Biographies Characteristics Analysis

Patterns of the location of geographical zones on the planet. Patterns of distribution of geographical zones and natural zones of the world

Geographical zones of continents and oceans. These are the largest zonal complexes of the geographic envelope. Each geographical zone on the continents has its own set of natural zones, its own natural processes and rhythms. Geographical zones are heterogeneous inside. They are distinguished by different humidification regimes and continental climate, which contributes to the division of the belts into sectors. The coastal and inland sectors of geographic zones differ from each other in the mode of precipitation, seasonal rhythms, and the set and extent of natural zones. Geographical belts are also distinguished in the oceans, but here they are more homogeneous, and their features are determined by the properties of oceanic water masses.

natural areas to a lesser extent than the belts, they have a latitudinal orientation. This is due to the fact that the formation of natural zones, in addition to temperature conditions, is influenced by moisture conditions.

On the map "Geographical zones and natural zones of the world" you can see that in different geographical zones the same or similar natural zones are repeated. For example, forest zones exist in the equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical and temperate zones. There are also semi-desert and desert zones in several belts. Scientists explain this by repeating the same ratios of heat and moisture on different continents. This phenomenon has been called the law of natural zoning. Natural zonality on the plains is called horizontal (latitudinal), and in the mountains - vertical (altitude zonality). The number of altitudinal belts depends on the geographical location of the mountain system and its height.

Each natural area has its own zonal features components. Any natural area is easy to recognize by the flora and fauna. For example, equatorial rainforests have the greatest diversity of plants and animals on Earth. And, in addition, wok, all living things grow here to gigantic sizes.

Giants of the equatorial forest. In the equatorial forest, creepers reach a length of more than 200 m; The diameter of a Rafflesia flower is 1 m, and its weight can reach 15 kg. Giant moths with a wingspan of up to 30 cm live here, and bats with a wingspan of up to 1.7 m, and cobras up to 5 m long, and the largest among the existing snakes - the anaconda - reaches a length of 11 m!

In savannahs and light forests, herbaceous vegetation alternates with separate groups of trees - acacias, eucalyptus, baobabs. Forestless natural zones are found in the temperate zone, such as steppes. They cover vast areas on two continents - in Eurasia and North America.

An extremely poor flora is a feature of the desert zone on almost all continents and in most geographical zones. The Arctic and Antarctic deserts, which are almost completely covered with ice, are distinguished by special conditions (Fig. 16). At first glance, such a desert seems generally lifeless. material from the site

Rice. 16. Arctic desert zone

Forest zones of the temperate zone are widespread on the continents of northern latitudes. The flora here is rich, although compared to the equatorial forest, it has a smaller number of species. It is represented by both coniferous and deciduous trees. The natural zones of the temperate zone have been significantly changed as a result of human economic activity.

  • Geographical zones exist on the continents and in the oceans. Geographical zones are divided into sectors, which is due to climatic features.
  • Natural zones are repeated in different geographical zones, which is explained by the similarity of temperature and moisture conditions.
  • Natural areas can be easily recognized by their flora and fauna.

On this page, material on the topics:

  • Abstract of the expansion of geographical zones and natural zones of the world

  • Patterns of distribution of forms of the earth's surface 12

  • Natural areas of the world regularity of the geographical shell

  • Name any natural area

  • Consider the main zonal-regional patterns of the Earth.

    1. geographic zones, due to the spherical figure of the planet and the distribution of solar radiation. The zonal heterogeneity of the geographic envelope is primarily the result of the latitudinal distribution of the energy of geographic and biological processes on the spherical Earth - solar radiation, the circulation of the atmosphere caused by it and the moisture cycle due to these processes. The formation of geographic belts is not associated with endogenous factors, like oceanic and continental rays, but with exogenous ones. Exogenous factors are superimposed on endogenous ones.

    At the present stage of development of terrestrial nature, the following main planetary belts are distinguished: 1) equatorial hot and humid, 2) tropical hot and dry, 3) moderate; in the northern hemisphere it is warm with a large amplitude of humidity by region, in the southern hemisphere - with an oceanic climate; 4) boreal cool and damp; 5) polar frosty and damp.

    2. geographic zones, the features of the nature of which are due to the inclination of the axis of rotation of the Earth to the plane of the ecliptic. For this reason, transitional belts are created - subequatorial, subtropical and subpolar with a pronounced seasonal rhythm of moisture in the subequatorial, heat and moisture in the subtropical, heat in the subpolar.

    In each hemisphere, thus, eight belts stand out. In the southern hemisphere, the boundary between the temperate and subpolar zones is indistinct.

    The names of geographical zones are associated with their geographical position in certain latitudes of the globe.

    Belts, thus, cover the Earth in continuous rings, including both continents and oceans.

    3. Sector. Clarity is certainly combined with sectoriality. Depending on the intensity and absolute value of the exchange of air masses in the ocean - atmosphere - mainland system, different parts of the land receive more or less heat and moisture and differ in the nature of the seasonal rhythm. Therefore, each belt breaks up into parts, and the same type of parts of different belts on the spherical surface of the Earth form sectors elongated from north to south.

    Sector is a taxonomic unit smaller than a ray. On the continents western oceanic, central continental and eastern oceanic sectors. On the oceans, respectively, warm and cold currents - Western and Eastern sectors.

    In the distribution of atmospheric moisture, two regularities are equal: a) latitudinal, expressed in the alternation of zones of minimums and maximums of precipitation (Fig. 83), and b) longitudinal, or intrazonal sector.

    In low latitudes, which are abundantly provided with heat, the differentiation into belts, and then we will see that into zones, is due to the water balance. At high latitudes, heat plays a decisive role, the amount of which here progressively decreases according to the cosine of latitude.

    Strictly speaking, belts and sectors, zones and regions are not entirely equal. Rather, they express the general and the specific: the geographical belt and zones appear in each sector and region in their specific forms, the similarities of which give reason to unite them.

    There is no known universal hydrothermal indicator, which would correspond to the boundaries of the belts. The versatility of interactions in nature and the multiplicity of landscape components make one look skeptically at the search for such numerical expressions, especially if feedback is taken into account: the vegetation cover not only reacts to soil and climate moisture, but also changes it.

    Humidity indicators retain their value - the ratio of precipitation and evaporation.

    The leading role of water, together with heat, in the landscape shell system is based not only on the nutrition of plants and the formation of land waters. The moisture cycle determines the migration of chemical elements and the geochemical features of landscapes, for example, the salinity of desert soils and the leaching regime of podzolic soils in the zone of coniferous forests.

    4. Zoning. The combination of heat and moisture, or atmospheric humidification in each zone, except for the equatorial zone, is very different. On this basis, inside the belts are formed zones. They are called natural-historical, natural, geographical or landscape; these names can be taken as synonyms.

    In geometry, a zone or a spherical belt is called, as is known, a part of the surface of a ball enclosed between two parallel planes intersecting the ball. In accordance with this, sets of homogeneous natural formations, elongated from west to east perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the Earth, have long been called in science zones - climatic, soil, plant.

    If the zonality of individual components of nature, and primarily climate, vegetation and soils, is known from the experience of people long before geographical generalizations, £o the doctrine of geographical zoning arose only at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries

    Belts and zones are parts and a whole. The combination of zones forms a belt. In the ocean, there are no such narrow bands as land zones.

    In the northern hemisphere, the following zones are distinguished: ice, tundra, coniferous forests or taiga, broad-leaved forests, forest-steppe, steppe, temperate desert, subtropical forests, desert tropical, savanna, equatorial forests.

    Between the listed zones, transitional zones are distinguished: forest-tundra between tundra and forest, semi-desert between steppe and desert, etc. The concept of "transition zone" is conditional - some researchers consider them to be the main ones, especially forest-steppe.

    Each zone is divided into subzones. For example, in the steppe zone they distinguish northern mixed grass steppes on black soil and southern dry fescue-feather grass on dark chestnut soils.

    Zones and subzones were named after the vegetation cover of the land, since vegetation is the most striking indicator or indicator of the natural complex. However, vegetation zones should not be confused with geographic ones. So. when they say the steppe zone of vegetation, they mean the predominance of mesoxerophilic herbaceous plants in this area. The concept of "steppe zone" includes flat terrain, semi-arid climate, chernozem or chestnut soils, steppe vegetation, as well as forests and flood meadows in the valleys, and only this zone is characterized by wildlife. In a word, steppes, like forests and swamps, although they are named according to the nature of the vegetation cover, are a natural complex. And now, when the steppes are plowed up, the steppe zone still exists, because, although the grassy vegetation has been replaced by cultivated, other features of nature have been preserved.

    5. Regionality. Oceanic-continental transfer of heat and moisture differentiates zones into regions or provinces of zones. West-East differentiation is not equally manifested in different latitudes. In the temperate zone, due to western transport, the region of greatest continentality is shifted from the center to east (west-east dissymmetry).

    The division into sectors and regions does not mean the limit of differentiation; any subzone and regions can be subdivided into smaller taxonomic units. Regional differences are largely due to the history of the development of the nature of the region. For example, in Northwestern Europe, which experienced glaciation, conifers are represented only by European spruce. (Picea excelsa) and pine (Pinus silvestris); Siberian spruce (Picea abouata) occupies a small area in the north; Siberian pine or cedar (Pinus Siberia-sa) settled only up to the Pechora basin.

    In general, the geographical envelope is zonal-regional.

    6. Different form of zones. The configuration of the continents and their macrorelief determines the size and extent of the zones. In North America, the width of the steppe zones turned out to be greater than their length, and they acquired a "meridional strike." In Central Asia, the semi-desert zone has the shape of an arc. The essence of zoning does not change.

    7. Analogue zones. Each of the continental zones has its counterpart in the oceanic sectors. With excessive and sufficient moisture, two variants of the same zone arise, for example, the Atlantic taiga in Norway and the continental taiga in Siberia. With insufficient moisture, different zones affect the analogues, for example, broad-leaved forests near the ocean correspond to inland steppes.

    8. Vertical zonation in mountainous countries.

    9. Dissymmetry of geographical zonality. Geographic zonality is dissymmetric with respect to the plane of the equator. Solar radiation is distributed in proportion to cosop and therefore symmetrically in both hemispheres. Therefore, the geographical zones of the hemisphere are generally the same - two polar, two temperate, etc. But the lithogenic basis of zoning is antisymmetric, and the geographical zones of the northern hemisphere are very different from those corresponding to them in the southern. For example, a large forest zone of the northern hemisphere in the southern corresponds to the ocean and only a small region of forests in Chile; in the northern temperate zone, inland deserts occupy large areas, while in the southern they do not exist at all. The dissymmetry increases in the direction from the equator to middle latitudes. The northern and southern temperate belts are so different that each requires an independent description. KK Markov (1963) considers the polar dissymmetry of the geographic envelope to be a structure of the first order, above zoning. This statement is absolutely correct. V. B. Sochava (1963) believes that it is the tropical and two extratropical belts that act as structures of the first order, against which dissymmetry manifests itself. This author is also right. The fact is that K. K. Markov and V. B. Sochava write about geographical formations of different structural levels: the first
    about zones, the second about belts. It goes without saying that the geographical zones - tropical and extratropical - are structures of the first order, characteristic of both oceans and continents. The geographical zones on the continents of the northern hemisphere are fundamentally different from the zones in the ocean of the southern hemisphere, and in their formation the continental dissymmetry of the Earth is more significant than zonality.

    10. Different rates of variability of nature. Separate areas of the biosphere are characterized by different rates of variability of nature in the process of its development. It is known that the ocean fauna changes relatively more slowly than the terrestrial one. Consequently, the ocean is a more conservative area than the continents.

    And on land, the variability of nature is not the same in different zones. And this applies not only to the organic world, but to all geographical conditions. The nature of low latitudes turns out to be more conservative. In the life optimum of the equatorial belt, fluctuations in geographical conditions never fall to the minimum level at which organisms must adapt to new conditions and change. In temperate latitudes, even slight fluctuations in temperature or humidity of the climate, geomorphological or hydrological conditions create a new environment for organisms and necessitate their restructuring; here some species of plants and animals fall out relatively quickly and others are formed.

    11. Zones with large and small participation of living matter. Despite the fact that the entire biosphere develops with the continuous and active participation of living matter, it contains zones with both quantitatively large and quantitatively small direct participation of life (Gozhev, 1956). The former include hylaea, savanna, steppe, forest-steppe and forest zones of temperate latitudes; to the second - ice, desert and semi-desert zones. About half of the World Ocean (in water areas remote from the coast) is also biologically unproductive. In the first group of zones of land and ocean areas, living conditions are optimal, in the second, a pessimum is observed.

    12. The role of the progress of living matter in the development of the geographical envelope. The qualitative progress of inanimate matter has an upper limit - the transition from inanimate to living. The development of the modern geographical shell - the biosphere is due to the progress of living matter.

    The current stage of development of the nature of the Earth's surface - the geographical shell - is the result of the evolution of organic life and its interaction with inert matter. Development was guided by the evolution of living matter for internal reasons and by changes in geographical conditions. Therefore, the nature of the earth's surface - inanimate and living can be studied only on the basis of their deepest interaction.

    The main role of living matter in the geographic envelope is to increase its energy through the accumulation of solar energy. This is the energy basis for the development of the Earth.

    The formation of the Earth as a cosmic body - geological history - the emergence of life - the evolution of the organic world - the development of the geographical shell - the emergence of man - all these are stages of the general progress of matter.

    13. Integrity - interaction - development. The most essential features of the geographic shell as a complex natural system, its essence is integrity, interaction of parts and development.

    Lesson No. 22 Grade 7 November 29, 2017Lesson topic: “Practical work No. 5. « Analysis of thematic maps in order to identify the features of the location of geographic zones and natural zones of the Earth.

    The purpose of the lesson:learn to identify patterns of distribution of geographical zones and natural zones on individual continents and on the planet as a whole using thematic maps.

    Type of lesson: lesson learning new material

    Equipment:textbook, atlas, map of geographical zones and natural zones of the world.

    Basic conceptsZonality latitudinal - a regular change of natural components and natural complexes in the direction from the equator to the poles and the formation of geographical zones and natural zones.
    Geographical zones of the Earth - the largest zonal divisions of the geographic envelope, extending in the latitudinal direction. Geographical zones are distinguished on the basis of taking into account differences in the radiation balance, temperature regime and atmospheric circulation. This determines the formation of sharply different types of soil and vegetation cover. Geographical zones practically coincide with climatic zones and bear the same names (equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, etc.).
    natural areas - physical-geographical zones, large parts of geographical belts, regularly changing from the equator to the poles and from the oceans deep into the continents. The position of natural zones is determined mainly by differences in the ratio of heat and moisture. Natural zones have a significant commonality of soils, vegetation and other components of nature.
    Altitudinal zonality - a regular change in natural complexes associated with a change in altitude above sea level, characteristic of mountainous areas

    During the classes:

    1. Organizational moment

    2.Updating basic knowledge1. Indicate the patterns of location of geographical zones on the planet.
    - stretch in the direction from west to east along the geographic latitude;
    - repeat symmetrically with respect to the equator;
    - the boundaries of the belts are uneven due to the influence of the relief, currents, remoteness from the oceans.
    2. Why are several natural zones distinguished within one geographical zone?
    Natural areas are influenced by air temperature and humidity, which may differ within the same zone.
    3. What natural areas are in the temperate zone?
    Taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests, forest-steppes and steppes, deserts and semi-deserts, variable-moist monsoon forests, areas of altitudinal zonation.
    4. Why is there a change of natural zones in the mountains? What determines their number?
    A decrease in air temperature with height and an increase in precipitation is the main reason for the change in natural zones in the mountains, the height of the mountains and their proximity to the equator affect their amount.
    5. In what geographical zones is Russia located? What natural areas are most typical for it?
    Rossya is located in the arctic zone (arctic desert zone), in the subarctic zone (tundra and forest-tundra zone), in the temperate zone (taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests, forest-steppes and steppes, deserts and semi-deserts, variable-moist monsoon forests), subtropical zone ( dry and wet hard-leaved forests and shrubs of the Mediterranean type), areas of altitudinal zonation.

    II. Practical part. Africa.1. In what geographical zones is the mainland?
    In the center is the equatorial belt, to the north and south of it is subequatorial, along the tropics - tropical belts, the extreme north and south - subtropical belts.
    2. What natural areas are there in these belts?
    At the equator - evergreen moist equatorial forests, in the subequatorial zone - savannas and woodlands, in the tropical zone - deserts and semi-deserts, in the subtropics - hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs. In the mountains - altitudinal zonality.
    3. Why are equatorial forests located only in the western part of the mainland?
    The depression of the Congo River and the coastal lowlands are well moistened by air masses from the Atlantic Ocean (warm current and trade winds). In the east, high plateau - lower temperatures, little rainfall - cold Somali current.
    4. Why does the latitudinal location of belts and natural zones prevail in Africa?
    In Africa, plains prevail in the relief, so the law of latitudinal zoning is well manifested here.
    Conclusion.Africa is located on the equator, which runs almost in the middle of the mainland, therefore, on the mainland, symmetry is well manifested in the arrangement of belts and zones, because of the plains, the law of latitudinal zonality operates, belts and natural zones stretch along the latitude, each geographical belt has its own natural zones. In the mountains, the law of altitudinal zonation is manifested.

    6.Reflection of educational activity

    What did I learn in class....

    It was difficult for me....

    It was interesting to me……

    7. Homework

    Paragraph 20, p. 76-79, tasks at the end of the paragraph

    Planet Earth is a unique source of life within which everything develops naturally. Each continent is a separate biocomplex on which different species of plants and animals have adapted to live. In geography, separate territories with a similar climate, soil, flora and fauna are usually called natural zones.

    Zone types

    Zoning is the division of the territories of continents and oceans into separate parts, which are called zones. The easiest way to distinguish them from each other is by the nature of the vegetation, because it depends on it which animals can live in this region.

    Rice. 1. Nature on Earth

    There are three types of zonation in the pattern of natural zones placement:

    • Change of natural zones by latitudes. Moving from the equator to the poles, one can notice how the complexes change one after another in a horizontal position. This pattern is especially clearly seen on the Eurasian continent.
    • Zonality along meridians. Natural areas also change in longitude. The closer to the ocean, the greater its impact on land. And the farther inland to the continent, the more moderate the climate. Such zonality can be traced in North and South America, Australia.
    • Vertical zonation. As you know, the change of natural zones occurs in the mountains. The farther from the surface of the earth, the colder it becomes and the nature of the vegetation changes.

    Reasons for zoning

    The regularity of the location of natural zones is due to the different amount of heat and moisture in different areas. Where there is a lot of precipitation and a high level of evaporation, moist equatorial forests appear, where there is a lot of evaporation and little precipitation - savannahs. Where there is no precipitation at all and the whole year is dry - deserts and so on.

    The main reason for zoning is the difference in the amount of heat and moisture in different areas, moving from the equator to the poles.

    Rice. 2. Dawn in the steppe

    What is the difference between heat and moisture?

    The distribution of heat and moisture on Earth depends on the shape of our planet. As you know, it is spherical. The axis of rotation is not straight, but has some inclination. This leads to the fact that the sun heats different parts of the planet in different ways. To better understand this process, consider the figure.

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    Rice. 3. Distribution of solar energy on the planet

    The figure shows that where there is a lot of sun, the surface heats up more, which means there is more evaporation near the oceans, respectively, there will be enough rain. Deeper into the continent, evaporation is high, humidity is low, etc.

    So, let's highlight the main reasons for zoning:

    • the spherical shape of the Earth;
    • rotation of the planet around its axis at an angle.

    The reason for zoning in the mountains is the distance from the surface of the earth.

    What have we learned?

    Natural zones replace each other not only in latitude, but also in longitude. This is due to the remoteness or proximity to the ocean. In the mountains, a change in natural zones can be traced because the higher, the colder the climate. There are two main reasons that affect the pattern of changing natural zones: the spherical shape of the Earth and the rotation of the planet along an inclined axis.

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