Arctic deserts

Most of the Canadian Arctic Islands and Greenland.

Climate. Arctic. Negative or close to zero temperatures prevail.

Soils. Poor, rocky and marshy.

Vegetation. Mostly mosses and lichens.

Animal world. Musk ox.

Tundra

Northern coast of the mainland with adjacent islands. To the east - the coast of Hudson Bay and the northern part of the Labrador Peninsula.

Climate. The subarctic (partially arctic) prevails.

Soils. Tundra - gley, with excess moisture.

Vegetation. In the northern part - mosses, lichens; in the southern part - swamp grasses, blueberries and blueberries, wild rosemary bushes, undersized willows, birches, alders. Woody vegetation appears to the south.

Animal world. Arctic wolf, caribou reindeer, arctic fox, ptarmigan and some others. Diversity of migratory birds. In coastal waters - seals and walruses. On the northern coast - a polar bear.

Taiga

It stretches in a wide strip from east to west. Impenetrable coniferous forests.

Climate. Moderate (with increased moisture).

Soils. Podzolic prevail.

Vegetation. Mostly coniferous trees - balsam fir, black spruce, pine, sequoia, American larch. From hardwoods - paper birch, aspen. On the slopes of the Cordillera - Sitka spruce, Douglas fir.

Animal world. Wolves, bears, deer and elks, foxes, lynxes, sables, beavers, muskrats. In the mountain forests - skunks, bears (grizzlies), raccoons. In the rivers - salmon fish. On the islands - rookeries of fur seals.

Mixed and deciduous forests

south of the tundra zone. (Variably humid forests predominate in the eastern part of the North American continent).

Climate. Moderate to subtropical.

Soils. Gray forest soils, brown forest soils, yellow soils and red soils.

Vegetation. In mixed forests - sugar maple, yellow birch, white and red pine, linden, beech. In deciduous forests - different types of oaks, sycamore, chestnut, tulip tree.

Animal world. Elk deer, bears (grizzlies), elks, lynxes, wolves, wolverines, raccoons, hares, foxes.

evergreen tropical forests

In the south of the Atlantic and Mississippi and lowlands.

Climate. Subtropical.

Soils. Grey-brown, brown.

Vegetation. Oaks, magnolias, beeches, dwarf palms. The trees are entwined with vines.

Animal world. Diverse.

Forest-steppe

Treeless plains to the west of the forest zone. (In North America they are called prairies).

Climate. Subtropical.

Soils. Chernozems: podzolized and leached. Chestnut, gray forest.

Vegetation. High perennial grasses: wheatgrass, feather grass, etc. In the river valleys - woody vegetation. Near the Cordillera - low cereal grasses (Gram grass and bison grass).

Animal world. Diverse and rich.

Desert and semi-desert zone

A significant part of the California coast, the Mexican highlands and the interior plateaus of the Cordillera.

Climate. Moderate (dry).

Soils. Brown and gray desert.

Vegetation. Black wormwood; on salt licks - quinoa saltwort; thorny shrubs, cacti.

Animal world. Scarce.

Savannahs and evergreen forests

On the slopes of the Caribbean and in Central America.

Climate. The change of dry and wet seasons is distinct.

Soils. Black, red-brown, brown, gray-brown

Vegetation. Tropical types of hard-leaved cereals. Trees with a long root system and umbrella-shaped crowns predominate.

Animal world. Versatile.


natural areas of North America.

Up to the latitude of the Great Lakes (the border of the USA and Canada), natural zones replace each other in latitude, and to the south - meridional. The following natural areas are represented in North America:

1. Arctic desert zone. Greenland and most of the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are located in this zone. Here, in places freed from snow and ice, mosses and lichens grow on poor stony and swampy soils during a short and cool summer.

2. tundra zone. It occupies the northern coast of North America and adjacent islands. The southern border of the tundra in the west lies near the Arctic Circle, and as it moves east, it enters more southern latitudes, capturing the coast of Hudson Bay and the northern part of the Labrador Peninsula. Here, in conditions of short and cool summers and permafrost, peat bogs are widespread. Mosses and lichens grow in the northern part of the tundra, and marsh grasses, wild rosemary shrubs, blueberry and blueberry shrubs, undersized birches with twisted trunks, willows, and alders grow in the southern part. Arctic fox, polar wolf, caribou reindeer, ptarmigan, etc. live in the North American tundra. In summer, many migratory birds arrive here. There are many seals and walruses in the coastal waters of the zone. On the northern coast of the mainland there is a polar bear.

3. Taiga zone. To the south, the tundra gradually turns into forest-tundra, and then into coniferous forests or taiga. The taiga zone extends in a wide strip from west to east. In the taiga, mainly coniferous trees grow - black spruce, balsam fir, pine, American larch; there are also deciduous ones - paper birch with smooth white bark, aspen. There are predatory animals in the forests - bears, wolves, lynxes, foxes; there are deer, elk and valuable fur animals - sable, beaver, muskrat. There are a lot of salmon fish in the rivers, there are rookeries of fur seals on the islands.

4. Zone of mixed and deciduous forests starts south of the taiga. In the eastern part of the mainland, variable rainforests are located, which reach right up to the Gulf of Mexico zone. The mixed forests are dominated by yellow birch, sugar maple, beech, linden, white and red pine. Broad-leaved forests are characterized by various types of oaks, chestnut, plane tree and tulip tree.

5. Tropical evergreen forest zone located in the south of the Mississippi and Atlantic lowlands. The forests consist of oaks, magnolias, beeches and dwarf palms. The trees are entwined with vines.

6. Forest steppe zone begins to the west of the forest zone. Herbaceous vegetation prevails here. Steppes with tall grasses, mainly cereals, reaching a height of 1.5 m, are called prairies in North America. Woody vegetation is found in river valleys and in humid lowlands. Closer to the Cordillera, precipitation is even less and the vegetation becomes poorer; low grasses do not cover the entire ground and grow in separate bunches.

7. Desert and semi-desert zone occupies a significant part of the interior plateaus of the Cordillera, the Mexican Highlands and the Californian coast. Here, on gray and brown soils, thorny shrubs, cacti and wormwood, and on saline soils - saltwort.

8. Savannah and evergreen forest zones located in Central America and on the slopes of the Caribbean.

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The abstract was prepared by Osipik Gennady, 7 "G" class

Angarsk

Geographical position.

North America, like South America, lies in the Western Hemisphere. In terms of territory - 24.2 million square kilometers (with islands). - It is inferior to Eurasia and Africa. North America lies in the subarctic, northern, temperate and subtropical zones.

The shores of the mainland are washed by the waters of three oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic). In the south, it is connected by the narrow Isthmus of Panama to South America, through which a navigable sea canal was dug at the beginning of the 20th century. North America is separated from Eurasia by the narrow Bering Strait. In the past, there was an isthmus at the site of the strait, connecting North America with Eurasia, which determined the similarity of the flora and fauna of these continents.

From the history of the discovery of the mainland.

Long before Columbus, at the end of the 10th century, the Norman Eirik Raudi, with several companions, set off from Iceland to the west, reaching a previously unknown land - Greenland. Here, in the harsh conditions of the north, the Normans created settlements. For several centuries the Normans lived in the south and southwest of Greenland. Later they visited the northeastern shores of North America. At the end of the 15th century, Europeans rediscovered Newfoundland, Labrador, and then the east coast of the mainland. At the beginning of the 16th century, detachments of the Spanish conquerors, led by Cortes, captured Mexico and some lands of Central America.

Relief and minerals.

Plains. At the base of the plains of North America lies the ancient N American Platform. As a result of the sinking and flooding of its northern part, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Greenland were formed. In the northeast of the mainland, there is a hill where crystalline rocks of the platform (granites and gneisses) come to the surface. South of the highlands stretch the Central Plains. Here, the basement of the North American Platform is covered with sedimentary rocks. The northern part of the mainland, up to 40 degrees N, was subjected to glaciation several times (the last glaciation ended 10-11 thousand years ago): here the glaciers, retreating, left deposits of clay, sand and stones. In the western part of the North American Platform, along the Cordillera, the Great Plains stretch in a wide strip, composed of thick marine and continental deposits. Rivers flowing from the mountains cut the plains with deep valleys. To the south, the Central Plains turn into the Mississippi Lowland, composed of river sediments. The Mississippi Lowlands merge in the south with the coastal lowlands of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. They were formed relatively recently as a result of the subsidence of these land areas and the accumulation of sediments from rivers on the continental shelf.

Appalachians. In the east of the mainland, the Appalachian Mountains stretch.

Cordillera. The Cordillera mountain range extends along the Pacific coast. The Cordillera stretched out in several parallel ranges. Some of them pass near the ocean, others retreat far to the east. The ridges diverge especially widely in the middle part. There are deep depressions, vast plateaus and highlands covered with solidified lava. The most significant of them are the Great Basin and the Mexican Highlands.

Climate.

Causes influencing the formation of the climate of North America.

Great length of the mainland.

Prevailing winds (northeast south of 30 degrees N.W. and westerlies in temperate latitudes).

Influence of warm and cold currents

Influence of the Pacific Ocean.

Flat terrain in the middle part of the mainland (does not interfere with the movement of air masses).

These reasons have determined the great diversity of the climate of North America.

Climatic zones and regions.

Arctic air masses dominate throughout the year in the Arctic belt. Severe winters are accompanied by frequent snowstorms, and cold summers are accompanied by constant fogs and cloudy weather. The largest area of ​​this belt (Greenland and some other islands) is covered with glaciers.

The subarctic zone is characterized by frosty winters and moderately cool summers. Precipitation is low, snow cover is negligible in winter. Permafrost is ubiquitous, with only a small top layer of soil thawing in the summer months. The eastern, inner and western regions of the temperate zone differ markedly in climate. In the east of the region the climate is temperate continental, fogs are frequent on the coast.

The subtropical zone has hot summers and mild winters. However, intrusions of cold air masses from the north cause short-term frosts and snowfalls. The humid climate in the east of the belt is replaced by continental in the middle part and Mediterranean in the west.

In the east of the tropical belt, the climate is tropical humid, and in the interior of the Mexican Highlands and the California Peninsula, the climate is tropical desert.

The extreme south of North America lies in the subequatorial belt. There is a lot of rainfall and high temperatures throughout the year.

natural areas.

In the north of the mainland, natural zones stretch in strips from west to east, while in the middle and southern parts they stretch from north to south. In the Cordillera, altitudinal zonation is manifested.

In terms of species composition, the flora and fauna of the north of the mainland is similar to Northern Eurasia, and the south is similar to South America, which is explained by their territorial proximity and common development.

Arctic desert zone.

Greenland and most of the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are located in the Arctic desert zone. Here, in places freed from snow and ice, mosses and lichens grow on poor stony and swampy soils during a short and cool summer. The musk ox has been found in this zone since the Ice Age. The animal is covered with thick and long dark brown hair, which protects it well from the cold.

Tundra zone.

The northern coast of the mainland and the islands adjacent to it is occupied by the tundra zone. The southern border of the tundra in the west lies near the Arctic Circle, and as it moves east, it enters more southern latitudes, capturing the coast of Hudson Bay and the northern part of the Labrador Peninsula. Here, under conditions of short and cool summers and permafrost, tundra soils are formed, in which plant remains decompose slowly. In addition, the frozen layer prevents the infiltration of moisture, resulting in its excess. Therefore, peat bogs are widespread in the tundra. Mosses and lichens grow on tundra-gley soils in the northern part of the tundra, and marsh grasses, rosemary shrubs, blueberry and blueberry shrubs, undersized birch trees with curved trunks, willows, and alder grow in the southern part. Arctic fox, polar wolf, caribou reindeer, ptarmigan, etc. live in the North American tundra. In summer, many migratory birds arrive here. There are many seals and walruses in the coastal waters of the zone. On the northern coast of the mainland there is a polar bear. In the west, in the Cordillera, the mountain tundra extends far to the south. To the south, woody vegetation appears more and more often, the tundra gradually turns into forest-tundra, and then into coniferous forests or taiga.

Taiga zone.

The taiga zone extends in a wide strip from west to east. Podzolic soils predominate here. They are formed in humid and cool summers, as a result of which insignificant plant litter slowly decomposes and gives a small amount of humus (up to 2%). Under a thin layer of humus lies a whitish layer with insoluble elements of the rock, resembling ash in color. For the color of this horizon, such soils are called podzolic. In the taiga, mainly coniferous trees grow - black spruce, balsam fir, pine, American larch; there are also deciduous ones - paper birch with smooth white bark, aspen. There are predatory animals in the forests - bears, wolves, lynxes, foxes; there are deer, elk and valuable fur animals - sable, beaver, muskrat. The slopes of the Cordillera, facing the ocean, are covered with dense coniferous forests, mainly from Sitka spruce, hemlock, Douglas fir. Forests rise up the mountain slopes up to 1000-1500 m, above they thin out and pass into the mountain tundra. Bears live in mountain forests - grizzlies, skunks, raccoons; there are a lot of salmon fish in the rivers, there are seal rookeries on the islands.

Zones of mixed and broad-leaved forests.

To the south of the zone of coniferous forests, there are zones of mixed and broad-leaved, as well as variable moist forests. They are located only in the eastern part of the mainland, where the climate is milder and more humid, reaching in the south to the Gulf of Mexico. Under mixed forests in the north, gray forest soils are common, under broad-leaved forests, brown forest soils, and in the south, under variable wet ones, yellow and red soils. The mixed forests are dominated by yellow birch, sugar maple, beech, linden, white and red pine. Broad-leaved forests are characterized by various types of oaks, chestnut, plane tree and tulip tree.

Tropical evergreen forest zone.

The evergreen rainforests in the south of the Mississippi and Atlantic lowlands consist of oaks, magnolias, beeches and dwarf palms. The trees are entwined with vines.

Forest steppe zone.

To the west of the forest zone, precipitation is less and herbaceous vegetation prevails here. The forest zone passes into the zone of forest-steppes with chernozem-like soils and steppes with humus-rich chernozems and chestnut soils. Steppes with tall grasses, mainly cereals, reaching a height of 1.5 m, are called prairies in North America. Woody vegetation is found in river valleys and in humid lowlands. Closer to the Cordillera, precipitation is even less and the vegetation becomes poorer; low grasses - Gram grass (grass) and bison grass (perennial grass only 10-30 cm high) - do not cover the entire ground and grow in separate bunches.

Desert and semi-desert zone.

Semi-deserts and deserts occupy a significant part of the interior plateaus of the Cordilleras, the Mexican Highlands and the Californian coast. Here, on gray and brown soils, thorny shrubs, cacti and wormwood, and on saline soils - saltwort.

Savannahs and evergreen forests.

In Central America and on the slopes of the Caribbean Sea there are zones of savannahs and evergreen forests.

Natural zones are wide strips of homogeneous nature of the earth with similar climatic conditions. The natural zones of North America stretch in strips from west to east and change in latitude, and south - meridional.

Due to the large elongation of the mainland from south to north, the natural zones of North America (9 natural zones) are distinguished by a wide variety of flora and fauna.

Arctic deserts

Most of the Canadian Arctic Islands and Greenland.

Climate. Arctic. Negative or close to zero temperatures prevail.

Soils. Poor, rocky and marshy.

Vegetation. Mostly mosses and lichens.

Animal world. Musk ox.

Tundra

Northern coast of the mainland with adjacent islands. To the east - the coast of Hudson Bay and the northern part of the Labrador Peninsula.

Climate. The subarctic (partially arctic) prevails.

Soils. Tundra - gley, with excess moisture.

Vegetation. In the northern part - mosses, lichens; in the southern part - swamp grasses, blueberries and blueberries, wild rosemary bushes, undersized willows, birches, alders. Woody vegetation appears to the south.

Animal world. Arctic wolf, caribou reindeer, arctic fox, ptarmigan and some others. Diversity of migratory birds. In coastal waters - seals and walruses. On the northern coast - a polar bear.

Taiga

It stretches in a wide strip from east to west. Impenetrable coniferous forests.

Climate. Moderate (with increased moisture).

Soils. Podzolic prevail.

Vegetation. Mostly coniferous trees - balsam fir, black spruce, pine, sequoia, American larch. From hardwoods - paper birch, aspen. On the slopes of the Cordillera - Sitka spruce, Douglas fir.

Animal world. Wolves, bears, deer and elks, foxes, lynxes, sables, beavers, muskrats. In the mountain forests - skunks, bears (grizzlies), raccoons. In the rivers - salmon fish. On the islands - rookeries of fur seals.

Mixed and deciduous forests

south of the tundra zone. (Variably humid forests predominate in the eastern part of the North American continent).

Climate. Moderate to subtropical.

Soils. Gray forest soils, brown forest soils, yellow soils and red soils.

Vegetation. In mixed forests - sugar maple, yellow birch, white and red pine, linden, beech. In deciduous forests - different types of oaks, sycamore, chestnut, tulip tree.

Animal world. Elk deer, bears (grizzlies), elks, lynxes, wolves, wolverines, raccoons, hares, foxes.

evergreen tropical forests

In the south of the Atlantic and Mississippi and lowlands.

Climate. Subtropical.

Soils. Grey-brown, brown.

Vegetation. Oaks, magnolias, beeches, dwarf palms. The trees are entwined with vines.

Animal world. Diverse.

Forest-steppe

Treeless plains to the west of the forest zone. (In North America they are called prairies).

Climate. Subtropical.

Soils. Chernozems: podzolized and leached. Chestnut, gray forest.

Vegetation. High perennial grasses: wheatgrass, feather grass, etc. In the river valleys - woody vegetation. Near the Cordillera - low cereal grasses (Gram grass and bison grass).

Animal world. Diverse and rich.

Desert and semi-desert zone

A significant part of the California coast, the Mexican highlands and the interior plateaus of the Cordillera.

Climate. Moderate (dry).

Soils. Brown and gray desert.

Vegetation. Black wormwood; on salt licks - quinoa saltwort; thorny shrubs, cacti.


Natural areas of North America

The abstract was prepared by Osipik Gennady, 7 "G" class

G. Angarsk

Geographical position.

North America, like South America, lies in the Western Hemisphere. In terms of territory - 24.2 million square kilometers (with islands). - It is inferior to Eurasia and Africa. North America lies in the subarctic, northern, temperate and subtropical zones.

The shores of the mainland are washed by the waters of three oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic). In the south, it is connected by the narrow Isthmus of Panama to South America, through which a navigable sea canal was dug at the beginning of the 20th century. North America is separated from Eurasia by the narrow Bering Strait. In the past, there was an isthmus at the site of the strait, connecting North America with Eurasia, which determined the similarity of the flora and fauna of these continents.

From the history of the discovery of the mainland.

Long before Columbus, at the end of the 10th century, the Norman Eirik Raudi, with several companions, set off from Iceland to the west, reaching a previously unknown land - Greenland. Here, in the harsh conditions of the north, the Normans created settlements. For several centuries the Normans lived in the south and southwest of Greenland. Later they visited the northeastern shores of North America. At the end of the 15th century, Europeans rediscovered Newfoundland, Labrador, and then the east coast of the mainland. At the beginning of the 16th century, detachments of the Spanish conquerors, led by Cortes, captured Mexico and some lands of Central America.

Relief and minerals.

Plains. At the base of the plains of North America lies the ancient N American Platform. As a result of the sinking and flooding of its northern part, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Greenland were formed. In the northeast of the mainland, there is a hill where crystalline rocks of the platform (granites and gneisses) come to the surface. South of the highlands stretch the Central Plains. Here, the basement of the North American Platform is covered with sedimentary rocks. The northern part of the mainland, up to 40 degrees N, was subjected to glaciation several times (the last glaciation ended 10-11 thousand years ago): here the glaciers, retreating, left deposits of clay, sand and stones. In the western part of the North American Platform, along the Cordillera, the Great Plains stretch in a wide strip, composed of thick marine and continental deposits. Rivers flowing from the mountains cut the plains with deep valleys. To the south, the Central Plains turn into the Mississippi Lowland, composed of river sediments. The Mississippi Lowlands merge in the south with the coastal lowlands of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. They were formed relatively recently as a result of the subsidence of these land areas and the accumulation of river sediments on the continental shelf.

Appalachians. In the east of the mainland, the Appalachian Mountains stretch.

Cordillera. The Cordillera mountain range extends along the Pacific coast. The Cordillera stretched out in several parallel ranges. Some of them pass near the ocean, others retreat far to the east. The ridges diverge especially widely in the middle part. There are deep depressions, vast plateaus and highlands covered with solidified lava. The most significant of them are the Great Basin and the Mexican Highlands.

Climate.

Causes influencing the formation of the climate of North America.

Great length of the mainland.

Prevailing winds (northeast south of 30 degrees N.W. and westerlies in temperate latitudes).

Influence of warm and cold currents

Influence of the Pacific Ocean.

Flat terrain in the middle part of the mainland (does not interfere with the movement of air masses).

These reasons have determined the great diversity of the climate of North America.

Climatic zones and regions.

Arctic air masses dominate throughout the year in the Arctic belt. Severe winters are accompanied by frequent snowstorms, and cold summers are accompanied by constant fogs and cloudy weather. The largest area of ​​this belt (Greenland and some other islands) is covered with glaciers.

The subarctic zone is characterized by frosty winters and moderately cool summers. Precipitation is low, snow cover is negligible in winter. Permafrost is ubiquitous, with only a small top layer of soil thawing in the summer months. The eastern, inner and western regions of the temperate zone differ markedly in climate. In the east of the region the climate is temperate continental, fogs are frequent on the coast.

The subtropical zone has hot summers and mild winters. However, intrusions of cold air masses from the north cause short-term frosts and snowfalls. The humid climate in the east of the belt is replaced by continental in the middle part and Mediterranean in the west.

In the east of the tropical belt, the climate is tropical humid, and in the interior of the Mexican Highlands and the California Peninsula, the climate is tropical desert.

The extreme south of North America lies in the subequatorial belt. There is a lot of rainfall and high temperatures throughout the year.

natural areas.

In the north of the mainland, natural zones stretch in strips from west to east, while in the middle and southern parts they stretch from north to south. In the Cordillera, altitudinal zonation is manifested.

In terms of species composition, the flora and fauna of the north of the mainland is similar to Northern Eurasia, and the south is similar to South America, which is explained by their territorial proximity and common development.

Arctic desert zone.

Greenland and most of the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are located in the Arctic desert zone. Here, in places freed from snow and ice, mosses and lichens grow on poor stony and swampy soils during a short and cool summer. The musk ox has been found in this zone since the Ice Age. The animal is covered with thick and long dark brown hair, which protects it well from the cold.

Tundra zone.

The northern coast of the mainland and the islands adjacent to it is occupied by the tundra zone. The southern border of the tundra in the west lies near the Arctic Circle, and as it moves east, it enters more southern latitudes, capturing the coast of Hudson Bay and the northern part of the Labrador Peninsula. Here, under conditions of short and cool summers and permafrost, tundra soils are formed, in which plant remains decompose slowly. In addition, the frozen layer prevents the infiltration of moisture, resulting in its excess. Therefore, peat bogs are widespread in the tundra. Mosses and lichens grow on tundra-gley soils in the northern part of the tundra, and marsh grasses, rosemary shrubs, blueberry and blueberry shrubs, undersized birch trees with curved trunks, willows, and alder grow in the southern part. Arctic fox, polar wolf, caribou reindeer, ptarmigan, etc. live in the North American tundra. In summer, many migratory birds arrive here. There are many seals and walruses in the coastal waters of the zone. On the northern coast of the mainland there is a polar bear. In the west, in the Cordillera, the mountain tundra extends far to the south. To the south, woody vegetation appears more and more often, the tundra gradually turns into forest-tundra, and then into coniferous forests or taiga.

Taiga zone.

The taiga zone extends in a wide strip from west to east. Podzolic soils predominate here. They are formed in humid and cool summers, as a result of which insignificant plant litter slowly decomposes and gives a small amount of humus (up to 2%). Under a thin layer of humus lies a whitish layer with insoluble elements of the rock, resembling ash in color. For the color of this horizon, such soils are called podzolic. In the taiga, mainly coniferous trees grow - black spruce, balsam fir, pine, American larch; there are also deciduous ones - paper birch with smooth white bark, aspen. There are predatory animals in the forests - bears, wolves, lynxes, foxes; there are deer, elk and valuable fur animals - sable, beaver, muskrat. The slopes of the Cordillera, facing the ocean, are covered with dense coniferous forests, mainly from Sitka spruce, hemlock, Douglas fir. Forests rise up the mountain slopes up to 1000-1500 m, above they thin out and pass into the mountain tundra. Bears live in mountain forests - grizzlies, skunks, raccoons; there are a lot of salmon fish in the rivers, there are seal rookeries on the islands.

Zones of mixed and broad-leaved forests.

To the south of the zone of coniferous forests, there are zones of mixed and broad-leaved, as well as variable moist forests. They are located only in the eastern part of the mainland, where the climate is milder and more humid, reaching in the south to the Gulf of Mexico. Under mixed forests in the north, gray forest soils are common, under broad-leaved forests, brown forest soils, and in the south, under variable wet ones, yellow and red soils. The mixed forests are dominated by yellow birch, sugar maple, beech, linden, white and red pine. Broad-leaved forests are characterized by various types of oaks, chestnut, plane tree and tulip tree.

Tropical evergreen forest zone.

The evergreen rainforests in the south of the Mississippi and Atlantic lowlands consist of oaks, magnolias, beeches and dwarf palms. The trees are entwined with vines.

Forest steppe zone.

To the west of the forest zone, precipitation is less and herbaceous vegetation prevails here. The forest zone passes into the zone of forest-steppes with chernozem-like soils and steppes with humus-rich chernozems and chestnut soils. Steppes with tall grasses, mainly cereals, reaching a height of 1.5 m, are called prairies in North America. Woody vegetation is found in river valleys and in humid lowlands. Closer to the Cordillera, precipitation is even less and the vegetation becomes poorer; low grasses - Gram grass (grass) and bison grass (perennial grass only 10-30 cm high) - do not cover the entire ground and grow in separate bunches.

Desert and semi-desert zone.

Semi-deserts and deserts occupy a significant part of the interior plateaus of the Cordilleras, the Mexican Highlands and the Californian coast. Here, on gray and brown soils, thorny shrubs, cacti and wormwood, and on saline soils - saltwort.

Savannahs and evergreen forests.

In Central America and on the slopes of the Caribbean Sea there are zones of savannahs and evergreen forests.

Lesson topic: Natural areas of North America

Goals And lesson objectives: To continue the formation of students' ideas and knowledge about the nature of North America; to acquaint with the typical features of the natural zones of the mainland, with the plants and animals common here; continue the formation of the ability to establish cause-and-effect relationships between various components of nature using the example of natural zones.

Educational visual complex: a set of pictures with species of animals and plants of North America, a physical map, a map of natural areas of North America, atlases for grade 7, educational supplies.

Lesson type: lesson learning new material

During the classes.

1. Class organization.

2. Introduction. Preparation for the main stage of the lesson.

Introduction by the teacher. Each lesson of learning new material is the next step on your ladder of knowledge. This is another step in the ascent to the pinnacle of knowledge. And the more such steps you take in your life, the higher your intellectual level. I would like these steps on the path of knowledge to be firm and confident. And they led you only forward, overcoming any difficulties and obstacles.

Therefore, I want to start the lesson with a legend about the leader of one of the Indian tribes, who sent young men to the top of Aconcagua, the highest point in South America.

“Go as long as you have the strength. Whoever gets tired, let him return home, but let everyone bring me a branch from the place where he turned off the road,” said the leader. Soon the first one returned from the road and held out a cactus leaf. The chief chuckled, “You didn’t cross the desert. You weren't even at the foot of the mountain." The leader said to the second, who brought a silvery branch of wormwood: "You were at the foot, but you did not even try to start climbing." The third one, with a poplar branch, even earned praise: "You made it to the spring." Similar encouragement and the fourth, with a branch of buckthorn. To the fifth, who brought a branch of cedar, the old man nodded approvingly: "You were halfway to the top." The last young man came empty-handed, but his face shone with joy. He explained that he had been where no trees grew, but he had seen the sparkling sea. The leader not only believed him, but also paid the greatest tribute of recognition: “You don’t need a branch-symbol. Victory shines in your eyes, sounds in your voice. This is one of the pinnacles of your life. You have seen the mountain in all its glory."


Guys, why did the leader decide that the young man reached the top? (Discussion of the issue)

Each of you can leave the lesson today with the same shining eyes. With a feeling of victory of the knowledge of the new. But for this victory you need your attention and painstaking work.

Geography, as you already know, is an amazing science. Almost every learning lesson starts with a map. And today we will also repeatedly turn to it. But the map that will accompany us on the topic of the lesson is not physical, but a map of natural areas. Therefore, I think you have already guessed what the topic of the lesson today is.

Open your notebooks and write down the topic of the lesson: "NATURAL AREAS OF NORTH AMERICA"

Before I get started, I wanted you to remember the definition - natural area

Students: give a definition of the concept of a natural zone - wide bands of the homogeneous nature of the earth, due to climatic conditions and flat relief on land.

Natural zones - territories extending in a latitudinal direction with similar natural conditions (climate, soil, vegetation, animals)

Vertical zonality is a gradual change in climates, soils, plants, and animals in mountainous regions, depending on the height.

Explanation of the new material:

Due to the great length of the mainland from north to south, its organic world is extremely rich in all kinds of plant and animal species. This is a polar bear, a resident of the Arctic deserts and bison, the most characteristic animal of the North American prairies.

Unlike the southern continents already known to us, in North America the change of natural zones in a special way. In the northern part of the mainland, natural zones replace each other from north to south. This is due to changes in the amount of solar heat.

Compare the maps "Climatic zones and regions", "Climatic map of North America" ​​and the map "Natural zones" page 35 of the atlas. What is the conclusion?

CONCLUSION: Natural arctic desert zone located in arctic climatic belt. Even in summer, almost the entire territory remains negative temperatures or temperatures close to zero. Throughout the year, cloudiness, fogs, snow storms prevail. The winter polar night lasts up to five months. Within this belt are the centers of modern ice cover. Soils are practically non-existent. Vegetable world presented mosses and lichens. Animal world a little more diverse, but its nutrition is inextricably linked with the water space (walruses, seals, polar bears).

To the south of the Arctic Circle it becomes a little warmer, there is a natural tundra and forest tundra zone, which occupies areas subarctic climate zone. It is characterized by severe winters (working with a climate map), cool summers with overcast rainy weather. The entire territory of the tundra is located in the permafrost zone. Therefore, there are many surface swamps. Soils are tundra - marsh. The vegetation is represented by low-growing grasses (blueberries, blackberries, cloudberries) and dwarf trees (dwarf birch, willow, pine). The fauna is more diverse than in the Arctic deserts (Appendix 1.)

When moving south, the amount of solar heat increases. This leads to the replacement of the tundra with a zone of coniferous forests - taiga. On podzolic soils resembling the color of ash, coniferous forests are represented by pine, fir, spruce, and larch. In the west, thanks to the warm current and the westerly winds that carry moisture to the mainland, coniferous forests stretch far south along the Pacific Ocean. There are giant coniferous trees - sequoia. giant sequoia - the tallest and largest tree in the world - sequoia "General Sherman" grows in California. Its height is 84 m, the diameter of the trunk is 35 m, the thickness of the branches is more than 3 m, the age is about 2500 years, and the weight is 2500 tons.


The warm Gulf Stream runs through the central part of eastern North America. It contributes to the formation of rain clouds. And rainfall is increasing in the east of the mainland. Here on the gray forest soils is located zone of mixed and deciduous forests , and a little to the south there are variable-humid forests. The dominance of the temperate zone is felt here. Cold and snowy winters, warm summers with fogs on the coastal part of the Atlantic Ocean. The flora and fauna are more diverse.

When approaching west into the interior of the mainland, the amount of precipitation decreases, and therefore the forests are replaced forest-steppes and steppes, which stretched out in the meridional direction. In North America, the steppes are most often called prairies, which are distinguished into dry (on chestnut soils) and wet on chernozems. The fauna of this treeless zone is no less diverse than the forest one.

The cold California current runs along the central part of the western coast of the mainland, so the amount of precipitation decreases. The cold current and the mountainous relief of the mainland forms here desert and semi-desert zone . Treeless zone with sparse vegetation and wildlife

In the course of explaining new material, students work with a contour map. (They sign the name of natural zones, soils and prominent representatives of the flora and fauna.)

Game to consolidate new material

"Recognize the description of the natural area"

1. Enormous spaces with high grassy vegetation with a predominance of feather grass, matlik, wheatgrass rise before your eyes. Herds of steppe bison roam along them, pronghorn antelopes run briskly. Cayotes, red fox, badger, ferret, white-tailed hare - all these living creatures can be found in the blue expanses of the zone. Rodents are not counted here. Perhaps it is the gophers, together with their closest relatives - prairie dogs, who are the true rulers of this natural area. (steppe - prairie)

2. Flying skuas are visible everywhere, and woe to the lemming who gapes or runs out into the snow. In summer, bright carpets of polar poppies, partridge grass, buttercups. And how many berries - cloudberries, blueberries, blackberries. An amazing spectacle of colors. (tundra)

Change in natural areas as a result of human activities

Analysis of the complex map p.37 atlas.

In which natural zone of the mainland is the largest number of national monuments and reserves located?

Why do you think these natural areas are the most vulnerable.

Primary control of knowledge of new material

Compliance test (Appendix 2)

Summing up the lesson.

What new did you learn at the lesson today?

What part of the lesson did you particularly enjoy and why?

natural areas of North America.

Goals: - name and show rivers and lakes, the boundaries of natural zones and representatives of the flora and fauna of each of the zones;

Determine the GP of large rivers, lakes, natural areas;

Describe natural ingredients;

Consider the features of the natural zones of North America;

To develop the ability of students to characterize natural areas

Explain the features of nutrition and the regime of rivers, the vegetation cover of natural areas.

Equipment: physical map of North America I-7kl-1, map of natural areas, 1101060

During the classes

I. Organizing time.

II. Checking homework. 1. Oral survey on questions:

1) What are the reasons that influence the formation of the climate in North America.

2) What winds dominate North America and why?

3) Why does Arctic air penetrate to the Gulf of Mexico?

4) Why does the amount of precipitation increase from west to east (along the 40°N latitude)?

5) Why is there little rainfall in southwestern North America?

6) Why are climatic regions distinguished in some climatic zones?

2. Test work.

1. Arctic VMs dominate throughout the year. The average July temperature is 0 +8°C, the average January temperature is about -28°C. Annual rainfall mm. Such a climate is formed at the mouth of the river:

a) Mackenzie c) Colombia;

b) Yukon; d) Saint Lawrence.

2. Despite the possibility of earthquakes, several hydroelectric power stations have been built on the Columbia River. Why?

A) River water contains many rock particles.

C) The river has large reserves of cheap electricity.

D) It is necessary to avert the possibility of floods.

3. The Yukon River is covered with ice for almost half a year, because it

a) flows high in the mountains;

b) flows into the Arctic Ocean;

c) flows from east to west;

d) flows through the territory with a subarctic climate.

4. Rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean are also full-flowing in summer, because they receive water: a) from lakes and swamps;

b) from ordinary monsoon rains;

c) from the melting of glaciers in the mountains.

5. Through the river ... water from the Great North American lakes enters ... the ocean.

6. The Niagara River, connecting Lake Erie and .., is famous for its ...

IP. Learning new material.

The students in the class complete the table using text from the textbook.

Temperature

Year. amount of precipitation, mm

sun height

Vegetation

Animal

polar night

Permafrost, stony, marsh

Somewhere mosses and lichens

polar night

Peat-bog, permafrost

Mosses, lichens, marsh grasses, wild rosemary, blueberries, blueberries, dwarf birch, willow, alder.

Arctic fox, polar wolf, deer, caribou, ptarmigan.

Podzolic

Bear, wolf, lynx, fox, deer, elk, elk, sable, beaver, muskrat.

Brown, yellow earth, red earth

Yellow birch, sugar maple, beech, linden, white and red pine, oak, chestnut, tulip tree.

Fox, beaver, muskrat, coyote.

Chestnut, black soil

Cereal grasses, rarely trees.

Bison, coyote.

Serozems, saline

Prickly bushes, cacti, wormwood, saltwort.

Lizards, coyote, rodents.

Conversation on:

1) Name the peculiarity of the distribution of the North American soil reserves (in the north they are subject to the law of zoning, that is, they stretch from west to east, and in the central and southern parts they are located in the meridional direction).

2) What influenced such an arrangement of natural zones (relief and prevailing winds)?

3) What parts of the mainland are rich in water? Why?

IV. Consolidation of the lesson. The game "Who is this? Whatlike that?"

Colorado

Yellowstone

Grand Canyon

V. Homework:§ 54, 55; in a contour map, sign the names of the Great North American lakes, rivers, waterfalls, arrows show the movement of water in this huge water system.