The Bolshezemelskaya tundra is a vast (more than 1.5 thousand km 2) territory, spread between the Polar Urals and the Pechora and Usoa rivers, adjacent to the Barents Sea. The lands belong to the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Komi Republic. This is a harsh region of the cold sea, permafrost and scarce fauna and flora, formed in the ice age, when the borders of glaciation reached the southern outskirts of modern Russia. Gradually, the climate became warmer, but the places where the glacier remained for a long period of time still retained traces of its presence.
The article will tell you what the Bolshezemelskaya tundra is. Natural characteristics, economic aspects of the development of the territory will be described in detail in it.
Relief features
The area has a hilly plain structure, the height of which is mainly 100-150 m, sometimes reaches 250 m in the form of moraine ridges. They represent a geological body formed by glacial deposits. The internal structure is a highly heterogeneous detrital material. It includes both giant stone blocks up to several hundred meters long, and clay, formed as a result of grinding fragments during the movement of the glacier. Gradually melting, on the surface of the earth he left his contents. Powerful moraine ridges were formed mainly where the ice thickness was maximum, or along the edge of the glaciation. The Bolshezemelskaya tundra is crossed by two hills - this is the Earth Ridge and the Chernyshev ridge. The second stretches for almost 300 km, up to the Polar Urals. Its height is up to 205 m, the surface has a plateau-like structure, its composition is limestone and sandstone. Vegetation in the southern part is richer - it is deciduous and spruce taiga.
Eternal Frost
The Bolshezemelskaya tundra is mainly permafrost (permafrost zone), which is characterized by the absence of thawing periods. In fact, this is the surface part of the earth's crust, which has a temperature of 0 ° C for a long time (from a couple of years to millennia), groundwater is represented by ice. Its depth sometimes reaches 1000 m. Naturally, this fact is reflected in the nature of the soils of the region. In them, under conditions of prolonged or permanent permafrost, many specific processes take place. A humus layer may accumulate above the frozen layer surface, and under the influence of low temperatures, cryogenic soil structuring proceeds.
Soils of the region
It is difficult to find a description of the Bolshezemelskaya tundra in English with detailed characteristics on the net. However, there is a lot of information about similar regions with permafrost in the north of Alaska, Antarctica, Canada, Europe and even Asia. In general, structureless or gley soils with a typical rusty or bluish color are most characteristic of such a locality. Peat-bog types of soil can be found on the plain, but the peat layer is insignificant - 10-15 cm. The accumulation of a larger amount of it is impossible due to the short and cold summers, in which the vegetation is very scarce. Famous Malozemelskaya, Bolshezemelskaya tundra. However, these two regions should not be confused. In the first case, we are dealing with richer flora and fauna. The territory is inhabited by indigenous northern peoples and Russians, and is more suitable for living.
Climate
Climatic conditions on the territory of the Bolshezemelskaya tundra are extremely severe. Winter lasts more than six months, with the preservation of snow cover from October to June. The long winter months pass without the sun, frosts are possible even in the summer. The average July temperature is + 8 … + 12 ° С. Strong winds from the Arctic are constantly blowing, blowing snow from the plains to the lowlands and forming deep snowdrifts. The annual rainfall is kept at around 250 mm in the north and 450 mm in the south.
And yet in the spring, like the whole world, the Bolshezemelskaya tundra wakes up, transforming in its northern beauty. On the hills and slopes melt snow. The main factor that allows you to survive in such conditions is light. A long polar day, when the sun does not go down over the horizon for weeks, contributes to the development of sparse vegetation.
Flora
The territory falls into the tundra zone, the subzone of the moss-shrub tundra and partially - forest-tundra. The latter occurs sporadically in southern regions, floodplains of rivers, where spruce and small-leaved species penetrate.
All tundra plants are characterized by an underdeveloped root system, which is distributed in a shallow surface layer. This is explained by permafrost. Moisture is more than enough, but its plants can not get because of the cold. Of the tree species, dwarf birch and willow are the most common. But their height is so small that sometimes plants can not be seen in the grass.
Flowering plants of the Bolshezemelskaya tundra in springtime are a spectacle of incredible beauty. The seemingly lifeless territory is being transformed and filled with bright colors that warmer regions can envy. Annual plants do not have time to form seeds during the season, so the flora is represented by perennials: it is coltsfoot, gentian, cyanosis, cotton grass, swimsuit, ranunculus, forget-me-nots, castilla Vorkuta, etc. The further to the north, the squat plant begins the kingdom of lichens, of which there are more than 100 species in the tundra.
Fauna
The fauna of the Bolshezemelskaya tundra is also quite limited. The relationship is the same: the cold climate limits vegetation and, as a result, the food supply. The real king of the territory can be called a reindeer. This large cloven-hoofed mammal has all the necessary adaptive features for life in the Far North. The natural population is closely bordered by domesticated herds. Reindeer has always been and remains an indispensable tool for indigenous peoples.
Predators are represented mainly by wolves, as well as bears (brown and white), wolverine, lynx, foxes, arctic foxes. Quite a lot of hares and lemmings in these places. Birds practically do not winter in the tundra, but in springtime it comes to life with the arrival of birds. These are gulls, geese, turukhans, snipe, waders, loons, as well as more rare species that are under protection - swans, osprey, red-throated loon, gray crane, peregrine falcon, etc.
One of the main threats to the ecosystem is the struggle for oil in the Bolshezemelskaya tundra, accompanied by the destruction of natural habitats and a change in topography.
Tundra and man
At first glance, it may seem that life in the conditions of the Bolshezemelskaya tundra is simply impossible for a person. However, he found a place there. The development of the territory began in the 20th century, at the beginning of which the map of these places was full of white spots. Currently, there are three settlements: Khorey-Ver, Karatayka, Haruta. The population of the villages is small, but significantly increases with the onset of the hunting and fishing season in the summer. Transport links are not developed. You can get to the settlements only by helicopter, tractor roads connect them with drilling stations.
