The surface of our planet is very heterogeneous. Territories differ from each other in relief, geological structure, nature of vegetation and soil condition. To somehow streamline this natural "chaos", scientists came up with regionalization. Geographers began to conditionally divide the Earth's surface into zones, zones, countries and regions.
What is the basis of physical-geographical zoning? What are its main goals? Based on what principles and using what methods is it implemented? You will find answers to all these questions in our article.
Physical-geographical zoning : definition and essence
Physico-geographical zoning (abbreviated as FGR) is a certain system of division of the earth's surface. It allows you to highlight those parts of the geographic envelope that are distinguished by some uniformity. This homogeneity, first of all, means the commonality of the geological structure of the territory, relief, climate, soil cover, flora and fauna.
In addition, such zoning allows us to draw clear boundaries between these parts of the geographic envelope.
Physico-geographical zoning involved a lot of geography scientists and researchers. Among them: A.N. Radishchev, H.A. Chebotarev, A.I. Voeikov, L.S. Berg, V.P. Semenov-Tien-Shansky, F.N. Milkov, N.A. Solntsev and others. At the present stage, specialists at Moscow State University named after Lomonosov.
A brief history of the development of physical and geographical zoning
The first attempts to regionalize territories were made in the XVIII century. However, they took place without a scientific foundation and were carried out on any one basis. These signs were most often the most obvious things: political boundaries or landforms.
In the second half of the 19th century, private geographical sciences (climatology, soil science, etc.) began to rapidly develop. In this regard, the development of appropriate sectoral schemes of natural zoning has intensified. A little later, economic zoning also stood out in an autonomous direction.
It is believed that the theoretical foundations of physical-geographical zoning were laid in the works of the great Russian scientist Vasily Dokuchaev at the end of the 19th century. Later, the idea of its development was picked up by L.S. Berg and G.I. Tanfiliev. At the beginning of the last century, foreign geographers (in particular, American, English and German scientists) started talking seriously about physical-geographical zoning.
In Soviet science, this problem began to be given serious attention back in the 1920s. And already in the 1940s, the first versions of the physical-geographical zoning of the USSR were created.
As we see, many minds of Russia and other countries worked on this problem. What is the basis of physical-geographical zoning? Let's try to answer this question.
What is the basis of physical-geographical zoning?
FGR is not only the process of dividing any territory (or water area) into regions, but also their detailed study, which includes the preparation of detailed component-wise and complex characteristics. But what underlies the physical and geographical zoning? The answer to this question is very obvious and simple.
The basis of physical and geographical zoning is the heterogeneity of the individual components of the geographic envelope. These components should include:
- geological structure;
- relief;
- climatic features;
- soil cover;
- vegetation;
- and wildlife.
It should be noted that most modern geographers recognize the real existence of individual natural areas. True, the boundaries between them are far from always clear and unambiguous. Between neighboring physical and geographical areas, as a rule, there are some transitional zones within which the features of both adjacent regions are observed (for example, the forest-steppe is a kind of transitional zone between the forest and the classical steppe).
The main goals and principles of the FGR
This type of zoning pursues a variety of goals, both purely scientific and applied. But the main purpose of physico-geographical zoning is competent and scientifically sound spatial differentiation of the geographic shell of the Earth.
The fruits of the FGR are actively used by many industries and spheres of human activity: agriculture and forestry, urban planning, medical geography, nature conservation, and others.
The process of identifying geographical areas in a given territory proceeds from specific principles and based on certain laws. The following (basic) principles of physical-geographical zoning can be distinguished:
- objectivity;
- territorial integrity;
- zoning and azonality;
- homogeneity of the complex of components;
- comparability of zoning results.
Perhaps the most important of them is the principle of objectivity. We are talking about the objectivity of the existence of natural complexes as such. Almost all geographers and landscape scholars agreed and agree with it (with the exception of D.L. Armand). No less important in regionalization is the principle of territorial integrity. It lies in the fact that the units of this zoning cannot include separate and territorially fragmented areas.
Types of FGR
Physico-geographical zoning may be different. If it sets itself the goal of identifying areas according to only one of the features (landscape components), then it will be considered private (or industry). For example, it may be soil or climatic zoning of any territory.
If the goal of FGR is to analyze absolutely all landscape components (climate, topography, soil, etc.), then it will be called complex (or landscape).
In addition, natural zoning of the territory may be:
Based on this classification, different taxonomic units of FGR are distinguished.
Methods of physical-geographical zoning
By and large, there are two main methods of FGR: this is zoning "from above" and zoning "from below." Both of these methods are widely used in landscape science and perfectly complement each other.
Natural zoning "from below" occurs as follows. By integrating small natural complexes , larger and more complex territorial complexes are distinguished. In this case, large-scale landscape maps are used. When zoning "from above" everything happens the other way around. Initially, larger natural regions are distinguished, and then, by analyzing many thematic maps, they are "split up" into smaller natural complexes.
In physical-geographical zoning, a number of more classical scientific methods and techniques are also used. Among them:
- cartographic;
- aerospace;
- geochemical;
- paleogeographic;
- math
- computer simulation methods.
FGR taxonomic units
Zonal natural zoning distinguishes the following taxonomic units:
- geographical zones ;
- zones;
- subzones.
In azonal zoning, it is customary to distinguish:
- physical and geographical countries;
- area;
- provinces;
- areas;
- natural boundaries;
- sub-sites;
- facies.
The units of the highest level of territorial differentiation are: geographical envelope and continents. But the most elementary units of the FGR are facies and natural boundaries.
Facies as the ultimate unit of FGR
The limiting (that is, elementary and indivisible) unit in the hierarchy of geographical systems is facies. What is she like?
Each of you must have seen in your life a plowed field, or a birch grove in the middle of a lush green meadow. These objects are just vivid examples of facies.
The term “facies” has Latin roots and comes from the word facies - “face”, “appearance”, “face”. It is used by botanists, geologists and biogeographers. The most successful definition of this term was given by the Soviet scientist D.V. Nalivkin. According to him, the facies is a fragment of the earth’s surface, which is distinguished by the same environmental conditions, flora and fauna. In other words, it is an elementary and homogeneous natural-territorial complex.
The facies is always located within the same biocenosis and is characterized by a single mother breed, the same microclimate, water regime, and soil cover. From the point of view of the geosystem hierarchy, it is the main structural part of tracts and sub-tracts.
There are three main types of facies:
- Continental.
- Marine.
- Transitional (coastal, lagoon, delta and others).
Conclusion
Now you know that the basis of the physical-geographical zoning is the heterogeneity of the individual components of the geographical envelope: climate, topography, flora, fauna and soil cover. This process is based on five basic principles: objectivity, uniformity, territorial integrity, zonality (and azonality), as well as the comparability of the results of zoning.
FGR can be different: zonal and azonal, complex and industry. Physico-geographical zoning divides the earth's surface into zones, zones and subzones, natural countries, regions, provinces, facies and natural boundaries.