The steppe zone communicates to the outside world. Natural steppe zone of Russia: where it is located, map, climate, soils, flora and fauna

In the past, the steppe zone had endless steppes. Now they are plowed almost everywhere, fields have taken their place. The remaining areas of the steppes with their wonderful flora and fauna must be protected.

Using the map in the textbook, color in the steppe zone on the contour map (The world around us, grade 4, pp. 36-37). To select a color, you can use the “key” below.

Which zone, located between the steppes and forest zones, remained unpainted? Paint it over at home.

Answer: Forest-steppe

Our inquisitive Parrot knows a thing or two about the steppes. Here are some of his statements. Are they true? Circle "Yes" or "No". If not, correct the mistakes (verbally).

a) The steppe zone is located south of the forest zones. Answer: Yes
b) The steppe zone has cold, rainy summers. Answer: No
c) The soils in the steppe zone are very fertile. Answer: Yes
d) Tulips bloom in the steppe at the height of summer. Answer: No
e) In the steppe there is a bustard - one of the smallest birds in our country. Answer: No

Seryozha and Nadya’s mother asks if you know steppe plants. Cut out the pictures from the Appendix and place them in the appropriate boxes. Test yourself using the textbook. After self-test, paste the pictures.

And this task was prepared for you by Seryozha and Nadya’s dad. Find out the animals of the steppe from fragments. Write the names of the animals. Ask the student sitting next to you to check on you.

Draw a diagram of the food chain characteristic of the steppe zone. Compare it with the diagram proposed by your desk neighbor. Using these diagrams, talk about the ecological connections in the steppe zone.

Feather grass - Filly - Steppe lark - Steppe eagle
Fescue - Hamster - Steppe viper

Think about what environmental problems of the steppe zone are expressed by these signs. Formulate and write down.

Suggest conservation measures for class discussion that would help solve these problems.

Continue filling out the poster “Red Book of Russia”, which was drawn by Seryozha and Nadya’s dad. Find the plants and animals of the steppe zone on the poster and write their names.

Thin-leaved peony, steppe eagle, bustard, steppe rack

8. According to the instructions in the textbook (p. 117), draw the steppe.

9. According to the instructions of the textbook (p. 117), prepare a report about the plants and animals of the steppe that particularly interested you.

Post subject: Bustard

Message plan:

1) Preface
2) Basic information
3) Conclusion

The bustard is recognized as the heaviest of the flying birds; this steppe inhabitant mainly moves on the ground and runs quickly in case of danger. Individuals are considered omnivores; their diet consists of plant foods (seeds, shoots, wild garlic) and animals (insects, rodents, frogs); during the mating season, males perform a spectacular dance.
Dimensions:
Length: males up to 105 cm, females from 75 to 80 cm
Weight: males up to 16 kg, females – up to 8 kg
Lifespan: 20-25 years
The bustard is primarily a steppe bird. It lives on open plains without copses, meadows and fields. This is explained by the caution of the birds, since the free space there is visible far away. During nesting, individuals stop in areas with high vegetation. There are also cases when bustards nest among crops of grain, sunflowers and other crops.

Source(s) of information: Internet, encyclopedia

Plan

1. Location
2. Climate
3. Soil
4 Flora
5. Animal world
6. Power circuits
7. Environmental issues

8.Reserves

1. Location

The steppe zone on the map is highlighted in yellow

Steppe zone located south of the forest zone. The steppe zone is much smaller than the forest zone. Most of the steppe zone is located on the East European Plain, and it is also found in Western and Eastern Siberia. The surface relief is smooth. The steppe zone is located in the temperate climate zone.

2. K lim at

To the south of the forest zone there is even more heat, but less precipitation falls. Summer is long and dry. In July + 22 - + 25 degrees, the heat can reach up to 40 degrees. The weather is dry and sunny. They often blow dry hot winds - hot winds . Sometimes hot winds turn into dust storms.

Winter is short and warm, but there are cold temperatures down to -20 -30 degrees.

In spring, the steppe comes to life and is covered with a carpet of tulips and irises. Spring is short with a lot of moisture in the soil. The rains are torrential in nature. The rain passes quickly, and most of the water, not having time to saturate the soil, flows in streams into the lowlands and evaporates.

3. Soil

Soils in the steppe fertile, covered with black soil. Grasses grow in the steppe; every year their dying stems and leaves increase the fertile layer.

4. Flora

The lack of moisture does not create conditions for tree growth.

Grow tulips, irises, feather grass, fescue, timothy grass, fine-leaved peony .

The shape of the leaves is narrow so that less moisture evaporates; the color is light, because prevents the sheet from getting too hot. Light colors reflect the sun's rays better.

Root system: bulb, bunch, rhizome.
Nutrients are stored in the bulb. A fibrous root system better collects and retains moisture from the surface of the earth. Tall plants have a root system that goes deep into the soil.

All steppe plants are herbaceous and grow on fertile soil. Plants adapt to life in the steppe in different ways: for example, in tulips, which have beautiful flowers, after flowering the leaves and stems die off, and the bulb remains in the ground with a supply of nutrients until next spring. Irises and meadowsweet have also adapted. Meadowsweet has tuberous thickenings on its roots; reserve nutrients are deposited there; they can even be eaten. Feather grass and fescue have adapted in a completely different way. They grow in the form of a large dense bush. Below, near the ground, numerous shoots are pressed tightly against each other. The leaves of feather grass and fescue are narrow so that less moisture evaporates; the roots go deep into the ground.

5. Animal world

There are no trees in the steppes, but there is grass cover. Therefore, many insects live in the grass: grasshopper, grasshopper, bumblebee, and others. If there are insects, it means there are a lot of birds here: steppe lark, bustard, gray partridge, demoiselle crane. Steppe birds make nests right on the ground. Animals of the steppe are small, their life is connected with the ground in which they make holes. Gophers, hamsters, and field mice live in the steppe. And, of course, there are predators in the steppe: the steppe eagle, the steppe ferret, the steppe viper. The color of steppe animals often matches the color of the vegetation.

steppe eagle - bird of prey. It nests on the ground. The fingers are weak, the claws are short, it feeds on small animals (rodents, birds). Wingspan up to two meters.

Kestrel - bird of prey.

Steppe lark “We’ve been hearing his song since early spring. Only the male sings. They feed on insects and carrion.

Bustard - the largest bird, weighing from 16 to 21 kg. Runs well and flies well. It rises into the air with difficulty from a running start. It flies against the wind, low, gradually gaining altitude. There are no sweat glands, it is difficult in the heat, there is no fatty lubrication.

Gray partridge - looks like a small chicken, also clucks and rakes the ground with its paws. Destroys many harmful insects. The meat is very tender and tasty.

Gophers - They don’t go far from their holes. Rising on their hind legs, they look around all the time, and noticing a person or animal, they hide in a hole with a squeak. In dry years, with the onset of lack of food, they hibernate. They can spend up to 9 months sleeping.

Steppe vipers - in weeds and ditches. They feed on rodents and insects.

6. Power circuits

Plants—> Filly—> Partridge—> Steppe Eagles
—> Foxes
—> Wolves

Plants—> Jerboa—> Steppe Eagle

7. Environmental issues

Many plants and animals of the steppe zone are in danger of extinction. The main reason is plowing steppe lands . People turned the steppes into fields. Another reason: cattle graze in unplowed areas of the steppes; excessive grazing leads to soil destruction. The following animals are included in the Red Book: steppe eagle, crane, bustard, grasshopper, steppe rack. Plants: thin-leaved peony.

There is another problem - this poaching . To preserve the nature of the steppes, it is necessary to limit its plowing, limit grazing, fight poaching, and create nature reserves.

How to solve environmental problems?

• Limit plowing of steppes:
• Limit livestock grazing;
• Fight poaching;
• Create nature reserves;

Before plowing the fields, collect bustard eggs and raise them in special incubators. And then release him onto the field.

8. Reserves

Central Chernozem Reserve named after V.V. Alekhine - in the strip of northern steppe of the Kursk and Belgorod regions. Founded in 1935 and named after the famous geobotanist, professor at Moscow University. Area over 4 thousand hectares. The areas of greatest interest are the Streletskaya, Kozatskaya and Yamskaya steppes. There are 31 species of mammals recorded in the reserve, but if we exclude some visiting animals (elk, roe deer, wolf, etc.) and acclimatized ones (raccoon dog), then about 25 native species remain. The typical inhabitant of the virgin steppe, the marmot-baibak, was exterminated in the last century. Traces of his stay are still preserved in the steppes in the form of small mounds (surochin), overgrown with steppe vegetation. In addition, speckled ground squirrels, mole rats and a number of other species of fauna can be found here.

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The steppe zone is located south of the forest zone. These are endless flat spaces covered with a grassy carpet. Only occasionally in the steppe can you find solitary trees or small groups of trees growing near water bodies. This natural area is found on all continents.

Climate Features

The forest zone gradually, through the forest-steppe, turns into a treeless natural zone - the steppe. It looks like a huge field on which fragrant herbs grow.

The steppe zone is located in the temperate climate zone. This means that sunny, dry weather reigns here. This area is characterized by dry winds - hot, dry winds that can turn into strong dust storms.

Summer in the steppe is long, dry, with little precipitation. The average temperature is 20-22 degrees Celsius, but can sometimes rise to 40 degrees. Winter is short and relatively warm. Only occasionally does the air temperature drop to -40 degrees.

In spring, the steppe seems to wake up: life-giving showers moisten the soil, and it is covered with a carpet of bright steppe flowers. However, due to sunny weather, rainwater does not have time to penetrate deep into the ground. It flows into the lowlands and quickly evaporates.

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Rice. 1. Steppe in spring.

The main wealth of the steppe zone is fertile lands, which are called chernozem. When grasses die, they form a top nutrient layer - humus, which has unique nutritional properties.

Flora

Due to the low amount of moisture, very few trees grow in the steppes. The main vegetation in this natural area is all kinds of grasses and cereals.

Rice. 2. Steppe plants.

The following characteristics are characteristic of steppe plants:

• narrow leaves - to evaporate a small amount of moisture;
• light foliage color - better reflects the sun's rays;
• numerous small roots - better absorb and retain valuable moisture.

Peonies, irises, tulips, feather grass, fescue and many medicinal plants grow in the steppe.

Animal world

The prevailing vegetation cover has created ideal conditions for the life of insects, of which an incredible number live here. The steppes are home to grasshoppers, grasshoppers, bumblebees, bees and many others.

Since there are many insects in the steppe, this means that many birds live here: partridges, steppe larks, bustards. They build their nests right on the ground.

Steppe animals are most adapted to life in the field: they are all small in size, with a light color that blends in with the vegetation. The steppes are home to many rodents and reptiles.

Gophers are typical inhabitants of the steppes. They spend a lot of time standing on their hind legs and looking around. At the slightest danger, they hide in their burrows with an alarming squeak. In unfavorable years with severe drought and lack of food, they hibernate, which can last 9 months.

Rice. 3. Gophers.

Environmental problems of the steppes

The main problem of the steppe zone is its plowing for agricultural needs. Fertile soils and the absence of trees were a good reason why people began to plow up steppe lands and grow crops on them.

In addition, livestock graze on unplowed steppe areas, and this inevitably leads to the destruction of the unique soil.

As a result of human activity, many steppe animals and plants are under threat of complete extinction.

What have we learned?

While studying the report on the 4th grade program of the world around us, we learned what the steppe zone is like. We found out what climate is typical for this natural zone, what plants and animals live in the vast expanses of the steppe, and also what is the main environmental problem of steppes around the world.

Test on the topic

Evaluation of the report

Average rating: 4.8. Total ratings received: 411.

• Find the steppe zone on the map of natural zones of Russia. What can you tell about it from the map? Learn to show this natural area on a map.

The kingdom of warmth and dry winds

As you know, forests occupy that part of our country where there is enough heat and moisture for trees to grow. To the south of the forest zones there is even more heat, but there is less precipitation. The lack of moisture makes it more difficult for trees to grow here. Forests increasingly alternate with treeless areas, and then disappear altogether. So gradually the forests are replaced by forest-steppe, and then by the steppe zone.

The steppe zone has very warm, long, dry summers. Hot dry winds often blow - hot winds. Sometimes they turn into dust storms. Rain is rare here. Usually they are torrential. The rain passes quickly, and most of the water, not having time to saturate the soil, flows in streams into the lowlands and evaporates.

The steppe zone is famous for its most fertile soil - black soil.

1. Look at the steppe plants in the herbarium and in the drawing. Make suggestions about how these plants are adapted to living conditions in the steppe. Test yourself using the textbook text.

1. Using the textbook's drawings, get acquainted with the fauna of the steppe. Find information about animals in the text of the textbook.

1. Steppe eagle. 2. Kestrel. 3. Steppe lark. 4. Bustard. 5. Gray partridge. 6. Demoiselle crane. 7. Gophers. 8. Steppe viper. 9. Hamster. 10. Grasshopper. 11. Bumblebee. 12. Filly.

1. Using this picture, tell us about the ecological connections in the steppe. Make a model of a food chain typical of the steppe.

Life in the steppe

A variety of herbaceous plants grow in the steppe zone. Some of them - tulips, irises - bloom in the spring, before the summer heat sets in and there is enough moisture in the soil. This demonstrates their adaptability to life in the steppe. The steppe is very beautiful at the time of flowering. But soon their above-ground parts die off, and bulbs with a supply of nutrients remain in the soil until next spring.

Other plants - feather grass and fescue - are differently adapted to steppe conditions. They tolerate severe drought thanks to very narrow leaves that evaporate little moisture.

The insects of the steppe zone are diverse. There are especially many fillies and grasshoppers here - their chirping can be heard from everywhere. It is best to distinguish these insects by their antennae: in fillies they are short, and in grasshoppers they are long. The fillies feed on plant foods. Grasshoppers primarily eat small insects.

Birds feed on plants and insects: steppe lark, gray partridge, demoiselle crane, bustard.

Demoiselle is the smallest of the cranes. The bustard is one of the largest birds in our country; it is called the steppe giant.

In the steppe zone there are many rodents, such as gophers and hamsters. The steppe is an open place. Therefore, rodents can only hide from the heat and predators in burrows.

Birds of prey and animals feed on rodents. A very large bird of prey, up to two meters in wingspan - the steppe eagle - a real decoration of nature! The dexterous predator steppe ferret is quite common.

Reptiles also live in the steppe zone. Lizards feed on insects, and the steppe viper eats rodents.

Steppes and people

Many plants and animals of the steppe zone are in danger of extinction. For example, a very beautiful plant, thin-leaved peony, is included in the Red Book of Russia (1). On the pages of the Red Book we will find the steppe eagle (2), demoiselle crane, bustard, and large steppe grasshopper (3).

Why were these plants and animals in danger? The main reason is this: there are almost no steppes left in the steppe zone! The steppes are plowed almost everywhere. In their place were fields. The plowing of the steppes is the main environmental problem of this zone.

Cattle graze on unplowed areas of the steppes. Sometimes large herds of animals graze in one place for a long time, and overgrazing occurs. This is another environmental problem of the steppe zone. Due to overgrazing, the soil is destroyed, many plants disappear, and wild animals suffer.

For a long time, people not only plowed the steppes, but also hunted steppe animals. Now hunting rare animals is prohibited, but this ban is often violated by poachers. Poaching is another environmental problem in these parts.

A very important task is to preserve the preserved steppes with their amazing flora and fauna!

Some areas of the steppes are protected in nature reserves. Thus, the Rostov, Orenburg, and Daursky reserves are located in the steppe zone.

• Some steppe animals are forced to move to the fields. This is what the demoiselle crane and bustard do. But usually their nests die during field work. To save these birds, they began to be bred in nurseries. Make a guess as to how this work is organized. Test yourself on the “Self-Test Pages” (6).

Let's discuss

1. Compare the nature of the steppe zone with the nature of forests and tundra.
2. Look at the pictures of animals of the steppe. What is their adaptation to living conditions?

Test yourself

1. Show the steppe zone on the map.
2. Give a brief description of the steppe zone.

Homework assignments

1. Draw how you imagine the steppe.
2. Find in additional literature and the Internet information about those plants and animals of the steppe that interest you. Prepare a message.
3. Using the Internet, take an imaginary journey to one of the steppe reserves. What work do scientists do in the reserve?

Next lesson

Let's learn about the nature and environmental problems of the desert zone. We will learn to characterize this zone according to plan.

Remember, the desert zone receives more or less heat from the Sun compared to the steppe zone. What else do you know about the desert? If you have ever been to the desert, get ready to talk about it in class.