The taiga biome, also known as a fascinating ecological phenomenon, spans the northern latitudes globe from North America to Eurasia. The taiga is a difficult place to live, so plants and animals must be adapted to harsh climatic conditions, soil and terrain to survive. The soil of the boreal forest is cold, swampy and poorly suited for plant growth.
Surprisingly, it exists whole line various plants, which are able to withstand the long, harsh winters and short, fleeting summers of the taiga, and they range from big trees to tiny lichens. The taiga flora plays a certain role in this unique ecosystem.
Due to tough weather conditions and climate, not many plants survive in the Taiga. The main threats to flora are forestry, Forest fires, insects and pesticides. Species composition trees of the boreal forest consists of black spruce, white spruce, banks pine, American larch, paper birch, aspen, balsam poplar, etc. Below is an expanded list of taiga plants, which includes trees, shrubs, herbs, berries, flowers and lichens growing in boreal forests.
Flora of the taiga:
Balsam fir
Balsam fir is a coniferous tree from the pine family, common in the taiga of North America. Their relatively small height and branches growing from top to bottom make balsam fir well adapted to heavy snowfalls. These trees are a favorite shelter for.
Menzies's Pseudo-tsuga
Pseudosuga Menzies, or Douglas fir, or Pseudosuga thyssolifolia is a species of coniferous trees growing in the western part of the North American continent. These evergreen trees are an incredibly valuable source of food for animals. Pseudotsuga Menzies are tall, thick-trunked trees that can grow up to 100 m in height, with a trunk diameter of 4-5 m.
White fir
White fir, also known as comb fir, European white fir and Norway fir, is a tree of the pine family, common in South and Central Europe. White fir got its name because of its light-colored bark. The height of the trees varies from 30 to 50 m (in rare cases up to 60 m), and the average trunk diameter is 1.5 m.
Black spruce
Black spruce, like Pseudohemlock mensis, is a much narrower coniferous tree with drooping branches that give it a pyramid-like shape. Black spruce is a very durable tree and it has special features that are very well adapted to the difficult climatic conditions of the taiga.
Gray spruce
Gray spruce, or Canada spruce, or white spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree similar to black spruce, but with a much lighter trunk and leaves. White spruce is native to North America, where it grows from northern Alaska to Newfoundland.
Siberian spruce
Siberian spruce is a tall coniferous tree, with branches hanging down like a black spruce from top to bottom. Widely distributed in Siberian regions taiga is one of the main sources of wood for the Russian logging industry.
Banks Pine
Banks pine is a species of coniferous tree in the pine family, native to Canada and the northeastern regions of the United States. Often found on mountain slopes, it is well adapted to drought, severe frosts and is undemanding to the soil.
Scots pine
Scots pine is a widespread coniferous tree in Europe and Asia, easily recognizable by its reddish-orange bark. Average height trees is 35 m and the trunk diameter is about 1 m. Scots pine is regularly used in the timber industry.
Red cedar
Juniperus virginiana is a small coniferous tree from the cypress family, growing in various climatic zones of North America from Florida to the Canadian taiga. Externally, Virginia juniper looks more like a large bush, rather than a tree.
Paper birch
Paper birch is a plant in the birch family that gets its name from its bark, which resembles paper when peeled off. IN wildlife found in the northern part of North America, and is also cultivated in Europe and Russia. These trees are used for a variety of purposes, ranging from boat building to making birch syrup.
Gmelin larch
Gmelin larch is a species of coniferous tree, a member of the pine family. It is one of the most durable trees in the world, found in most of the coldest northern regions of the planet, and is especially abundant in the Siberian taiga.
Tamarack
American larch is a coniferous tree from the pine family native to the North American taiga region. These trees love the cold and also prefer wet and swampy areas, which are available in many parts of the taiga. North American taiga regions. It is the most commonly used wood for making snowshoes.
White poplar
White poplar - fast growing deciduous tree from the willow family. Loves moisture, which is more than abundant in the taiga. The average height of the tree is 16-27 m (sometimes more), and the trunk thickness is up to 2 m.
Hemlock
Hemlock - evergreen coniferous trees the pine family, which especially thrives in the cool, humid regions of Asia and North America. The genus includes 10 species of trees, 4 of which grow in North America and 6 in Asia.
The dwarf pine, or dwarf cedar, is a low bush-like tree from the pine family, which is found in the Far East, Eastern Siberia, northeast Mongolia, northeast China, North Korea and Japan. Elf cedar is capable of reaching 4-5 m in height, but this can take hundreds or thousands of years (Yes! These plants can live that long!).
Willow
Don't expect to see the classic willow in the taiga, but there are many species that are adapted to harsh climates. Unlike their tall counterparts, taiga willows are usually short, and sometimes there are specimens only a few centimeters in height.
Rose hip
Rosehip is a genus of shrubby plants from the Rosaceae family. Many types of rose hips are common in temperate and subtropical zones, but there are species that prefer more northern regions. These are low plants, about 2-3 m, which are well protected by thorns from attacks by animals on the beautiful flowers.
Kalmia angustifolia
Kalmia angustifolia is an evergreen shrub plant common in the taiga. The height of the plant varies from 15 cm to 1.5 m. Kalmia angustifolia blooms in the summer, the flowers are raspberry-pink in color, and the leaves are green throughout the year.
Green alder
Green alder is a shrub tree from the birch family. Despite its name, the leaves and branches of the plant may have a reddish tint. Green alder blooms in the warm season. Widely distributed in the taiga zone of North America and Eurasia, loves regions with high humidity.
Ivan-tea angustifolia
This small herbaceous plant loves taiga regions, which have a heavy upper canopy cover, and grows among forest clearings in dark, damp places.
Cranberry
The taiga is rich in swamps and wetlands, which attracts plants such as cranberries that thrive in similar conditions.
Cowberry
Lingonberries are an integral part of the diet of many animals. This is an exceptionally hardy evergreen plant, which makes lingonberry a typical representative of the taiga flora.
Ledum
Ledum is a shrubby plant with relatively small white flowers and fuzzy leaves. Often found around wetlands.
Common waxweed
Another type of low-growing shrub that loves the humid environment of the taiga, and has a number of amazing adaptations - such as long creeping roots, which allow it to live in areas unsuitable for other flora.
Cotton grass
Cotton grass - perennial flowering plant, preferring wetlands. Distributed in northern regions North America, Europe, Russia and Asia.
Lichens
Trees plus moisture equals thriving lichens, and lots of lichens equals lots of happy animals! As in other ecosystems, lichens play an important role in the taiga, providing valuable nutrients for animals living in the harshest climates.
Sphagnum
Sphagnum, also known as peat moss, is a genus of moss widespread in the Northern Hemisphere around bogs and boggy areas of the taiga. Peat moss is a very hardy plant that contributes to waterlogging.
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Russian taiga
A third of the Russian territory is occupied by taiga. In its natural state, it is dense and inaccessible, representing a strip of harsh coniferous forest with swampy soils, windfalls and windfalls.
The border of the taiga in the north coincides with the northern border of the forests, and the southern border is within the range of oak, but it is not found in the taiga.
Within the European part of Russia, the taiga border runs from the Gulf of Finland to the Urals. In the Asian part it stretches across all of Siberia, including Kamchatka and Sakhalin. There are no forests in the extreme northeast of Siberia, but in the southwest and southeast the taiga turns into a strip of mixed and deciduous forests.
Definition 1
Taiga is a biome with a predominance of coniferous forests.
A detailed analysis of the concept of taiga was given by the botanist P.N. Krylov in 1898. According to him, this is a dark coniferous boreal closed forest, which is the opposite of pine and larch forests and pine forests.
The taiga zone is the largest in terms of area, having a width of 2150 km in the Asian part. The formation of this area of the earth's surface occurred before the appearance of glaciers.
The climatic conditions of the European and Asian taiga differ - the climate of the taiga of the European part of Russia is relatively warm and humid, winters are cool and sometimes cold. Precipitation falls on average up to 600 mm per year.
As you move eastward, the climate acquires continental features, the amount of precipitation decreases to 200 mm, summers are hot and winters are severe.
The relief throughout the taiga is heterogeneous. Taiga of the European part of Russia and Western Siberia low-lying and swampy. In Eastern Siberia, between the Yenisei and Lena it becomes mountainous, and further to the east it turns into a real mountainous country.
For a long time it was believed that the taiga was unsuitable for farming and living. The justification was the presence of mountain ranges, large swamps and the severity of the climate. But research carried out back in 1896 gave good results - it turned out that in many places in the taiga it is possible to engage in farming and get good harvests.
There are three subzones in the Russian taiga:
- northern,
- average,
- southern:
The northern taiga is characterized by low-growing trees: spruce, pine, cedar;
In the middle taiga, only spruce and blueberry trees grow;
Greater plant diversity appears in the southern taiga.
Note 1
The uniqueness of the Russian taiga is undeniable - vast forest lands are “ lungs of the planet».
Features of the flora of the taiga
For the taiga of the European part of Russia, the main tree species are spruce, European and Siberian pine, larch, fir, cedar.
Within Western Siberia, Norway spruce disappears, but all other species remain.
In the territory of Eastern Siberia, Daurian larch becomes dominant, in the mountains - cedar slate, and noble poplar is found.
In the taiga Far East Fir, Sayan spruce, Manchurian cedar grow, and yew grows on Sakhalin Island.
A huge endless sea of taiga, where the soil is covered with moss and dead wood, and only in places you can find patches of cheerful birch trees. Its infinity and monotony constitute characteristic feature taiga
In the south of the taiga of the Russian Plain, oak is mixed in; it is not found within Siberia and appears again on the Amur. Small-leaved species include gray alder, birch, aspen, rowan, bird cherry, and willow.
As a rule, small-leaved species grow on the site of deforestation or on the site of burnt forest.
Depending on the soil and climate, taiga can be light-coniferous, dark-coniferous and pine forests. The largest area is occupied by dark coniferous taiga, formed by common spruce, Siberian cedar, and Siberian fir. All types of spruce trees have a tall trunk and thick, prickly needles that can stay on the branches for up to 12 years. The age of spruce trees is 300, and the centenarians are 600 years old.
Siberian fir is similar in appearance to spruce with thick dark green needles. Distinctive features is a trunk covered with smooth blackish-gray bark. The needles are longer, flatter and softer. It can stay on branches for up to 10 years.
A representative of the genus of pines is Siberian cedar. True cedars grow in warm countries. It also has a tall trunk, but the crown appears only in open spaces. The trunk diameter can reach 2 meters, and the age is 800 years. Growing on loamy and moderately moist soils, Siberian cedar is well known for its seeds - pine nuts.
Cedars, firs, and spruces are shade-tolerant trees, under the cover of which young ones grow.
Pine, larch, and birch also grow in the dark coniferous taiga. In the south of the taiga strip there are linden, oak, Norway maple, and gray alder. Shrubs are represented by willows, junipers, and currants.
Rowan and hazel appear in the southern part. The herbaceous cover consists of ferns, blueberries, lingonberries, some grasses and sedges.
Note 2
A special feature of the Russian taiga is the presence pine forests, the main tree of which is Scots pine. The tree is unpretentious and can grow in warm and harsh conditions, both on podzolic and sandy loam soils. It is a light-loving tree and does not tolerate shade. Pines have the most valuable wood.
In the grass cover of pine forests grows:
- bearberry,
- cowberry,
- blueberry.
The light-coniferous taiga occupies a significant territory in Eastern Siberia with a sharply continental and dry climate, and a layer of permafrost comes close to the surface of the earth. The main tree of the light-coniferous taiga is larch - Daurian larch, Sukachev larch, Siberian larch. Experts believe that it can grow up to 700 years. This conifer, unlike other conifers, sheds its soft, light green needles in the winter. Larch wood is very heavy and resistant to rotting.
Features of the animal world of the taiga
The diversity of taiga fauna is relatively low, which is explained by the severity natural conditions, but not so small either. More than 40 species of mammals, rodents, birds, insects and other representatives of the taiga fauna live here.
For some animals harsh winter is not a hindrance at all and they cope with it perfectly, others hibernate, and still others are forced to migrate south in order to survive.
A harsh winter and snow cover that lasts more than 200 days create difficulties for some animals to move and obtain food, while protecting others from the cold, for example, mouse-like rodents and shrews are saved under snow cover from the frost and lead active life, obtaining food for themselves throughout the winter.
The white hare and lynx have wide paws, on which long, coarse hair grows in winter so as not to fall into the snow.
Some birds also have adaptations to taiga life. Likewise, the hazel grouse and wood grouse have their toes trimmed with a horn-like fringe, which helps them stay on icy tree branches.
For the winter, bears go to their dens under the snow cover, and chipmunks hide in minks.
Among the animals of the taiga, it is difficult to distinguish purely taiga species, because many of them are inhabitants of all types of forests and generally belong to the animals of the forest zone. Among them Brown bear, chipmunk, hazel grouse, squirrel, moose. Animals such as the wolf, fox, wolverine, mountain hare, ermine, tits, crows, and swifts are also found within other zones.
The indigenous taiga inhabitants are sable, lynx and birds that nest only in coniferous forests (woodpeckers, crossbills, tits, blackbirds, siskins, bullfinch, waxwing, blue nightingale, redpoll).
Taiga provides animals with food - some of them are seeds of coniferous trees, buds and shoots of shrubs, various insects, berries and mushrooms. To others, leading predatory image life, produces live prey, such as mouse-like rodents.
Note 3
The symbol of the taiga, its prominent representative is a bear. This is very large animal up to 2 meters tall and weighing up to 600 kg. The main food of this formidable beast is plant-based - berries, young shoots, but, however, they do not disdain rodents and fish.
A serious predator of the taiga is the lynx, which looks like a large cat. She, like the bear, is an excellent hunter, and her prey includes hares, partridges, young moose, roe deer, scarlet piglets, wild boars, etc.
The rivers and lakes of the taiga are home to:
- geese
- ducks,
- loon,
- otters,
- minks,
- muskrats,
- beavers
The diving goldeneye duck and waders – the great ulit and the black duck – have adapted to taiga life; they make their nests in the trees. Economic significance have commercial animals of the taiga, for example, valuable fur-bearing animals and upland game.
Is characteristic of our planet. They replace each other and differ in their climatic conditions, flora and fauna, as well as the landscape that prevails in them. One of them is the taiga - a natural zone located within the temperate climate zone.
The taiga is characterized by coniferous trees, which are the main representatives of vegetation. There are a lot of swamps here. This is due to the fact that a large number of precipitation does not penetrate deep into the soil due to permafrost, but it also does not evaporate.
The taiga extends across Eurasia from west to east for 7 thousand kilometers, and in North America for 5 thousand kilometers. The Russian taiga is the largest landscape area in the country. It began to form long before the onset of the glaciers.
What else characterizes the taiga? Its climate is very different cold winter and quite cool in summer. This natural area receives large amounts of rainfall. The soils in the taiga are podzolic and permafrost-taiga. All these conditions are favorable for the growth of Na European territory In Russia, spruce, fir, pine, and cedar grow in the taiga. It's dark coniferous forests. The herbaceous cover here cannot be called rich: mainly berry bushes are represented - blueberries, blueberries, lingonberries. In the light-coniferous taiga of Eastern Siberia spruce, larch and low-growing polar willow, polar birch and berry bushes grow. In the Far East, the taiga is predominantly larch and sparse.
In Europe, the taiga is located in and on the territory of Finland - it covers almost their entire territory.
Taiga, a natural zone, is conventionally divided into northern, middle and southern. They differ in climatic conditions, flora and fauna. So, in northern zone the vegetation is very sparse: trees and shrubs are mostly stunted and sparse. Middle lane The taiga is already more saturated with vegetation, but these are mainly mosses, grasses and spruce-blueberry trees. The southern zone of the taiga is rich in flora. There are not only dark coniferous trees, but also small-leaved trees (birch, aspen) and low-growing 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, ( northern border), is considered the longest climatic zone on the planet.
Compared to the tundra animal world taiga is more diverse. In it you can find lynx, chipmunks, wolverine, sable, hare, and shrew. Taiga has been a place of fur production since ancient times. Some representatives of elk, red and reindeer, and roe deer also live here. Rodents in the taiga include mice, voles, different kinds protein. The taiga world of birds is diverse: here you can find wood grouse, nutcracker, crossbill, and hazel grouse.
The climatic conditions of the taiga are quite favorable for animals. It is home to the largest number of fur-bearing animals in the world. During the cold season, animal activity decreases because many of them hibernate.
The taiga of Russia, namely the taiga massifs of Siberia, are rightfully considered the green “lungs” of the planet: these forests maintain the carbon and oxygen balance of the lower layer of the atmosphere. That's why they create here National parks and nature reserves to be able to thoroughly explore unique flora and fauna of this natural area.
Taiga is a source of wood. In addition, it contains numerous mineral deposits, necessary for a person- coal, gas, oil.
Residents of the taiga area engage in hunting (in particular, fur hunting), collecting berries, fruits and nuts, raising livestock, and also harvesting medicinal herbs. Many of them are employed in the forestry industry.
Lesson objectives:
- Educational: consider the taiga zone, factors of location, formation, features of the flora and fauna.
- Educational: develop the ability to systematize material, analyze maps and diagrams, highlight the main thing, generalize and draw conclusions;
- Educational: to form a sense of patriotism, love for the Motherland, and environmental culture.
New educational technologies: information technology (preparation and transmission of information via computer).
Teaching methods: partially search, reproductive.
Form of training organization: frontal, individual, group.
Equipment:
- PC Celeron.
- Multimedia textbook “Geography of Russia: nature and population.”
- maps of Russia: physical, climatic, natural zones, atlas, textbooks, video material “forest fire”, pictures of plants and animals, pictures of the forestry zone, plan for describing the forestry zone.
Lesson objectives:
- continue the formation of the concept of “PTK” using the example of the taiga zone, the ability to draw up characteristics of the PZ according to the plan using various sources information.
- developing an idea of the economic use of the taiga zone;
- development of cognitive interest, desire for independent search for knowledge;
- application of computer skills.
DURING THE CLASSES
– In the last lesson we got acquainted with the arctic desert zone and the tundra zone. Let's remember what we know about them.
II. Updating basic knowledge.
– Show on the map where the arctic desert zone and the tundra zone are located.
Geographical dictation
Place numbers on natural areas: arctic deserts, tundra.
- The nature of the zone is easily vulnerable.
- The soils are structureless with a gley horizon.
- Significant areas are covered by glaciers.
- average temperature January – 26…– 28 о С, and July + 1…+ 4 о С.
- Strong winds.
- In this zone, huge areas are occupied by reindeer pastures.
- Located on the Arctic islands.
- Excessive moisture in many lakes and swamps.
- Fishing for sea animals (walrus, seal).
- On the southern border, the average July temperature is +10 o C.
- There are “bird colonies” on the rocks.
- Summer is short and cold.
- The zone stretches along the coast of the Arctic Ocean.
- There are a lot of fish in rivers and lakes.
- Water is in solid form; melt water is formed only in summer.
- A lot of migratory birds in summer (ducks, geese, swans).
- The polar night lasts up to 5 months.
Answers: Arctic deserts: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 15, 17. Tundra: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16.
III. Learning new material
– Today in class we will continue to study the natural zones of Russia. Next comes the forest zone.
Forests are the main type of vegetation in our country; they occupy 60% of its territory. Along with Canada, Brazil and Western European countries, Russia is the greatest forest power in the world. It has the world's largest forest reserves. According to the state accounting of the forest fund (1993), the forested area of the country is 763.5 million hectares, and the total timber reserve is 80.7 million m 3.
– What parts are the forest zone divided into? (Taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests).
– The topic of our lesson is “Taiga zone.”
We have to identify the natural features of the taiga zone of our country, establish the relationship between the components of nature in this zone, identify the adaptability of plants and animals to living conditions in this zone, get acquainted with the anthropogenic impact of humans on the natural reserve, find out what the significance of the forest is and draw up a report.
The study will take place according to plan:
1. GP
2. Climate
3. Soils
4. Vegetation
5. Animal world
6.Possibility economic use zones.
7. The meaning of the forest. Problems of natural area protection.
"Business card" of the taiga zone
– Using a textbook, atlas maps, pictures, an electronic textbook, make notes in notebooks and prepare for a report on the PP. To do this, we will divide into groups of researchers. All members of the group will be researchers of a subspecialty. Among you are climatologists, botanists, zoologists, soil scientists, geographers, ethnographers, etc. Specialists pay special attention to studying those sections that fall within their competence and prepare for the presentation. During performances, you fill out the “Business Card” of the taiga zone. This will be your report.
Climatic characteristics |
Soil type |
Plants |
Animals |
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| Total solar radiation, kcal/cm2 per year | From 70 to 90 kcal/cm2 | To the west of the Yenisei there are podzolic and sod-podzolic soils, and to the east there are permafrost-taiga | Larch, fir, pine, cedar, birch, aspen, alder, lingonberry, blueberry | Bear, elk, squirrel, fox, wolf, chipmunk, lynx, wolverine, marten, sable, ermine, nutcracker, crossbill, woodpeckers, wood grouse |
| Wed. t July, o C | from + 13 o to + 19 o | |||
| Wed. t January, o C | from – 12 o to – 40 o | |||
| Average annual precipitation, mm | 200–600 mm To uvl.= 1.4 |
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| Climate zone | moderate | |||
1. Geographical location
Taiga is the largest, oldest and snowiest landscape zone in Russia. It occupies the northern part of the Russian Plain, most of the West Siberian Plain, almost the entire Central Siberian Plateau; taiga also predominates in the mountains of southern and eastern Siberia. Its width in the European part reaches 700–800 km, in Western Siberia – 650 km, and east of the Yenisei about 1500 km. The territory occupied by the Russian taiga is comparable to the territory of the whole of Europe.
2. Climate
The taiga is characterized by warm summers and cold winters with snow cover, especially harsh in Siberia. The average July temperature varies from + 130 in the north to + 190 in the south. Precipitation on average from 200 to 600 mm per year, exceeding the volume of evaporation. This predetermines a dense and abundant river network and the presence of swamps.
Taiga is located entirely in temperate climatic zone.
3. Soils
Taiga is composed of coniferous forests of uniform composition. Under them, to the west of the Yenisei, podzolic and soddy podzolic soils, and to the east of the Yenisei - permafrost-taiga.
Soils of the podzolic type occupy more than half of the area of Russia. They form under coniferous forests with excess moisture. The main distinguishing feature of these soils is the presence of a well-defined podzolic horizon (leaching) and an acidic reaction, which is unfavorable for growing cultivated plants. Therefore, to neutralize acidity during agricultural cultivation, limestone flour is added to these soils. Podzolic soils are infertile.
In Eastern Siberia and the Far East, under conditions of a sharp increase in continental climate, close occurrence of permafrost and weakening leaching regime, permafrost-taiga soils are developing. They are characterized by a light color of humus and a high content of iron compounds.
4. Vegetation
Taiga is coniferous forests. Taiga forests are usually formed by one layer of trees, under which there is a moss carpet with lingonberry and blueberry bushes and rare herbs.
Basic tree species taiga: larch, which easily tolerates severe frosts, less hardy spruce, its frequent companion - fir, light-loving pine, mighty cedar.
Larch sheds its delicate, soft needles and therefore tolerates frosts. Larch has very strong wood, and therefore hard, heavy wood sinks in water. It sinks, but does not rot. In Venice, the foundations of houses have been standing in water for decades, and they are made of larch. 110 years ago, when the Danube became very shallow, larch piles appeared in it. It turned out that these are the remains of the Troyan Bridge, built 1700 years ago. The piles were pulled ashore and could not be cut: the tree became like iron. It was turned on lathes and various decorations were made. Dry larch is good as firewood: it can be easily split with an ax and produces a lot of heat.
Fir is similar to spruce, only its needles are slightly longer, thick and non-thorny. Cedar, or Siberian pine, resembles our ordinary pine; the difference is that our pine needles grow and fall in pairs, while cedar needles grow in bunches of 5 pieces, they are twice as long, soft and non-thorny; Cedar cones are large, under each scale there are usually two nuts, the nuts are delicious.
But the taiga forest is not exclusively coniferous. Small-leaved trees – pioneers of the forest – can be found in large numbers: birch, aspen. There may be rowan and even poplar.
IV. An exhibition of drawings “Plants of the Taiga” is being organized.
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5. Animal world
Presentation on a computer using Power Point ( Annex 1 ) or Windows Movie Maker ( Appendix 2 ).
6. Possibility of economic use of the zone
Most of the taiga landscapes are still slightly disturbed by human economic activity. The development of the taiga is still patchy. Landscapes in areas of agricultural development have undergone major changes. They already have a forest-field appearance. Forests alternate with areas of arable land (fields), meadows and pastures. In the northern taiga these are only isolated pockets, and only in the southern taiga the area of developed landscapes reaches 10%.
The taiga zone was characterized by forestry. Almost the entire adult male population was seasonally engaged in logging, river and lake fishing, hunting upland game (grouse), large animals (bear, elk, wild deer) and fur-bearing animals.
In the taiga, as in the forest zone in general, the main building material is wood - the forest is always “at hand”. Log huts are durable and retain heat well in harsh winters. In the European North and in a number of regions of Siberia, dwellings have become widespread, representing one elongated building: under one roof there is a two-story residential building, a vestibule and, closely attached to them, also a log two-story courtyard, in which there is a barn at the top, and a stable under it.
The main direction in agriculture is the breeding of dairy and beef cattle, since there are all suitable conditions for it, primarily the presence of excellent forage lands on floodplain meadows. The famous Vologda butter is made from the milk of cows grazing in such meadows.
There are certain opportunities for agriculture in the taiga zone. They are primarily found in the southern part of the zone with relatively fertile soddy-podzolic soils and a longer growing season. By using the right agricultural techniques (liming the soil, applying fertilizers, correct land reclamation measures), you can get good yields of rye, barley, flax, potatoes, vegetables and forage grasses.
The subsoil of the taiga zone is unusually rich in oil and gas, coal, peat, gold and diamonds, rare minerals and valuable ores, so from year to year it is subject to intensive development. This is the construction of cities and urban settlements, oil and gas pipeline routes, high-voltage power lines, waterworks, and reservoirs. Although at the moment this zone remains poorly developed and insufficiently studied. Its development has very good prospects, but is also associated with great difficulties.
7. The meaning of the forest
Since ancient times, the taiga has given man a home, fed and clothed him.
Now let's try to make a list together useful properties forests.
Source of oxygen on Earth
The forest is a giant natural filter that cleanses the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and harmful gases. There is evidence that one hectare of spruce forest annually retains more than 30 tons of dust, and pine forest – 36 tons.
Soil protection
The most effective means Protective afforestation is considered to combat soil erosion.
Improves the climate of the ground air layer
Softens sharp temperature fluctuations, accumulates and stores moisture, increases its turnover in nature.
Water protection role
The water conservation role of forests is best reflected in the motto of one of the World Forestry Congresses: “Forest is water; water is the harvest; the harvest is life."
Pantry
Russian folk proverb very aptly notes: “Living in the forest means you won’t see hunger.” The forest is an amazing storehouse. It contains mushrooms, berries, and nuts. There are many valuable game animals.
Pharmacy
There are a lot of medicinal plants in the forest, and the forest air also heals. Forest air contains 300 times less bacteria than city air, and this is thanks to phytoncides – active volatile substances released by leaves and flowers that kill pathogenic microbes and bacteria.
Wood source
It is difficult to name a more versatile material than wood. Despite the fact that recently concrete, metals, glass, and plastics have been increasingly used for construction, the need for wood has not decreased. No sector of the economy can do without wood. However, not only wood, but also bark, branches, pine needles, and even stumps and roots from trees serve as raw materials for many branches of the chemical industry.
Fuel source
Resting-place
The microclimate of the forest is very favorable for human recreation. Healthy air, forest landscapes with their beauty, unique smells of forest herbs and forest sounds evoke feelings of comfort and satisfaction in a person. Therefore the forest is A source of physical and mental health for people (an elixir for mental illnesses).
In many countries abroad, where everyone has long been able to count and where everything has a price, the cost of hunting and recreation in the forest often exceeds the cost of wood grown in the forest.
– Is a person always fair to the forest? Is it his fault that environmental problems in the forest arise? Listen to an excerpt from the work “Forest” by S. Aksakov:
« Full beauty any area consists of combining water with forest. Nature does this: rivers, streams and lakes are almost always overgrown with forests or bushes.
And this forest, this beauty of the earth, coolness in the heat, the home of animals and birds, the forest from which we build houses and with which we warm ourselves during long, cruel winters - we do not protect in of the highest degree. We are rich in forests, but wealth leads us into extravagance, and with it we are not far from poverty: cutting down a tree without any reason means nothing to us.
Of everything plant kingdom the tree excites participation more than others. Its enormous volume, its slow growth, its longevity, the strength and durability of the tree trunk, the nutritional power of the roots, always ready for the revival of dying branches and young shoots from an already dead stump, and, finally, its many-sided benefits and beauty should, it seems, be inspire respect and mercy...but the ax and saw of the industrialist do not know them. I have never been able to indifferently see not only a cut down grove, but even the fall of one large felled tree; there is something inexpressibly sad in this fall: at first, the ringing blows of the ax produce only a slight shaking in the tree trunk; it becomes stronger with each blow and turns into a general shudder of every branch and every leaf; as the ax penetrates to the core, the sounds become muffled, more painful... another blow, the last: the tree will settle, break, crackle, rustle at the top, for a few moments it seems to think about where to fall, and finally begins to lean to one side , at first slowly, quietly, and then, with increasing speed and noise, like the sound of a strong wind, it will collapse to the ground. For many decades it has reached its full strength and beauty, and in a few minutes it often dies from the empty whim of a person.”
– What environmental problem is being discussed in this passage? ( It's about about deforestation).
The deforestation card opens. Look at how the logging is going on. Screening of an excerpt from the film “Girls” about logging.
– Unfortunately, forest resources in Russia are still used very irrationally. Half of the felled forest goes to waste and is lost during logging and processing. By making more complete use of wood, it is possible to almost halve the area of cut down forest.
– Guys, what other environmental problem leads to the complete destruction of the forest? ( Fire)
- Let's watch the video “Fire in the Forest.” ( Appendix 3
)
Research by scientists has shown that taiga forests, particularly in the European north, burn repeatedly in dry areas every 50–100 years, and in wet areas every 150–300 years. Of all the trees, spruce and fir suffer the most from fire, since they have very thin bark and a shallow root system. Cedar is also very susceptible to fires, as it emits a lot essential oils, promoting combustion. In most cases, indigenous forests are restored. The situation is worse in areas with icy frozen soils, for example in Yakutia. There, such violations become irreversible.
– And now I’ll read you the chorus from the song “Request”, and you think and tell me what environmental problem we’re talking about.
“Birds, fish and animals look into people’s souls
Feel sorry for them, people. Don't kill in vain!
After all, the sky without a bird is not heaven!
And a sea without fish is not a sea!
And a land without animals is not a land!”
– Which one? environmental problem does this song reveal? ( The problem of illegal hunting, poaching).
– Who is creating this problem? (Human).
“But people have been killing animals for a long time to get their own food. ( He killed no more than he could eat). .
– And now excessive hunting has led to the complete or almost complete extermination of some animal species.
– What problem will be discussed in Sukhomlinsky’s story “Ashamed of the Nightingale”:
« Olya and Lida, little girls, went into the forest. Tired of the journey, we sat down to rest and have lunch. They took bread, butter and eggs out of the bag. When the girls finished dinner, a nightingale began to sing not far from them. Fascinated by the beautiful singing, Olya and Lida sat, afraid to move. The nightingale stopped singing. Olya collected the remains of her food and scraps of paper and threw them under a bush. Lida wrapped the eggshells and bread crumbs in newspaper and put the bag in her bag.
- Why do you take garbage with you? - Olya said. - Throw it under the bush. After all, we are in the forest, no one will see!
“I’m ashamed in front of the nightingale,” Lida answered quietly.”
- Guys, what is this environmental problem? (Garbage pollution).
– Since we are already talking about pollution, we cannot help but say that the landscapes of the taiga have been severely damaged as a result of oil pollution in the areas of its production. Of the 5.5 billion tons of oil produced in Western Siberia by 1991, oil workers spilled over 100 million tons of oil on the surface, destroying all life for many kilometers around the fields.
– So, we looked at the problems of the forest. Who is creating these problems?
– What should we, people, remember when coming to the forest? ( The forest is our wealth. Every person should think about what he will leave to his children).
– Of course, each of us should think about how our descendants will see the forests in a century, in a millennium, and whether the forest will be able to give them what it gives us now.
V. Summing up
Grading.
VI. Homework:§ 34, create a crossword puzzle “Taiga of Russia”.
Champions of the Forest
1. The most durable tree, living up to 900 years - larch.
2. The most tall tree– cedar.
3. The most common tree is pine.
4. The most beautiful New Year tree - Christmas tree
5. The most common deciduous “pioneer tree” is birch.
Each climate zone our planet is unique and beautiful in its own way. The harsh beauty of the taiga does not leave anyone indifferent who finds themselves among the damp aroma of the needles of centuries-old spruce, pine and larches.
You may not love Taiga, but it’s impossible not to admire her. And now we will mentally transport ourselves to the zone of dense taiga forests.
Location of the taiga zone
The taiga stretches in a wide strip across the northern part of Eurasia, covering the territory of Canada, Alaska and some North American states. This natural zone occupies 27% forest areas on our planet. Its northern part borders the south of the forest-tundra zone.
In the central part of Russia it southern borders pass north of Moscow, and as they move east, the taiga zone descends further and further south. In Siberia it extends all the way to Altai.
Taiga vegetation
The nature of vegetation is usually determined by the climatic conditions and soil composition of the area.
The climate of the taiga is characterized by very cold winters and relatively warm but short summers. In Eastern Siberia in winter, the thermometer often drops to -50°C, but the most low temperature, registered in this climate zone - minus 68 °C. Precipitation in summer is not too heavy - from 200 to 750 mm per year, in some places 1000 mm. High humidity region and permafrost prevents their evaporation, so moisture stagnates and the soil becomes waterlogged. For this reason taiga zone So rich in lakes and swamps.
For the taiga landscape the most typical podzolic soils and podzols are slightly whitish in color and have a low humus content.
And only in the Far East is the soil brown in color and increased content humus. Humus is the component of soil that contains substances necessary for plant nutrition.
These circumstances left their mark on the vegetation of this region. They can withstand such spartan conditions, mainly coniferous trees.
Broad-leaved species do not have enough heat, light, and nutrients for their development. And only small-leaved trees - aspen, alder and birch - occasionally delight the eye of a traveler wandering into the taiga wilderness.
Types of trees
Coniferous giants are usually divided into light coniferous and dark coniferous. The first category prefers good lighting, but is very frost-resistant. and are not so picky about lighting, but cannot tolerate severe frosts and the heat. They grow in the European part of the taiga, while light-loving pine and pine settled in the Asian region. Unlike other conifers, larch sheds its bright, soft needles in the winter, like deciduous trees.
They can gain as much as 3 kg in a day. Getting ready for hibernation(suspended), bears diligently gain weight and very carefully equip their winter “apartments”. They look for dry places, dig dens in them and cover them with moss, dry leaves and pine needles. Walking hundreds of kilometers a year in search of food, they hurry to their dens for the winter, where the females give birth to their cubs.
A typical representative of the taiga fauna are. Their weight can reach 80 kg. Developed intelligence, strong paws and powerful fangs allow them to overtake their victims, who may even be larger than them. Wolves live in pairs, and only in the fall they gather in packs of 25-30 individuals.
Live in taiga forests also lynxes, martens, wolverines, sables, stoats.
They also found refuge in the forest thickets of the Far East. Their number in nature is due to human encroachment into their habitat and predatory extermination by poachers. These magnificent representatives of the cat family are listed and work is underway to preserve them.
The bird world of the taiga is also diverse. Wood grouse and hazel grouse live there permanently. Many species of birds prefer to wait out cold winters in warm regions.
Land development
Taiga is called the guardian of the Earth's health, its green lungs. And this is quite understandable. Huge green forests make it possible to maintain lower layers atmosphere has sufficient oxygen concentration.
The endless taiga massifs are, first of all, huge timber reserves Very good quality. Gas and gas deposits have been discovered and are being developed here. The taiga zone is rich in reserves of graphite and mica.
For a long time, the population of the taiga lived in fur hunting, fishing, and collecting nuts and berries.
Agricultural industries are gradually conquering new spaces, moving from the south of the taiga to its northern regions. The presence of water meadows and forest pastures creates good conditions for cattle breeding.
To study and protect this unique region, a number of national parks and nature reserves, including the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve (located on the right bank).
However, the dedicated work of employees who, out of duty and the call of their hearts, strive to preserve this unique region, cannot give the desired results without the help of the local population. Only them joint efforts will give future generations the opportunity to enjoy the gifts of this region and admire its beauty.
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