The nature of the mountains at all times amazed humanity with its beauty. It is an amazing and wonderful world in every way. The relief has been created for many billions of years and during this time it has acquired bizarre and mesmerizing forms. What do the mountains conceal in themselves? What kind of plants and animals are there? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article.
Features of the nature of mountains
The mountain climate is unique and it is he who influences the weather of the entire planet, both seasonal and daily. On the heights, a special interaction of the earth with air and rivers begins. Water, condensing and originating in the mountains, descends in thousands of streams down the slopes. Thanks to this movement, the largest rivers are formed. Clouds and fogs can often be observed at higher elevations. Sometimes these phenomena cannot be distinguished from each other.
The higher, the more rarefied the air, and the lower the temperature. And where there is cold, there is permafrost. Even the mountains in Africa are covered with snow and glaciers at their highest points. But on the higher elevations the air is the cleanest and freshest. The amount of precipitation, the strength of the wind and the radiation of the sun increase with height. You can even burn your eyes from ultraviolet radiation in the mountains.
The variety of vegetation, which replaces each other as the height increases, is no less striking.
Altitude belts of mountains
When climbing in the mountains, climatic conditions change: the temperature and air pressure decrease, and solar radiation increases. This phenomenon is called high-altitude zoning (or zoning). And each such area has its own special landscape.
Desert-steppe belt. This landscape area is located at the foot of the mountains. A dry climate prevails here, so you can only find steppes and deserts. People often use this belt for economic purposes.
Mountain-forest zone. This is a belt with a very humid climate. The nature here is simply amazing: and the fresh air beckons to go for a walk.
Mountain meadow belt. It is a sparse forest alternating with subalpine meadows. This area is home to lightened trees, low shrubs and tall grasses.
Alpine belt. It is an area of high altitude that sits above the forests. Here you can find only shrubs, which are replaced by stone talus.
Mountain tundra zone. It is characterized by cool, short summers and severe, long winters. But this does not mean that vegetation is scarce here. This area is home to various types of shrubs, mosses and lichens.
Nival belt. This is the highest point, an area of eternal snow and glaciers. Despite the rather harsh climatic conditions, there are certain types of lichens, algae and even some insects, rodents and birds.
Name and Amazing on the Planet
Huangshan and Denxia are colored mountains in China. They are colored yellow and pink. Beautiful lighting effects can often be observed.
Mount Roraima in South America is always eye-catching. It is interesting in that the beds of numerous rivers are covered with quartz crystals of all kinds of colors.
Grand Canyon is a whole complex of valleys, ravines, gorges, caves and waterfalls. Due to the multicolor nature of the rock layers, as well as the play of light and shadow, the mountain changes its shades every time.
In Africa Dragon mountains are beautiful landscapes with canyons, valleys, cliffs and waterfalls. The name of the mountains has a mystical origin. Its tops are always hidden by fog, but earlier it was believed that this dragon was releasing clouds of smoke.
Altai are mountains that Russia can be proud of. They are truly beautiful, especially in the autumn-winter period, when the waters become deeply blue.
Hanging Rock is a mountain in Australia, better known as the Hanging Rock. It rises one hundred meters above the surrounding relief. This gives the impression that the mountain is hanging in the air.
Dangerous natural phenomena
The dangers lurking at every step are the peculiarities of the nature of the mountains. This is worth remembering when planning to conquer the peaks.
Rockfalls are most common in the mountains. Even the collapse of one boulder can cause an avalanche of boulders.
Mudflows are a mixture of water, loose soil, sand, stones and tree debris. This phenomenon begins suddenly and destroys everything in its path.
Icefalls are a beautiful, but no less dangerous sight. The frozen boulders never stop and almost reach the foot of the mountains.
Dangerous insects in the mountains
The nature of the mountains is dangerous not only for its formidable natural phenomena, but also for insects, which are often found on the heights.
Perhaps the most common is ixodid ticks. They are dangerous with the disease they carry - encephalitis, as a result of which one can even remain disabled. Ticks are found along trails and are most active during spring and summer.
The Vespa hornet is the largest wasp, reaching five centimeters in size. These insects live in hollows and do not attack for no reason. The bite is painful, but poses a threat to attack by several hornets.
Scorpions most often inhabit the deserts, but they can also take a fancy to the mountains in Africa or Australia. Since they tolerate cold and temperature fluctuations well, they can be found not only at the foot, but also at the tops. It is known that the bite of some species is poisonous and even fatal to humans. But without a reason, these creatures do not attack. Scorpions hunt insects, which often come to light near campfires and tents. During the day they hide under stones, bark of stumps and in cracks in rocks.
Scolopendra is dangerous only in hot climates, especially in autumn. At this time, her bite becomes poisonous and can even lead to death. The female karakurt is also a threat. The males of these spiders are not at all poisonous.
Plants of the mountains
As already mentioned, the mountains are characterized by different climatic conditions. Therefore, at higher elevations, at a relatively short distance, you can observe the diversity of the plant community.
The nature of the mountains is harsh, but incredibly beautiful. Plants are forced to adapt to local conditions: thorny winds, brutal cold and bright light. Therefore, most often at a height you can find stunted representatives of the flora. They have a well-developed root system that helps to extract water and stay in the soil. Cushion-shaped vegetation is widespread; there are specimens in the form of rosettes that spread over the surface.
Meadows with alpine grasses give way to tundras, which are a bit reminiscent of the northern ones. Forests can be deciduous, coniferous and mixed. Here trees and shrubs also grow in the form of elfin trees. Most often, you can see larch, spruce, pine and fir. And only the highest ridges have no vegetation, but are covered with eternal glaciers and snow caps.
Healing mountain herbs
Medicinal plants of the mountains are very famous for their life-giving properties. People at all times climbed the hills to prepare useful herbs for future use. The whole variety of these species cannot be enumerated, but there are several of the most popular medicinal plants:
- hawthorn;
- Siberian barberry;
- thick-leaved berry;
- Valerian officinalis;
- spring gentian;
- bird highlander;
- Golden root;
- St. John's wort;
- fireweed;
- maral root;
- alpine poppy;
- dandelion;
- rose hip;
- edelweiss.
Mountain animals
A lot of animals live in the forest zone. With the onset of cold weather, they descend into the warmer lower zone. These are deer, wild boars and roe deer. But representatives of the fauna with a warm cover and long hair only sometimes descend from a height in search of food and warmth. These include ibex, rams, argali, tundra partridge, horned lark, snowcock and white hare.
The animals living in the mountains have adapted very well to the harsh conditions. They perfectly tolerate cold weather and move dexterously on rocks and steep slopes. These are not only but also snow leopards, foxes, wolves, hares, gophers and marmots.
Most of the birds come here in the summer, and only large predators live here permanently: golden eagles and eagles. Mountain reptiles also like to bask in the sun: lizards, snakes, salamanders and chameleons.
The nature of the mountains is so amazing and diverse that it certainly deserves attention from a person.
Mountain habitats vary greatly from the base to the top of the mountains. On mountain peaks, the ambient temperature is low, the atmosphere is thin, and the level of ultraviolet radiation is high. As the climate changes, the flora and fauna changes between. On the highest mountain peaks, environmental conditions cannot support tree life. The area of the mountains where the growth of trees stops is called the forest boundary. Few trees, if any, will be able to grow above this line.
Most animal species live at lower altitudes, and only the hardiest representatives of the fauna are found above the border of trees, where the atmosphere is very thin and there is no tall vegetation.
In this list, we take a look at 10 mountain animals that have adapted to the challenging conditions of life at the top of the world.
Brown bear
Height: up to 5000 m.
Brown bear ( Ursus arctos) is a species from the family that has the widest range and is found in the northern part of Eurasia and North America. Animals, apparently, have no specific altitude restrictions and are found from sea level up to 5000 m (in the Himalayas). In most cases, they prefer diffuse vegetation, which can give them a place to rest during the day.
Brown bears are adapted to high altitude conditions due to their thick fur and ability to climb mountains. They are the largest land-based predators, after polar bears, and can grow up to 750 kg. Brown bears feed on berries, grasses, shrubs, nuts, insects, larvae, as well as small mammals and ungulates.
Himalayan tar
Height: up to 5000 m.
Himalayan tar ( Hemitragus jemlahicus) is a large bovine ungulate, common in China, India and Nepal. This bovine grows up to 105 kg, and has a size at the withers up to 1 m. It is adapted to life in cool climates with a rocky landscape thanks to its thick fur and dense undercoat. In the Himalayas, these animals are mainly found on slopes from 2500 to 5000 m. They are able to move on smooth and rough surfaces typical of mountainous terrain.
Their diet includes many plants. The short legs allow Himalayan taras to balance, reaching the leaves of shrubs and small trees. Like other bovids, they are ruminants with a complex digestive system that allows them to obtain nutrients from difficult-to-digest plant tissues.
Bearded man
Height: inhabits up to 5000 m, but was discovered at an altitude of 7500 m.
Bearded man ( Gypaetus barbatus) is a representative of the hawk family. This species is common in the mountains, with the presence of rocks, slopes, cliffs and gorges. Birds are often found near alpine pastures and meadows, mountain pastures and steppes, and rarely near forests. In Ethiopia, they are common on the outskirts of small villages and towns. Although sometimes they go down to 300-600 m, this is rather an exception. As a rule, bearded vultures are rarely found below an altitude of 1000 m and are often found at an altitude of more than 2000 m in some parts of their range. They are common below or above the lines of trees, which are often found near mountain peaks, up to 2000 m in Europe, 4500 m in Africa and 5000 m in Central Asia. They have even been observed at an altitude of 7,500 m on Mount Everest.
This bird is 94-125 cm long and weighs 4.5-7.8 kg. Females are slightly larger than males. Unlike most other scavengers, this species does not have a bald patch and is relatively small in size, although its neck is powerful and thick. The adult bird is predominantly dark gray, red and whitish in color. The bearded man feeds on carrion and small animals.
Tibetan fox
Height: up to 5300 m.
Tibetan fox ( Vulpes ferrilata) is a canid species. These foxes live on the Tibetan plateau, India, China, the Sutlej Valley in northwestern India and parts of Nepal, in particular in the Mustang region.
Tibetan foxes are known to prefer barren slopes and streams. The maximum altitude at which these mammals have been sighted was 5300 m. Foxes live in burrows under rocks or in rock crevices. The body length is 57.5-70 cm, and the weight is 3-4 kg. Among all species of foxes, the Tibetan has the most elongated muzzle. The color of the coat on the back, legs and head is reddish, and on the sides it is gray.
Himalayan marmot
Height: up to 5200 m.
Himalayan marmot ( Marmota himalayana) throughout the Himalayas and on the Tibetan plateau at an altitude of 3500 to 5200 m. These animals live in groups and dig deep burrows in which they sleep.
The body size of the Himalayan marmot is comparable to that of a domestic cat. It has a dark chocolate brown coat with contrasting yellow patches on its head and chest.
Kiang
Height: up to 5400 m.
Kiang ( Equus kiang) is a large equine mammal, which has a size at the withers of up to 142 cm, a body length of up to 214 cm, and a weight of up to 400 kg. These animals have a large head, with a blunt muzzle and a bulging nose. The mane is vertical and relatively short. The upper body is reddish brown and the lower body is light.
Qiangs are common on the Tibetan plateau, between the Himalayas in the south and the Kunlun mountains in the north. Their range is almost entirely confined to China, but small populations are found in the Ladakh and Sikkim regions of India, and along the northern border of Nepal.
Kiangs live in alpine meadows and steppes, at an altitude of 2700 to 5400 m above sea level. They prefer relatively flat plateaus, wide valleys and low hills, dominated by grasses, sedges and some other low vegetation. This open area, in addition to a good food base, helps them detect and hide from predators. Their only real natural enemy besides humans is the wolf.
Orongo
Height: up to 5500 m.
Orongo ( Pantholops hodgsonii) is a medium-sized artiodactyl mammal native to the Tibetan plateau. The size at the withers is up to 83 cm, and the weight is up to 40 kg. Males have long, curved horns, while females lack them. The back is reddish brown and the lower body is light.
On the Tibetan Plateau, orongo live in open alpine and cold steppe regions, at an altitude of 3250 to 5500 m. They prefer flat, open terrain with sparse vegetation. Animals are found almost entirely in China, where they live in Tibet, Xinjian and Qinghai provinces; some populations are also found in Ladakh, India.
Orongos feed on beans, grasses and sedges, and in winter they often dig for snow to get their own food. Their natural predators include wolves, and foxes are known to prey on orongo cubs.
Tibetan gazelle
Height: up to 5750 m.
The Tibetan gazelle is a relatively small antelope, with a slender and graceful body. These animals grow up to 65 cm at the withers and weigh up to 16 kg. Males have long, tapering, ribbed horns up to 32 cm long. Most of the body is grayish brown. Their fur does not have an undercoat, and consists only of long protective hair, which thickens significantly in winter.
The Tibetan gazelle is native to the Tibetan plateau and is widespread throughout the region, at altitudes ranging from 3000 to 5750 meters. They are limited to the Chinese provinces of Gansu, Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai and Sichuan, and small populations are found in the Ladakh and Sikkim regions of India.
Alpine meadows and steppes are the main habitats for these animals. Unlike some other ungulates, Tibetan gazelles do not form large herds and are usually found in small family groups. These artiodactyls feed on local vegetation, including forbs. Their main predator is the wolf.
Yak
Height: up to 6100 m.
Wild yak ( Bos mutus) is a large wild animal native to the Himalayas in Central Asia. This is the ancestor of the domesticated yak ( Bos grunniens). Adult yaks have a size at the withers of up to 2.2 m, and a weight of up to 1000 kg. The length of the head and body ranges from 2.5 to 3.3 m, excluding the tail from 0.6 to 1 m. Females are approximately 30% smaller than males.
This animal is characterized by a massive body, with strong legs and rounded hooves. The fur is extremely dense, long, hanging down below the belly, and excellent protection from the cold. Coat color generally ranges from light brown to black.
Yaks are widespread in treeless areas, at an altitude of 3000 to 6100 m. They are most often found in the alpine tundra with a relatively large number of grasses and sedges.
Alpine jackdaw
Height: up to 6500 m, but was found at an altitude of 8200 m.
Alpine jackdaw ( Pyrrhocorax graculus) is a bird from the corvidae family and it can nest at the highest altitude in comparison with other bird species. This indicates that the alpine jackdaw is the highest mountain organism on our planet. Eggs are adapted to a rarefied atmosphere, and can also absorb oxygen well and not lose moisture.
This bird has glossy black plumage, yellow beak and red legs. She lays three to five spotted eggs. It feeds, as a rule, in summer and vegetation in winter; Jackdaw can easily approach tourists in order to get additional food.
This species usually breeds at an altitude of 1260-2880 m in Europe, 2880-3900 m in Africa and 3500-5000 m in Asia. Alpine jackdaws nest at an altitude of 6500 m, which is higher than that of any other bird species, even surpassing the nest, which feeds at the highest altitudes. This bird has been spotted by climbers climbing Mount Everest at 8,200m.
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Mountains - the area is often inaccessible to humans, but this does not mean that the mountains are inaccessible to various species of animals and plants. The nature of the mountains differs significantly from the plain nature for the reasons that at altitude the air is thinner, and water is less available - all this leads to the fact that the mountains have a special flora and fauna.
Animal world
Mountain animals are forced to have a dense skin and strong limbs - this is necessary in order to withstand the temperature dropping with height, climb up and feel comfortable on hard surfaces. Ungulates, felines, monkeys, various reptiles and insects - these are those who can most often be found in the mountains. The inhabitants of the mountains are unpretentious and hardy. Bighorn sheep, yaks, and mountain goats can feed on lichens and dry grass, allowing them to survive in the rugged mountains. Asiatic snow leopards and mountain-dwelling cougars of America can easily navigate rocky areas and live in seclusion. Golden eagles, mountain eagles notice their prey from afar - and strong air currents at the height of the mountains do not create obstacles for them. In the mountainous equatorial regions, gorillas are found, whose strong limbs help to move. Also, in mountainous areas, a wide variety of lizards feel comfortable.
Vegetable world
The delicate edelweiss flower is considered the main decoration of the mountains of Europe and Asia - the leaves of this amazing flower prevent the evaporation of moisture from the plant. Blue spruce is a tree most commonly found in the mountains of America. This tree can grow to an astonishing height of up to 3000 meters above sea level. Basically, the mountainous areas are covered with lichens and thorns, since the nearby sun dries everything up, but in the tropical mountains you can find a wide variety of plants, since the forests there are filled with moisture. As a rule, vegetation is dense at the foot of the mountains, but vegetation is rare at high altitudes.
In contrast to flat areas, which are characterized by horizontal (sprat) zoning of landscapes, mountainous areas have vertical zoning, that is, a change in landscapes in the direction from the base of the mountains to their tops. When climbing the mountains, a sequential transition from one belt to another is revealed in accordance with the change in temperature and humidity at different heights. Thus, in the mountains, the flora and fauna naturally repeats the features of latitudinal landscapes - steppe, deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests, alpine tundra with alpine meadows and, finally, the glacial zone. However, there is no complete similarity between mountain landscapes and the corresponding horizontal natural zones, since the mountains are located in different climatic regions of the Earth and rise above sea level from the territory of different latitudinal zones, which inevitably has a certain effect on the nature of mountain flora and fauna. For example, the appearance and composition of the flora and fauna of the mountain steppes and deserts of Central Asia resembles the nature of the Central Asian plains. The mountains of the forest zone in the corresponding zones have a similar species composition of the flora and fauna of the lowland forests.
Within Russia, mountain landscapes occupy more than 6% of the entire territory of the country and are well expressed in the Caucasus, in Western Siberia (Altai, Sayany). As for the mountains of the Urals and Eastern Siberia, they rise from the territory of the taiga, which smooths out the specificity of the mountain belts of these regions.
Since the mountain systems of Russia are located in vast areas and are remote from each other, their fauna does not represent a single whole. The fauna of each of them, to one degree or another, differs in species composition from the rest. In this regard, it is more expedient to consider the characteristics of the animal population of the mountains in relation to those species groups that are represented in the zone of alpine meadows, since it is in these animals that the features characteristic of the mountain fauna are most pronounced.
The influence of eternal snow affects the nature of the adjacent alpine belt. Here, the main habitats suitable for the life of plants and animals are sufficiently humid, since during most of the summer there is an influx of melt water from the side of the snow cover. According to the conditions of the mountainous relief, surface water quickly flows down and does not form swampy areas, therefore, no permafrost is formed anywhere. In the spring, moisture-loving perennial grasses of the meadow type develop, which feed on peculiar terrestrial mountain birds ulars, stone partridges, partridges, and others. These birds move well over unevenness of solid ground, maneuvering among the placers of rubble and rocky ledges, and quickly run along steep slopes.
Various herbivorous animals are also typical of the highlands - marmots and haystacks (pikas). Some of them live among stony placers, while others inhabit the high-mountainous areas of the steppes. Many of them dig holes and hibernate for the winter (marmots); others do not hibernate, but prepare stacks of fragrant hay for the period of winter lack of fodder (senostavki). No less characteristic of the mountains are stone voles that live either in burrows, or in crevices of rocks, or among stony placers, where they arrange warm spherical nests of wool, down and feathers collected in the vicinity.
PEACE TO YOU, ANIMALS!
Flocks of chamois scurry up and down the slopes with equal ease. The tops of the rocky ridges are guarded by argali, propping up the sky with powerful horns. Eagles soar in the sky and do not realize that their sky is supported by someone there. On the ground, hares jump and marmots sing their songs. Marmots generally just sing songs.
Today the nature of the Alps is extremely rich in all kinds of living creatures. But the realization that nature should be preserved did not come to the Europeans right away. There are also known facts of monstrous "royal hunts" with the killing of hundreds and thousands of animals for fun, and completely exterminated species of animals, such as a wild bull - a tour that lived in the middle latitudes of Eurasia. By the way, the Polish monarchs tried to save the tour, having issued, it seems, in 1400 the corresponding laws ... But from the first half of the XX century, a movement for the preservation of nature began in the Alps. It is noteworthy that its first initiators and even the creators of the first national parks were the same persons, such as the last kings of Italy, who recently decorated their castles with the horns of chamois and wild goats killed in the hunt. That is, the consciousness of Europeans has changed, and as a result, today we meet all kinds of animals on our path and politely make way for each other without fear of being eaten, bypassing any UN licenses and conventions.
Freely walking animals are free to walk by themselves. Which means that they are not at all obliged to come out to you and let themselves be stroked. Therefore, whether you meet someone on your morning run or not depends on the case. But if you want to be guaranteed to see the most real wild creatures in a real wild forest, and even pet some of them, you should go to visit the local park Parc de Merlet (www.parcdemerlet.com), located on a mountain between Chamonix and Les Ush. You can go there by car, but if someone wants to combine business with pleasure, that is, the pleasure of knowing the environment with the benefit of deep penetration into it through hard tracking, then for true heroes from the center of Chamonix to the mountain, to where the park is special trail. An hour and a half, and you are there, hand over to the cashier at the entrance the amount of about seven euros per person and enter the animal world. There, by the way, there are all human conditions - a conference room and a restaurant.
Don't be alarmed, ”says the girl who sold the entrance tickets. - Our animals are very independent. Yesterday a little goat went into a restaurant, walked around the hall and grabbed customers by the hem of their shirts with his teeth, and invited them to play.
It's somehow even very touching ...
Yes, our animals treat visitors with all their hearts, and some ... not that they are afraid, they just are not used to it, and that is why they do not react quite adequately. Now you will walk along the path, and llamas will probably stick to you. They are the most sociable here. Do not drive them away, otherwise they will be offended. They love to be stroked.
Needless to say, the smallest guests of the park are the most grateful visitors to this animal world? The objects of adoration squeak with pleasure under the subjects' hands, and it is not for certain which of them is squeaking louder.
In terms of the population density of animal souls per square six acres, the park can be compared to a zoo. But no cages, aviaries, fences. It's like a nature reserve, only small. Animals share territory with each other in a natural way, as in nature, and do not compete for the right to influence. Indeed, what competition can there be between antelope and a marmot? Here, by the way, is the marmot - he poked himself underground palaces and came out to the surface to see what was happening around. Nothing special was happening around, except for the event a light rain, which was already dripping.
So that a walk around the reserve does not turn into a chaotic movement in attempts to catch up and take pictures of this or that animal, it is recommended to follow the routes laid out - one "easy", the other, relatively speaking, "difficult". The difficulty lies in the fact that there is a segment of the path to climb along the natural mountainous terrain, which, in the absence of asphalt, seems to require boots with a pronounced tread. At the entrance you can take a diagram showing the animals most likely to meet on specific sections of the route. There are even several benches on the upper terrace of the park, so if you have a thermos with hot tea in store, it is good to sit on one of them, drink tea and watch mountain goats and little deer frolic in the openings below. Drops of spring rain rustle down your hood. Merge with nature so merge.
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