Shaded out. In the Pacific part of Russia, the influence of the ocean is felt, which disrupts the patterns of zonal distribution of vegetation cover. The zoning structure is manifested in regional complexes. Each regional complex differs in its set of subzonal vegetation categories. Vegetation categories of the same type in latitudinal position in different sectors have different species composition.

Tundra-type vegetation forms the cover of the Far North of the country, which stretches in a strip along the sea coast and is found on the islands. The main features of the tundra type of vegetation include the absence of a tree layer, the large role of low-growing small-woody plants (from shrubs and dwarf trees to prostrate (creeping) shrubs and dwarf shrubs). Herbaceous perennials are widespread. The importance of mosses and lichens is great. The vegetation cover is characterized by perforation - the presence of spots of bare soil.

There are 5 regional complexes in the tundra. The westernmost, Atlantic, is represented only by southern ones with the participation of Betula nana, Calluna vulgaris, Empetrum hermaphroditum, Carex bigelowii, in which boreal species, such as blueberries, are constantly found. The Eastern European, Western Siberian and Central Siberian sectors have the most complete zonal spectrum from the High Arctic to the southern tundra. High Arctic tundras are found only on some islands in the Arctic Ocean. A significant area of ​​the islands is occupied by glaciers, and the vegetation cover is fragmentary. Grass-lichen-moss spotted tundras dominate. Lichen-moss and moss-lichen communities (with minor participation of flowering ones) are widespread, which are confined to highly gravelly and rocky soils. On the archipelago and Novaya Zemlya (East European–West Siberian sector), Deschampsia alpina, Cerastium arcticum, C. regelii ssp. are found in tundra communities. caespitosum, which are not found in the Central Siberian sector. The presence of Ranunculus sabinii, Cerastium bialynickii, C.regelii s.str., and Deschampsia brevifolia determine the specificity of the High Arctic tundra of the Central Siberian sector. There are no high Arctic tundras in the East Siberian and Chukotka regional complexes.

Arctic tundras are found in all but the Atlantic complexes. Prostrate shrubs begin to play a major role in them. For the Eastern European - Western Siberian sector, the background species is Salix nummularia, in the Central Siberian sector the role of Salix polaris, S. reptans increases, and there are 2 types of Dryas vegetation - D. punctata and D. octopetala. In the East Siberian sector, Cassiope tetragona takes first place, while D. octopetala disappears. Arctic tundra communities are characterized by Salix rotundifolia, S. phlebophylla, Dryas integrifolia, and Carex lugens. Arctic tundras to the south are replaced by hypoarctic ones, which are represented by northern shrub-moss and southern shrub-moss-lichen subzonal categories. Their differences are also marked from sector to sector by geographically differentiating species (NN 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15)1.

Boreal (taiga) vegetation is located to the south of the tundra. Taiga occupies a leading position in the north. It stretched from to. Most of the taiga vegetation of Eurasia is concentrated in Russia. Taiga forests are also characteristic of many mountain systems, forming mountain-taiga belts in them.

The boreal vegetation of the plains includes 5 subzonal categories: from pre-tundra open forests to sub-boreal forests. It is characterized by the dominance of dark coniferous, light coniferous, small-leaved and mixed forests. The dominant species of coniferous forest species: Picea abies, P. obovata, Abies sibirica, Larix sibirica, L. gmelinii, L. cajanderi, respectively, replace each other from west to east, forming 7 regional complexes.

The Eastern European sector () has a complete zonal range from birch-spruce woodlands (17) to sub-boreal forest (24, 25). Subzonal categories of vegetation are represented by spruce forests (18, 20, 22, 24) and, replacing them on soils of light mechanical composition, pine forests (19, 21, 23, 25). In subtaiga forests, the forest stand, which is dominated by spruce or pine, or in the form of undergrowth includes nemoral tree species: oak, linden, maple, hazel. This also includes coniferous-deciduous forests of the Kaliningrad region, in which Central European species are found - beech and hornbeam.

The forests of the Urals complex have features of the European and Siberian taiga. This regional complex is found on both sides of the Urals. A complete zonal range (26-32) is also expressed here, from spruce and larch-spruce open forests to broad-leaved fir-spruce subtaiga forests.

The Ob-Irtysh sector unites the forests of the largest taiga complex (33-42). The role of swamps in the structure of the vegetation cover of the West Siberian Plain is enormous. In terms of area, swamps here prevail over forests. The vegetation of the vast Ob floodplain plays a great role. (130).

In the north of the Ob-Irtysh region, larch woodlands predominate (33). A large area is occupied by hummocky swamps (124). To the south, the woodlands give way to the north, where larch (36) and larch-pine (35) forests dominate. The watersheds are occupied by hummocky and aapa swamps, huge raised systems with an abundance of lichens and large lakes (126 b). Larch-spruce-cedar forests are also typical (34). The middle taiga is dominated by spruce-cedar forests, sometimes with fir, and larch-pine forests are less common. In the middle taiga, the confinement of forests to river valleys is especially noticeable. There are many raised bogs on the watersheds.

The southern taiga of Western Siberia is dominated by dark coniferous cedar-spruce-fir forests. The west is dominated by pine forests. The presence of linden is typical in southern taiga forests. Sphagnum raised bogs are common on watersheds, forming systems that include aapa, including the famous Vasyugan bog.

The transition from the southern taiga to the sub-taiga is gradual. Of the coniferous forests in the subtaiga, only pine forests are found on sand (41). Birch and aspen forests dominate (42); they usually grow in small groves (groves), alternating with damp meadows, swamps, and pine forests. Often birch stakes are confined to depressions with pronounced solod soils.

The Central Siberian (43-47) and East Siberian (45-51) sectors have a shortened zonal alignment. In Central Siberia there is no subtaiga; the latitudinal section ends with middle taiga forests. The boreal vegetation of these most continental sectors is formed by light coniferous, predominantly larch forests.

The boreal vegetation contains a peculiar Far Eastern complex. The features of its vegetation cover are associated with the originality of the floristic composition and complex physical and geographical conditions - the influence Pacific Ocean and monsoons in the southeast, and the seas of the Arctic Ocean in the north, the continentality of Siberia and Central Asia, the complexity of the terrain and. Northern taiga larch forests (52) are found in small areas along the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk; significant areas are occupied by mid-taiga larch forests and sphagnum stands (53). The southern taiga forests are diverse: spruce-fir (Picea ajanensis, Abies nephrolepis), larch and pine-larch. Betula davurica, B. platyphylla are found sporadically in their forest stand; the undergrowth of Rhododendron dauricum, Duschekia manshurica, Lespedeza bicolor, and Corylus heterophylla is well developed. Particularly distinctive are the subtaiga forests of the Far East, represented by broad-leaved pine and broad-leaved larch with Mongolian oak and Manchurian birch (58,59), birch-pine (60) and spruce-fir-cedar with Pinus koraiensis, Picea ajanensis and Abies nephrolepis (57 ).

Nemoral vegetation is represented by broad-leaved forests, which grow in Russia only in the west (Eastern European regional complex) and in the east (Far Eastern complex). In western Europe, nemoral vegetation occupies almost its entire territory, and in eastern Asia it descends much further south than in Europe, which is certainly due to the influence of the Pacific Ocean. In the continental regions of Siberia, broad-leaved forests are absent and are geographically replaced by steppes.

Broad-leaved forests of the Eastern European sector are represented by linden-oak with the participation of ash (61) and linden with oak (63). On light soils they are replaced by pine-broadleaved forests (62) and steppe pine with oak (64).

The increasing continentality of the climate from west to east leads to a gradual reduction in European nemoral vegetation types, of which only half reaches the western slopes of the Urals. The role of South Siberian light-loving and cold-resistant species is becoming noticeable. An important boundary is the Volga, towards which many tree species, such as ash, shrubs and herbaceous species, gradually fall out from the west.

Small groves of oak forests are found quite far to the north in the subzone of the southern taiga (Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov regions), and linden forests (probably derivatives that arose on the site of linden-spruce forests) are found even further north. In the south, broad-leaved forests along ravines and so-called ravine forests penetrate far into the steppe region.

On Far East broad-leaved forests are found in the south. In the southwestern part they are represented by oak (Quercus mongolica) and black-birch-oak. Some western oak forests have cryophilized grass cover. In the eastern part, oak and mixed oak-broad-leaved forests with the participation of a mesophilic group of trees are common: Amur velvet, linden (Tilia amurensis, T. mandshurica, T. taquetii) and lianas (65).

The steppe vegetation of Russia in the form of a strip extends from the western border of the country to the southern Siberian mountains. To the east, the steppes are found in isolated areas, mainly in intermountain basins. In European Russia this band is very wide and in the south it reaches the Caucasus, and in Asian Russia it reaches state border and continues in the countries of Central and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, China).

Steppe vegetation unites communities of xerophilic microthermal turf herbaceous plants. The dominant biomorph is turf grasses from the genera Stipa, Festuca, Agropyron, Koeleria, Poa, Cleistogenes, Helictotrichon, etc. In different environmental conditions, communities of turf sedges, onions, forbs, subshrubs and shrubs are formed. Steppe communities are polydominant, their distribution is associated with chestnut.

In the steppe type of vegetation, 4 regional complexes are distinguished: Eastern European, Trans-Volga, Western Siberian and Trans-Baikal. The steppes of the Eastern European and Trans-Volga complexes are most fully represented and have a full zonal spectrum; The West Siberian sector is represented only by the northern part of the zonal spectrum, and its southern part is located in. The Transbaikalian complex unites isolated areas of steppes, found in intermountain basins and which are in flora-genetic relationship with the Central Asian (and Chinese) steppes.

There are 4 subzonal latitudinal categories of steppe vegetation: northern, middle and southern. The latitudinal differentiation of steppes from north to south is associated with an increase in the degree of climate aridity, and its regional differentiation is associated with increased continentality.

Meadow steppes are the northernmost type of steppes. They are characterized by the dominance of forb-grass communities with a predominance of mesoxerophilic and xeromesophilic species, mainly loose bush and rhizomatous grasses, rhizomatous sedges and forbs. Meadow steppes are common in the south of the nemoral region in the European part of Russia and the boreal region in Siberia. Together with forests (oak and oak-linden in the west and birch and aspen in Siberia) they form the forest-steppe subzone. Typologically, meadow steppes are considered within the steppe type of vegetation, but from a botanical and geographical point of view they do not belong to the steppe zone, but are closely connected with forests and without anthropogenic intervention (haymaking, grazing), meadow steppes turn into forests.

The northern steppes begin the zonal series of the steppe zone. They are characterized by the dominance of fescue-feather grass steppes, i.e. dominance of turf grasses, with the participation of abundant xeromesophilic and mesoxerophilic forbs.

The middle steppes are also characterized by the dominance of fescue-feather grass steppes, but the herbs in them are much poorer and are represented by much more xerophilous species.

The southern steppes are distinguished by the participation of subshrubs as codominants in fescue-feather grass communities.

Throughout their range, steppe communities, especially within one subzonal category, have big number common types. The identification of mappable categories of steppes within regional complexes is therefore based on a small number of geographically differentiating species.

The Eastern European regional complex includes rich forb-grass meadow steppes with Bromopsis riparia, Carex humilis, Peucedanum macrophyllum; forb-turfgrass northern steppes with Stipa ucrainica; turfgrass middle steppes with Stipa ucrainica; wormwood-turfgrass southern steppes with Stipa lessingiana, Artemisia taurica, A lercheana.

The Trans-Volga regional complex unites rich forb-grass meadow steppes with Bromopsis riparia, Bromopsis inermis, Carex humilis, C. pediformis, Peucedanum alsaticum; forb-turfgrass northern steppes with Stipa zalesskii, S. korshinskyi; turfgrass middle steppes with Stipa lessingiana; wormwood-turfgrass southern steppes with Stipa sareptana, Artemisia lercheana.

The Western Siberian sector, the western border of which runs along the Ishim River, includes only 2 northern latitudinal categories: rich forb-grass meadow steppes with Bromopsis inermis, Stipa zalesskii, Carex pediformis, C. supina, Peucedanum morisonii and forb-turf-grass northern steppes with Stipa capillata, S zalesskii, Helictotrichon desertorum. The steppe soils of this sector are characterized by salinity.

The Transbaikal regional complex is characterized by a great uniqueness of the species composition of steppe communities, since it is florogenetically connected with the Central Asian steppes, and is separated from the European-West Siberian steppes, which represent part of the Black Sea-Kazakhstan steppes, not only botanically and geographically, but also territorially by the South Siberian mountain ranges. It includes 3 latitudinal categories: rich forb-grass meadow steppes with Filifolium sibiricum, Peucedanum baicalense; forb-turfgrass northern steppes with Stipa baicalensis, Leymus chinensis and middle turfgrass steppes with Stipa krylovii.

Steppe communities and their fragments penetrate far to the north of Eastern Siberia, which is associated with the sharp continental climate, but primarily with the historical paleogeographical events that took place in this territory in .

Desert vegetation completes the zonal series of plains vegetation types. The desert type includes communities dominated by xerophilic, hyperxerophilic micro- and mesothermic plants of various life forms, mainly subshrubs, subshrubs and shrubs, and semi-trees. In desert communities, ephemeroids and hemiephemeroids - perennial short-growing plants - are often abundant; annual herbaceous plants of summer-autumn growing season and ephemerals - annual herbaceous plants of spring, autumn-spring or autumn-winter growing season. Russia contains only a small portion of a vast desert region. It is represented by the Caspian sector of temperate deserts, which belong to the northern latitudinal category: wormwood (79) and sandy wormwood (80) northern deserts. Their distribution is associated with brown soils. In the Caspian region, soils of light mechanical composition, sandy and sandy loam are widespread, therefore, along with wormwood, the grass Poa bulbosa is often found here.


Physical geography of Russia and the USSR
European part: Arctic, Russian Plain, Caucasus, Ural

REGIONAL NATURE REVIEWS IN RUSSIA

Chapters of the section "REGIONAL REVIEWS OF NATURE IN RUSSIA"

  • Natural areas of Russia
  • East European (Russian) Plain

EASTERN EUROPEAN (RUSSIAN) PLAIN

See photographs of the nature of the East European Plain: Curonian Spit, Moscow Region, Kerzhensky Nature Reserve and the Middle Volga in the Nature of the World section of our website.

a brief description of soils, vegetation and fauna

The soil-vegetation cover and fauna of the Russian Plain show a clearly defined zonation. Here there is a change in natural zones from tundra to deserts. Each zone is characterized by certain types of soil, peculiar vegetation and associated fauna.

Soils. In the northern part of the plain, within the tundra zone, tundra coarse humus gley soils are most common, in the upper horizon of which there is an accumulation of weakly decomposed mosses and strong gleyization. The degree of gleying decreases with depth. Found in well-drained areas tundra gleyic soils with a lower degree of gleyization. Where the drain is atmospheric precipitation difficult, forming tundra peaty and peat-gley soils.

Under the forests of the Russian Plain, soils of the podzolic type are common. In the north it is gley-podzolic soils in combination with bog-podzolic peat- and peat-gley; in the middle taiga - typical podzolic soils varying degrees of podzolization, and to the south - sod-podzolic, developed not only in the southern taiga, but also in the zone of mixed and deciduous forests. Under broad-leaved, mainly oak forests, i.e. mainly in the forest-steppe zone are formed, gray forest soils.

Chernozems are common under the steppe vegetation. In more humid conditions developed leached and podzolized chernozems, which, as dryness increases, are replaced by chernozems typical, ordinary and southern. In the southeast the plains are represented chestnut And brown desert-steppe soils. It was here that they became most widespread in Russia. Chestnut, light chestnut and brown soils are often solonetzic. Among these soils in dry steppes, semi-deserts and deserts of the Caspian region, salt licks And salt marshes.

The vegetation of the Russian Plain differs from the vegetation cover of other large regions of our country in a number of very significant features. Only common here mixed coniferous-deciduous and broad-leaved forests, semi-deserts and deserts with their grass-wormwood, wormwood and wormwood-saltweed vegetation. Only on the Russian Plain, spruce dominates in the sparse forests of the forest-tundra, and in the forest-steppe the main forest-forming species is oak. The taiga of the plain is distinguished by amazing monotony: in all subzones it is dominated by spruce forests, which on a sandy substrate give way pine forests. In the eastern part of the plain, the role of Siberian conifers in the taiga is increasing. The steppe occupies here largest areas in Russia, and the tundra is a relatively small area and is represented mainly by southern shrub tundras of dwarf birch and willows.

In the fauna of the East European Plain there are western and eastern species of animals. Tundra, forest, steppe and, to a lesser extent, desert animals are common here. Forest animals are the most widely represented. Western species of animals gravitate towards mixed and broad-leaved forests (pine marten, black polecat, hazel and garden dormouse, etc.). The western border of the range of some eastern animal species (chipmunk, weasel weasel, Ob lemming, etc.) passes through the taiga and tundra of the Russian Plain. From the Asian steppes, the saiga antelope, which is now found only in the semi-deserts and deserts of the Caspian region, the marmot and the reddish ground squirrel entered the plain. Semi-deserts and deserts are inhabited by inhabitants of the Central Asian subregion of the Palaearctic (jerboas, gerbils, a number of snakes, etc.).

In zoogeographical terms, almost the entire Russian Plain belongs to the European-Siberian zoogeographical subregion of the Palearctic region. Only a small southeastern section of it is semi-desert and desert Caspian lowland- belongs to the Central Asian subregion. In accordance with the prevailing landscapes, three main groups of animals are represented on the Russian Plain: arctic (tundra), forest and steppe. Forest animals are the most widespread: some species of them travel through floodplain and island forests to the Barents Sea in the north and to the Black Sea in the south.

As in the vegetation cover, in the animal world of the Russian Plain there is a mixture of western and eastern species. The western border of the range is on the Russian Plain, for example, such eastern species as lemmings (ungulate and Ob) - representatives of the tundra, weasels and chipmunks - inhabitants of the taiga, the marmot (baibak) and the reddish ground squirrel, inhabiting the open Steppes, the saiga antelope, found in Caspian semi-desert and desert, and many others. Western species gravitate towards mixed and deciduous forests. These will be: pine marten, mink, forest cat, wild boar, garden dormouse, forest dormouse, hazel dormouse, polecat, black polecat.

The fauna of the Russian Plain, more than any other part of the USSR, has been changed by human intervention. The modern ranges of many animals are not determined by natural factors, but by human activity - hunting or changes in the habitat of animals (for example, deforestation).

Fur-bearing animals and ungulates suffered the most, the former because of their valuable fur, the latter because of their meat. River beaver, marten and squirrel were the main items of fur trade and trade among Eastern Slavs VIX- XIIIcenturies Even then, a thousand years ago, the beaver was highly valued, and as a result of unregulated hunting, XXOnly a few individuals of this animal survived for centuries.

Sable in XVIV. was mined in the forests of Belarus and Lithuania. Several centuries ago, a common animal in the island forests of the forest-steppe and steppes was the brown bear.

To end XVIIIV. The wild forest horse, the tarpan, lived in mixed and deciduous forests. Another subspecies of tarpan was found in the steppes; in the 60s XVIIIV. it was described in detail by S. Gmelin.

In the west of mixed and broad-leaved forests there were aurochs and bison. Tur - the founder of the gray Ukrainian breed cattle- like the tarpan, it has long been completely exterminated, and bison have survived to this day in very small numbers, are taken under protection and are not found in the wild.

IN XVII- XVIIIcenturies The common animal of the steppes of the Russian Plain was the saiga antelope, which now lives only in semi-deserts and deserts. Caspian lowland. Wild ungulates were characterized by seasonal migrations. Huge herds of saigas at the end of spring, when the southern steppe began to burn out, moved north to the forest-steppe rich in grasses, I in the fall, under the influence of cold weather, they returned to the south again. According to P. S. Pallas V In 1768, numerous herds of saigas, under the influence of drought, reached the Samara River in the Volga region and even moved further north. Still in the middle XIXcentury, according to E. A. Eversmann, mass migrations of saigas were observed from the semi-deserts of Kazakhstan to the Ural valley in the north.

Others were seasonal migrations of roe deer in the west of the forest-steppe. In the spring they headed south, from the forests to the steppes, and in the fall they moved back north, into the forests.

As a result, centuries-old economic activity The human fauna of the Russian Plain was greatly depleted. During the Soviet years, a lot of work was done to enrich the animal world: hunting is strictly regulated, reserves for the protection of rare animals were created, and re-acclimatization and acclimatization of valuable species is carried out.

Of the nature reserves located on the Russian Plain, the most interesting are: Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Voronezh, Askania-Nova, Astrakhan. In the dense mixed forests of Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Western Belarus), bison are protected. In the Voronezh Nature Reserve, beavers were successfully bred in captivity for the first time in world practice. From here, from the Voronezh Nature Reserve, beavers are exported for reacclimatization to various regions of the USSR. The Askania-Nova steppe reserve (southern Ukrainian SSR) is known for its work on the acclimatization and hybridization of a wide variety of animals from Asia, Africa and even Australia. The reserve is under the jurisdiction of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Animal Acclimatization and Hybridization named after. M.F. Ivanov, whose employees bred valuable breeds of domestic sheep and pigs. The Astrakhan Nature Reserve was created in the Volga delta to protect waterfowl and fish spawning grounds.

The experience of acclimatization on the Russian Plain of such valuable fur-bearing animals of North America as muskrat and mink, South American nutria, Ussuri raccoon and Far Eastern sika deer was successful.

Thanks to conservation, the moose population has increased dramatically. IN last years Elk, marten and some other forest animals are energetically moving south, which is obviously facilitated by forest plantings carried out here over large areas. Elk appeared, for example, in the Stalingrad and Voronezh regions. In many forests, previously killed wild boar is also being restored (Voronezh, Lipetsk, Belgorod and other regions).

Despite severe human disturbance, the wild fauna of the Russian Plain retains its great economic importance. Many animals are hunted (squirrel, fox, marten, ermine, mole, white hare and hare, birds - wood grouse, hazel grouse and many others).

- Source-

Milkov, F.N. Physical geography of the USSR / F.N. Milkov [and others]. – M.: State Publishing House of Geographical Literature, 1958.- 351 p.

Post Views: 300

The Russian, or East European, plain is the second largest (after the Amazon) plain on Earth. Most of it is located within Russia. The length of the plain from north to south is more than 2500 km, from west to east - about 1000 km.

Features of nature. At the base of the East European Plain lies the ancient Precambrian Russian Platform, which determines the main feature of the relief - flatness. The folded foundation lies at various depths and comes to the surface within the plain only on the Kola Peninsula and in Karelia (Baltic Shield). On the rest of its territory, the foundation is covered by a sedimentary cover of varying thickness. To the south and east of the shield there are its “underground” slopes and the Moscow depression (more than 4 km deep), bounded in the east by the Timan Ridge.

The unevenness of the crystalline foundation determines the location of the largest hills and lowlands. The Central Russian Upland and the Timan Ridge are confined to the foundation uplifts. The depressions correspond to the Caspian and Pechora lowlands.

The varied and picturesque relief of the Russian Plain was formed under the influence of external forces, and above all the Quaternary glaciation. Glaciers advanced onto the Russian Plain from the Scandinavian Peninsula and the Urals. Traces of glacial activity appeared everywhere in different ways. At first, the glacier “plowed out” 11-shaped valleys along its path and expanded tectonic depressions; polished the rocks, forming the relief of “mutton foreheads”. Narrow, winding, long and deep bays that protrude far into the land on the Kola Peninsula are the result of the “plowing out” activity of the ice.

At the edge of the glacier, clay, loam and sandy loam were deposited along with rubble and boulders. Therefore, in the north-west of the plain, hilly-moraine relief predominates, as if superimposed on the protrusions and depressions of the ancient relief; for example, the Valdai Upland, reaching a height of 343 m, is based on rocks of the Carboniferous period, on which the glacier deposited moraine material.

When the glacier retreated, huge dammed lakes formed in these areas: Ilmen, Chudskoye, Pskovskoye. Along the southern edge of the glaciation, glacial meltwater deposited masses of sandy material. Flat or slightly concave sandy depressions arose here. The southern part of the plain is dominated by erosional relief. The Valdai, Central Russian, and Volga uplands are especially strongly dissected by ravines and gullies. Between them are lowlands through which large rivers such as the Volga, Dnieper, and Don flow.

Despite the fact that, with the exception of the Far North, the entire territory of the Russian Plain is located in temperate climatic zone The climate here is varied. The continental climate increases towards the southeast. The Russian Plain is influenced by the western transport of air masses and cyclones coming from the Atlantic, and receives the largest amount of precipitation compared to other Russian plains. The abundance of precipitation in the north-west of the plain contributes to the widespread occurrence of swamps and full-flowing rivers and lakes.

The absence of any obstacles in the path of Arctic air masses leads to the fact that they penetrate far to the south. In spring and autumn, the arrival of arctic air is associated with a sharp drop in temperature and frost. Along with Arctic air masses, polar masses from the northeast and tropical masses from the south enter the plain (the latter are associated with droughts and hot winds in the southern and central regions).

Many rivers and streams flow along the Russian Plain. The most abundant and long river on the Russian Plain and in Europe - the Volga. Large rivers are the Dnieper, Don, Northern Dvina, Pechora, Kama - the most major influx Volga.

Most characteristic feature nature of the Russian Plain - well-defined zonality of its landscapes. In the Far North, on the cold, heavily waterlogged summer coasts of the Arctic Ocean, there is a tundra zone with thin and nutrient-poor tundra gley or humus-peaty soils,

with the dominance of moss-lichen and shrub plant communities. To the south, near the Arctic Circle, forest-tundra appears first in river valleys, and then along the interfluves.

IN middle lane The Russian Plain is dominated by forest landscapes. In the north it is dark coniferous taiga on podzolic, often swampy soils, in the south it is mixed and then broad-leaved forests of oak, linden and maple. Even further south they are replaced by forest-steppes and steppes with fertile, mainly chernozem soils and herbaceous vegetation. In the extreme southeast, in the Caspian lowland, under the influence of a dry climate, semi-deserts with chestnut soils and even deserts with gray soils, solonchaks and solonetzes were formed. The vegetation of these places bears pronounced features of aridity.

Natural resources. The long geological history of the ancient platform that lies at the base of the plain has predetermined the richness of its plain in various minerals. The crystalline foundation and sedimentary cover of the platform contain mineral reserves that are important not only for our entire country, but also for the world. First of all, these are the rich iron ore deposits of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (KMA). Associated with the sedimentary cover of the platform are deposits of hard coal (Vorkuta) and brown coal - the Moscow basin and oil - the Ural-Vyatka, Timan-Pechora and Caspian basins. Oil shale is mined in Leningrad region and in the Samara region on the Volga. Ore minerals are also known in sedimentary rocks: brown iron ores near Lipetsk, aluminum ores(bauxite) at Tikhvin. Construction materials (sand, gravel, clay, limestone) are distributed almost everywhere. Deposits of apatite-nepheline ores and beautiful building granites are associated with outcrops of crystalline Precambrian rocks of the Baltic Shield on the Kola Peninsula and Karelia. In the Volga region, deposits of table salt (lakes Elton and Baskunchak) and potassium salts in the Kama Cis-Urals have long been known. Relatively recently in Arkhangelsk region diamonds were discovered. In the Volga region and Moscow region, valuable raw materials for the chemical industry - phosphorites - are mined.

The northwestern and central areas Russian plain. The abundance of lakes and high-water rivers means not only reserves of fresh water and hydropower, but also cheap transport routes, fisheries, and recreational areas. The dense river network of the plain and the location of watersheds on low flat hills are favorable for the construction of canals, of which there are so many on the Russian Plain. Thanks to the system of modern canals - Volga-Baltic, White Sea-Baltic and Volga-Don, as well as the Moscow-Volga canal, Moscow, located on the relatively small Moscow River and relatively far from the seas, has become a port of five seas.

The agroclimatic resources of the plain are of great value. The predominant part of the Russian Plain receives sufficient heat and moisture for the cultivation of many agricultural crops. In the north of the forest zone, fiber flax, a crop that requires cool, cloudy and humid summers, rye and oats are grown. The middle strip of the plain and southern regions They are distinguished by fertile soils: soddy-podzolic chernozems, gray forest and chestnut soils. Soil plowing is facilitated by the conditions of a calm, flat topography, which makes it possible to cut fields into large tracts that are easily accessible for machine cultivation. In the middle zone, mainly grain and fodder crops are cultivated, in the south - grain and industrial crops (sugar beets, sunflowers), gardening and melon growing are developed. Everyone knows and loves the famous Astrakhan watermelons.

The forest resources of the plain are both taiga and mixed forests, rich valuable wood, fur-bearing commercial animals, mushrooms, berries, medicinal plants.

The recreational resources of the plain are diverse, but not yet very well developed. Rivers and lakes of Karelia, its white nights, the museum of wooden architecture in Kizhi, magnificent Solovetsky Monastery, pensive Valaam attracts tourists. Lakes Ladoga and Onega, Valdai and Seliger, the legendary Ilmen, the Volga with Zhiguli and the Astrakhan delta, ancient Russian cities included in Golden ring Russia is far from full list areas developed for tourism and recreation.

Problems of rational use of natural resources. The Russian Plain is distinguished by its diverse natural resources, favorable living conditions, therefore it has the highest population density in Russia, the largest number of large cities with highly developed industry.

Currently, work is increasingly being carried out on land reclamation, that is, to return territories to their original appearance, bringing the devastated landscape to a productive state. Near major cities, a lot of work is being done to improve the cultural landscape. Green belts and forest parks are being created, as well as suburban water basins - picturesque reservoirs, which are used as recreation areas.

In large industrial cities, more and more attention is being paid to measures to purify water and air from industrial emissions, combat dust and noise. Environmental control over vehicles has been strengthened and tightened, including private cars, which are becoming more and more numerous.

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Chernozems are soils of herbaceous formations confined to the steppe and forest-steppe zones. The characteristic humus profile is due to the influence of herbaceous vegetation with its powerful, quickly dying root system.

The natural vegetation of the forest-steppe zone in the past was characterized by alternating forest areas with meadow steppes. Forest areas, partially preserved to this day, are located along watersheds, ravines and river terraces, and are represented by broad-leaved forests, mainly oak. Along the sandy terraces there are pine forests. The vegetation of the meadow steppes included feather grass, fescue, steppe oats, brome, sage, commonweed, yellow alfalfa, bluebell and many others.

The vegetation of the steppe zone consisted of forb-feather grass and fescue-feather grass steppes.

Among the former, the main background consisted of narrow-leaved turf grasses - feather grass, fescue, steppe oats, and others with a wide participation of forbs - sage, clover, bluebells, etc.

Fescue-feather grass steppes were characterized by less powerful and diverse vegetation, the main representatives of which were low-stemmed feather grass, tyrsa, fescue, wheatgrass, and sedges. The less powerful general character of the vegetation of the fescue-feather grass steppes, the widespread participation of ephemerals and ephemeroids in the grass stand - mortuk, bulbous bluegrass, tulips, alyssum, as well as wormwood - is a consequence of a noticeable moisture deficit here.

The main features of the biological cycle of steppe and meadow-steppe herbaceous plant communities are that: 1) annually, with dying parts, almost the same amount of nutrients that was used in growth is returned to the soil; 2) most of these substances return not to the soil surface, but directly into the soil with the roots; 3) among chemical elements, involved in the biological cycle, the first place belongs to silicon, followed by nitrogen, potassium and calcium.

The amount of plant mass of natural grass communities on chernozems is high: in the forest-steppe of the Russian Plain 30-40 c/ha of above-ground phytomass and 200 c/ha of roots. The annual increase in phytomass on chernozems is 1.5-2 times higher than the amount of biomass during the period of maximum development. The growth of roots accounts for 50-60% of their total mass. On average, the litterfall of herbaceous communities in the chernozem zone is 200 c / (ha per year) (A.A. Titlyanova, N.I. Bazilevich, 1978).

The role of the biological cycle in the formation of the properties of chernozems is determined not so much by the chemical composition of steppe plants, but by its high intensity (a large number of annually formed chemical elements), the entry of the bulk of litter into the soil, the active participation in the decomposition of bacteria, actinomycetes, and invertebrates, for which the chemical composition is favorable litter and general bioclimatic conditions.

Mesofauna plays a major role in the formation of chernozems, and the role of earthworms is especially important. Their number in the profile reaches 100 or more per 1 m2. With such a quantity, earthworms annually throw up to 200 tons of soil per 1 hectare to the surface and, as a result of daily and seasonal migrations, make a large number of moves. Together with dead parts of plants, earthworms capture soil particles and, during the digestion process, form strong clay-humus complexes, which are released in the form of coprolites. According to G.N. Vysotsky, chernozems largely owe their granular structure to earthworms.

The virgin steppe was the habitat of a large number of vertebrates. The largest numbers and importance were the diggers (gophers, mole rats, voles and marmots), which mixed and threw large amounts of earth to the surface. By making burrows in the soil, they formed molehills - passages covered with a mass of the upper humus layer. Thanks to soil mixing, rodents gradually enriched humus horizons with carbonates, which slowed down the leaching processes, and deep horizons with humus, which led to a lowering of the humus horizon boundary. Thus, their activities contributed to the formation of the most characteristic properties of chernozems.

Currently, there are practically no virgin black soils left. Most of them are plowed. The biological factor of soil formation has changed significantly with the involvement of chernozems in agriculture. Agricultural vegetation covers the soil for no more than 4 months a year, with the exception of sowing perennial grasses. The biological cycle has become open. The amount of annually created phytomass in agrocenoses is less than in the virgin steppe; the difference in the amount of underground biomass produced is especially large. Less nitrogen and mineral elements are involved in the biological cycle.

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