A small number of high-altitude zones. Altitude zonation - Knowledge Hypermarket

Altitudinal zonality - natural change natural conditions in the mountains as the absolute height increases.

All these reasons lead to the formation of different climatic conditions, different soils, plants, and altitude zones.

There are several belts of altitudinal zonation.

1. Foothill belt (can be represented by any zone depending on location) - average temperature up to + 15 ° С.

2. Mountain forest belt - average temperature + 15 - + 8 ° С.

3. Subalpine belt - average temperature + 5 ° С.

4. Alpine belt - average temperature + 3 ° С.

5. Belt of eternal snows (nival belt).

The number of altitudinal zones, as a rule, increases with the height of the mountains and as they approach the equator, i.e. the further south and higher the mountains, the more belts can be observed, for example, mountains Central Asia begin with deserts.

Many features of the altitudinal zonality are determined by the exposure of the slopes, their location in relation to the prevailing air masses and the distance from the oceans. The northern slopes receive a minimum of radiation, while the southern slopes receive a maximum (in the northern hemisphere). Therefore, vegetation changes on the southern and northern slopes. On the southern slopes above the boundary of eternal ice forest border.

Altitudinal zonation has a number of similarities with latitudinal zoning, however, in the mountains, the change in natural territorial complexes occurs more abruptly (at intervals of several kilometers compared to hundreds and thousands of kilometers on the plains).

The location of zones of high-altitude zonation is observed where there are mountains.

Climatic conditions:

Strong winds

Severe frost when lifting for every 100 m the temperature drops by 0.5-1 ° С, daily temperature drops,

Strong solar radiation

Low humidity,

Strong rarefaction of air.

2. Plants of the mountains

Climatic differences affect plants. The mountains have a wide variety of soils and climates, so there is a wide variety of vegetation in the mountains.

Attachments:

Alpine flora is mainly slow-growing perennial plants that bloom only after sufficient food reserves have been accumulated. Some of them are succulents (sedum), storing water in fleshy stems and leaves.

Edelweiss has a protective felt-like coating. The hairs keep the air layer near the plant, the ambient temperature is not afraid of it.

Some plants (glacial buttercups) accumulate a large amount of cell sap, which allows the cells to keep from freezing. Other plants have developed root system, which allows you to fix and get food.

Due to the lack of pollinating insects, mountain plants self-pollinate. The flowers of the alpine meadows are pollinated by the wind. The seeds are dropped at the time of germination.

Mountains of the temperate zone.

Such mountains as the Alps, Caucasus, Karaty, Crimea begin with broad-leaved forests, then there are birch groves and then - coniferous forest.

Spruce in Europe up to 1700m,

Fir in Siberia up to 2000m,

Larch in Siberia up to 2500m,

Mountain ash up to 2400m,

Beech up to 1700m,

Oak (petiolate, rocky, large-fruited, Georgian),

Cedar (Lebanese, Atlas, Himalayan) up to 2400m.

Cedar pine (Siberian and European) from 1200 to 2600m, mountain alder,

Juniper,

Rhododendron (Pyrenees, Alps, Himalayas, Caucasus) up to 3000m,

Lichen bearded.

Subalpine belt represented by undersized shrubs and individual trees (crooked forest), including rhododendron, blueberry, dwarf pine, Caucasian birch. From herbs grow alder-leaved fire, variegated fescue, changeable fire, large-flowered capital letter, meat-red highlander, dark red mytnik, lilies, clover.

Alpine meadows. Shrub thickets are increasingly thinning, giving way to alpine meadows covered with a thick carpet of colorful flowering plants.Alpine low-growing meadows are similar to tundra. The plants are very small, but have large brightly colored flowers.Grow:

Daffodils,

Galanthuses - white snowdrops (in spring),

Forget-me-nots,

The drooping bikini

Alpine poppies,

Genetics stemless and yellow genetics,

Alpine bells,

Lumbago golden,

Glacial buttercups,

Alpine clover,

Saxifrage,

Meadow sycamore,

Cornflower meadow,

Ear primrose,

Edelweiss,

Lavender,

Rejuvenated,

Arnica (medicinal),

St. John's wort (up to 1600m),

Mother and stepmother (up to 3000m),

Digitalis (poisonous medicine, up to 1000 m),

Belladonna (up to 1500m).

Shrub - crowded wolf (a relative of the wolf bast). Dwarf willows grow.

Even higher, only lichens and algae are found. Lichens grow on bare rock surfaces and on moraine rocks - rock deposits left by glaciers as they retreat. Crusty (crustal) lichens form a dust-like cover on the rocks, and foliose ones form a rounded flattened growth. Lichens help crush rock into small particles. Algae cover stones with a reddish crust, and "red snow" owes its color to a huge number of these tiny unicellular plants growing on the snow in the upper part of the glaciers.

So, the mountains of Russia, starting with forests: Carpathians, Northern Urals, North-Eastern Siberia, Far East.

Mountains starting with steppe: Baikal and Transbaikal, Southern Urals, Altai, Northern Tien Shan.

Tropical mountains

The climate and mountain vegetation of the tropics differ from the climate in the temperate zone. Although seasonal temperature fluctuations are insignificant here, the difference between their extreme values ​​day and night is very large. Over humid tropical mountainthe forest is a crooked forest (elfin), consisting of dwarf and stunted trees covered with moss and lichen. Average temperature + 10 ° С, fog. Trees grow up 7 m tall, lianas, mosses, lichens, ferns.

In Africa, in Uganda, at an altitude of 3500- 5000 m Giant lobelias and tree daisies grow, reaching heights 9 m ... At night, their large leaves in the form of huge rosettes curl up around the central bud, protecting it from the cold. The plant stems are protected from frost with a layer of wilted leaves or thick cork bark. On the back of the leaves of the tree daisy, there is a silvery reflective layer of hairs, which reduces heat loss due to radiation. There are dense grassy hummocks between these giant plants. They are covered with a layer of moss that grows on bare soil, which becomes loose and cracks under the influence of night frosts.

3. Animal world

Individual representatives of the fauna can be found at maximum altitudes. At the very bottom of the food chain are tiny wingless insects -springtails that feed on a variety of organic material, including pollen, seeds, and other insects, carried to mountain tops by warm updrafts. In turn, springtails serve as food forspider mites able to survive in cold winters.Beetles, centipedes, flies and spiders also devour large numbers of springtails.

Attida spiders were spotted on Mount Everest at a record height - 6700 m ... These small invertebrates congregate under rocks, where humidity remains constant with small daily temperature fluctuations. At the end of summer, large quantitiesladybirds accumulate in shelters much higher than the snow line (snow line), where they winter. This behavior is usually seen following an outbreak of ladybird population growth after a hot summer.

Butterflies live Apollo (Russia) and isabella (Pyrenees, Alps).

To protect against increased solar radiation, many insects, small amphibians and reptiles have darker pigmentation than their relatives inhabiting the lowlands. Pigmentation absorbs shortwave ultraviolet radiation. In addition, dark pigments absorb more heat and heat up the body. So, they have a dark coloralpine salamander (European amphibian) andTasmanian metal skink - a small lizard. Both of these animals are viviparous and therefore bypass the vulnerable egg-laying stage.

Birds in the mountains are found everywhere - from the foot to the top.

Mountain forests:

- nutcracker (lives with pine thickets - Italian pine),

- gray-haired woodpecker, three-toed woodpecker (males can be recognized by the yellow stripe on the ridge, lives in the spruce forest)

- shaggy owl,

- wood grouse (oak forests, coniferous forests of Western Europe),

- black grouse (forest edges, Scotland, Pyrenees, Eastern Siberia up to 2300m).

Subalpine belt:

- lemon reel inhabits higher, where the forest is thinning and gives way to an open rocky surface with rare trees.

- stone partridge live on rocky sunny slopes overgrown with dwarf pines, juniper and rhododendron.

- blue and variegated stone thrushes live on rocks and bushes.

- dippers (dive and walk along the bottom of the reservoir in search of food).

Alpine belt:

- ptarmigan distributed in the arctic alpine zone and lives high in the mountains on rocky and snow-covered slopes, as well as in the polar tundra.

- British mountain horse in Central Europe living just below the snow fields.

- ulars distributed in a limited area, with each species holding on to a certain mountain range - for example, the Caucasus or the Himalayas.

- snow finches - small birds living higher than others in the mountains, at an altitude of about 4000 m ... They fly in small flocks over rocky deserts and snowy fields.

- alpine jackdaws live on high cliffs up to the snow line (up to 9000m), has a yellow beak, red paws and black feathers.

- white-bellied swifts nest on rocks. Their wings are larger than those of the black swift, and during flight they are strongly bent back in the form of a sickle. They can soar in the air for a long time, feeding on small organisms, only sometimes making several quick flaps of their wings.

- alpine accentor (also in the subalpine belt).

- red-winged wall climber - a bird the size of a sparrow, climbs the rocks, flapping its wings, which serve as a support. With tenacious, widely spaced claws, it clings to the unevenness of the rocks and from the cracks gets insects, spiders and their larvae, eggs.

Predator birds: (chicks hatch on bare isolated rocks)

- golden eagle (rare, wings 2 m , eats partridges, marmots, hares)

- Eagle ,

- condor (scavenger, Andes and Cordillera, wings 3m ),

- vultures (scavenger, Old World Mountains),

- griffon vulture (scavenger, Southern Europe, Asia),

- bearded lamb (Africa, Himalayas, Tien Shan, Caucasus, Europe up to 7000m, rare; wingspan up to 2.5 m.

Mammals:

(they have warm wool, skillfully climb the mountain slopes, in winter they descend from the mountains to the valleys)

- mountain goats (alpine ibex, Siberian goat) ,

- markhor goat (mountains of Asia),

- chamois (wild goat),

- mountain sheep (Tien Shan, Pamir argali, Crimean mouflon, Altai argali),

- yaks (lives up to 6000 m in the mountains of Tibet and feeds mainly on mosses and lichens. Thanks to its barrel-shaped torso and short legs, its body surface area is relatively small, resulting in less heat loss. Under the long shaggy fur of the yak is another layer of thick fur),

- marmots (alpine meadows),

- white hare,

- ermine,

- Wolf,

- Brown bear (up to 1800m)

- grizzly (Canada, Mexico, Rocky Mountains),

- Himalayan bear (white-breasted - Asian mountains for 4000m),

- spectacled bear (Andes from 1800 to 4000m),

- giant panda (bamboo groves of the Tibetan plateau from 1200 to 3400m),

- cougar (cougar, Andes, Rocky mountains up to 4000m),

- Lynx (mountain forests of Europe and Asia, North America),

- irbis, snow leopard (mountains of Asia up to 5000m),

- manul (valleys of the Asian mountains up to 5500m),

- Amur tiger (Primorsky Krai),

- desman (Pyrenees are mountain rivers)

- llamas, alpaca, vicuna, guanaco (high-altitude plateaus up to 5500m. To compensate for the lack of oxygen at such altitudes, vicunas have a large number of additional red blood cells. They live in small herds, numbering, in addition to a single male, 6-12 females). Llamas (beasts of burden) and alpacas (wool) are domesticated.

Tropical mountains

In the mountains of Africa livesgorilla (Congo up to 4000m)

In Japan - Japanese macaque.

1. The peoples of the highlands:

IRBIS (snow leopard) (Panthera uncia), a feline mammal. Body length 120- 150 cm, tail 70-100 cm , height at withers 50- 60 cm, weight 23 - 40 kg ... The body is elongated, squat. The head is small and round. The eyes are large, the pupil is round. The ears are short with a rounded apex. The limbs are relatively short. Feet are wide and massive. Retractable nails. The fur is soft, high, thick. The tail is covered with high, thick fur. The general background is light gray; large annular and small solid spots of black or dark gray are scattered over it. The belly and inner parts of the limbs are lighter than the back.

The area covers Mongolia, Tibet, the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, the mountains of Central Asia and South Siberia. In summer, it keeps at the border of the snow line at a height 5500 m , in the zone of subalpine and alpine meadows. In winter, following the ungulates, it descends to 1800 m ... Prefers rocky areas. Active at dusk. He hunts mainly mountain goats and rams, as well as marmots, ground squirrels, hares, mouse-like rodents, snowcocks, and chukots. Leopards live in pairs. They make their lairs in caves and crevices between stones. Reproduction in January-May. During the mating season, they make loud meowing sounds. Pregnancy 93-110 days. There are 2-3 cubs in the litter. In the first days after the appearance of the young, the female warms them up, covering the den with wool torn from her own body. Sexual maturity occurs at 2-3 years. Life expectancy up to 18 years. In 1971, the International Fur Trade Federation banned the trade in snow leopard fur. It is successfully kept in zoos, breeds in captivity. Due to the decrease in the number of ungulates and the capture of snow leopards for zoos, it is under the threat of extinction (in the IUCN Red List).

ARKHAR, a cloven-hoofed animal of the genus of rams, a subspecies of mountain ram, distinguished by its large body size (height at the withers 120 cm, weight 200 kg ) and powerful, spiral-wrapped horns. Sometimes all subspecies of mountain sheep (up to ten subspecies) are called argali, but more often only Central Asian and Transcaucasian subspecies are referred to them. The Pamir mountain sheep (Ovis ammon polii) is considered a classic example of argali, the honor of the discovery of which is attributed to Marco Polo. Argali are referred to as the ancestors of the domestic sheep

GOATS (mountain goats), a group of genera of cloven-hoofed animals of the subfamily of goats and rams of the bovine family; includes primarily the genus of the mountain goats proper (Asian teks and Caucasian turs, bezoar goat). Length 100- 170 cm ... Both males and females have horns. Goats are common in North Africa and Eurasia, including the Caucasus Mountains, Central Asia and South Siberia. The number of most species is declining. Wild goats are the ancestors of domestic goats. Several species of goats are listed in the International Red Book.

VINTOROGY GOAT (Markhor, Capra falkoneri), an artiodactyl mammal of the genus of true mountain goats (Capra). It stands somewhat apart from other mountain goats and markhor is often singled out as a special subgenus. Body length up to 1.7 m, height up to 100 cm; weight of males 80-120 kg, females - 40-60 kg ... The horns are spirally twisted (the left horn from the beast to the right, the right horn to the left). The horn trunk is strongly flattened, laterally compressed, and has well-defined anterior and posterior ribs. Males have a large beard, on the neck and chest dewlap, especially lush and long in winter fur. The color is reddish-sandy or grayish-red; the dewlap is light, whitish.

Markhor is common in Central and South Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, northwest India, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It lives on the slopes of rocky gorges, overgrown with bushes or woodlands, usually at an altitude of 1500- 3000 m (below the Alpine and Siberian goats). In winter, markhor often descends to the lower belt of the mountains, sometimes to the desert-steppe belt at an altitude of 800–900 m above sea level. In summer, he grazes at night, early in the morning and in the evening, in winter - all daylight hours. The grape goat feeds on herbaceous vegetation, leaves and shrub shoots.

For most of the year, adult males and females keep separately, in small groups of 3-5 heads. In autumn during the rut and in winter, it forms mixed herds of up to 20-30 heads. The rut takes place in November-December. Little kids (usually 1-2) appear in late April – May, milk feeding continues until autumn. The horned goat is small in number everywhere, it is listed in the International Red Book. This species is probably one of the ancestors of domestic goats.

VICUNYA (Vicugna vicugna), the only species of the same genus (Vicugna) of mammals of the family of camelids of the genus of llamas. Vicuna body length 1.25- 1.9 m, height 70-110 cm, weight 40-50 kg ... Unlike guanacos and llamas, the vicuña's head is shorter, and the ears and hair are longer. The color of the coat is reddish, a dewlap is formed on the neck and chest with a length of 20 35 cm.

Vicuña is common in the highlands of the Andes. Like guanacos, it keeps in family herds of 5-15 females, under the leadership of an adult male. Young males form temporary, easily disintegrating groups of 20-30 animals. Vicuñas are herbivorous. The rut occurs from April to June, and the pregnancy lasts 10-11 months.

The Incas, and later other Indians of South America, drove large herds, sheared their wool, and then released them. In the 20th century, as a result of predatory extermination (mainly due to valuable wool), the vicuna's range was greatly reduced. She was listed in the International Red Book. Thanks to measures taken since the middle of the 20th century, the number of animals is gradually recovering. Work is underway on the domestication and breeding of vicunas. Vicuña, crossed with guanacos, is domesticated (alpaca).

ULARS (mountain turkeys Tetraogallus) - a genus of birds of the pheasant family, includes five species: Caucasian snowcock, Caspian snowcock, Himalayan snowcock, Altai snowcock, Tibetan snowcock. The length of these birds is about 60 cm, weight up to 3 kg ... They are common in the mountains of Asia. Ulars are a young group of species that arose and developed under the influence of the isolation of the high-mountainous regions of the Palaearctic, which occurred during the development of mountain-building processes of alpine folding at the end of the Tertiary and in the Quaternary period. The evolution of the ulars followed the development of mountain systems, and, in fact, the ulars were the brainchild of the geomorphological evolution of the earth's crust, which led to the emergence of modern mountain systems and to profound climate changes on the globe.

Yak (Bos mutus), a species of bovine mammal of the genus of true bulls. Sometimes yaks are separated into a separate subgenus Poophagus. Height at withers up to 2 m , the mass of old bulls is up to a ton. There is a slight hump at the withers, which makes the back seem very sloping. Horns up to 95–100 cm long. Exceptionally warm hairline helps yaks survive in extreme conditions: on most of the body, the hair is thick and even, and on the legs, sides and belly it is long and shaggy. Here she forms a kind of skirt that reaches almost to the ground. Of the sense organs, yaks have the best developed sense of smell, vision and hearing are much weaker.

Yaks have survived in the wild in Tibet and the Himalayas. They inhabit treeless alpine rubble semi-deserts, climbing mountains to a height 6 km ... In August and September, yaks go to the border of eternal snows, and spend the winter in the valleys, content with the scarce vegetation that they can get from under the snow. Yaks do not form large herds, more often they keep in groups of 3-5 animals. Old bulls are solitary. They usually graze in the morning and before sunset. They sleep at night, sheltered from the cold. The rut happens in September-October. Calving takes place in June. The calf is not separated from its mother for about a year. Adult yaks are armed with horns, fierce and very strong. Wolves dare to attack them only in a large flock. A wounded or angry yak can attack a person.

The structure of the altitudinal zonation of the Caucasus is the most complete in comparison with other mountains Russian Federation... According to UNESCO World Heritage experts, the region has a remarkable diversity of geology, ecosystems and species, contains vast tracts of undisturbed mountain forests, unique on a European scale. Let's take an example of this majestic mountain system, on which the set of altitudinal zones depends. Let's find out how the population uses and the resources of each of the vertical zones.

Altitude zones in the mountains

Vertical zoning - or altitudinal zoning - geographic pattern, which manifests itself in the change of plant communities from the foothills to the peaks. Different from latitudinal alternation natural areas on the plains, which is caused by a decrease in the amount of solar radiation from the equator to the poles. A complete set of altitudinal zones are presented in which are located in the equatorial and tropical zones. We list all possible vertical natural zones (from the foot to the top):

1. (up to an altitude of 1200 m).
2. Mountain forests.
3. Alpine forests (up to 3000 m).
4. Low-growing, twisted trees, shrubs (up to 3800 m).
5. Alpine meadows (up to 4500 m).
6. Stony wastelands, bare rocks.
7. Snow, mountain glaciers.

What does the set of altitude zones depend on?

The existence of altitudinal belts is explained by the decrease in temperature, pressure and humidity with increasing altitude. The air is cooled by an average of 6 ° C during an ascent of 1 km. For every 12 m of height, there is a decrease in atmospheric pressure by 1 mm of mercury.

In the mountains, which are located at different distances from the equator, the vertical zoning is significantly different. At the same time, different natural complexes arise.

Let's list what the set of altitudinal zones depends on, what conditions affect their formation:

• The geographical position of the mountains. The closer to the equator, the more vertical zones.
• Low mountains are usually occupied by the natural community that dominates the adjacent plain.
• The height of the mountains. The higher they are, the richer the set of belts. The farther from the warm latitudes and the lower the mountains, the fewer zones (in the Northern Urals there are only 1-2).
• The proximity of seas and oceans, over which warm and humid air is formed.
• Influence of dry cold or warm air masses coming from the continent.

Vertical change of natural zones in the mountains of the Western Caucasus

There are altitudinal belts of the Caucasus, belonging to two types of vertical zoning: continental and coastal (coastal). The second is represented in the mountains of the Western Caucasus, influenced by the Atlantic, humid sea air.

Let's list the main altitudinal belts from the foothills to the peaks:

1. Meadow steppes, interrupted by clumps of oak, hornbeam, ash (up to 100 m).

2. Forest belt.

3. Subalpine crooked forest and tall grass meadows (at an altitude of 2000 m).

4. Low-grass rich in bells, cereals and umbrella plants.

5. Nival zone (at an altitude of 2800-3200 m).

The Latin word nivalis means "cold". In this belt, in addition to bare rocks, snow and glaciers, there are alpine plants: buttercups, primroses, plantain and others.

Altitudinal zonation of the Eastern Caucasus

In the east, there are slightly different altitudinal belts of the Caucasus, which are often called the continental or Dagestan type of vertical zoning. In the foothills, semi-deserts are widespread, which are replaced by dry steppes with a predominance of grasses and wormwood. Above, there are thickets of xerophytic shrubs and rare forest vegetation. The next alpine one is represented by a mountain steppe, cereal meadows. On the slopes that receive part of the Atlantic humid air, there are forests of broad-leaved species (oak, hornbeam and beech). In the Eastern Caucasus, the forest belt is replaced by subalpine and alpine meadows with a predominance of xerophytic plants at an altitude of about 2800 m (in the Alps, the border of this belt is at an altitude of 2200 m). The nival zone extends at an altitude of 3600-4000 m.

Comparison of the altitudinal zonality of the Eastern and Western Caucasus

The number of altitudinal zones in the Eastern Caucasus is less than in the Western, which is due to the influence of air masses, relief and other factors on the formation of natural zones in the mountains. For example, warm and humid Atlantic air hardly penetrates to the east, it is held back by the main ridge. At the same time, cold temperate air does not penetrate into the western part of the Caucasus.

The main differences in the structure of the high-altitude belts of the Eastern Caucasus from the Western:

• the presence of semi-deserts in the foothills;
• the lower belt of dry steppes;
• narrow forest zone;
• thickets of xerophytic shrubs at the lower border of the forest belt;
• lack of a belt of coniferous forests
• steppes in the middle and high parts of the mountains;
• expansion of the mountain meadow belt;
• higher location of snow and glaciers.
• forest vegetation only in valleys;
• dark coniferous tree species are almost not found.

Economic activity of the population

The composition of the natural zones of the Caucasus is due to changes in climatic indicators within the mountain system from the foot to the peaks, as well as from west to east. Having found out what determines the set of altitude zones, it should be noted that the region has a high population density, especially on the Black Sea coast. The fertile steppe plains of the Ciscaucasia are almost completely plowed up and are occupied by crops of grain, industrial and melon crops, orchards, vineyards. Subtropical agriculture is developed, including the cultivation of tea, citrus fruits, peaches and walnuts. Mountain rivers have a large reserve of hydropower and are used for irrigation of low-water areas. Steppes, semi-deserts and meadows serve as pastures. In the mountain-forest belt, timber is harvested.

All high-altitude zones in the Caucasus Mountains have wide opportunities for tourism. The system of medium and high mountain ranges, covered with forest, glaciers and snow, attracts fans of skiing and snowboarding. The routes involve overcoming rocks, snow-covered slopes, mountain rivers. Clean air of mixed forests, picturesque landscapes, the sea coast are the main recreational resources of the Caucasus.