The relief of Russia is amazingly diverse. On its territory there are large mountain systems, vast lowlands, rocky plateaus and highlands. In the south-west of the European part of the country is the Central Russian Plain (Upland). It is about this form of relief that we will describe in detail in our article.
Central Russian Plain: Description and Geographical Location
In the relief of the European part of Russia , plains prevail. If you look at the physical map, you can see that they occupy more than 95% of the territory. One of the largest morphological structures of the earth's surface in this part of the country is the Central Russian Plain. The location on the ancient and elevated Precambrian foundation completely determines its appearance. The plain is represented by a wavy and highly dissected surface water erosion.
Where is the Central Russian Plain located? Most of it is located in Russia (see map below). It is part of the larger East European Plain and covers areas of the Voronezh, Belgorod, Kursk and Rostov Regions. Some of its spurs are also included in the Ukrainian territory (Sumy, Kharkov and Lugansk regions).
The Central Russian Plain stretches from north to south for almost a thousand kilometers, from the Oka River valley to the slopes of the Donetsk Ridge. In the west it is bordered by the Polesie lowland, and in the east - the Oka-Don plain. In the southwest, it smoothly passes into the Dnieper lowland. The absolute heights of the terrain are gradually decreasing in the south and south-west directions from 260 to 190 meters. The highest point is 303 meters above sea level.
About seven million people live in the Central Russian Plain (of which 35% live in villages and villages). The main cities in the region are Voronezh, Kursk, Belgorod, Tula, Bryansk, Yelets, Lipetsk, Stary Oskol, Kharkov, Sumy, Glukhov.
So, where is the Central Russian Plain, we have already found out. Now let's study in more detail the features of the geological structure and topography of this morphostructure.
General geology and minerals
As already mentioned, the plain is based on crystalline rocks of the ancient Precambrian foundation (or the so-called Voronezh massif). From above, they are covered by a layer of sedimentary rocks with a small thickness - limestone, chalk, sandstone and clay.
The northern parts, the western and partially eastern slopes of the plain were previously covered by a glacier. In this regard, in these territories today you can see numerous deposits of glacial origin - moraines, the thickness of which in some places reaches 15 meters. Classical moraine deposits are found on the right bank of the Oka River, on the segment between Serpukhov and Aleksin.
The Central Russian Plain is rich primarily in iron and uranium ores. The largest in terms of its reserves is the Mikhailovsky iron ore deposit. In addition, significant deposits of limestone, brown coal, granite and other building materials are concentrated in the bowels of the region.
Central Russian Plain: Key Terrain Features
In this area, nature has created all the necessary conditions for the active formation and development of water-erosion processes and landforms:
- Raised territory.
- Significant differences in absolute heights.
- Relatively soft rocks.
- Heavy and heavy rainfall in the summer.
- Low percentage of forests.
As a result, classic ravine-gully-valley landscapes have formed and continue to form in the region. At the same time, water erosion every year rapidly reduces the area of land suitable for agriculture. The depth of the disintegration of the earth's surface in the plain in places reaches 100-120 meters.
Within the Central Russian Upland, suffusion (steppe saucers and funnels), gravitational (cliffs, landslides), aeolian (small sand dunes) landforms are also widespread. In the Ukrainian part of the plain (in particular, in Sumy region) karst is found. In the general relief of the elevation, the right banks of the rivers, as well as the localities and tracts of Belogorye, Krivoborie, Galichya Gora, which we will talk about later, stand out with their more picturesque views.
Hydrography, flora and soil of the region
The climate of the Central Russian Plain is temperate continental. Summer is moderately hot, and winters are frosty and snowy enough. The average annual rainfall ranges from 400 to 650 mm. The hydrographic network is well developed. The largest rivers of the region: Desna, Seim, Psel, Don, Vorskla, Oskol, Ugra, Zhizdra, Zusha, Seim. Within the plain lies the source of the Oka - one of the main tributaries of the Volga.
The soil cover of the hill is represented mainly by chernozems and gray forest soils (in the north). Under large forests, sod-podzolic soils are widespread, and in the river valleys - ray-chernozem, marsh and sandy soils. Most of the plains are plowed to date.
About 80% of the area of the Central Russian Upland is located in the natural forest-steppe zone. Significant territories are occupied by floodplain meadows and swamps. In the forests, the main tree species are oak, pine and birch. Maple, linden and ash are less common. Willow and alder groves grow along the banks of rivers and streams.
Nature reserve "Belogorye"
The reserve with the beautiful name "Belogorye" covers an area of 2 thousand hectares in the Belgorod region. Under the special attention of scientists is an old oak forest, whose age is at least 300 years. For several centuries in a row it was a private hunting estate of the Sheremetevs, and therefore it is perfectly preserved. Another unique corner of the reserve is the so-called Yamskaya steppe. This is what the standard meadow steppe of Central Russia looks like. The botanical diversity of this site is simply amazing: there are about 80 plant species per square meter of land!
In total, there are 370 species of plants, 150 species of birds, and 50 species of various mammals within the boundaries of the White Mountains.
Natural boundary Krivoborie
Krivoborie is an amazing corner of the Russian forest-steppe. It is located in the Ramonsky district of the Voronezh region. The tract is a steep right slope of the Don, overgrown with rare forest and shrubs. The height of the coastal cliff reaches 50 meters, and the steepness of the slope is 75 degrees. The riverbed in this place is also noteworthy: here it is very winding and complicated by numerous rifts.
The Krivoborie tract was included in the list of geological natural monuments in 1969. Its total area is 15 hectares.
The Galicia Mountain Reserve
Galicia Mountain is the smallest reserve on the planet, its area is only 19 hectares. It is located in the Lipetsk region. Moreover, a huge number of unique natural landscapes and objects are concentrated on such a small territory. Within the reserve, plant species grow that are completely uncharacteristic of the rest of the Central Russian Plain. And this is the main mystery of the Mount of Galicia, over which scientists have been fighting since 1925. It was then that the reserve was founded.
The main attraction of the Galichy Mountain is a picturesque rocky hill, located on the high right bank of the Don. It is composed of Devonian limestones. The yields of these rocks "sheltered" about 650 plant species on their cliffs. An impressive number - they will tell you the nerds at the local museum of nature. Here you can learn about all the diversity and uniqueness of the natural landscapes of this reserve.