Geographical position of the tundra. Features of the geographical location of the tundra

Tundra covers the northern part of Russia and Canada. Its nature is quite scarce, and the climate is considered harsh. Because of these characteristics, she received another name - the Arctic desert. If you consider the geographical position of the tundra, you can see that this area includes the islands located in the Arctic Ocean, and the northern part of Russia and Canada.

Location of the tundra zone

The Arctic desert extends a wide strip along the entire coast of the Arctic Ocean. Here the climate is not characterized by softness and high temperatures, and the nature is scarce and low. In the tundra, winter lasts nine months, and in the summer it is quite cool.

Low temperatures lead to the fact that the ground freezes and does not thaw completely, but only the top layer can melt. In such a natural zone, there are no forests and tall trees. This area is rich in marshes, rivulets, mosses, lichens, low plants and shrubs that can survive in such a harsh climate. Their flexible stems and small height perfectly adapt to the piercing cold winds.

In the vast areas you can see glaciers or stone placers. In the tundra there is an invaluable array of shallow small lakes. Especially it can be seen on the map of Canada, Russia, Finland. The geographic position of the tundra contributes to the abundant water supply of the rivers.

What is interesting about this northern zone

One can note the heterogeneous features of the geographic position of the tundra. From the north and up to the south there are three subzones. The Arctic subzone is located near the Arctic Ocean, then it is replaced by moss-lichen, the terrain consisting of dwarf birches, cloudberry shrubs and polar willows extends to the south . The tundra itself is very beautiful. In the summer you can see how it sparkles with bright colors. All thanks to the bushes of blueberries, blueberries, cranberries, cranberries.

The climate in the arctic deserts

The latitudes of the tundra zone have low indicators of the radiation annual balance. Winter in this zone lasts long - eight, if not all, nine months. There are unusually beautiful polar nights. In the cold season, frosts and winds are a common occurrence. The winter temperature in January for the European part of the tundra is up to 10 degrees below zero. However, closer to the east, the climate becomes sharply continental. Therefore, the January temperature can reach -50 and below degrees Celsius.

The summer does not last long, it is cold and windy, a long polar day is observed . Usually the average air temperature in July is no more than 4 degrees Celsius, you can often see drizzly rain and fog. The geographic location of the tundra in Russia is a zone from the western part of the country and up to the Bering Strait. It occupies 1/6 of the entire territory of the country. In Siberia, the greatest extent is observed from north to south.

A strong blizzard and hurricane winds are phenomena common in this area. They are so impetuous that they can knock down not only a person, but also a deer.

What is the tundra in summer?

What are the features of the geographical position of the tundra in the summer? At this time of year, you can find edible mushrooms and a lot of delicious berries, which stretch with a colorful carpet, and you can also see grazing herds of proud reindeer. So they look for food in the summer. Deer feed on everything they see: lichens, leaves of shrubs. In winter, too, they will find food in the form of deer moss.

The unique flora

The organic world of the tundra is poor. Tundra-gley soils of this zone can hardly be called fertile, since they are completely frozen. Not all plants can survive in severe northern conditions, where they lack heat and sunlight. The best here are lichens and mosses, the polar poppy, black crow, the prince, late Lydia, sedge mace, saxifrage, snowcock and others. Such plants are an unusual delicacy for local inhabitants of wildlife. What other greenery can be observed in this area? About 300 species of flowering and almost 800 different species of lichens and mosses.

All plants here are dwarfish. The so-called "forest" can only reach you to the knee, and the "tree" will not be above the fungus. The geographic position of the tundra is absolutely not suitable for forests, but all because of the permafrost that has been preserved for many years.

Animals of the tundra zone

On steep rocky shores you can observe the birds that are rustling. The geographical position of the natural tundra zone is suitable for those animals that prefer the sea. A large amount of water is an excellent habitat for waterfowl: geese, ducks, gags. You can meet passerines, waders, waterfowl, white geese, falcon-peregrine falcon, tundra partridge, lark. Here you will not find reptiles, but from representatives of amphibians you can meet frogs. Still the animal world is rich in rabbits, white fox, polar fox, foxes, wolves, white and brown bears, musk musk oxen and, of course, reindeer. Tundra lakes are rich in a variety of fish - salmon, dallia.

Northern reindeer - another feature of the Arctic deserts

They are not only a feature, but also a symbol that the zone of the tundra is proud of. The geographical position for these animals is very convenient to inhabit. They exist not only in open air, but also in the islands of the Arctic Ocean. And these are the only ones from the family of ungulates that can exist here. We can observe large horns in both males and females. The main source of food for reindeer is the tundra plant. These are lichens (yagel), buds, grass, small shoots of shrubs. In winter, they can extract plants from under the snow, while breaking it with hoofs.

The hair cover of deer in winter is thick and long, the undercoat is well developed (to keep heat in severe frosts). In the summer it becomes more rare and easy. Summer color of deer - from grayish to brown. In winter it is more white. A special structure of the hoofs allows the reindeer to successfully and quickly move along the marshy swamps and deep snow. These animals are herd and polygamous.

In winter, they move to places where extensive pasture pastures are observed. A hundred or more kilometers from the habitat in the summer is not a problem for winter migrations of deer. They do not molt more than once a year. This animal is sensitive, has an excellent sense of smell, and still knows how to swim. Deer can freely swim across lakes and rivers.

How are the components of nature interconnected in the tundra zone

If we consider the geographical position of the tundra, then it can be noted that in the southern part of the forest begin. This is how the forest-tundra originates. It stretches along the entire southern border of the tundra. It's already a little warmer - in summer the temperature reaches 14 degrees Celsius. In the forest-tundra there is a large amount of precipitation, which does not have time to evaporate. In this way, wetlands appear. The main food for the deep-water local rivers is thawed snow. The first months of summer are the peak of high water. The geographical position of the tundra zone gradually gives way to the forest-tundra.

Man has long started to explore the northern region. Gradually, the landscape, which extends beyond the Arctic Circle, was increasingly populated and transformed. Marine fishing is the main occupation of the northern nationalities: the Chukchi and the Eskimos. Hunting for local animals has laid down its traditions of nutrition and style of clothes. Meat of marine inhabitants, venison, fish, poultry are the main food products. Thanks to reindeer breeding and hunting, fur skins are obtained from fur and other animals, which are subsequently used as clothing.

Than the forest-tundra differs from the tundra

Lesotundra is located in the zone between the tundra and the taiga. In the valleys of rivers you can already notice more forests with tall trees. This is how the geographic position of the tundra and forest-tundra varies. Here between the rivers you can find small islets of low trees with a cover of lichen. Summer here is warmer and longer. Due to the presence of trees, the wind speed here is not so much felt as in the tundra, where the terrain is completely open.

Removing forest-tundra from the ocean contributes to severe winters with strong frosts. Soils thaw much deeper, and permafrost is observed only in certain areas. The main supply of rivers is also thawed snow.