Natural zoning. Latitudinal and altitudinal zoning

Everyone knows that on the Earth the distribution of solar heat is uneven because of the spherical shape of the planet. In consequence of this, different natural systems are formed, where in each, all components are closely related to each other, and a natural zone is formed, which occurs on all continents. If you follow the animal and vegetable world in the same zones, but on different continents, you can see a certain similarity.

Law of Geographic Zonality

The scientist VV Dokuchaev once created the doctrine of natural zones, and expressed the idea that each zone is a natural complex where the living and inanimate nature are closely interrelated. In the future, this training base was used to create the first qualification, which was further refined and more concretized by another scientist L.S. Berg.

Forms of zoning are different because of the diversity of the composition of the geographical envelope 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 is the geographical belt, 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). Geographic belts are divided into zones, which should be discussed more specifically.

What is latitudinal zoning

Natural zones are closely connected with climatic belts, so zones as belts gradually replace one another, moving from the equator to the poles, where solar heat decreases and precipitation changes. Such a change in large natural complexes is called latitudinal zoning, which manifests itself in all natural zones, regardless of size.

What is altitudinal zoning

It can be seen on the map if you move from north to east, that in each geographical zone there is geographical zoning, starting from the arctic deserts, going 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 go up into the mountains, the more heat and moisture the ratio changes towards the low temperature and the precipitation in a solid state, as a result of which the flora and fauna changes. Scientists and geographers gave this direction their name - altitude zoning (or zonality), when one zone replaces another, encircling mountains at different heights. At the same time, belt change occurs faster than in the plain, it is only necessary to climb 1 km, and there will be another zone. The lowest belt always corresponds to where the mountain is located, and the closer it is to the poles, the less these zones can be met at altitude.

The law of geographical zoning works in the mountains. From the geographical latitude depends seasonality, as well as the change of day and night. If the mountain is close to the pole, then you can meet the polar night and day, and if the location is near the equator, then the day will always be equal to the night.

Ice zone

The natural zoning, which adjoins the poles of the globe, is called icy. A harsh climate, where snow and ice lie all year round, and in the warmest month the temperature does not rise above 0 °. The snow covers the whole earth even though it does not shine for several months around the clock, but does not warm it at all.

Under too harsh conditions, there are few animals in the ice zone (polar bear, penguins, seals, walrus, Arctic fox, reindeer), even less can be found in plants, as the soil-forming process is at an early stage of development, and mostly unorganized plants (lichen , Moss, algae).

Tundra zone

A zone of cold and strong winds, where there is a long long winter and a short summer, because of what the soil does not have time to warm up, and a layer of perennial frozen soils forms.

The zonality law works even in the tundra and divides it into three subzones, moving from north to south: the arctic tundra, where mostly moss and lichens grow, the typical lichen-moss tundra, where shrubs appear locally, is spread from Vaigach to Kolyma, and the Southern shrubland Tundra, where the vegetation consists of three levels.

Separately it is worth mentioning the forest-tundra, which extends a thin stripe and is a transition zone between the tundra and forests.

Taiga zone

For Russia, the Taiga is the largest natural zone that extends from the western borders to the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. Taiga is located in two climatic zones, due to which there are differences within it.

This natural zoning focuses a large number of lakes and marshes, and it is here that the great rivers in Russia originate: Volga, Kama, Lena, Vilyui and others.

The main thing for the vegetable world is coniferous forests, where larch predominates, spruce, fir, and pine are less common. The animal world is heterogeneous and the eastern part of the taiga is richer than the western part.

Forests, forest-steppe and steppe

In the zone of mixed and deciduous forests, the climate is warmer and more humid, and here the latitudinal zoning is well traced. Winter is less severe, summer is long and warm, which contributes to the growth of trees such as oak, ash, maple, linden, hazel. Due to complex plant communities in this zone a diverse animal world, and, for example, on the East European Plain bison, muskrat, boar, wolf, moose are common.

The zone of mixed forests is more rich than in coniferous, and there are large herbivores and a large variety of birds. Geographic zoning is distinguished by the density of river water bodies, some of which do not freeze in winter.

The transitional zone between the steppe and the forest is the forest-steppe, where the forest and meadow phytocenoses alternate.

Steppe zone

This is another species that describes the 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 the cereals and all the various grasses that cover the earth with a continuous carpet prevail. Despite the fact that there is not enough water in this zone, the plants perfectly tolerate drought, often their leaves are shallow and during the heat can be folded to prevent evaporation.

The animal world is more diverse: there are hoofed animals, rodents, predators. In Russia, the steppe is the most developed by man and the main zone of farming.

Steppes are found in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, but gradually they disappear due to plowing of land, fires, pastures of animals.

Latitudinal and altitudinal zonation is also found in the steppes, so they are divided into several subspecies: mountain (for example, the Caucasus Mountains), meadow (typical for Western Siberia), xerophilous, with many turf grasses, and desert (Kalmykia steppes).

Desert and the Tropics

Sharp changes in climatic conditions are due to the fact that the volatility exceeds by many times the precipitation (by 7 times), and the duration of such a period is up to six months. The vegetation of this zone is not rich, and basically there are grasses, shrubs, and forests can be seen only along the rivers. The animal world is richer and somewhat similar to the one found in the steppe zone: many rodents and reptiles, and ungulates roam in nearby areas.

The largest desert is the Sahara, but in general, this natural zonation is characteristic for 11% of the entire earth's surface, and if to add to it the arctic desert, then 20%. Deserts occur both in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, and in the tropics and subtropics.

A unique definition of the tropics does not exist, the geographical zones are singled out: tropical, subequatorial and equatorial, where forests of similar composition are found, but they have certain differences.

All forests are subdivided into savannas, forest subtropics and tropical forests. Their common feature is that trees always stand green, and these zones differ in the duration of dry and rainy periods. In savannahs, the rainy season lasts 8-9 months. Forest subtropics are typical for the eastern outskirts of the continents, where a dry period of winter and wet summer with monsoon rains occur. Tropical forests are characterized by a high degree of moisture, and the precipitation can exceed 2000 mm per year.