Antarctic Desert: natural area. Arctic desert - typical animals, birds. A story about the animal world of the Arctic deserts: photos, pictures, video A summary of the Arctic desert zone

And fragments of stones.

Climate

The climate in the Arctic is very harsh. Ice and snow cover lasts almost the whole year. In winter, there is a long polar night (at 75 ° N - 98 days; at 80 ° N - 127 days; in the region of the pole - half a year). This is a very harsh time of the year. The temperature drops to -40 ° C and below, strong gale-force winds blow, snowstorms are frequent. In summer, there is round-the-clock lighting, but there is little heat, the soil does not have time to completely thaw. The air temperature is slightly above 0 °C. The sky is often covered with gray clouds, it rains (often with snow), due to the strong evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean, thick fogs form.

Flora and fauna

Arctic deserts

The Arctic desert zone, the northernmost of the natural zones, is located in the high latitudes of the Arctic. Its southern boundary runs along approximately 71°N. sh. The zone includes the islands of the Arctic basin: Greenland, the northern part of the Canadian archipelago, the Svalbard archipelago, Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Novaya Zemlya, the New Siberian Islands, as well as a narrow strip along the coast of the Arctic Ocean within the Yamal, Gydansky, Taimyr, Chukotsky peninsulas.

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Notes

Land World Ocean

Australia and New Zealand Asia Africa Near East Europe North America South America Subpolar regions

An excerpt characterizing the Arctic desert

- Look, take it out well!
Another hussar also rushed to the horse, but Bondarenko had already thrown over the reins of the snaffle. It was evident that the junker gave well for vodka, and that it was profitable to serve him. Rostov stroked the horse's neck, then its rump, and stopped on the porch.
“Glorious! Such will be the horse! he said to himself, and, smiling and holding his saber, he ran up to the porch, rattling his spurs. The German owner, in a sweatshirt and cap, with a pitchfork, with which he cleaned the manure, looked out of the barn. The German's face suddenly brightened as soon as he saw Rostov. He smiled cheerfully and winked: “Schon, gut Morgen! Schon, gut Morgen!" [Fine, good morning!] he repeated, apparently finding pleasure in greeting the young man.
– Schonfleissig! [Already at work!] - said Rostov, still with the same joyful, brotherly smile that did not leave his animated face. – Hoch Oestreicher! Hoch Russen! Kaiser Alexander hoch! [Hooray Austrians! Hooray Russians! Emperor Alexander hurray!] - he turned to the German, repeating the words often spoken by the German host.
The German laughed, went completely out of the barn door, pulled
cap and, waving it over his head, shouted:
– Und die ganze Welt hoch! [And the whole world cheers!]
Rostov himself, just like a German, waved his cap over his head and, laughing, shouted: “Und Vivat die ganze Welt!” Although there was no reason for special joy either for the German who was cleaning his cowshed, or for Rostov, who went with a platoon for hay, both of these people looked at each other with happy delight and brotherly love, shook their heads in a sign of mutual love and parted smiling - the German to the barn, and Rostov to the hut he shared with Denisov.
- What's the sir? he asked Lavrushka, the rogue lackey Denisov known to the entire regiment.
Haven't been since the evening. It’s true, we lost,” answered Lavrushka. “I already know that if they win, they will come early to show off, but if they don’t until morning, then they’ve blown away, the angry ones will come. Would you like coffee?
- Come on, come on.
After 10 minutes, Lavrushka brought coffee. They're coming! - he said, - now the trouble. - Rostov looked out the window and saw Denisov returning home. Denisov was small man with a red face, shining black eyes, black tousled mustache and hair. He was wearing an unbuttoned mentic, wide chikchirs lowered in folds, and a crumpled hussar cap was put on the back of his head. He gloomily, lowering his head, approached the porch.
“Lavg” ear, ”he shouted loudly and angrily. “Well, take it off, blockhead!
“Yes, I’m filming anyway,” answered Lavrushka’s voice.
- BUT! you already got up, - said Denisov, entering the room.
- For a long time, - said Rostov, - I already went for hay and saw Fraulein Matilda.
– That's how! And I pg "puffed up, bg" at, vcheg "a, like a son of a bitch!" shouted Denisov, without pronouncing the river. - Such a misfortune! Such a misfortune! As you left, so it went. Hey, tea!

Plan

1. Location
2. Natural conditions
3. Plant world
4. Birds
5. Animal world
6. Power circuits
7. Population
8. Environmental issues

The zone of the Arctic deserts on the map is highlighted in gray-blue
1. Location of the Arctic desert zone:

• Geographical position: Arctic Ocean, northern seas and islands. The seas of the Arctic Ocean are very cold. All year round they are almost completely covered with ice, floating ice floes.
• Islands: Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, New Siberian Islands, Wrangel Island.
• Seas: Barents Sea, White Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Sea

Rivers carrying water to the seas of the Arctic Ocean: Pechora, Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Indigirka, Kolyma.

2. Natural conditions

Sun in the Arctic never rises high above the horizon. Its rays skim over the surface of the earth, giving it very little heat. That's why here realm of ice and snow . Long frosty winter 10-11 months, short cool summer. The surface of the ocean is covered with ice 3-5 meters thick or more. Blizzards rage over the ocean, frosts rage. The cold air of this zone is able to spread far to the south. The icy breath of the Arctic is felt throughout Russia. Therefore, the ice zone is often called the “refrigerator” of our country. In winter it's as cold as a freezer. The air temperature drops to -40-50 degrees below zero. In summer, in the ice zone, the temperature rises to +4 degrees above zero. This is also the temperature in the refrigerator, but in the fruit compartment.

Sometimes there is an amazing beauty of the polar lights. The whole sky is sparkling. And the reflection of light everywhere plays on the ice. Masses of light are divided into brilliant multi-colored bands and intertwined in the most bizarre way, sparkling with unusually pure and bright colors of the rainbow.

3. Plant world

To the harsh conditions of the Arctic deserts few species of living organisms have adapted . Lichens are found on the stones of the islands, they are very small .. Mosses and polar poppies have also adapted to life on the stones. In the water column, not covered with ice, there are a large number of plankton and algae, which enrich the water with oxygen and purify it from bacteria. They grow rapidly in the water during the Arctic summer and serve as food for millions of animals, which in turn feed on fish, squid and even giant whales.

4. Birds

Of the animals in these parts most of the birds . In summer, gulls, guillemots, and auks gather on the rocky shores. Noisy gatherings of seabirds on steep rocky shores are called "bird markets". Living in such a cluster, on inaccessible rocks, has its advantages: the birds are well protected from many predators. Here the birds hatch their chicks. Interestingly, guillemots do not build nests, but lay their eggs on bare rock ledges. Why don't eggs roll off rocks? Because they are pear shaped. But in the bird market, guillemots, puffins and kittiwakes have enemies. Large gulls nest near the bazaar - glaucous gulls, long-tailed skuas. These birds have learned to use other people's labor. A skua will take a fish from any bird. He chases and pounces until the bird leaves the fish - and he will pick it up on the fly! For this, the Skua was nicknamed Fomka the Robber.

5. Animal world

Except warm-blooded birds in the ice zone large mammals live .

Feels great here polar bear . White wool helps him to disguise himself and quietly sneak up on the future victim. Thick long hair is lubricated with a fatty substance secreted by the skin glands; it does not get wet in water, and does not freeze in frost. Polar bears travel across the Arctic ice, but they are also excellent swimmers. Polar bears hunt seals near ice holes, waiting for them to emerge for a breath of air. A thick layer of fat, evenly located under the skin, protects against cold weather. In the most severe frosts, polar bears bask in water, the temperature of which is + 2 ° C. When winter comes, bears dig a den in the snow, where they hide from adverse weather conditions(females).

Wandering in search of food wolves, foxes. The arctic fox is also called the polar fox. In winter, its fur becomes white and extremely thick. White color allows the arctic fox to camouflage itself in the snow and hunt with greater ease. It is omnivorous and feeds on birds, crabs or fruits.

Seals and walruses they spend most of their lives in the water, and come out on land for childbearing and molting. On hard ground, they are clumsy due to their sheet-like limbs. Walruses are larger than seals, walruses have tusks. The walrus uses bottom mollusks for food, the seal eats fish. A walrus can rest right in the water, while a seal needs to climb out onto ice floes to rest, where a polar bear can lie in wait for it.

The numerous aquatic animals that live in the ice zone include fish feeding on small crustaceans and algae. I live in the seas of the Arctic zone narwhal, bowhead whale, polar dolphin or beluga whale, killer whale .

6. Food chains that have developed in the Arctic.

1. Algae——> crustaceans——> fish——> birds

2. Algae crustaceans fish birds

seals

//////
White bears

7. Population

Here liveEskimos, Chukchi, Yakuts . A person is not a native inhabitant of the Arctic, but it has always attracted with its mysteriousness. The Northern Sea Route was laid. Scientific stations operate on the islands and in the ice of the Arctic Ocean. Brave explorers live and work here. They monitor the weather around the clock, day after day, and report it by radio to the mainland. People are engaged in fishing and hunting. But this is not always done intelligently.

8. Environmental issues

The main environmental problems of this region are

• — climate change and the melting of Arctic ice;
• - pollution of the waters of the northern seas by oil and chemical compounds, as well as by sea transport;
• — Decrease in the population of arctic animals and change in their habitat.

In general, studies show that temperatures in the Arctic are rising faster than in the rest of the world. According to 2004 data, over the past 30 years, the thickness of the Arctic ice has decreased by half on average. In the 21st century, most of the Arctic waters will be completely ice-free. And by 2070, the Earth may completely lose the northern ice cap

The main sources of pollution are the mining industry and transport, military installations, and the processing industry. Another important problem is the decline in the population of Arctic animals. Every year in early March, seal pups are born. At the age of 3-4 weeks, when small seals cannot hide from danger even in the water, people catch them on the ice by the thousands and kill them for their skins. The main enemy of the fox is man. The arctic fox attracts him with its luxurious fur. Thousands and thousands of these animals are destroyed for the sake of luxurious fur coats. The walrus, the pink gull have become rare, they are listed in the Red Book of Russia.

The boom in commercial fishing and the growing exploitation of oil and gas fields since the second half of the 20th century are seriously threatening resources once considered inexhaustible. People thought about their behavior, took rare animals under protection, limited fishing, created nature reserves.

9. Reserve "Wrangel Island"

Reserve "Wrangel Island" located on two islands: about. Wrangel and about. Herald, it was organized in 1976. Through the whole island from west to east there are three chains of mountains, separated by valleys. Bears come to Wrangel Island from different corners Arctic. Every spring, scientists count up to two hundred lairs on the island in which babies are born. Therefore, the island is called the "maternity hospital" of polar bears. The island is inhabited by the largest of the ungulates of the Arctic - the musk ox, brought to the reserve from America. The reserve has the largest concentration of walruses. A large number of birds come to the island for nesting. In spring, you can meet a rare bird - a pink gull, it is called the firebird of the north. Wrangel Island is the only place where white geese nest.

According to experts from the Wrangel Island Reserve, poachers kill 200-300 polar bears in the Russian Arctic every year.

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The Antarctic Desert is the largest and coldest on Earth, characterized by large temperature drops and almost total absence precipitation. It is located in the very south of the planet, completely occupying the sixth continent - Antarctica.

Cold deserts of the Earth

Deserts in all people cause associations with heat, endless expanses of sand and small bushes. However, on Earth there are also cold types of them - these are the Arctic and Antarctic deserts. They are called so because of the continuous ice cover and due to the low temperature, the air cannot retain moisture, so it is very dry.

In terms of precipitation, the objects we are considering resemble southern sultry ones, such as the Sahara, which is why scientists gave them the name “cold deserts”.

The zones of the Arctic and Antarctic deserts are the territories of the continents and adjacent islands at the North Pole (Arctic) and South Pole (Antarctic), related, respectively, to the Arctic and Antarctic climatic zones. They consist of glaciers and stones, they are practically lifeless, but under the ice, scientists find microorganisms.

Antarctica

The territory of the Antarctic desert is 13.8 million square meters, which is the area of ​​​​the icy continent, which is located in the southern polar part of the world. From different sides it is washed by several oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian, the coasts consist of glaciers.

The geographical position of the Antarctic deserts that occupy Antarctica is determined not only by the continental zone, but also by the islands located near it. There is also the Antarctic Peninsula, which goes into the depths of the ocean of the same name. On the territory of Antarctica lie dividing the mainland into 2 parts: western and eastern.

The western half is located on the Antarctic platform and is a mountainous area almost 5 km high. Volcanoes are located in this part, one of which - Erebus - active, is located on an island in the Ross Sea. In coastal areas there are oases that do not have ice. These small plains and mountain peaks, called nunataks, have an area of ​​​​40 thousand square meters, located on the Pacific coast. On the mainland there are lakes and rivers that appear only in the summer. In total, scientists have discovered 140 subglacial lakes. Only one of them does not freeze - Lake Vostok. The eastern part is the largest in terms of territory and the coldest.

Minerals located in the bowels of the mainland: ferrous and non-ferrous metal ore, mica, graphite, coal, there is information about the reserves of uranium, gold and diamonds. According to the assumptions of geologists, there are deposits of oil and gas, but due to the harsh climate, mining is not possible.

Antarctic deserts: climate

On the southern mainland very harsh and cold climate, which is due to the formation of cold and dry air currents. Antarctica is located in the Earth's belt.

In winter, the temperature can reach -80 ºС, in summer -20 ºС. More comfortable is the coastal zone, where in summer the thermometer reaches -10 ºС, which is due to natural phenomenon, called "albedo", is the reflection of heat from the surface of the ice. The record for the lowest temperature was recorded here in 1983 and amounted to -89.2 ºС.

The amount of precipitation is minimal, about 200 mm for the whole year, they consist only of snow. This is due to the intense cold that dries out moisture, making the Antarctic desert the driest place on the planet.

The climate here is different: in the center of the mainland there is less precipitation (50 mm), it is colder, on the coast the wind is less intense (up to 90 m / s), and precipitation is already 300 mm per year. Scientists have calculated that the amount of frozen water in the form of ice and snow in Antarctica is 90% of the world's fresh water.

One of the obligatory signs of the desert is storms. Here they also happen, only snowy, and the wind speed during the elements is 320 km / h.

In the direction from the center of the mainland to the coast, there is a constant movement of shelf ice, in summer months parts of the glaciers break off, forming masses of icebergs that drift in the ocean.

Mainland population

There is no permanently resident population in Antarctica; according to its international status, it does not belong to any state. On the territory of the Antarctic desert zone there are only scientific stations where scientists are engaged in research. Sometimes there are tourist or sports expeditions.

The number of scientists-researchers living at scientific stations in the summer increases to 4 thousand people, in the winter - only 1 thousand. According to historical data, the first settlers here were American, Norwegian and British whalers who lived on the island of South Georgia, but with 1966 Whale hunting is banned.

The entire territory of the Antarctic desert is icy silence surrounded by endless expanses of ice and snow.

Biosphere of the southernmost continent

The biosphere in Antarctica is divided into several zones:

• the coast of the mainland and the island;
• oases located near the coast;
• nunatak zone (mountains near Mirny station, mountainous regions on Victoria Land, etc.);
• ice sheet zone.

The richest in flora and fauna is the coastal zone, which is home to many Antarctic animals. They feed on zooplankton sea ​​water(krill). There are no land mammals on the mainland at all.

In nunataks and coastal oases, only bacteria, lichens and algae, worms can live, and birds can occasionally fly in. The most favorable climate zone is the Antarctic Peninsula.

Vegetable world

The plants of the Antarctic deserts are those that appeared millions of years ago, even during the existence of the Gondwana continent. Now they are limited to a few types of mosses and lichens, which, according to scientists, are more than 5 thousand years old.

Flowering plants were found on the territory of the peninsula and nearby islands, and in fresh water blue-green algae live in oases, which form a crust and cover the bottom of reservoirs.

The number of lichen species is 200, and there are about 70 mosses. Algae usually settle in summer when snow melts and small reservoirs form, and they can be of various colors, creating bright multi-colored spots that resemble lawns from a distance.

Only 2 species of flowering plants have been found:

• Colobanthus kito, referring to This is a cushion-shaped herb, decorated with small flowers of white or light yellow shades, about 5 cm in size.
• Antarctic meadow grass from the grass family. It grows in sunny areas, tolerates frost well, grows up to 20 cm.

Ice Desert Animals

The fauna of Antarctica is very poor due to the cold climate and lack of food. Animals live only in places where there are plants or zooplankton in the ocean, and are divided into 2 groups: terrestrial and living in the water.

There are no flying insects, because due to the strong cold wind they cannot rise into the air. However, in the oases there are small ticks, as well as wingless flies and springtails. Only in this area lives the wingless midge, which is the largest terrestrial animal of the Antarctic desert - this Belgica Antarctica size 10-11 mm (photo below).

In freshwater reservoirs in the summer, you can find the simplest representatives of the fauna, as well as rotifers, nematodes and lower crustaceans.

Animals of Antarctica

The fauna of Antarctica is also quite limited and is present mainly in the coastal zone:

• penguins of 17 species: Adelie, emperor, etc.;
• seals: Weddell (up to 3 m long), crabeater and predatory leopard seal (reaches the skin is colored with spots), sea lion, Ross seals (endowed with vocal abilities);
• whales that feed on small crustaceans and icefish live in the ocean;
• huge jellyfish, reaching 150 kg of weight;
• some birds settle here in the summer, creating nests and raising chicks: gulls, albatrosses, white plover, cormorants, big pipit, petrels, pintail.

The most representative animal species is the penguins, of which the emperor penguins are the most common, living on the coast of the mainland. The growth of these beauties can reach a human (160 cm), and weight - 60 kg.

Another numerous representative of birds is the Adélie penguins, the smallest, growing up to 50 cm and weighing no more than 3 kg.

Ecosystem of Antarctica and its conservation

The continental ice deserts and cold waters of the oceans washing Antarctica are an ecosystem inhabited by living organisms that have existed here for thousands of years. The main animal food is phytoplankton.

Due to warming, glaciers and masses of snow in Antarctica are gradually receding, moving closer to the coast. The ice shelves are slowly melting, the soil is gradually being exposed, which contributes to the creation of more favorable environment for plant colonization. However, the appearance of non-native plant species is not at all welcomed on the continent.

The ecosystem of Antarctica and the Antarctic desert needs protection from the emergence of “alien” species of life, so every scientist or tourist who comes here undergoes mandatory processing. In the process, it is washed away and destroyed parts of plants or spores.

In accordance with the Treaty signed by 44 countries of the world, military operations and tests, including nuclear tests, are prohibited on the territory of Antarctica. radioactive waste. Only scientific research is allowed.

General characteristics of the Arctic desert

Remark 1

There are special territories on our planet - these are the northernmost outskirts of two continents, North America and Eurasia, as well as the insular part of the Arctic, enclosed by the boundaries of the polar belt. Ice and snow cover huge areas here, and day and night last for half a year - this is the zone of the Arctic deserts.

The Arctic deserts of Russia are among the most unexplored natural areas. Their lower boundary is 71 parallels or Wrangel Island. The upper boundary is 81 parallels or Franz Josef Land.

The Arctic deserts also include part of the Taimyr Peninsula, Severnaya Zemlya, a number of Novaya Zemlya islands, and the New Siberian Islands.

Of the territories of other countries, this will be the island of Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the island of Svalbard, which belongs to the Netherlands.

The severity of nature is explained by the high geographical latitude, and the feature of the landscapes of the zone is snow and ice cover throughout the year.

The relief of the Arctic islands is quite complex - coastal areas, with flat low plains located on them, have a pronounced zonal landscape. In the interior of the islands there are high mountains and table plateaus. So, for example, on Franz Josef Land, the highest point has a height of 670 m, and on Severnaya Zemlya - about 1000 m.

The New Siberian Islands are dominated by flat landforms.

Up to 85% of the Arctic deserts are occupied by glaciers. The islands of the Russian Arctic have a total glaciation area of ​​up to 56 thousand square meters. km. Continental ice tends to slide onto the coast and break off, forming giant icebergs. The thickness of the permafrost exceeds 500 m. There are fossil ices of glacier and vein origin.

The islands and archipelagos washed by the seas of the Arctic Ocean cover special ice– perennial arctic pack and fast ice.

Low annual temperatures lead to intense frost weathering, which in turn slows down intense chemical and natural weathering. This circumstance leads to the fact that the soils and soils of the Arctic desert are represented by large fragments of rocks.

The proximity to the surface of permafrost and frequent fluctuations in air temperature lead to the fact that the soil oversaturated with water flows down the frozen surface of the ice-cemented base (solifluction) and soil heaving.

Such soils, prone to the formation of ravines and erosion, are called polygonal. When permafrost thaws, lakes, dips, and depressions are formed, which are characteristic of thermokarst landscapes. Most often they are found on the New Siberian Islands.

Erosive erosion and thermokarst contribute to the appearance of conical earthen mounds - baidzharakhs, the height of which can reach 2-12 m.

Rocky outcrops from the earth are found within this zone - these are dikes or fissures filled with magmatic melt. Their length varies from several tens of meters to hundreds of kilometers.

The presence of nodules is another feature of the Arctic desert. Concretions are circular mineral formations in sedimentary rocks. The growth of the concretion occurs according to the principle of pearl formation, i.e. around some core.

Characteristic of the Arctic deserts is the northern lights, shimmering in different colors.

There are no indigenous people in the Arctic and there are very few representatives of flora and fauna.

The climate of the arctic deserts

The climate of the Arctic deserts is distinguished by its severity, it is a zone of eternal snow and ice.

The climate of the continental part of the Arctic desert differs from the climate of the island part and the climate of the ocean. The reason is the heat transfer of the water masses of the ocean.

Water, during freezing, releases thermal energy, so the temperature in winter on the extreme coast and on the islands is about 30 degrees. The continental part of the zone has a temperature of -32 ... -36 degrees. AT winter period it can reach -60 degrees. Arctic cold winds are not uncommon here.

Summer is short and cold, with temperatures not higher than 0…+5 degrees. This temperature is typical only for low-lying areas. At low temperatures, the air contains a small amount of water vapor, so there is little precipitation - up to 300 mm.

But, it must be said that their number increases to 500-600 mm on the northern island of Novaya Zemlya, in the Byrranga Mountains and in the Chukchi Highlands. Precipitation falls in the form of snow, and the snow cover has a small thickness, mostly no more than 0.5 m.

The fallen snow can remain unchanged for several years. During the cold summer period, snow melting does not occur.

In addition to snow, rains fall in summer, and as moisture evaporates over the warmer ocean, dense fogs form. On Wrangel Island, and this is the southern island of the Arctic desert, winter comes immediately after a short Arctic summer, autumn does not happen here.

The formation of the Arctic climate is associated not only with high latitudes and low temperatures, but also with thermal reflection in the daytime. This phenomenon is called albedo. Reflection from the surface of ice and snow occurs all year round.

When the summer temperature is above zero, the effect of thermal reflection leads to the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the glaciers, and this, in turn, leads to the fact that the sky is constantly covered with lead clouds.

Permafrost plays an important role in the climate of the Arctic deserts.

Remark 2

Thus, the Arctic deserts are patches of rocky land, which are released from under the snow for a very short period. This is a territory of severe and long winters with a long polar night in winter, and the same long cold polar day.

Flora and fauna of the Arctic deserts

The harsh climate with low temperatures cannot create conditions for flora zone, so he is not rich.

There are no more than 350 species of higher plants. There are no shrubs here, but only scattered places, moss and lichens. There are some types of flowers - polar poppy, foxtail, buttercup, saxifrage, etc.

Herbaceous vegetation includes sedge and grasses. Vegetation is forced to simply "bite" into everything, just to cling to something.

In the southern part of the zone one can meet polar willow shrubs. The productive production of phytomass, with a predominance of the above-ground part, is very low and amounts to less than 5 t/ha.

The peculiarity of the Arctic flora has an impact on the scarcity of the terrestrial fauna, which is not very diverse.

Animals have adapted to the harsh conditions of their habitat. Arctic fox, polar bear, lemming live here.

The birds that come here from year to year are not afraid of the harsh climate - waders, geese, eiders, guillemots, gulls, etc.

Mammals “settled” in the coastal seas - beluga whale, seal, ringed seal, sea seal, walrus. In the cold seas, there is an abundance of phytoplankton, and this is food for such fish as nelma, cod, polar cod, and vendace.

The polar bear, the main symbol of the Arctic, leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle.

The main task of animals, with which they do an excellent job, is to adapt to the harsh climate and maintain a thermal regime. For this, for example, arctic foxes and polar bears have warm and thick fur, birds have loose plumage, and seals have a solid fat layer.

The characteristic color that they, depending on the season, can change also helps to adapt. But, polar bears do not have such a feature, and they remain white all year round.

Arctic deserts - a natural zone located in the Artik, the northern polar region of the Earth; part of the Arctic Ocean basin. This natural zone includes the northern outskirts of the continental Arctic and numerous islands located around the North Pole.

The Arctic desert zone is the northernmost natural zone with a characteristic arctic climate. The territory of such deserts is covered with glaciers and stones, and the flora and fauna are very scarce.

This message is dedicated to the peculiarities of the Arctic deserts as a natural zone.

Welcome to the Arctic!

Climate

Arctic the climate is very cold, with harsh winters and cool summers.

The winter in the Arctic is very long, strong winds snowstorms rage for several weeks. Everything is covered with snow and ice. The air temperature reaches -60 °C.

From the second half of October comes polar night. It lasts for six long months. There is no sun in the sky, and only sometimes there are bright and beautiful northern lights. The duration of the auroras is different: from two or three minutes to several days. They are so bright that you can even read under their light.

Northern lights.

In winter, all animals either hibernate or travel south. Nature freezes, but at the end of February the sun appears, and the day begins to increase.

Beginning in the second half of May polar day, when the sun doesn't set at all. Depending on the latitude, the polar day lasts 60-130 days. Although the sun shines 24/7, there is little heat from the sun.

Long, long day.

Summer is very short, but during this time hundreds of thousands of different birds fly to the Arctic, pinnipeds come: walruses, seals, seals. The air temperature rises very slowly and reaches the positive mark only by July (+2-6 °C). average temperature in summer - about 0 °C.

Already from the beginning of September, the air temperature drops below zero, and soon snow falls, water bodies are frozen.

Flora and fauna of the Arctic

The soils in the Arctic deserts are very poor. from plants grow mainly mosses and lichens, and even those do not form a continuous cover. Arctic flowers and small shrubs bloom in summer:

• polar poppy;
• polar willow;
• arctic buttercup;
• semolina;
• snow saxifrage;
• asterisk.

Polar poppy.

Herbs also grow: alpine foxtail, bluegrass, sow thistle, arctic pike. All these plants, even shrubs, do not grow more than 3-5 cm. There are no trees in the Arctic deserts.

The underwater flora is richer: there are up to 150 species of algae alone. Algae feed on crustaceans, and fish and birds are the most numerous animals of the Arctic deserts.

Birds settle in nests on rocks and form noisy "bird colonies". It:

• guillemots;
• seagulls;
• cleaners;
• eiders;
• dead ends;
• kittiwakes and other birds.

Northern bird.

On the coast pinnipeds live: walruses, seals, seals. In the sea there are whales, beluga whales.

ground animal world, due to the scarcity of the plant world, is not very rich. These are mainly arctic foxes, lemmings, polar bears.

The king of the Arctic deserts is the polar bear. This animal is perfectly adapted to life in a harsh region. He has a thick coat, strong paws, a sharp sense of smell. He swims well in the water, a wonderful hunter.

White bears in search of prey.

The bear's prey is mainly marine life: fish, seals, seals. It can eat eggs and chicks of birds.

Human impact on the natural zone of the Arctic deserts

The natural world of the Arctic deserts is fragile and slowly recovering. Therefore, the influence of man should be careful and careful. Meanwhile, the environment in this area is not very favorable:

• ice is melting;
• water and atmosphere are polluted;
• the population of animals, birds and fish is declining;
• the habitat of various animals is changing.

Man's exploration of the Arctic.

These negative processes due to human activity, active development of the natural resources of the Arctic zone: extraction of natural resources (natural gas, oil), fishing and seafood, shipping.

Meanwhile environmental problems Arctic deserts affect the entire climate of the Earth.