The tundra is a natural zone. Short description

The tundra is where? Not everyone is able to answer this seemingly simple question. Let's figure it out. The tundra is a natural zone (more precisely, a view of the zones) lying beyond the northern forest vegetation. The soil there is permanently frozen, not flooded with river and sea waters. The snow cover rarely exceeds 50 cm, and sometimes does not cover the ground at all. The permafrost and constant strong wind adversely affect fertility (humus, which did not have time to "mature" in the summer, is blown out and freezes).

Etymology of the term

In principle, the tundra is a common concept. Some clarifications are still needed here. Tundra can actually be different: swampy, peaty, stony. From the north, they are limited to arctic deserts, but their southern side is the beginning of the Arctic. The main features of the tundra are marshy lowlands with high humidity, permafrost and strong winds. The vegetation there is relatively scarce. Plants are pressed against the soil, forming multiple interlocking shoots (vegetable "pillows").

The very concept (the etymology of the term) was borrowed from the Finns: the word tunturi means "treeless mountain". For a long time this expression was considered provincial and was not officially adopted. Perhaps the concept took root thanks to Karamzin, who insisted that "this word should be in our vocabulary," since without it it is difficult to identify the vast, low, treeless plains overgrown with moss, which travelers, geographers, and poets could talk about.

Classification

As already mentioned, the tundra is a generalized concept. In fact, it is divided into three main zones: arctic, middle and southern. Let's take a closer look at them.

1. Arctic tundra. This subzone is grassy (predominantly). Characterized by semishrubs of pillow-shaped forms and mosses. There are no "right" shrubs. It has a lot of clayey bare areas and hillocks of permafrost swelling.

2. The middle tundra (it is called typical) is predominantly mossy. Near the lakes there is sedge vegetation with modest grass and grass. Here you can see creeping willows with dwarf birches, lichens, hidden mosses.

3. The southern tundra is mainly a shrub zone. Vegetation here depends on the longitude.

Climate

The climate here is rather severe (subarctic). That is why the fauna in the tundra is very scarce - not all animals are able to endure such strong winds and colds. Very rarely there are representatives of large fauna. Since the main part of the tundra is located beyond the Arctic Circle, the winters here are not only much more severe, but also much longer. They last not three months, as usual, but twice as long (called polar nights). At this time in the tundra is especially cold. The continental climate dictates the severity of winter. In winter, the average temperature in the tundra is -30 ºС (and sometimes lower, which is also not uncommon).

As a rule, there is no climatic summer in the tundra (it is very short). August is considered the warmest month. The average temperature at this time is + 7-10 ° C. It is in August that the vegetation comes alive.

Flora and fauna

Tundra is the realm of lichens and mosses. Sometimes it is possible to meet angiosperms (often these are low cereals), low shrubs, dwarf trees (birch, willow). Typical representatives of the animal world are fox, reindeer, wolf, snow sheep, hare-hare, lemming. There are also birds in the tundra: the white-winged plover, the plantain of Lapland, the white partridge, the polar owl, the plover, the snowball, the red-throated horse.

The tundra is the "edge of the earth", the reservoirs of which are rich in fish (croissant, chir, omul, nelma). Reptiles practically are not present: because of low temperatures vital activity of cold-blooded is simply impossible.