Nature of mountains: animals and plants

The nature of the mountains at all times amazed humanity with its beauty. It is an amazing and wonderful world in every way. The relief was created many billions of years and during this time has found bizarre and bewitching forms. What do mountains contain? What there are plants and animals? The answers to these and other questions will be found in the article.

Features of nature of the mountains

The mountain climate is unique and it influences the weather of the entire planet, both seasonal and daily. On the hills, a special interaction of the earth with air and rivers begins. Water, condensed and nascent in the mountains, descends a thousand streams down the slopes. Due to this movement, the largest rivers are formed. On the hills, it is often possible to observe how clouds and fogs are emerging. Sometimes these phenomena can not be distinguished from each other.

The higher, the more discharged air, and the lower the temperature. And where the cold is, there's permafrost. Even the mountains in Africa in their high spots are covered with snow and glaciers. But on the hills the air is clean and fresh. With height, the amount of precipitation increases, the strength of the wind and the radiation of the sun. From ultraviolet in the mountains you can even get an eye burn.

Equally striking is the diversity of vegetation, which replaces each other as the height increases.

High-altitude mountain belts

When climbing in the mountains, climatic conditions change: air temperature and pressure decrease, and solar radiation increases. This phenomenon is called high-altitude zoning (or zonality). And each such area has its own special landscape.

Desert-steppe belt. This landscape zone is located at the foot of the mountains. It is dominated by a dry climate, so you can only find steppes and deserts. Often people use this belt for economic purposes.

Mountain forest zone. It is a belt with a very humid climate. It's just amazing nature: mountains, woods and fresh air and beckon for a walk.

Mountain meadow belt. It is a sparse forest, alternating with subalpine meadows. In this zone grow lighted trees, low bushes and tall grass.

Alpine belt. This is an area of high mountains, which is located above the forests. Here you can find only shrubs that are replaced by stone screes.

Mountain-tundra zone. Characterized by a cool short summer and a severe lingering winter. But this does not mean that there is scant vegetation here. In this area, various types of shrubs, mosses and lichens grow.

Nival belt. This is the highest point, the region of eternal snows and glaciers. Despite rather severe climatic conditions, here there are some types of lichens, algae and even some insects, rodents and birds.

The name of the mountains, the most beautiful and amazing on the planet

Huangshan and Dengxia are the colored mountains in China. They are painted in yellow and pink shades. Often you can observe beautiful lighting effects.

Mount Roraima in South America always attracts. It is interesting that the beds of numerous rivers are covered with crystals of quartz of various colors.

The Grand Canyon is a whole complex of valleys, ravines, gorges, caves and waterfalls. Because of the multicolor layers of rocks, as well as the play of light and shade, the mountain changes its colors every time.

In Africa, the Drakensberg Mountains are the most beautiful landscapes with canyons, valleys, cliffs and waterfalls. The name of the mountains is of mystical origin. Its tops are always hidden by fog, but earlier believed that this dragon lets out clouds of smoke.

Altai are mountains that Russia can be proud of. They are truly beautiful, especially in the autumn-winter period, when the waters become infinitely blue.

Hunting Rock is a mountain in Australia, better known as the Hanging Rock. It rises a hundred meters above the surrounding relief. This creates the impression that the mountain is suspended in the air.

Dangerous natural phenomena

The dangers that lie in wait for each step are the nature of the mountains. This is worth remembering, intending to conquer the peaks.

Rockfalls are most common in the mountains. Even the collapse of a single boulder can cause a whole avalanche of lumps.

Silt flows are a mixture of water, loose soil, sand, stones and debris. This phenomenon begins suddenly and blows everything in its path.

Icefalls are a beautiful, but no less dangerous sight. Frozen blocks never stop and almost reach the foot of the mountains.

Dangerous insects in the mountains

The nature of the mountains is dangerous not only for its terrible natural phenomena, but also for insects, which are often found on high ground.

Perhaps the most common ixodid mites. They are dangerous to the disease they endure, encephalitis, which can even be left as an invalid. Ticks are found along the trails and are most active in the spring-summer period.

The hornet of the Vespa is the largest representative of wasps, the size of which reaches five centimeters. These insects live in hollows and do not attack without reason. The bite is painful, but the attack of several hornets is a threat.

Scorpions most often inhabit the desert, but can also take advantage of mountains in Africa or Australia. Since they tolerate cold and temperature fluctuations quite well, they can occur not only at the foot, but also at the tops. It is known that the bite of some species is toxic and even fatal to humans. But without reason, these creatures do not attack. Scorpions prey on insects, which often fly to the light near a campfire and tents. In the afternoon they hide under rocks, bark of stumps and in cracks of rocks.

Scolopendra is dangerous only in a hot climate, especially in the autumn period. At this time, her bite becomes poisonous and may even lead to death. The female of Karakurt also poses a threat. Males of these spiders are not poisonous at all.

Plants of mountains

As already mentioned, different climatic conditions are typical for the mountains. Therefore, on the elevations at a relatively short distance, one can observe the diversity of the plant community.

The nature of the mountains is harsh, but incredibly beautiful. Plants are forced to adapt to local conditions: thorny wind, severe cold and bright light. Therefore, most often at an altitude, you can meet low-growing representatives of the flora. They have a well developed root system, which helps to extract water and stay in the soil. Widely distributed vegetation is a pillow-shaped form, there are specimens in the form of rosettes, which spread along the surface.

Meadows with alpine herbs are replaced by tundra, which is a bit like the northern ones. Forests can be deciduous, coniferous and mixed. Here, trees and shrubs also grow in the form of stilts. Most often you can see larch, spruce, pine and fir. And only the highest ridges do not have vegetation, but are covered with eternal glaciers and snow caps.

Healing mountain herbs

The medicinal plants of the mountains are very famous for their life-giving properties. People have always climbed the hill in order to prepare useful grass for future use. All the variety of these species is not listed, but there are several most popular medicinal plants:

• hawthorn;
• Barberry siberian;
• Thick-leafed bean;
• Valerian officinalis;
• The gentian spring;
• Mountaineer bird;
• Golden root;
• St. John's wort;
• Kiprej;
• Maral root;
• Poppy alpine;
• dandelion;
• Rose hips;
• edelweiss.

Mountain animals

In the forest zone there are a lot of animals. At the onset of cold weather, they fall into a warmer lower belt. They are deer, wild boars and roe deer. But representatives of fauna with warm cover and long hair only occasionally descend from the height in search of food and heat. These include mountain goats, sheep, argali, tundra grouse, horned lark, snowcock and hare.

Animals that live in the mountains have adapted very well to harsh conditions. They perfectly tolerate the cold and deftly move along the rocks and steep slopes. These are not only hoofed animals, but also snow leopards, foxes, wolves, hares, ground squirrels and groundhogs.

Most birds come here for the summer, and only large predators live here permanently: eagles and eagles. Also love to bask in the sun mountain reptiles: lizards, snakes, salamanders and chameleons.

The nature of the mountains is so amazing and diverse that it certainly deserves attention from the person.