Natural zone of the steppe of Russia: where is it located, map, climate, soils, flora and fauna. Forest-steppe - definition and characteristics of the natural zone Human economic activity in the steppes

All natural areas have long been mastered by man. He actively conducts economic activities, thereby changing the characteristics of natural areas. How does human economic activity differ in natural areas?

polar deserts

These are the most unsuitable regions of Russia for the economy. The soil here is represented by permafrost and covered with ice. Therefore, neither animal husbandry nor crop production is possible here. There is only fishing here.

Arctic foxes live in coastal areas, whose fur is highly valued in the world. Arctic foxes are actively hunted, which can lead to the extinction of this species.

Rice. 1. The most unsuitable natural area for farming is the Arctic Desert

Tundra and forest tundra

Natural conditions are not much better than in the polar deserts. Only indigenous people live in the tundra. They are engaged in hunting, fishing, reindeer herding. What changes did the person make here?

The soil of these areas is rich in gas and oil. Therefore, they are actively mined here. This results in significant pollution. environment.

forest zone

This includes taiga, mixed and broadleaf forests. The climate is temperate, characterized cold winter and relatively warm summer. Due to the large number of forests, vegetation and animal world. Favorable conditions allow various types of human economic activity to flourish. A large number of factories and plants have been built in these regions. Here they are engaged in animal husbandry, agriculture, fishing, woodworking industry. This is one of the natural areas modified by man to the greatest extent.

Rice. 2. There is active deforestation in the world

Forest-steppes and steppes

These natural and economic zones are characterized by a warm climate and insufficient rainfall. The soil here is the most fertile, and the animal world is very diverse. Agriculture and animal husbandry flourish most of all in these regions. Various varieties of vegetables and fruits, cereals are grown here. Coal and iron ore are actively mined. This leads to a distortion of the relief and the destruction of some species of animals and plants.

Semi-deserts and deserts

It is not the most favorable conditions for human economic activity. The climate is hot and dry. The soil is desert, not fertile. The main type of economic activity in the deserts is animal husbandry. The population here breeds sheep, rams, horses. The need to graze animals leads to the final disappearance of vegetation.

Rice. 3. Livestock in the desert

Subtropics and tropics

This region has been the most affected by human activity. This is due to the fact that it was here that civilizations were born and the use of these areas has been going on for a very long time.

Subtropical and tropical forests are practically cut down, and the territories are occupied by agricultural plantings. Huge areas are occupied by fruit trees.

What have we learned?

Man is engaged in economic activities in almost all natural areas of the world. This leads to their significant modification, which, ultimately, may lead to the extinction of some species of animals and plants.

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How is the use of the steppe by man, you will learn from this article.

Human use of the steppe

What is a steppe?

Steppe- This is a natural zone, which is located in the temperate and subtropical zones of the Earth. Its main feature is the almost complete absence of woody vegetation. This is due to the low amount of precipitation, usually 250-500 mm per year. As a rule, steppes are located in the interior regions of the continents, since their formation took place under the influence of a strong continental climate. Steppes occupy vast expanses of North America and Eurasia, eastern part South American subtropical zone (here they are called pampas), the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Steppe zone: human use

The economic use of the steppe occurs most actively. The zone contains the most important areas of agriculture in the world. Its soils are the most fertile on the planet. Among them are the chernozems of the steppes of Southern Siberia and of Eastern Europe, Brown Soils Of America. The only problem that farmers face is the lack of moisture, the inability to grow plants in winter. The steppe is an excellent area for growing agricultural crops: corn, wheat, sunflowers, as well as eggplants and fruits.

The possibility of using the resources of the steppe by man consists in the development of mineral deposits. The salt lakes of Ulzhay, Ebeyty and the Medet group are rich in reserves of therapeutic mud, mineral salts, and brine. They are actively used in health resorts of the region for balneological purposes. Steppe lakes produce millions of tons of salt per year. This is table salt, soda, Glauber's salt (mirabilite). Made from lake silt medical devices for the treatment of nervous and skin diseases, bone tuberculosis and rheumatism.

The forest-steppe is a natural zone, which is characterized by the alternation of forest and steppe. Accordingly, both the flora and fauna of the designated zones alternate. From here it is easy to see that this territory got its name precisely because of this feature.

The definition of "forest-steppe" came into wide use not so long ago: after the publication of Dokuchaev's works. Prior to this, the term "pre-steppe" was popular (it was introduced by Beketov).

The geographical position of the forest-steppes of Russia

Considering Eurasia, we can say that this natural zone extends from the Carpathian ridge (the territory of Europe) and ending with the Altai Territory, passing through the lands of Ukraine and, in part, through the territories of Kazakhstan and Russia.

There are isolated forest-steppe zones, for example, in the intermountain depressions of Siberia, in Mongolia, on Far East and in Northeast China. You should know that, for example, North America also has a forest-steppe zone.

In Russia, the forest-steppe zone is located mainly in the south, in the southern part of the Urals, in the Altai Territory. The border of the forest-steppe in the Russian Federation is marked by such cities as Kursk and Ryazan, since beyond them the forest zone begins.

Forest-steppe - a characteristic of the natural zone

The description of this natural area includes information about the relief, climate, basic soils, flora and fauna.

Relief

The relief of the forest-steppe is flat, with small lowlands and slight slopes. There are beams and ravines. Sometimes the monotony of the forest-steppe is broken by hollows and mounds.

A characteristic feature of this territory are steppe saucers - hollows of a rounded shape.

Soils

The best type of soil dominates here - black soil. Due to the different composition of the flora, carbonates and negative moisture balance, these soils are manifested here.

It is worth noting: the forest-steppe is characterized by a rapid and abundant humus-accumulative process, so here the highest rates of humus content.

Also in the forest-steppe there are such types of soils:

sulfur forest soils;
dark gray forest soils;
podzolized chernozems;
leached chernozems;
typical chernozems;
chernozems are medium humus.

Soil composition changes as you move from north to south.

Climate and climate zone

This area is characterized by a rather warm and dry climate: the so-called frost-free period lasts from 105 to 165 days.

The highest temperature for the forest-steppe is plus forty degrees (in the shade), and the lowest temperature is minus thirty-six degrees, but this is rare.

Most often, moderate temperatures prevail here, so this type of climate is called temperate continental. The annual amount of precipitation is approximately equal to the amount of evaporated moisture.

Plants

There is a wide variety of flora in the forest-steppe zone. Deciduous forests predominate (the most common tree is oak), there are also many types of herbs and shrubs, and in Western Siberia there are also many birch trees.

The special climatic conditions of the forest-steppe have a positive effect on vegetation.

Animals

It can be said that both steppe and forest fauna live in the forest-steppe, and the diversity of animals changes as you move from south to north.

Typical inhabitants of the forest-steppe:

earth hare;
jerboa;
marmot;
bobak;
ferret;
rodents;
bustard;
fox;
wolf;
squirrel;
black grouse and others.

Birds in the forest-steppe:

stork;
hawk;
eagle;
partridge;
lark;
thrush;
woodpecker and others.

Ecological problems of the forest-steppe

Unfortunately, today all more trees undergoes felling, and the steppes are plowed up, which leads to the disappearance of the unique flora forest-steppe.

The main negative factors contributing to the emergence of environmental problems in the forest steppe zone:

plowing land in the steppes;
grazing;
deforestation;
fires.

This leads to the depletion of the soil and the extinction of the flora, which leads to the fact that the animals also die.

Economic activity in the forest-steppes and steppes

The main industries and occupations of the population:

This is the "breadbasket" of Russia: thanks to favorable conditions for agricultural production, sunflower, sugar beet, fruit and berry crops are grown here. But due to the high degree of plowing, the use of new arable land on the territory of the Russian Plain has been stopped.
In comparison with the steppe, the forest-steppe land contains the richest mineral resources: iron ores, oil, coal, oil shale, gas, phosphorites and more.
Many inhabitants of the forest-steppe are engaged in sheep and poultry farming, which distinguishes this zone as developed in the dairy and meat industry.
Breeding yaks, goats.

In addition to the main activities, this climate zone people are engaged in fishing, hunting, breeding camels, goats, yaks and horses.

An interesting feature of this zone is the presence of both powerful forests and a developed grass cover, which creates a unique terrain.

Plants in the steppe regions of this natural zone can easily tolerate both high humidity and drought.

Conclusion

Forest steppe is an important geographical area: in this territory there are the main reserves of many minerals, thanks to the most fertile soils, irreplaceable crops grow here. This territory is one of the main producers of meat, milk and wool.

The Eurasian steppe is located in the temperate and subtropical climatic zones, and extends for 8 thousand km from Hungary in the west through Ukraine, Russia and Central to Manchuria in the east. The steppe zone of Russia is a flat area covered with grassy vegetation and practically devoid of trees, with the exception of river banks. Shrubs and many types of herbs grow well on steppe soils.

The Eurasian steppe on the map of Eurasia/Wikipedia

Since the climate from west to east of the country acquires a sharply continental character, the composition of flora and fauna is changing. The steppes of Russia are very fertile lands, so most of the territory has been converted to agricultural land. Human activity has led to the destruction of vast areas of the virgin steppe, as well as a reduction in the number of unique species plants and animals.

Geographic location and types of steppes in Russia

Steppe zone on the map of Russia

The steppe zone of Russia extends from the Black Sea to Altai in the south of the country. The visual northern border is Tula, the Kama and Belaya rivers. In the south, the steppes reach the Caucasus Mountains. Part of the zone lies on, the other is located on the West Siberian. When moving from south to east, steppe landscapes are still found in the basins of Transbaikalia. The steppe zone borders on the forest-steppe in the north, as well as in the south. Natural conditions on the territory of the steppe are not the same. Hence the difference in the composition of the plant world. In Russia, there are 4 following types of steppes:

Mountain: the steppe lands of the Caucasus are covered with numerous types of grasses, with the exception of sedge.
Meadow: occupy most European Russia and Western Siberia. Forbs and cereals grow in this landscape zone. A dense green carpet is enlivened by bright flower stalks.
Feather: the steppes of the Orenburg region are covered with varieties of feather grass.
Desert: tumbleweed, prutnyanka and feather grass are found on the lands of Kalmykia. The vegetation cover of the area has been significantly affected by human activities.

Steppe climate

From south to east, the climate of the Russian steppe changes from temperate continental to sharply continental. The average winter temperature in the East European Plain is -5°C. Near the borders of the West European Plain, these figures drop to -30°C. Winters are not snowy, winds often blow.

Spring comes abruptly, approaching, thanks to air masses, from the south and southwest. At the end of March, the thermometer rises to 0°C. The snow is melting quickly, there is practically no new precipitation.

The temperature in summer is +25°C, most days are clear and sunny. Precipitation falls precisely on the warm season, they fall at least 400 mm. The steppes are characterized by aridity. Dry winds dry out the soil, lead to erosion, and form ravines. A sharp drop in daily temperatures by 15 ° C makes steppes related to deserts. The steppe autumn is long, there are practically no winds, until November the average temperature is about 0°C.

The steppes in southern Russia are softer due to southerly winds. The wind from the south brings moist air, which softens the winters and reduces the summer heat. In winter, cyclones often occur in the southern regions, and fogs form in the river valleys in summer.

The steppes in the west have a more severe climate, in winter, at a temperature of -50 ° C, the soil freezes to 100 cm. There is little snow, and there are almost never thaws. The snow cover disappears in mid-April. Summer, lasting three months, begins in May. The first frosts occur in October, winter begins a month later.

Flora and fauna

The main cover of the steppe is made up of cereals growing in bunches, between which the earth is visible. Herbs tolerate heat and drought well. Some of them fold their leaves to avoid evaporation. More often than other plants, feather grass is found. Its size depends on the region of growth. No less common in the steppe is the genus of cereals Tonkonog. Spike panicles of perennials are animal food.

Most plants have a dark color of foliage, which saves from excessive evaporation of moisture. In the steppes grows dwarf iris, meadow sage, kermek, astragalus, meadowsweet, skewer, wormwood. Honey plants are of great importance: sweet clover, alfalfa, buckwheat, phacelia, motherwort and sunflower.

The fauna of the steppe zone of Russia cannot be called diverse. Large animals have nowhere to hide, so there are small animals here: ground squirrels, marmots, hamsters, jerboas and hedgehogs. the steppe fox feeds. Small animals serve as food for wolves, wild cats and ferrets. Birds of prey include owls, hawks, harriers and buzzards. In addition to them, ducks, bustards, cranes and herons live in the steppes. In the steppe zone one can meet amphibians and reptiles: frogs, toads, lizards and snakes. Steppe antelopes, saigas, live in herds, and have adapted to do without water for a long time.

Soils

Chernozem was formed under the influence of high temperatures and low humidity. It is highly fertile. Humus is actively formed in the upper layers. Its horizon in the Kuban region reaches 100 cm. To the south, due to drought, saline and solonchak soils are often found. In many areas, the erosion process is actively taking place on the surface. Under drought conditions, leaching of calcium, magnesium and sodium from the upper layer can be observed. Chernozem contains billions of useful minerals. The plowed lands of the steppes provide 80% of all agricultural products in Russia.

Economic activity

The first settlers of the steppes were engaged in cattle breeding. Then people began to actively plow the land and sow it. Today, corn, wheat, sunflower and rice are grown in these territories. The abundance of light and heat make it possible to grow gourds, melons and watermelons. In the south, part of the land is reserved for vineyards.

Grass cover is an excellent fodder base for livestock. In the steppe zone, they breed poultry, sheep, pigs and cows. Factories operate in large cities. The terrain allows for the construction of long highways. The steppes are densely populated, large cities coexist with sparsely populated villages.

Ecological problems of the steppes of Russia

Human activities, water and wind erosion lead to desertification of the steppes. The land becomes unsuitable for growing crops, soil fertility decreases. Due to the reduction of vegetation, the population of animals is on the decline. In the struggle for the harvest, a person uses fertilizers that pollute the fragile. Artificial irrigation leads to soil salinization.

In order to preserve the unique steppe, it is necessary to strengthen measures to protect rare plants and animals, to create new protected areas. In protected areas, vulnerable species will be able to recover faster. The steppes of Russia can still be saved, but this requires the joint efforts of the state and civil society.

ODiplom // State Medical University // 04/01/2014

Influence natural conditions and natural resources on the territorial organization of society.

Natural factors have played and continue to play a crucial role in the life and development of human society.

The concept of "natural factors" usually includes the following categories: natural conditions, natural resources, sustainability of landscapes and ecological situation, which we will consider further mainly from the standpoint of the science of management.

Natural conditions are understood as a set of the most important natural characteristics of the territory, reflecting the main features of the components of the natural environment or local natural phenomena.

Natural conditions directly affect the life and economic activity of the population. On them depend: the resettlement of the population, the development and distribution of productive forces, their specialization. They determine the cost and, consequently, the competitiveness of manufactured products, which is especially important for countries with a significant distribution of extreme natural features, including Russia.

Among the components of the natural environment, as a rule, climate, geological environment, surface and The groundwater, soils, biota, and landscapes.

Optional but very important characteristic natural conditions is the prevalence of local natural phenomena - adverse and dangerous natural phenomena, which include natural disasters and natural foci of infections.

The climatic features of the territory are manifested primarily in the ratio of heat and moisture.

The amount of heat required to complete the vegetation cycle (growth period) is called the biological sum of temperatures. Thermal resources determine the energy of plant growth.

As the world's largest country in terms of territory (about 17 million sq. km), Russia is characterized by a significant variety of climatic conditions. At the same time, it should be emphasized that Russia as a whole is the northernmost and most cold country in the world, which affects its economy, economy, many aspects of the life of the population and politics. The consequence of climatic conditions is permafrost, which covers an area equal to almost 10 million square meters. km.

The specifics of permafrost must be taken into account when creating engineering structures: pipelines, bridges, iron and highways, power lines and other infrastructure facilities.

Hydration manifests itself primarily in the form precipitation, is the second most important climatic factor. It is necessary for the entire period of plant life. The lack of moisture leads to a sharp decrease in yield. To identify the conditions for moistening a particular territory, they operate with indicators of the amount of precipitation and the magnitude of possible evaporation. In Russia, territories with excessive moisture predominate; excess of precipitation over evaporation.

The most important factors in the formation of the natural specificity of the region are the relief and geological structure. Influencing all components of the natural environment, the relief contributes to the emergence of differences in landscapes and at the same time is itself affected by natural zonality and altitudinal zonality. Engineering-geological conditions of the area reflect the composition, structure and dynamics of the upper horizons of the earth's crust in connection with the economic (engineering) activities of man. On the basis of engineering and geological studies, the most favorable places for the placement of various types of economic objects are determined, calculations of the stability of rocks are carried out at construction work, reworking the banks after filling reservoirs, the stability of dams, determine the requirements for the construction of structures in permafrost conditions, excessive surface moisture in seismic, karst, landslide areas, etc. Accounting for mining and geological conditions is vital in all areas of economic activity, but especially in urban planning, transport and hydraulic engineering construction.

For agriculture and a number of other sectors of the economy essential have soil conditions. Soil is a special natural body formed as a result of the transformation of the surface layer of the earth's crust under the influence of water, air and biota and combines the properties of living and inanimate nature. The value properties of the soil are reflected in its fertility - the ability to provide plants with digestible nutrients and moisture and create conditions for harvesting.

Under the biota natural sciences understand the historically established set of living organisms living in any large area, i.e. fauna and flora of this area. The characteristic of the natural conditions of the area also includes an assessment of vegetation and wildlife.

In Russia, the main types of vegetation include tundra, forest, meadow and steppe. Among various types vegetation a special place belongs to the forest. Their ecological and economic value is high, as well as their unique environment-forming role on the planet.

Natural conditions affect almost all aspects Everyday life population, features of its work, rest and life, people's health and the possibility of their adaptation to new, unusual conditions. The total assessment of natural conditions is determined by the level of their comfort for a person. To measure it, up to 30 parameters are used (the duration of climatic periods, temperature contrast, climate humidity, wind regime, the presence of natural foci of infectious diseases, etc.)

According to the level of comfort, there are:

1. extreme territories (polar regions, alpine regions of high latitudes, etc.);

2. uncomfortable areas - areas with severe natural conditions, unsuitable for life of non-indigenous, non-adapted population; subdivided into cold humid ( arctic deserts, tundra), arid territories (deserts and semi-deserts), as well as mountainous areas;

3. hypercomfortable territories - areas with limited favorable natural conditions for the resettlement population; subdivided into boreal (forests of the temperate zone) and semiarid (steppes of the temperate zone);

4. precomfortable territories - areas with minor deviations from the natural optimum for the formation of a permanent population;

5. comfortable territories - areas with almost ideal conditions external environment for the life of the population; characteristic of the southern part of the temperate zone, in Russia they are represented by small areas.

Natural conditions are of paramount importance for those branches of the national economy that operate in the open. These are agriculture, forestry and water management. Almost all types of construction are in great dependence on natural conditions. The natural parameters of the territory have a significant impact on the organization of urban utilities.

In the north and in other regions with extreme natural conditions, there is a need to create special technical equipment adapted to these conditions, for example, with an increased margin of safety.

Unfavorable and dangerous natural phenomena (NOH) or natural disasters inherent in certain areas are a specific form of natural conditions.

Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes and storms, tornadoes, typhoons, landslides, landslides, mudflows, avalanches, forest and peat fires are among the most common and at the same time dangerous natural disasters for humans. Typical examples of adverse natural phenomena are droughts, frosts, severe frosts, thunderstorms, heavy or prolonged rains, hail and some others.

Vital in many cases, protection from NOA inevitably leads to a significant increase in the cost of building and maintaining cities and communications; technologies adapted to increased loads or capable of preventing dangerous impacts.

Natural resources are represented by those elements of the natural environment that can be used in the process of material production at a given stage in the development of society. They are used to obtain industrial and food raw materials, electricity generation, etc.

As the basis of any production, they are divided into:

1. subsoil resources (these include all types of mineral raw materials and fuel);

2. biological, land and water resources;

3. resources of the World Ocean;

4. recreational resources.

On the basis of exhaustibility, natural resources are divided into exhaustible and inexhaustible.

Exhaustible resources are divided into non-renewable and renewable. Inexhaustible natural resources include water, climatic and space resources, the resources of the World Ocean.

Mineral resources remain an indispensable basis for the development of any society. According to the nature of industrial and sectoral use, they are divided into three large groups:

- fuel or combustible - liquid fuel (oil), gaseous (usable gas), solid (coal, oil shale, peat), nuclear fuel (uranium and thorium). These are the main sources of energy for most types of transport, thermal and nuclear power plants, blast furnaces. All of them, except for nuclear fuel, are used in the chemical industry;

- metal ore - ores of ferrous, non-ferrous, rare, precious metals, rare and rare earth metals. They form the basis for the development of modern engineering;

- non-metallic - mining and chemical raw materials (asbestos, graphite,

- mica, talc), building materials (clays, sands, limestones),

— agrochemical raw materials (sulphur, salts, phosphorites, and apatites), etc.

Economic-geographical assessment mineral resources is a complex concept and includes three types of assessments.

It includes: quantification individual resources (for example, coal in tons, gas, wood in cubic meters, etc.), its value increases as the exploration of the resource increases and decreases j as it is exploited; technological, technical (reveals the suitability of resources for economic purposes, their condition and study, the degree of exploration and availability) and cost (in monetary terms).

The total value of explored and estimated mineral resources is 28.6 (or 30.0) trillion US dollars, of which one third is gas (32.2%), 23.3 is coal, 15.7 is oil, and the forecast potential is at 140.2 trillion US dollars (structure: 79.5% - solid fuel, 6.9 - gas, 6.5 - oil).

The natural resource potential of Russia is distributed unevenly across the territory. The main and most promising sources natural resources are located mainly in the East and North of the country and are removed from the developed areas at very considerable distances. The eastern regions account for 90% of the reserves of all fuel resources, more than 80% of hydropower, high specific gravity reserves of ores of non-ferrous and rare metals.

Nature has a huge impact on human economic activity. Climatic features, relief, inland waters, permafrost, soils largely predetermine the specialization of agriculture. Natural conditions influence the development of many industries (mining, forestry, hydropower, etc.).

Human economic activity

For non-traditional types of energy - wind, tidal, geothermal, solar, the natural factor is generally decisive. The natural specificity of the territory affects the features of construction, the development of transport and the resort economy.

To prove this, let us cite as an example the types of human agricultural activities in the tundra and steppe zones.

In the tundra zone, located in the subarctic climatic zone, where the average July temperature barely reaches + 8 ° C and the entire territory is covered with permafrost with an abundance of swamps and absolutely infertile waterlogged and frozen tundra-gley soils, crop production in open field impossible.

The most important branches of agricultural specialization here are the traditional occupations of the inhabitants of the Far North - reindeer herding, hunting and fishing.

In the steppe zone, located in southern regions temperate climate zone, where average July temperatures are + 22 ° C, with insufficient moisture, fertile black earth soils, plant growing is becoming the leading branch of agricultural specialization.

Agriculture here is a developed and diversified form of activity. In the steppe zone, wheat, corn, sugar beet, sunflower, essential oil crops are grown, vegetable growing, melon growing, horticulture and partly viticulture are developed.

Among the branches of animal husbandry, dairy and meat and meat and dairy cattle breeding, horse breeding, pig breeding, sheep breeding and poultry breeding have been developed here.

Nature has an impact on human economic activity.

Prove this by comparing the types of economic activities in different natural areas. For what types of economic activity is the importance of natural conditions especially great? wikipedia
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With the advent and improvement of man, the evolutionary processes of the biosphere have undergone a significant change. At the dawn of its appearance, man had a predominantly local impact on the environment. This was expressed, first of all, in meeting the minimum needs for food and housing.

Ancient hunters, with a decrease in the number of game animals, moved to hunt in other places. Ancient farmers and pastoralists, if the soil was depleted or there was less food, they developed new lands. At the same time, the population of the planet was small. Almost completely absent any industrial production. A small amount of waste and pollution generated at that time as a result of human activities did not pose a danger.

Everything could be utilized due to the destructive function of living matter.

The growth of the world's population, the successful development of animal husbandry, agriculture and scientific and technological progress have determined further development humanity.

More than 7 billion people now live on Earth, by 2030

this number will grow to 10 billion, and by 2050 - up to 12.5 billion people. Providing the population of the Earth with food and energy resources is already an acute problem. Today, about 70% of the world's population lives in countries where there is a constant shortage of food. Non-renewable natural resources are declining catastrophically.

For example, according to scientists' forecasts, humanity will use up all the reserves of metals over the next 200 years.

The economic activity of man present stage is increasingly showing negative examples impact on the biosphere. These include: environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, land desertification, soil erosion. Natural communities are also violated, forests are cut down, rare species plants and animals.

Environmental pollution

Environmental pollution- the entry into the environment of new, uncharacteristic for it solid, liquid and gaseous substances or the excess of their natural level in the environment, which has a negative impact on the biosphere.

Air pollution

Clean air is essential for the life of all living organisms.

In many countries, the problem of maintaining its purity is a state priority. main reason air pollution is the combustion of fossil fuels. Of course, he still plays a leading role in providing energy to all sectors of the economy. To date, the vegetation of the planet is no longer able to fully assimilate the combustion products of liquid and solid fuels.

Carbon oxides (CO and CO2) released into the atmosphere as a result of fuel combustion are the cause of the greenhouse effect.

Sulfur oxides (SO2 and SO3), formed as a result of the combustion of fuel containing sulfur, interact in the atmosphere with water vapor. The end products of such a reaction are solutions of sulfurous (H2SO3) and sulfuric (H2SO4) acids.

These acids fall on the surface of the earth with precipitation, cause acidification of the soil, and lead to human diseases. Most from acid rain forest ecosystems, especially conifers, suffer. They have the destruction of chlorophyll, the underdevelopment of pollen grains, the drying and falling off of the needles.

Nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2), being exposed to ultraviolet rays, are involved in the formation of free radicals in the atmosphere.

Nitrogen oxides lead to the development of a number of pathological conditions in humans and animals. These gases, for example, irritate Airways cause pulmonary edema, etc.

Chlorine compounds make a significant contribution to the destruction of the planet's ozone layer.

For example, one free chlorine radical can destroy up to 100,000 ozone molecules, which is the cause of the formation of ozone holes in the atmosphere.

The causes of radioactive pollution of the atmosphere are accidents at nuclear power plants (for example, at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986).

Testing also contributes to this process. nuclear weapons and improper waste disposal nuclear energy. Radioactive particles that enter the atmosphere are dispersed over long distances, polluting the soil, air, and water bodies.

Transport should also be mentioned as a source of air pollution. The exhaust gases of internal combustion engines contain a wide range of contaminants.

Among them are oxides of carbon and nitrogen, soot, as well as heavy metals and compounds with carcinogenic effects.

Hydrosphere pollution

Fresh water scarcity - global ecological problem. Along with the consumption and shortage of water, the growing pollution of the hydrosphere is a concern.

The main cause of water pollution is the direct discharge of industrial waste and municipal wastewater into aquatic ecosystems.

In this case, with chemicals in aquatic environment biological contaminants (for example, pathogenic bacteria) also enter.

When the heated ones are dropped wastewater, physical (thermal) pollution of the hydrosphere occurs. Such discharges reduce the amount of oxygen in the water, increase the toxicity of impurities and often lead to slaughter (death of aquatic organisms).

Soil pollution

In connection with human economic activity, chemical substances that disrupt soil-forming processes and reduce fertility.

Soil pollution occurs with excessive use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture. Together with organic fertilizers (manure), biological pollutants can penetrate the soil.

What human economic activity has changed the face of the steppes

Depletion of natural resources

Natural resources are people's means of subsistence, which are not created by their labor, but are found in nature.

Their main problem state of the art- reduction in the number of exhaustible and deterioration in the quality of inexhaustible natural resources. This is especially true for animal and plant resources.

Habitat destruction, environmental pollution, overuse of natural resources, poaching significantly reduce the species diversity of plants and animals.

During the existence of mankind, about 70% of forest land has been cut down and destroyed. This caused the extinction of plant species that lived in herbaceous and shrub layers. They could not exist in direct sunlight.

As a result of deforestation, the animal world has also changed. Animal species that were closely related to the tree layers either disappeared or migrated to other places.

It is believed that since 1600, as a result of human activity, about 250 animal species and 1000 plant species have completely disappeared from the face of the Earth. About 1,000 animal species and 25,000 plant species are currently threatened with extinction.

Animal and plant resources are capable of constant renewal.

If the rate of their use does not exceed the rate of natural renewal, then these resources can exist for a very long time.

However, the speed of their renewal is different. Animal populations can recover in a few years. Forests grow in several decades. And soils that have lost their fertility restore it very slowly - over several millennia.

A very important resource problem of the planet is the preservation of the quality of fresh water.

As you know, the total water reserves on the planet are inexhaustible. However, fresh water accounts for only about 3% of the entire hydrosphere. Moreover, only 1% of fresh water is suitable for direct human consumption without prior purification. Approximately 1 billion people on Earth do not have permanent access to fresh water. drinking water. Therefore, humanity should consider fresh water as an exhaustible natural resource. The problem of fresh water is aggravated every year due to the shallowing of rivers and lakes as a result of reclamation measures.

The consumption of water for the needs of agriculture and industry is increasing, water bodies are being polluted by industrial and household waste.

The lack of fresh water and its poor quality also affects people's health.

known to be the most dangerous infectious diseases(cholera, dysentery, etc.) occur in places where access to clean water is difficult.

desertification

desertification- a set of processes that lead to the loss natural community continuous vegetation cover with the impossibility of its restoration without human intervention.

The causes of desertification are mainly anthropogenic factors. This is deforestation, irrational use water resources when irrigating lands, etc. For example, excessive felling of woody mountain vegetation causes natural Disasters- Mudflows, landslides, snow avalanches.

Excessive pressure on pastures with an increase in livestock farming can also lead to desertification. Vegetation cover eaten by animals does not have time to recover, and
soil is subject to various types of erosion.

Soil erosion is the destruction of the fertile soil layer under the influence of wind and water.

Soil erosion occurs due to the mass inclusion of more and more new lands in active land use by man.

To the greatest extent, desertification is typical for areas with an arid climate (deserts, semi-deserts) - the countries of Africa and Asia (especially China).

Today, this problem is international in nature.

Therefore, the UN adopted the International Convention to Combat Desertification, which was signed by almost 200 states.

The main consequences of human economic activity are environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources and desertification of lands.

Preventing the destructive influence of the anthropogenic factor on the biosphere is today an important universal problem, in the solution of which every inhabitant of the Earth should participate.

Steppe- plain in temperate and subtropical zones overgrown with herbaceous vegetation.

The steppes are playing big role in the life of nature in Russia. They are located in the south of the country, in particular, near the Black Sea and the Caucasus, as well as in the Ob valley and in Transbaikalia.

The soil is chernozem, lying most often on a layer of loess-like clays with a significant lime content.

This chernozem in the northern strip of the steppe reaches the greatest thickness and obesity, as it sometimes contains up to 16% of humus. To the south, the chernozem becomes poorer in humus, becomes lighter and turns into chestnut soils, and then completely disappears.

Steppe climate

In the steppe regions, the climate is temperate continental, winters are cold, sunny and snowy, and summers are hot and dry. The average temperature in January is -19 °C, in July - +19 °C, with typical deviations up to -35 °C and +35 °C. The climate of the steppes is also characterized by a long frost-free period, high average annual and average monthly temperatures.

Human activity in the steppes

There is little precipitation here - from 300 to 450 mm.

Vegetable world

The vegetation consists mainly of grasses growing in small tufts, between which bare soil is visible. Most common different kinds feather grass, especially feather grass with silky white feathery awns. It often covers large areas. On very fat steppes, species of feather grass develop, differing in much larger sizes.

Smaller feather grass grows on dry barren steppes. After feather grass, the most important role is played by various species of the genus Tonkonog ( Koeleria). They are found everywhere in the steppe, but play a special role east of the Ural Mountains, some species are excellent food for sheep.

The stock of plant mass in the steppes is much less than in the forest zone.

Animal world

Both in terms of species composition and some ecological features, the fauna of the steppe has much in common with the fauna of the desert.

Just like in the desert, the steppe is characterized by high aridity, only slightly less than in the desert. Animals are active in summer, mostly at night. Many of them are drought-resistant or active in spring, when there is still moisture left after winter. Of the ungulates, species are typical that are distinguished by sharp eyesight and the ability to run quickly and for a long time; from rodents - building complex holes (ground squirrels, marmots, mole rats) and jumping species (jerboas).

Most of the birds fly away for the winter. The steppe eagle, bustard, steppe harrier, steppe kestrel, and lark are common for the steppe. Reptiles and insects are numerous.

Soils

The climate of the steppes is very dry, so the steppe lands suffer from a lack of moisture. Due to the fertility of the land, there are many arable lands and places for grazing livestock, so the steppes suffer.

The soil in the steppe is chernozem, lying most often on a thickness of loess-like clays, with a significant content of lime. This chernozem in the northern strip of the steppe reaches the greatest thickness and obesity, as it sometimes contains up to 16% of humus. To the south, the chernozem becomes smaller, it becomes lighter and turns into chestnut soils, and then completely disappears.

Economic activity

Human economic activity in the steppe zone is limited by natural conditions.

Common cattle breeding and agriculture. Mainly grown cereals, vegetables, melons culture. But, often, irrigation is required.

bred large cattle meat and dairy breeds, sheep and horses. Settlements are common along water bodies - rivers or artificial ponds.

The steppe is a great place to practice agriculture, both for crop production, growing crops such as wheat, corn, sunflower, and for grazing, thanks to the presence of herbs.

Agricultural activity is traditionally developed in the steppe regions.

Role in literature

N. V. Gogol described the steppe very vividly and picturesquely in his story "Taras Bulba":

Never has a plow passed over immeasurable waves of wild plants; only the horses, hiding in them, as in a forest, trampled them. Nothing in nature could be better: the entire surface of the earth seemed to be a green-gold ocean, over which millions of different colors splashed.

Through the thin, tall stalks of grass, blue, blue and purple hairs showed through; yellow gorse jumped up with its pyramidal top; white porridge was full of umbrella-shaped caps on the surface; brought in, God knows where, an ear of wheat poured into the thick. Partridges darted under their thin roots, stretching out their necks.

The air was filled with a thousand different bird whistles. The hawks stood motionless in the sky, spreading their wings and motionlessly fixing their eyes on the grass. The cry of a cloud of wild geese moving to the side resounded in God knows what distant lake.

A gull rose from the grass with measured waves and luxuriously bathed in the blue waves of the air; there she disappeared in the sky and only flickers like one black dot! There she turned her wings and flashed before the sun! Damn you, steppes, how good you are!”

Khomutovskaya steppe.

A herd of horses grazes in freedom

Economic use of the steppe zone

The steppe zone, together with the forest-steppe, is the main granary of the country, the area of cultivation of wheat, corn, sunflower, millet, gourds, and in the west - industrial horticulture and viticulture.

Agriculture in the steppe zone is combined with a developed animal husbandry (cattle, horse breeding, sheep breeding and poultry farming). In the west of the zone, the development of land for arable farming can be considered complete: the plowing of the territory has reached 70-80% here. In Kazakhstan and Siberia, the percentage of plowing is much lower. And although here not all land funds suitable for plowing have been exhausted, the percentage of plowing of the Kazakh and Siberian steppes will continue to be lower compared to the European steppes due to increased salinity and stony soils.

The reserves of arable land in the steppe zone are insignificant.

In the northern, chernozem subzone, they make up about 1.5 million hectares (development of solonetsous chernozems, meadow-chernozem and floodplain soils). In the southern subzone, plowing of 4-6 million hectares of solonetzic chestnut soils is possible, but this will require complex anti-saline measures, and irrigation to obtain sustainable crops.

In the steppe zone, the problem of combating droughts and wind erosion of soils is more acute than in the forest-steppe. For this reason, snow retention, field-protective afforestation, and artificial irrigation are of particular importance here.

The rich soil and climatic resources of the zone are complemented by a variety of minerals.

Among them are deposits of iron ore (Krivoy Rog, Sokolovsko-Sarbaiskoye, Lisakovskoe, Ayatskoe, Ekibastuz), manganese (Nikopol), coal (Karaganda), natural gas(Stavropol, Orenburg), chromites (Mugodzhary), rock salt (Sol-Iletsk), phosphorites (Aktyubinsk).

Located on the territory of one of the natural zones most developed by man, many mineral deposits are quite well studied and widely developed, contributing to industrial development steppe regions of the USSR.

Literature.

Economic activity of people in the steppe. Help!

Milkov F.N. Natural zones of the USSR / F.N. Milkov. - M .: Thought, 1977. - 296 p.

More articles about the steppe