Natural areas of the Urals: table and description

The Ural Range stretches from the Kazakhstan steppes to the coast of the Arctic Ocean. The width of the mountain range is from 100 to 400 km, and the length exceeds 2.5 thousand km. The natural zones of the Urals include all diversity: from the polar tundra to the southern steppes.

The mountain range is divided into regions depending on geological, climatic and other conditions. Having looked at their detailed characteristics, you can understand which natural areas of the Urals are richer and which are poorer in terms of existing flora and fauna.

Polar Ural

The natural zones of the Polar Urals are represented by the tundra and forest-tundra. The relief of this section of the mountain range was formed due to frosty weathering, in which placers of stones formed (curums and structural soils). Permafrost and contrasts in soil temperature in summer lead to solifluction.

The dominant form of relief is the plateau, on which traces of integumentary glaciation are preserved. Its outskirts have valleys in the form of troughs. Only the highest peaks have a sharp tip. Alpine relief appears to the southern part of the Polar Urals in the vicinity of Narodnaya and Saber.

In the Polar Urals, humid and cold climatic conditions. In summer there are many clouds, frequent rains. The average monthly temperature in July is from 8 to 14 ºC. Winter is long and very cold. The average January temperature does not exceed -20 ºC. Areas of permafrost are widespread. In the lowlands, thanks to snowstorms, large snowdrifts form. From 500 (in the north) to 800 (in the south) mm of precipitation falls annually.

Soils and vegetation of the Polar Urals

Natural areas of the Urals affect soils and vegetation, which are not diverse here. In the north, the tundra of lowland plots passes into the mountainous. In the center are placers of stones with virtually no plants. At the foot of the tundra flora is represented by mosses, lichens and shrubs. In the southern part there are sections of forest, but their significance in the landscape is small.

The first dwarf larch rare forests appear in valleys located on the eastern slope near 68º s. w. This part of the mountain range is characterized by a small thickness of snow cover and a more pronounced continental climate. Therefore, here the conditions for plant life are more favorable. At the Arctic Circle, larch forests are diluted with firs and cedars, and even further south - with firs and pines.

One interesting pattern has been established regarding the growth of larch and spruce forests. The conditions for them at the top of the ridge are better than in the flat areas. The reason is good drainage and temperature conditions.

North Ural

The region is located exactly along the 59th meridian, begins south of the Saber, and ends with Konzhakovsky Stone. The average height of the central part is about 700 m above sea level. It includes the eastern and western ranges. The first of these is a watershed. Most of the mountain peaks are not sharp, but rounded.

3-4 ancient alignment surfaces are clearly visible. Another typical feature of the relief is the many upland terraces located above the forest level or at their upper border. These formations vary greatly not only on different mountains, but also on opposite slopes. Climatic conditions are similar to the previous area, but not so severe. Over 800 mm of precipitation falls annually, especially for the slopes facing west. The evaporation of water from the surface of the earth is much less than this value, which is the reason for the spread of wetlands.

Flora and fauna of the Northern Urals

Taiga forests cover the slopes of the mountains with a continuous layer. The tundra is preserved only on hills and rocks located at an altitude of 700-800 m. Dark coniferous taiga consists mainly of spruce. Fir grows in places where the soil is more fertile. Cedar prefers marshy and rocky slopes. Spruce forests with green moss dominate, as well as blueberries, which are typical of the middle taiga. In the northernmost tip, they pass into rare forests with a large number of swamps.

Pine forest here is an infrequent phenomenon. Its noticeable role in the landscape appears south of 62º s. sh., on the eastern slope. Only here there are favorable conditions for the growth of pine trees: rocky soils and a continental dry climate. The proportion of Sukachev larches in forests is much lower than in the Polar Urals. They grow together with shrubby alder and birch twig.

The natural zones of the Northern Urals are mainly taiga and small sections of the tundra. The local fauna consists of typical representatives of dark coniferous forests. Sable lives where cedars grow. Wolverines, red-gray voles and reindeer are found. The following representatives of avifauna live: hawk owl, waxwing, pine nut, etc.

On the western slope, in the upper reaches of the river of the same name, the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve is located, showing some of the natural areas of the Urals. He is one of the largest in Russia. It preserves the pristine appearance of the mountain taiga, turning into the middle.

Middle Urals

The Middle Urals practically did not change appearance due to the latest tectonic shifts. For this reason, the mountain peaks are smooth and low. The largest of them are located at around 800 m. The Perm-Yekaterinburg railway crosses the ridge at an altitude of 410 m. The mountains are quite destroyed, which led to the loss of the watershed function. This is confirmed by the Chusovaya and Ufa rivers , originating on the eastern slopes and going to the west. The river valleys are wide and developed, this is illustrated by the picturesque stones hanging over the channels.

The Middle Urals, the natural zones of which are represented by the southern taiga and forest-steppe, are much more comfortable for human habitation than the Northern. The summer period is much warmer and longer, the annual rainfall is from 500 to 600 mm. The average July temperature is from 16 to 18 ºC. The climate affected soils and vegetation. The southern taiga is located in the northern areas, and the forest-steppe is closer to the south.

Flora and fauna of the Middle Urals

The eastern and western slopes are markedly different in vegetation. In the Trans-Urals, the steppes advanced much more north than in the Urals, where they are found only by individual islands. The mountains are covered by the forest in a continuous layer, only rare peaks rise above the border of the taiga zone. Dominated by taiga, consisting of spruce and fir with areas of pine forests. Mixed forests (spruce, fir, birch, linden) are typical of southwestern regions.

A large number of birch forests are located throughout the Middle Urals. They arose in places of clear-cutting of coniferous forests. The natural zones of the Urals have a characteristic composition of the animal world. A variety of forests and a warm climate contributed to the fact that the number of fauna representatives from the south increased. The characteristic inhabitants of the Middle Urals are the hedgehog, ferret, hamster, and badger. Among the avifauna, the nightingale, oriole, and greenfinch are typical. Reptiles are represented by snake, copperfish, lizards.

Landscape Provinces of the Middle Urals

• Middle Urals. This plateau is elevated to a height of 500 to 600 m. It is cut by a dense network of river valleys. Active karst processes led to the formation of many lakes, caves and craters. Good drainage prevents the formation of swamps, despite a large amount of rainfall. Coniferous and mixed forests with forest-steppe areas prevail.
• The center of the Middle Urals is represented by the highest part of the ridge. Its height is small, so it is almost entirely covered in taiga.
• Middle Trans-Urals. It is an elevated plain with a smooth eastern slope. It has remnants, granite ridges and lake basins. Pure pine forests and their mixture with other trees prevail. In the northern part there are many wetlands. The forest-steppe advanced much further north compared to the Urals. The Siberian appearance of the landscape is given by birch pegs.

Southern Urals

This region of the Ural Range differs from the Middle in high peaks (Iremel, 1582 m; Yamantau, 1640 m). The watershed is carried out along the Uraltau ridge, which is located to the east and does not have a large height. It is composed of crystalline slate. The region is dominated by the relief of medium mountains. Individual charred peaks extend beyond the forest zone. Their surface is flat, but has steep stone slopes with many terraces. Ancient glaciation left traces of its movement on the ridges of Zigalga and Iremel.

The South Ural penoplen is a plain elevated and having a folded base. It is dissected by river valleys resembling canyons. The Trans-Ural foam is located on the eastern slope, has a lower location and a smooth surface. In its northern part there are many lakes with amazing cliffs along the banks.

The climatic conditions of the Southern Urals are even more continental than the previous regions. The summer period is warm, droughts and dry winds occur in the Ural region. The average temperature of the warmest month is from 20 to 22 ºC. The winter period is cold, snow cover is significant. In frosty winters, the rivers are completely frozen with the formation of ice, a large number of birds and moles die. Annual rainfall ranges from 400 in the south to 600 in the north of the region.

Flora and fauna of the Southern Urals

The natural zones of the Southern Urals are represented by steppe and forest-steppe areas. Flora and soil cover have high altitude zoning. Black earth steppes are typical of the lowest parts of the foothills. In places where granites come out, you can see a pine forest with an admixture of hardwood.

The forest-steppe is occupied by the South Ural foam, the eastern slopes and northern parts of the region. The fauna consists of a mixture of steppe and taiga inhabitants.

Table: natural areas of the Urals

The natural zonality of the Ural Range is presented in the table below.

The natural zones of the Urals, briefly indicated in the table, allow us to trace their gradual change in the direction from north to south.