transitional zone between tundra and forests.
Taiga zone
For Russia, the Taiga is the largest natural zone that stretches from the western borders to the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. Taiga is located in two climatic zones, as a result of which there are differences within it.
This natural zoning concentrates a large number of lakes and swamps, and it is here that the great rivers in Russia originate: the Volga, Kama, Lena, Vilyui and others.
The main thing for the plant world is coniferous forests dominated by larch, spruce, fir, and pine are less common. The fauna is heterogeneous and the eastern part of the taiga is richer than the western.
Forests, forest-steppes and steppes
In the zone of mixed and broad-leaved forests, the climate is warmer and wetter, and latitudinal zoning is well traced here. Winters are less severe, summers are long and warm, which contributes to the growth of trees such as oak, ash, maple, linden, and hazel. Due to complex plant communities, this zone has a diverse fauna, and, for example, bison, muskrat, wild boar, wolf, and elk are common on the East European Plain.
Zone of mixedThe forests are richer than those of conifers, and there are large herbivores and a wide variety of birds. Geographical zonality is distinguished by the density of river water bodies, some of which do not freeze at all in winter.
The transitional zone between the steppe and the forest is the forest-steppe, where there is an alternation of forest and meadow phytocenoses.
Steppe zone
This is another species that describes natural zoning. It differs sharply in climatic conditions from the above-mentioned zones, and the main difference is the lack of water, as a result of which there are no forests and cereal plants and all the various grasses that cover the earth with a continuous carpet predominate. Despite the lack of water in this area, the plants are very drought tolerant, often with small leaves that can curl up during hot weather to prevent evaporation.
The animal world is more diverse: there are ungulates, rodents, predators. In Russia, the steppe is the most developed by man and the main zone of agriculture.
Steppes are found in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, but they are gradually disappearing due to plowing, fires, animal grazing.
Latitudinal and altitudinal zoning is also found in the steppes, so they are divided into several subspecies: mountainous (for example, the Caucasus Mountains), meadow (typical for Western Siberia), xerophilous, where there are a lot of soddy cereals, and desert (they became steppes Kalmykia).
Desert and tropics
Sudden changes in climatic conditions due to the fact that evaporation exceeds many timesprecipitation (7 times), and the duration of such a period is up to six months. The vegetation of this zone is not rich, and mostly there are grasses, shrubs, and forests can be seen only along the rivers. The animal world is richer and a bit similar to that found in the steppe zone: there are many rodents and reptiles, and ungulates roam in nearby areas.
The Sahara is considered the largest desert, but in general this natural zoning is characteristic of 11% of the entire earth's surface, and if you add the Arctic desert to it, then 20%. Deserts are found both in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, and in the tropics and subtropics.
There is no unambiguous definition of the tropics, there are geographical zones: tropical, subequatorial and equatorial, where there are forests similar in composition, but having certain differences.
Divide all forests into savannas, forest subtropics and tropical forests. Their common feature is that the trees are always green, and these zones differ in the duration of dry and rainy periods. In the savannas, the rainy period lasts 8-9 months. Forest subtropics are characteristic of the eastern outskirts of the continents, where there is a change in the dry period of winter and wet summer with monsoon rains. Tropical forests are highly humid and rainfall can exceed 2000 mm per year.
