Taiga - a natural zone, its climatic conditions, flora and fauna

The presence of a variety of natural areas is characteristic of our planet. They succeed each other and differ in their climatic conditions, in the plant and animal world, and in the landscape that prevails in them. One of them is the taiga - a natural zone located within the temperate climatic zone.

For taiga are characterized by coniferous trees, which are the main representatives of vegetation. There are a lot of marshes here. This is due to the fact that a large amount of precipitation does not penetrate deep into the soil due to permafrost, but it does not evaporate either.

Taiga, the natural zone, extends in Eurasia from the west to the east by 7 thousand kilometers, and in North America - by 5 thousand kilometers. The Russian taiga is the largest landscape area in the country. It began to form long before the onset of glaciers.

What else is characterized by taiga? Its climate is very cold in winter and quite cool in summer. In this natural zone, a large amount of precipitation falls. Soils in the taiga are podzolic and cryogenic-taiga. All these conditions favor the growth of coniferous trees. On the European territory of Russia, spruce, fir, pine, cedar grow in the taiga. These are dark coniferous forests. Grassy cover here can not be called rich: mostly berry bushes are represented - blueberries, blueberries, red bilberries. In the light coniferous taiga of Eastern Siberia, spruce, larch and stunted trees (alder, polar willow, polar birch), berry bushes grow. In the Far East, the taiga is predominantly larch, rarefish.

In Europe, the taiga is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula and in Finland - it covers virtually all of their territory.

Taiga, a natural zone, is conditionally divided into northern, middle and southern. They differ in climatic conditions, plant and animal life. So, in the northern zone, vegetation is the most meager: trees and shrubs are mostly stunted and sparse. The middle zone of the taiga is already more saturated with vegetation, but these are mostly mosses, herbs and spruce forests. The southern zone of the taiga is rich in representatives of the flora. Here there are not only dark coniferous, but also small-leaved trees (birch, aspen), and undersized shrubs.

Taiga, the natural zone of which extends from the 42nd parallel, the northern part of the island of Hokkaido (southern border), to the 72nd parallel, the Taimyr Peninsula (northern border), is considered the longest climatic zone of the planet.

Compared with tundra, the animal world of the taiga is more diverse. In it you can meet lynx, chipmunks, wolverine, sable, hare, shrew. Taiga since ancient times was a place of furs. Some representatives of hoofed animals also live here : moose, noble and northern deer, roe deer. From mice in the taiga live mice, voles, various kinds of squirrels. The taiga world of birds is diverse: here you can meet wood grouse, cedarwood, clype, hazel grouse.

The climatic conditions of the taiga for animals are quite favorable. Here lives the largest number of fur-bearing animals in the world. In the cold season, the activity of animals decreases, because many of them go into hibernation.

The taiga of Russia, namely taiga massifs of Siberia are rightly considered green "lungs" of the planet: these forests support the carbon and oxygen balance of the lower atmosphere. Therefore, national parks and reserves are created here to be able to thoroughly study the unique flora and fauna of this natural zone.

Taiga is a source of wood. In addition, it contains numerous deposits of minerals needed by man - coal, gas, oil.

Residents of the taiga area are engaged in hunting (in particular, hunting for furs), picking berries, fruits and nuts, cattle breeding, as well as harvest medicinal herbs. Many of them are engaged in forestry.