Tundra is a treeless natural area in northern Eurasia and North America. It is characterized by a harsh climate and the occurrence of permafrost at shallow depths. Due to low winter temperatures and frozen soils, trees cannot grow here, even conifers, withstanding extreme Siberian frosts. What animals live in the tundra under such conditions?

Features of the tundra climate

The tundra zone corresponds to the subarctic climate zone. Here, average January temperatures drop to -40º, and minimum temperatures are even lower. But this is not the case everywhere. For example, on the coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula, where the warm Norwegian Current passes, January temperatures rarely drop below -20º. But winter throughout the tundra lasts a very long time.

Summer here is comparable to our autumn. In the hottest month, the temperature rarely exceeds +10º. Even in July there can be sub-zero temperatures and snow. And this summer lasts for at most a month and a half.

The main feature of the tundra climate is excessive moisture. But not because there is a lot of precipitation, but because low temperatures and, as a result, little evaporation. As a result, there are many swamps and lakes. There are also strong winds here, especially on the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

In winter, above the Arctic Circle, the sun does not go below the horizon for several days in a row. In summer it is the turn of the polar day. And to the south the sun shines for so long that the evening dawn gives way to the morning and there is no real darkness. This phenomenon is called "white nights".

Fauna and flora of the tundra

The vegetation of the tundra is very unique. In the south of the zone, where it is warmer, there are still dwarf trees: polar willow, dwarf birch. It is difficult to mistake them for trees, because the thickness of their trunks does not even reach the diameter of a pencil, and they rise only 20-30 cm in height.

The main plants of the tundra are mosses and lichens. They determine the appearance of the tundra landscape. There is enough moisture for them here, and they are unpretentious to heat. True, they grow very slowly.

The most famous tundra plant is moss, or reindeer moss, which is actually not moss, but lichen. This is the source of food for reindeer, which is why it got its popular name.

There are a lot of shrubs in the tundra that overwinter under the snow without shedding their small, dense, leathery leaves. This allows them to begin the growing season immediately after thawing from under the snow. First of all, these are lingonberries, cranberries, blueberries and cloudberries.

Herbaceous plants include sedge, cotton grass and polar poppy. During the short Arctic summer, they manage to go through the full vegetative cycle.

The vegetation here often forms creeping and cushion-shaped forms. This allows you to better use ground heat and save it, protect yourself from strong winds that break the stems.

The fauna of the tundra is not rich in species, but quite large in quantity. What animals live permanently in the tundra? The indigenous inhabitants of the tundra include reindeer, lemmings, arctic foxes, wolves, and birds - the polar owl and the ptarmigan. Very rare animals are musk oxen.

Fauna of the Russian tundra

The most numerous animals of the tundra are lemmings. These rodents feed on seeds, fruits and roots of tundra plants. They can reproduce very quickly, because they mature within 2-3 months after birth. They can produce up to 5-6 litters of up to a dozen cubs each year. It is clear that there is not enough food for everyone. And lemmings undertake large migrations, moving en masse in search of food.

Although lemmings are not used by humans, animal world the tundra cannot do without these animals. After all, they serve as the main food for valuable commercial animals - arctic fox, fox.

The white arctic fox and the wolf are also typical representatives of tundra animals. But while the arctic fox mainly feeds on lemmings, hunts birds and destroys bird nests, the wolf prefers larger prey. And this is why he poses a danger to reindeer. Wolves hunt in large packs, driving herds of deer to remove weakened animals or young calves from the herd.

Reindeer is the main animal of the tundra

Reindeer graze on vast expanses of tundra. They feed not only on reindeer moss, but also on other types of plants. In search of food, they have to wander all the time, because the eaten vegetation takes a very long time to recover. In addition, in winter they migrate to more southern regions tundra and forest-tundra, since here the snow is looser and it is easier to dig out plants with your hoof. Yes and leaves dwarf trees are also eaten.

In summer, deer move closer to the ocean coast, the wind from which saves them from midges - blood-sucking insects.

Reindeer have long been domesticated by humans. He is simply an irreplaceable animal in the tundra. Their meat and skins are used; deer transport people and goods. It’s not for nothing that the song says: “But deer are better...”

Reindeer wool is very warm, because the hairs in it are hollow and filled with air. Therefore, deer can easily tolerate very severe frosts. And for the inhabitants of the tundra, clothing made from reindeer skins is also necessary.

IN North America This area is home to caribou.

Tundra birds

The fauna of the tundra is also represented by birds. The most famous eider is a large sea duck. It is famous for its exceptionally warm down, which lines the nest and covers the eggs. This gray fluff is very valuable, so it is collected. From one nest from which the chicks have already left, you can get 15-20 grams of pure fluff.

The white partridge is also a permanent resident of the tundra. The name suggests that in winter its plumage turns white, which allows the bird to be invisible against the background of snow. It feeds on plant foods, and the chicks are also insectivorous.

The polar owl mainly hunts lemmings. And in summer time it also poses a danger to birds, since chicks are a good addition to its diet.

Summer paradise for waterfowl

In summer, the endless expanses of the tundra are literally saturated with water. These include melted snow waters, numerous lakes, swamps, and rivers. Therefore, the fauna of the tundra is replenished with a huge number of waterfowl. They find algae and insect larvae in the water, and they do not refuse the insects themselves.

Geese, ducks, loons, waders, swans - that's far from full list birds feeding and raising their chicks in the far north. And in the fall they take their chicks south, to warmer climes.

Conservation of tundra animals

Animal and vegetable world the tundra is very fragile, because its restoration in harsh conditions requires not years, but decades. Therefore he needs protection.

The Red Book of Russia aims to protect flora and fauna. Animals of the tundra that are included in it:

• Putorana bighorn sheep;
• Chukchi bighorn sheep;
• polar bear;
• white goose;
• white-billed loon;
• white goose;
• lesser goose;
• barnacle;
• red-breasted goose;
• Pacific black goose;
• small swan;
• American swan;
• pink gull;
• Siberian crane, or white crane.

To protect the wildlife of the tundra, nature reserves have been created: Kandalaksha, Lapland, Taimyr, etc.

To the south of the ice zone, along the shores of the northern seas, there is a tundra zone. For thousands of kilometers from west to east there is a cold treeless plain.

Winter in the tundra is long and very harsh (frost up to – 50). In the middle of winter, the polar night lasts for about 2 months. You can see auroras in the sky.

Very strong winds constantly blow in the tundra. In winter there is often a snowstorm and wind speeds reach 30-40 m per second. Throwing up clouds of snow, knocking people off their feet and overturning sledges with reindeer, a blizzard rages across the endless expanses of the tundra. It often lasts 5-6 days. Winds blow snow from the hills into ravines and river valleys, and the bare ground freezes heavily.

Corrasion is the mechanical effect of snow driven strong winds. Corrosion is a powerful stream of solid ice particles that can damage and cut off plants protruding from under the snow.

The climate in the tundra is harsh, summers are very short (2-3 months) and cool. The temperature in July does not exceed +14 C. And although the polar day sets in, there are often frosts, and sometimes even snow falls. Cold winds blow in the tundra all year round. The tundra zone has very great length from west to east. The vegetation cover of this zone is not the same in the western and eastern regions.

According to the nature of the landscape, tundra can be peaty, swampy and rocky. The vegetation is mainly mosses and lichens, sometimes low-growing grasses are found, and very rare representatives are dwarf birches and creeping polar willows. There are no shrubs in the tundra, they are only located on the border with the taiga zone, and to the north all vegetation spreads near the ground.

Behind short summer The surface of the tundra thaws to a depth of about 50 cm, and below (almost 500 m) there is a layer of permafrost that never thaws.

Permafrost does not allow rain and melt water to depth. And water evaporates from the surface slowly due to the low temperature. Therefore, there are many swamps and lakes in the tundra, and the soil is moist.

How are plants adapted in the tundra: dwarf forms of plants; their small leaves are often folded, dressed hairline, have a waxy coating; plants creep along the ground, forming cushions; roots are located close to the surface; many plants in bloom tolerate frost; bright colors of flowers attract insects; perennial plants.

The main representatives of typical tundras are sedges and mosses, forming a closed turf 5-10 cm thick. Fungi and lichens live in it, and the stems and rhizomes of flowering plants are immersed in it. The tundra is dominated by shrubs, perennial grasses, and mosses, which tolerate harsh natural conditions well.

Reindeer moss.

Green moss. Peat mosses.

Arctic red bearberry. On the right is the Cladonia lichen.

Tundra plants. 1. Blueberries. 2. Lingonberry. 3. Black crow. 4.Cloudberry. 5. Loidia late. 6. Bow of speed. 7. Prince. 8.Vaginal cotton grass. 9. Mosquifolia sedge. 10. Dwarf birch. 11. Willow cuneifolia.

Sometimes the color of the lichen thallus depends on the color of lichen acids, which are deposited in the form of crystals or grains on the surface of the hyphae.
Most lichen acids are colorless, but some are colored, and sometimes very brightly - yellow, orange, red and other colors. The color of the crystals of these substances determines the color of the entire thallus.

And here the most important factor promoting the formation of lichen substances is light. The brighter the lighting in the place where the lichen grows, the brighter it is colored.

mushrooms

Cloudberry.

In the short months of summer, the tundra turns into a flower and berry garden. It is replete with bright corollas of petals, beads of lingonberries, cranberries, and cloudberries glow with lights, and bluish blueberries turn blue. There would not be enough population ten times larger than now to have time to collect and preserve the harvest of edible berries!

Vodyanika.

Herbaceous plants are represented by sedges, cotton grass, and cereals. Dryad, or partridge grass, plays a major role in vegetation. different kinds saxifrage, various polar poppies, forget-me-nots. One of the first to bloom is the Ice New Siversia, which is called the Arctic rose. Cotton grass.

New version icy, arctic rose.

Dryad.

Knotweed viviparous This plant has developed the ability to bear viviparity. In inflorescences, instead of flowers, bulbs and nodules develop, which can give rise to a new plant.

Veronica is gray. Phyllodoce.

Veronica is gray. Phyllodoce.

Arctic pennywort.

The tundra zone is located in the north of our country in a strip without gaps from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka. It covers 14% of the country's territory. Vegetation in tundra conditions is not easy. Winter lasts 7-8 months, and summer is short and cold. In summer, the soil warms up only a few centimeters. It follows from this that in the tundra only the uppermost layer of soil and the lowest layer of air, near the ground, are more favorable for the existence of plants. Then it is not surprising that most of the tundra vegetation is very low, they are spread out on the ground, and their roots grow mainly in the upper layer of soil and hardly move into the depths.

A typical tundra is a treeless area with low-growing and not always continuous plant life. Mosses and lichens form its basis; against their background, low-growing plants develop flowering plants- shrubs, shrubs, herbs. There are no trees in the natural tundra - the circumstances of existence here are too harsh for them. Only in the very south of the tundra region, in more suitable climatic conditions, can one come across individual trees.

Mosses and lichens play a very important role in the vegetation cover of the tundra. There are many types of them here, and they often form a continuous carpet over large areas. Both mosses and lichens tolerate the harsh conditions of the tundra. The soil layer as a source of water and nutrients for mosses and lichens is almost not required - they get everything they need mainly from the atmosphere. They do not have full roots, but only thin thread-like shoots are formed, their main purpose is to attach the plants to the soil. After all, mosses and lichens, due to their low height, optimally use the warmest layer of air in the summer.

The main mass of flowering plants in the tundra are shrubs, dwarf shrubs and perennial herbs. Shrubs differ from shrubs only in their smaller dimensions - their height is almost the same as that of grass. Despite this, their branches become lignified, covered on the outside with a thin layer of protective cork tissue and bear overwintering buds. Among these plants you can often find some dwarf species of willows (herbaceous willow), wild rosemary, blueberry, crowberry, and dwarf birch.

Almost all herbaceous plants of the tundra are perennial. Some grasses are found among them, for example: squat fescue, alpine meadow grass, arctic bluegrass, alpine foxtail, etc. You can find hard sedge and other sedges. Legumes are also represented by several specimens: astragalus umbelliferum, commonweed, and commonweed. However, most plant species belong to the so-called forbs - representatives of various families of dicotyledonous plants. From this group of plants we can distinguish viviparous knotweed, Eder's mytillus, European and Asian bathwort, alpine cornflower, rosea rhodiola, white-flowered and forest geranium.

Below we take a closer look at some of the plants.

Dwarf birch or dwarf birch.

The height of the dwarf birch is small - rarely more than 70 centimeters. It grows not like a tree, but like a tree-like shrub. Its branches do not rise high, and in most cases they simply spread out along the ground. The width of its leaves is often greater than their length, and the leaf shape is round.

Blueberry, or gonobobel.

This is a small shrub. The characteristic that distinguishes this plant is foliage with a bluish tint. Deciduous shrub. Blueberry flowers are inconspicuous, dim, white, and sometimes pink. Blueberry fruits are bluish, spherical berries with a bluish coating.

Cloudberry.

Raspberry is the closest relative of cloudberry. A dioecious plant, the fruits consist of several small succulent fruits united together into one. Each fruit is a little like a tiny cherry: there is pulp on the outside and a pit on the inside. The fruits contain about 3-6% sugar and citric acid.

Lichen moss or reindeer moss

This lichen is one of the largest; it can reach 10-15 cm in height. It resembles a miniature tree - it has a thicker “trunk” growing from the ground, and small thin winding “branches”.

Tundra flora natural area not rich. First of all, this is due to the harsh climatic conditions. Tundra landscapes can be swampy, peaty and rocky. There is no fertile soil ideal for plant development here. Various types of moss grow in swampy areas. Among the mosses there are entire fields of lingonberries, cloudberries and blueberries. By autumn, many fruits ripen in these berry fields. Plants similar to moss grow on the peat and rocky soils of the tundra. One of these is moss. This plant covers vast areas of the tundra. There is so much reindeer moss that all year round Whole herds of wild deer feed on it.

Not only mosses and reindeer moss are found in the tundra. Here, in places well protected from strong winds, in the valleys of rivers or lakes, you can find large meadows where a variety of grasses reach a height of half a meter.

The tundra is also characterized complete absence forest areas. The only trees found are polar willow and dwarf birch. These trees are more similar to shrubs. The dwarf birch is so small that its thin, curved trunk practically lies and hides in moss or reindeer moss. Only small branches with miniature leaves are raised upward. The polar willow is even smaller than the birch. During snowfalls, all its branches are covered with snow.

Animals of the tundra

The most numerous inhabitants of the tundra belong to the class of birds. Especially in summer he comes here a large number of geese, ducks and... In lakes and rivers they look for food, mainly insects, plants and small fish. There are so many birds in the tundra that some of its reservoirs are either white with geese or black with ducks. The screams and cackling of birds can be heard everywhere.

In summer, the tundra is infested with midges and mosquitoes. They rush through the air like clouds, attack animals and people, and give them no rest either night or day. To get rid of annoying insects, people light fires or dress in special suits.

During severe winters, most birds fly to the southern regions. It is not uncommon for numerous herds of reindeer to pass through here. With the help of their hooves, they dig moss out of the ground. Sometimes you can see arctic foxes, musk oxen, lemmings and stoats here. Occasionally a polar owl is seen in the tundra. Her white, and therefore the partridges and pieds that she hunts simply do not notice her against the background of the snow.

Most of the animals of the tundra are covered with thick plumage or fur. Their winter color, as a rule, turns white, which helps them hide from enemies or sneak closer to their prey.

Reindeer moss (reindeer moss) belongs to the genus Cladonia. It is very often confused with moss. This plant, belonging to the genus of lichens, has more than 40 species.

Lichen moss , or Olazy moss . This is one of our largest lichens, its height reaches 10-15 cm. An individual moss plant resembles some kind of fancy tree in miniature - it has a thicker “trunk” rising from the ground, and thinner winding “branches”. Both the trunk and branches gradually become thinner and thinner towards the ends. Their ends almost completely disappear - they are no thicker than a hair.

Reindeer moss has a whitish color. When wet, moss is soft and elastic. But after drying, it hardens and becomes very brittle and crumbles easily. The slightest touch is enough for pieces to break off from the lichen. These tiny fragments are easily transported by the wind and can give rise to new plants. It is with the help of such random fragments that moss mainly reproduces.

It grows in both cold and warm climates, in a well-drained, open environment. Reindeer moss easily tolerates large temperature changes, survives in the scorching sun, and after prolonged droughts it is restored with the slightest supply of moisture. It mainly grows in the alpine tundra and has extremely high frost resistance. Grows on trees, stones, stumps.

It grows very slowly: 3-5 mm per year. It can take several decades for a pasture to recover after deer grazing. To avoid depletion of pastures, wild deer constantly migrate.

2. Types of moss

Cladonia alpine consists of hollow cylindrical outgrowths up to 20 cm high, has a bushy thallus. This type of lichen prefers sandy soils and clearings open to the sun. Often grows in pine forests, in the swamps. The lichen exhibits antimicrobial activity. It contains auric acid. Used in medicine.

Cladonia deer This is the largest lichen of the genus Cladonia. Resin moss of this species lives on sandy soils, tundra, pine forests, swamps and peat bogs. This reindeer moss is widespread in temperate and northern latitudes. It is also the main food for reindeer.

Cladonia soft forms greenish-gray podecia. Grows up to 7 centimeters in height. Distributed in temperate and northern latitudes. Grows on peat, sandy soil pine forests, stump. Is an excellent food for reindeer.

Cladonia forest differs in grayish-green or green-yellow color. Grows up to 10 centimeters in height. The taste is bitter. Grows in temperate and northern latitudes. Loves peaty soils, open sunny places in pine forests, sandy soils. A valuable type of lichen that serves as food for deer.

Cladonia unsmoothed greenish-gray or light yellow, up to 10 centimeters high. They like to grow on mosses and sandy soil. Distributed in Western Siberia. A very valuable species, it is food for reindeer.

Cladonia thin - distinguished by erect or lodging branches. It bushes weakly and has a white-green or bluish-green color. Lives on rotten stumps, sandy soils, peat bogs in middle lane European part. It is also a valuable species.

3. The role of moss

Reindeer moss makes up up to 1/3 of the reindeer diet. The value of moss lies in its high nutritional value; it is rich in carbohydrates and is well digestible by deer.

It is also used as additional food for other animals. It is eaten by deer and musk deer. Dried moss is added to cows and pigs.

Reindeer moss has a high nutritional value. So 100 kilograms of reindeer moss in animal nutrition replaces 300 kilograms of potatoes.

Reindeer moss They are also used as food by the indigenous peoples of the north. It is eaten boiled and added to food in dried form. Among these peoples, moss replaces diapers for newborns, as it has excellent absorbent properties. It is used to decorate window spaces.

4. Medicinal properties moss

Medicinal properties of moss became known to people not so long ago. Scientists have found a strong antibiotic in moss; it stops the growth of putrefactive bacteria and prevents their reproduction. This property of moss was used by many northern peoples to preserve meat in warm time of the year. For this purpose, the meat was covered on all sides with moss, it long time did not spoil even at room temperature.

The acid found in reindeer moss kills the tuberculosis bacillus. Usic acid, killing the tuberculosis bacillus, preserves the intestinal microflora. Many antibiotics have been developed based on moss.

IN folk medicine reindeer moss used for tuberculosis, peptic ulcers, atherosclerosis, thyroid diseases, varicose veins, cough, gastritis, as a means of purifying the blood and normalizing intestinal function.

5. Status and protection

Reindeer moss grows very slowly. Its destruction by deer in one pasture forces shepherds to constantly move their herds in search of new pastures. It takes 10 to 15 years to completely restore the eaten pasture. But large areas of growth of this lichen allow new pastures to be found, and old ones to recover.

Reindeer pastures need protection.