On the picturesque slopes of the Southern Urals, among forested mountains, hills and low-lying plains, lies the vast and mineral-rich Chelyabinsk region. Here, on the territory of this amazing region, Europe “meets” Asia - the Ural River is the natural border between the two parts of the world. The region is rich in water resources - there are about 360 rivers and 15 artificial reservoirs, and is also considered a “lake region” - there are over 3,000 lakes on its territory. The region has rich flora and fauna, and the numerous reservoirs of the region are inhabited by over 30 species of fish.
Flora of the Chelyabinsk region
The Chelyabinsk region is divided into three natural zones - mountain-forest, forest-steppe and steppe. In the extreme western part of the forest zone, broad-leaved forests grow, represented by birches, lindens, aspens, maples, and elms. Sometimes there are oak forests. Among the trees and shrubs that make up the undergrowth, we can list willow, rowan, cherry, bird cherry, raspberry, and rose hip.
Most of the forest zone is occupied by spruce-fir and coniferous forests. The grass cover here is very weak, there are few shrubs, but there are many mosses. Further on there are pine and pine-larch forests with rowan, linden and aspen in the undergrowth. Lots of mushroom and berry places. The main vegetation of the forest-steppe zone is pine, pine-larch and pine-birch forests, and birch groves are common in its southern part.
The steppe zone is characterized by a considerable diversity of vegetation. In the basin and valley of the Ural River there is a large amount of willow, honeysuckle, bird cherry, viburnum, hawthorn and sedge. In the north and south of the zone there are forb and feather grass-forb steppes, and to the east there is a forb-turf-grass steppe with feather grass, wormwood, steppe oats and fescue growing on it. In some places granite rocks rise above the ground - these areas are usually surrounded by pine forests.
Fauna of the Chelyabinsk region
The fauna of the region is quite rich and diverse. The forest part is home to such large mammals as moose, bears, roe deer and lynx, as well as valuable fur-bearing animals - weasel, otter, pine marten, black ferret, fox, ermine, European mink. Common squirrels, striped chipmunks and flying squirrels can be seen. The feathered inhabitants of the forest zone include woodpecker, wood grouse, great owl, hazel grouse, waxwing, crossbill, nutcracker, gray partridge, black grouse and finch. Among the reptiles there are grass snakes, copperheads, spindles, common vipers and viviparous lizards.
The forest-steppe zone is inhabited by animals and birds, which can be classified as typical representatives of the forest zone and the steppe zone. These are foxes, wolves, gophers, badgers, eagles.
Large mammals found in the steppe zone (in its forests) include elk and Siberian roe deer, and predators such as the wolf and the common fox are even more common than in the forest zone. Other typical representatives of the zone include the corsac fox (steppe fox), brown hare, light polecat, ground squirrel, water rat, marmot, hamster, jerboa, and various types of mice.
The following typical representatives of birds live in the steppe zone: hawks, kites, steppe eagles, quails, larks, bustards, gray partridges, little bustards.
Climate in the Chelyabinsk region
The winter period in the Chelyabinsk region is quite cold and snowy. It starts in mid-November and ends by early April. Even in March, severe snowstorms can rage in the region. The average temperature in winter is -15°C, but at times reaches -45°C. Summer begins in the second half of May, but truly warm days set in only in July, when the air warms up to +25°C. In summer, the region is characterized by droughts; there may be no rain for several tens of days.
The Chelyabinsk region is rich in forests. Almost a quarter of its territory is occupied by the green “ocean”.
Most forests are in the western mountainous forest part of the Chelyabinsk region. In the far west - in the Asha region - broad-leaved forests are common. Here you can find deciduous trees such as linden, maple, elm, alder, aspen, and birch. There are oak forests in this area. Deciduous forests are usually light-colored. There is also a rich herbaceous cover, sometimes with ferns in the undergrowth. The tallest herbaceous plants in the region grow in the Ashinsky district. The undergrowth in these forests consists of rowan, willow, honeysuckle, bird cherry, raspberry, rose hip, and cherry.
Rice. View of the Bolshoy Taganay ridge. Mountain forest zone of the Southern Urals
In the mountainous forest part of the Chelyabinsk region, coniferous forests predominate. There are dark, taiga spruce-fir forests here. There is little light in them and mainly shade-tolerant and moisture-loving plants grow. The layers of shrubs and herbaceous plants are poorly developed here, and the soil is covered with mosses.
Rice. Coniferous forest of the Southern Urals
Pine and larch-pine forests are lighter in color. Here in the undergrowth there are linden, aspen, and rowan. The herbaceous cover is richer than in a dark coniferous forest. There are a lot of berries and mushrooms in the forest.
The forest-steppe zone is a transitional zone between forest and steppe.
In the northern part of this zone, pine, larch-pine, birch-pine forests alternate with each other. To the south there are birch groves. In the steppe zone, in places where granite rocks come to the surface, there are island pine forests - natural monuments of the Chelyabinsk region. The most famous of them are Bredinsky, Karagaysky, Uysky.
Rice. Birch forest
Pine
Pine is the most fortified tree in our region. Its needles contain 5-8 times more vitamin C than oranges.
Due to the fact that the Chelyabinsk region is located in three natural zones, its vegetation cover is very diverse. Within its boundaries you can find a variety of landscape types, ranging from mountain tundra and dark coniferous taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests to feather grass steppes. The vegetation of the Chelyabinsk region is no less rich in species composition - from mountain-arctic to semi-desert forms.
The number of plant species reaches almost 1500, of which 210 are more common.
In terms of species diversity of vegetation, the Chelyabinsk region surpasses all other regions of the Urals, second only to Bashkiria
The Ural Mountains, being an important climatic boundary, cause significant differences in the nature of the vegetation of the European and Asian slopes.
In the mountainous part of the region, vertical zonality can be traced in the vegetation cover. In the most mountainous part of the Southern Urals, three zones are distinguished. The main one is the belt of mountain taiga dark coniferous forests, extending to an altitude of 1000-1500 meters above sea level. In its lower zone, fir-spruce forests predominate, among which there are larch-pine forests, sometimes with linden in the undergrowth. Where the main species were cut down, aspen and birch forests grew. Forests in this belt alternate with meadow glades. Above is the subgoltsy belt, transitional from the mountain taiga to the goltsy belt. Wood growth here is slowed down by a harsher climate and a short growing season. The forest in this belt is sparse and low-growing (crooked forests of spruce, fir, larch, birch, rowan), alternating with wet subalpine meadows of alpine knotweed, wood sorrel, Permian anemone, etc.
The tops of mountains over 1200 m high are occupied by char. The forest does not grow here. This is a belt of stone placers and mountain tundras, covered with mosses, lichens, tundra herbs and berries, including lingonberries, blueberries, dropsy, knotweed, Ural and others.
On the western slopes of the Southern Urals, within altitudes of 250-650 m, there are southern taiga coniferous-deciduous forests. The most common are larch-pine and mixed linden-pine forests. Broad-leaved species are added to them: maple, elm, partly oak and personal shrubs. These forests are characterized by species richness of vegetation and diversity of vegetation cover.
In the far west of the mountain forest zone, broad-leaved forests are common. The main species in them are linden, maple, elm, alder, aspen, birch, oak and others. The undergrowth in these forests consists of hazel, rowan, willow, euonymus, honeysuckle, bird cherry, and in places raspberries and various types of rose hips. The rich herbaceous cover includes ferns, European hoofweed, common goosefoot, common crowberry, delphinium, mantle, and stoneweed. The areas of the Ufa Plateau wedged into the Chelyabinsk region are occupied by forest-steppe. This can be seen in the west of Satkinsky and Nyazepetrovsky, northeast of Ashinsky districts.
In the region, more than 2,800 thousand hectares are covered with forests.
The most valuable are conifers (about 28%).
The flat Trans-Ural spaces of the Chelyabinsk region are almost equally divided between the forest-steppe and steppe zones. The approximate border between them is the Uy River. In the northern part of the forest-steppe zone, the vegetation cover alternates between pine (sometimes with larch), spruce-pine and birch-pine forests with dry meadows and areas of meadow steppe. The southern part of the subzone is a forest-steppe. Meadow and forb-grass steppes alternate here with forests, pine-birch groves and birch groves.
Forests in the forest-steppe zone are usually confined to outcrops of granite rocks or to sand deposits in river valleys. Within the zone, such forests are known as Kashtaksky, Chelyabinsky, Uysky, Varlamovsky, Khomutinsky (Duvankulsky) and others. Birch trees are much more typical for the forest-steppe. They are located mainly in highly moist depressions, but often also in watershed areas.
The nature of the vegetation of the steppe zone as a whole is determined by the inclusion of forb-fescue-feather grass steppes in its stripe. But due to the vastness of the territory, the diversity of relief and, partly, climate, the vegetation cover in certain parts of the zone has its own characteristics.
Almost in the middle of the zone, along the sixtieth meridian, runs the Ural-Tobolsk watershed. There are a lot of pine forests and tufts on this watershed; they create the impression of a forest-steppe landscape. However, their grass cover and undergrowth consists of typical steppe species.
To the west of the Ural-Tobolsk watershed, along the Ural River basin, the vegetation cover is heterogeneous. In the north, in the Verkhneuralsky region, meadow steppes with rich forbs are common; to the south it is represented by feather grass and mixed grass steppes. To the east of the watershed, the vegetation cover of the zone is highly diverse. This is an area of forb-turf-grass steppe with the dominance of such species as steppe oats, feather grass, wormwood, and fescue. Alkaline meadows are widespread here.
The Chelyabinsk region has a large fund of forage lands. There are over 500 thousand hectares of hayfields and more than 1 million hectares of pastures.
In the grass of natural forage lands, the most valuable species are legumes (clover, alfalfa, sweet clover, sainfoin, china, mouse pea, astragalus) and cereal species (timothy, awnless brome, meadow fescue, bluegrass, cocksfoot, wheatgrass and others).
The wild flora of the region contains species that can be used for food, in particular, for therapeutic nutrition, since they have a unique chemical composition that has a beneficial effect on the body. Some of them are traditionally included in the human diet: nut-bearing (hazel), berry (strawberries, lingonberries, cranberries, currants, cherries, blueberries, hawthorn and others), spice-flavored, salad (dandelion, Siberian hogweed, angelica, etc.).
There are many types of honey plants: linden, maple, almond, caragana (yellow acacia), hawthorn, rose hip, bird cherry, rowan, alfalfa, sweet clover, clover and many other flowering plants. Of particular note is the linden tree in the mountain-forest zone. Linden honey, called Bashkir honey, is highly valued.
The flora of the region contains about 150 species of medicinal plants, widely used in official and folk medicine.
| № | Plant name | Distribution, habitat |
| 1 | Adonis spring (starodubka) | Forest-steppe and northern part of the steppe zone: edges, forest glades, open forests, hillsides |
| 2 | Common lingonberry | In the mountain forest zone, in coniferous and mixed forests; in the forest-steppe; in pine-birch and pine forests |
| 3 | Valerian officinalis | Mainly in the mountain-forest zone to the upper border of the forest belt; in the forest-steppe - banks of rivers, swamps, forest edges |
| 4 | Oregano | Throughout the region on forest edges and clearings, in sparse forests and bushes |
| 5 | St. John's wort | Often in the mountain-forest zone and adjacent areas of the forest-steppe zone, in forest glades, forest edges, and upland meadows |
| 6 | Green wild strawberry (strawberry) | Very widely in all areas of the region, through light sparse forests, clearings, clearings |
| 7 | Common raspberry | Found in all areas: forests, clearings and burnt areas, along river banks and ravines |
| 8 | Coltsfoot | Very widely throughout the region along ravines, banks of rivers and streams, in construction pits and quarries |
| 9 | Dandelion officinalis | Grows everywhere, a nasty weed |
| 10 | Large plantain | Found in all areas of the region |
| 11 | Common yarrow | Very widespread in all natural areas - meadows, fields, slopes, forests, wastelands |
| 12 | Bird cherry | Grows along river banks, along ravines, in floodplain meadows, mainly in the mountain forest zone |
| 13 | Blueberry | Mainly in the mountain forest zone and adjacent forest-steppe areas, in coniferous and mixed forests, in the mountains it enters the belt of subalpine shrubs |
| 14 | Rosehip cinnamon | More common in northern steppe regions and southern forest-steppe, in birch and mixed forests, in meadows, along river banks |
Walking through the Ural forests, we come across a wide variety of different plants that caught our eye with bright colors. But without a special botanical education, we often do not know at all what kind of plants they are and what medicinal benefits they can bring us. In this article we will look at the medicinal plants of the Urals, their healing properties, methods of use, where you can find them, and also see them in the photo.
Adonis spring
A perennial herbaceous plant from the buttercup family with a thick short rhizome and several stems reaching 30-50 cm in height. The leaves are twice or thrice pinnately dissected into narrow lanceolate lobes. The flowers are large, golden yellow, with numerous petals and a large number of stamens and pistils. Small fruits are collected in fruit clusters. Blooms in May - June. Plant poisonous .
Adonis grows on dry open slopes and forest edges. Distributed in forest-steppe regions of the Urals. The entire above-ground part of the plant is harvested from the beginning of flowering until the fruit begins to flow. Dry quickly, avoiding direct sunlight. Adonis herb contains cardiac glycosides. Herbal infusions are used for heart failure, increased nervous excitability, and dropsy as a diuretic. A decoction of rhizomes is drunk for pneumonia. To prepare a decoction, pour one tablespoon of dry herb into two glasses of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, filter and take a tablespoon 4 times a day.
Calamus marsh
A perennial herbaceous plant from the aroid family with a creeping fragrant rhizome, white and porous inside. Lily leaves, reaching a meter in length, emerge in bunches from the upper end of the rhizome. It blooms in June-July with small greenish-yellow flowers collected in a spadix. The whole plant smells nice. Calamus reproduces vegetatively - by segments of rhizomes. It grows along the banks of slow-flowing rivers, lakes, and in wetlands. Calamus comes from India and China and was brought to the Urals during the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The rhizomes of calamus are mainly used, which are collected in late autumn, washed and air-dried. Store in closed jars.
In scientific and folk medicine, infusions and decoctions of calamus are used for gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, bronchitis, cough, pneumonia, and tuberculosis.
Marsh rosemary
An evergreen shrub from the heather family, 1 m high. Grows in peat bogs and wetlands. The leaves are leathery, with downturned edges and rusty-felt pubescence on the underside. White, regular-shaped flowers are collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences at the top of the branches. Blooms from May to July. The fruit is a drooping capsule. Whole plant poisonous
. The tops of branches with leaves are used for medicinal purposes. Drying wild rosemary branches should be done in a well-ventilated area, since the smell of essential oils contained in the leaves causes headaches and sometimes respiratory and cardiac problems.
In folk medicine, wild rosemary is used in the form of decoctions and infusions for pulmonary tuberculosis, cough, asthma, whooping cough, bronchitis, as well as in the treatment of eczema, gout, scrofula, chronic rheumatism, and neurasthenia. To prepare the decoction, brew 2 tablespoons of leafy wild rosemary branches in a liter of boiling water, infuse and drink a tablespoon 3-5 times a day.
Henbane black
A biennial herbaceous plant from the Solanaceae family with an erect stem. The leaves are oval, toothed, stalk-embracing, arranged alternately. The flowers are dirty yellow, with purple veins, collected at the tops of the stems. The entire plant is covered with sticky hairs. The fruit is a two-lobed capsule with a lid containing small seeds. Blooms from June to August. Henbane grows in weedy places, fallow fields, in vegetable gardens and courtyards, near homes, along roads. Plant very poisonous
, so care must be taken when collecting it.
For medicinal purposes, the basal (rosette) leaves of the first year are collected, as well as stem leaves and grass - the entire above-ground part at a height of 8-10 cm from the ground during the flowering period. Henbane preparations are prescribed orally as an antispasmodic and analgesic. Externally, for rubbing, bleached oil is used as an anesthetic for rheumatism, neuralgia, myositis, and gout. The first signs of henbane poisoning: dry mouth and throat, difficulty breathing, dilated pupils, nausea, vomiting, headache, increased heart rate, severe agitation, delirium. It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor.
Siberian hogweed
A perennial, pubescent plant from the Umbelliferae family, with large sessile pinnately divided leaves, 90-150 cm high. Small greenish-white flowers are collected in complex multi-rayed umbels. The fruit is a flat two-seeded seed with wide wings. Blooms in July-August. It grows in bushes, forest edges, in damp meadows, along the banks of rivers and streams in the forest and forest-steppe zones of the Urals. Roots, leaves and seeds are used for medicinal purposes. The roots are collected in September-October. Leaves - in June-July. Seeds - in September.
In folk medicine, an infusion of the herb and a decoction or infusion of the roots are prescribed to improve digestion. Hogweed is used for skin diseases, and as a sedative, for convulsions of various origins, epilepsy and other nervous diseases, as well as for cancer. Hogweed edible , it is used to season soups and borscht. Salads are prepared from leaves, shoots and rhizomes.
Cowberry
An evergreen shrub from the lingonberry family, up to 30 cm high, with a creeping rhizome. The leaves are alternate, overwintering, thick, leathery, with glands in the form of brown dots on the underside. The flowers are pale pink, in short drooping racemes. The fruit is a dark red berry. Blooms in May-June. Distributed in mixed and taiga forests, swamps, and moss-lichen tundra.
In medicine, lingonberry leaves are used, which should be collected before flowering. Lingonberry leaves are used as a diuretic for low acidity, liver disease, gout, bedwetting in children, rheumatism, and kidney stones. With short-term use of an infusion of lingonberry leaves, the blood sugar level decreases. Boiled lingonberries with honey are recommended for tuberculosis. Due to the benzoic acid content in lingonberries, the berries can be stored without sugar. The peoples of the Northern Urals - the Khanty and Mansi - collect the juice of lingonberry leaves during flowering and use it to treat radiculitis: rubbed into sore spots for 5-6 minutes 2-3 times a day.
Cornflower blue
An annual herbaceous plant from the Asteraceae family. Leaves are lanceolate. Blue flowers are collected in baskets; the edges are funnel-shaped, the middle ones are tubular, with a purple tint. Cornflower blooms from May to August. Grows like a weed in rye crops. The marginal flowers have medicinal uses. An infusion of flowers has a diuretic, choleretic, and antifever effect. Therefore, it is used mainly for diseases of the kidneys and bladder. It also helps with coughs, constipation and stomach pain.
To prepare the infusion, pour a teaspoon of marginal flowers into a glass of boiling water and leave for an hour. Drink 1/4 glass 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals. A decoction of cornflower (about a handful of petals in half a liter of water, boil for 5 minutes) in the form of lotions is used in the treatment of conjunctivitis and as a cosmetic for enlarged skin pores.
Black crowberry
An evergreen branched, creeping shrub with dark brown leaves from the crow family. The leaves are small, elliptical. The flowers are axillary, pink, appear in May-June. The fruit is a black berry. It grows in peat bogs, in damp places in the tundra and polar-arctic zones of the Polar, Subpolar and Northern Urals.
Crowberry has long been known as a sedative. Therefore, an infusion of the herb (a tablespoon of herb in a glass of boiling water) is used for fatigue, headaches, nervous functional disorders, and also against scurvy. In Tibetan medicine, crowberry is used to treat kidney disease and anthrax. In Transbaikalia, an infusion of the herb is used in the treatment of epilepsy and paralysis. Nenets, Khanty and Mansi tie crowberry branches, soaked for half an hour in warm water, to wounds and abrasions for faster healing.
Crow's eye
A perennial herbaceous plant from the linear family, with a creeping rhizome and an erect stem. The leaves are a whorl of four leaves with a greenish-yellow flower at the center. Blooms in June-July. The fruit is a bluish-black berry. All the plant is poisonous
. Crow's eye grows in shady deciduous, mixed and taiga forests, on moist soil.
For medicinal purposes, take a fresh plant. Alcohol tincture 10% in the form of drops is used for headaches, migraines, drowsiness, bronchitis, mental disorder, nervous twitching of the face. Internal use of crow's eye, as a highly poisonous plant, requires great caution! All parts of the plant have different effects: the rhizomes have an emetic effect, the berries have an effect on the heart, and the leaves have an effect on the nervous system. In homeopathy, decoctions of the plant are taken for headaches, increased heartbeat, hearing impairment, and eye diseases. An infusion of 1 kg of dry plants per 10 liters of water is used to spray gardens and vegetable gardens against pests.
Blueberry
A shrub from the heather family, 80-100 cm high, with gray smooth curved branches. The leaves are obovate, bluish below. The flowers are pink, spherical-bell-shaped. The fruit is a juicy berry, bluish-black, with a bluish bloom. Ripens in July-August. You need to pick the berries carefully, as they are very delicate. Dry in a shaded place with good ventilation. Blueberries grow in damp places, in moss swamps, in the moss-lichen tundra of the Ural Mountains.
Leaves and berries are a good antiscorbutic remedy and are used in the treatment of diabetes and constipation. A decoction of the branches helps with heart pain; the berries are used in the treatment of giardiasis angiocholecystitis.
Highlander
An annual herbaceous plant from the buckwheat family, with a knotty stem 30-80 cm high. Lanceolate, trumpeted leaves are located opposite. The flowers are pinkish or whitish-green, with a simple corolla-shaped perianth, collected in dense racemes, appear in June-July. Found along the banks of rivers, swamps, ditches, and lakes.
The herb collected during flowering has medicinal value. It is used as a laxative for atonic and spastic constipation, as a hemostatic for hemorrhoidal and uterine bleeding. For headaches, fresh grass is applied to the back of the head. To prepare the infusion, pour 2 tablespoons of the herb into a glass of hot water. Drink a tablespoon 3 times a day.
Sweet clover
Biennial herbaceous plant from the legume family, with a branched stem up to 1 m in height. The leaves are small, complexly trifoliate, with serrate-toothed edges and subulate-shaped stipules, arranged alternately. The small yellow flowers are very fragrant, collected in elongated racemes. It grows in fields, meadows, along roads, on slopes, ravines, and fallow lands of the Southern Urals.
For medicinal purposes, the herb is used - the tops of shoots with leaves and flowers. Collect during flowering. Infusion and decoction of sweet clover has an expectorant, emollient, carminative, and analgesic effect. In scientific medicine, sweet clover herb is used to prepare an extractable green patch and is included in emollient mixtures that accelerate the opening of abscesses and boils. Herbal infusions are prescribed for chronic bronchitis, insomnia, migraines, ailments caused by high blood pressure and menopause, thrombophlebitis, and liver diseases.
Oregano
A perennial herbaceous plant from the Lamiaceae family, with a branched creeping rhizome, very fragrant. Stems are straight, branched, tetrahedral, softly pubescent. The oblong-ovate, pointed leaves are arranged oppositely. Small purple-pink two-lipped flowers are collected in a corymbose inflorescence. The fruit consists of four round-ovoid nuts enclosed in a calyx. The plant has a spicy-bitter taste. Blooms in July-August. It grows in shrubs, forests, steppe meadows in the forest and forest-steppe zones of the Urals.
Oregano is used for intestinal atony, to improve appetite and digestion. The infusion is taken for colds, sore throat, cough, choking, and pulmonary tuberculosis.
Nature of the Chelyabinsk region 4
Economic characteristics of nature in the Chelyabinsk region 12
Conclusion 16
Literature 16
Introduction
The Chelyabinsk region is located at the junction of two parts of the world - Europe and Asia.
Two sections of the conventional border “Europe - Asia” pass through the territory of the Chelyabinsk region: mountainous - about 150 km along the eastern slope of the Ural ridge and water - about 220 km along the Ural River. The main part of the region's territory lies in Asia, and only a small part of it in Europe.
The Chelyabinsk region extends from south to north for 490 km, from west to east - 400 km. The region is located mainly on the eastern slopes of the Southern Urals. In the north-west - in the mountain-forest zone of the Urals.
In accordance with the time zone, time in the Chelyabinsk region is 2 hours ahead of Moscow time.
Nature of the Chelyabinsk region
The region has rich and varied natural resources.
Among them, iron, titanomagnetite and copper ores, nickel, gold, and bauxite should be noted. More than 300 industrial deposits have been explored. Among them there is a significant number of promising prospects that have been explored but not yet developed. There is a large raw material base for the industry of building materials, facing stones, and complex processing of mining raw materials.
More than 20 deposits contain iron ore. First of all, this is the Magnitogorsk field
The Chelyabinsk region is a region of intensive industrial development. There are about 15 thousand industrial enterprises and organizations operating in the region that constantly pollute the environment.
The industrial centers of Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk and Karabash have long been on the black list of the most polluted Russian cities. In recent years, the cities of Chelyabinsk and Karabash have been excluded from it, more on formal grounds than on the real environmental situation. As before, these cities are extremely unfavorable in environmental terms for comfortable and safe living in them. These cities especially suffer from heavy metal pollution. In addition to these cities, areas contaminated with heavy metals are located around the cities of Satka, Bakal, Korkino, Yemanzhelinsk. In general, 52% of the region's territory is contaminated with industrial waste.
In some areas of the region there is an extremely unfavorable situation with air cleanliness. On average, for each resident of the Chelyabinsk region, from 200 to 2000 kg falls from the atmosphere. harmful substances per year. In Karabash this figure sometimes reaches up to 25 kg. in a day! The pollutants also contain particularly dangerous ones: benzopyrene, mercury, lead, chromium, manganese and a whole “bouquet” of carcinogenic gaseous substances. Motor transport also makes its “feasible” contribution, poisoning the air of cities with nitrogen oxides, carbon oxides, soot, lead and other toxic substances.
The discharge of wastewater into suburban water bodies amounts to up to 900 million cubic meters per year. The most polluted waters are the basins of the Miass, Ai, Ural, and Techa rivers. In these rivers there is an accumulation of nitrates, phosphates, ammonia, petroleum products, and metals. This has led to the fact that in several areas of the region, groundwater is characterized by increased mineralization and iron content. The lack of clear environmental practices has led to significant pollution of most of the region's water bodies and a shortage of water resources. The problem of water quality is especially acute in Oktyabrsky, Troitsky, Chesme, Varna, Kartalinsky, Bredinsky, Agapovsky districts. An additional source of pollution of natural waters is the irrational use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture.
Radioactive pollution has been added to the industrial pollution of the environment in the Chelyabinsk region, as a result of the activities of the Mayak production association. UN experts have called the multi-kilometer zone around the Mayak nuclear complex the most radioactive place on the planet. Once clean bodies of water have been turned into reservoirs for discharging radioactive waste. Only in Lake Karachay the level of radiation is 100 times higher than Chernobyl. The picture was aggravated by the largest man-made accident in September 1957 at Mayak. As a result of a failure in the cooling and control equipment, a container containing 20 million curies of radioactivity exploded there. In a few hours, the radioactive cloud passed over the Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, and Tyumen regions, forming the so-called East Ural radioactive trace with an area of 23 thousand square kilometers. In a matter of days, more than 100 thousand hectares of fertile land in this territory were contaminated, and all coniferous forests died. From 300 to 500 thousand people were exposed to increased radiation exposure.
The local population, including women and children, was involved in eliminating the consequences of the accident.
The Chelyabinsk region, located in the depths of the European continent, is characterized by a continental climate with long cold winters, relatively short but warm summers and very short transitional autumn and spring seasons. Since the Chelyabinsk region is located in three natural zones - mountain-forest, forest and steppe, each of them has its own climatic characteristics. The peculiarities of the continental climate are associated with the location of the region in the depths of Eurasia, at a great distance from the seas and oceans. The formation of the climate is significantly influenced by the Ural Mountains, which create an obstacle to the movement of western air masses from the Atlantic.
The winter season in the Chelyabinsk region lasts five months - mainly from November to March, but in mountainous areas it begins 1-2 weeks earlier and ends 1-2 weeks later than in the forest-steppe zone, and on the main and watershed ridges , having a height of up to 1000-1300 meters, the snow cover disappears only in May. In mountainous regions, winter is snowy and milder than in the steppe regions, where less snow falls.
In summer, low pressure prevails in the Chelyabinsk region. With the entry of air masses from Kazakhstan and Central Asia, hot and dry weather sets in.
The average temperature in January is from minus 15 to minus 17 ° C, in July - from plus 16 to plus 18 ° C. The average annual precipitation is -350 mm per year on the plain and 600 mm per year in the mountains. The duration of the growing season is 130-150 days.
The relief of the Southern Urals is very diverse. It was formed over millions of years. Here you can find all the natural, climatic and geographical zones of Russia. Within the Chelyabinsk region there are various forms of relief - from lowlands and hilly plains to ridges, the peaks of which exceed 1000 m. The western foothills of the Ural Mountains gradually turn into the East European Plain, while the eastern slopes descend steeply, adjacent to the flat West Siberian Plain-lowland .
The northwestern territory of the region is crossed by the Ural Mountains, the highest peak is 1406 meters above sea level. In the east, hilly terrain alternates with valleys. In the mountainous area, surrounded by forests and lakes, there are many picturesque natural landscapes. On the tops of mountains there are zones of tundra and forest-tundra. The profile of the mountainous part is varied - from steep eastern slopes to the relatively flat western part. The main ridges: Taganay, Zigalga, Urenga, Nurgush, Bolshaya Satka. They are covered with stone deposits. There are 113 karst fields in the region, in the depths of which caves lurk and underground rivers roar. The most extensive karst plateaus are Shalashovsko-Minyarskoye (Asha district) and Shemakha (Nyazepetrovsky district). On the Sim River, near the village of Serpievka, there is the famous Ignatievskaya Cave, it is also called the “art gallery of the Stone Age”. There are a total of 320 caves in the region, almost all of them are unique and declared natural monuments.
Then there are zones of taiga, mixed and deciduous forests. The taiga zone has a cool, relatively humid climate. The vegetation cover is dominated by coniferous forests. Large swampiness. The relief of mixed forests is predominantly erosive, the river valleys are asymmetrical, and there are numerous gullies and ravines. Deciduous forests are represented by birch and aspen forests. At higher elevations, bushy spruce forests usually grow, and sandy plains are occupied by pine forests. Swamps are developed in depressions and lowlands with limited drainage. On sandy soils along river valleys there are pine forests. The zone of broad-leaved forests is densely populated, and a significant part of its territory is plowed.
Further south extend the forest-steppe, steppe and semi-desert zones. The steppe zone with a continental temperate climate, the predominance of the natural vegetation cover of cereal steppes on chernozems and dark chestnut soils, is mainly plowed within the region. Leached and typical chernozems formed under mixed-grass steppes are distinguished by a high humus content, great thickness, fine-grained structure and are among the most fertile soils in the world. In the very south of the Chelyabinsk region there is a semi-desert zone with a dry, sharply continental climate.
The Chelyabinsk region has a rich network of rivers and especially lakes. Within its borders there are 360 rivers more than 10 km long, 1340 lakes, and with all the very small ones 3170. There are many reservoirs in the region created by human hands - 15 large reservoirs. There are more than 500 swamps in the region.
The rivers of the Chelyabinsk region are picturesque. All rivers are divided between three basins - the Volga, Ural and Ob, which indicates the position of the Chelyabinsk region in the main watershed zone of Eurasia. Most of the region's territory belongs to the Ob basin. To the east, to the Tobol and its left tributaries, most of the rivers of the Trans-Urals flow: Sinara, Techa, Miass, Uvelka, Uy, Toguzak, Karataly-Ayat, Sintashta and some others. The Miass River, on which the city of Chelyabinsk stands, bears the main burden - Miass gives four-fifths of its water to the needs of the national economy and everyday life. But the need for water is growing every year, and the river flow remains approximately the same all the time. A scheme has recently been developed that provides for the transfer of water from rivers in other basins, in particular from the Ufa River, to the Miass River basin. After the project is completed in Miass, the amount of water will double. The steppe rivers Sintashta, Karataly-Ayat, Toguzak, Uy freeze over in the most severe winters. Rivers of the mountain-forest zone: Ufa, Ai, Yuryuzan, Sim and others, flowing in the north-west direction, belong to the Volga-Kama basin. Starting on the slopes of mountains, they cut deeply into intermountain valleys or cut through ridges.
Natural areas of the Chelyabinsk region
Rocky shores, fast currents, rocky riverbeds and clear water attract many tourists in spring and summer. In the south of the Chelyabinsk region flows the Ural River with such significant left tributaries within the region as Gumbey-ka, Bolshaya Karaganka and others.
The Urals are called the land of blue lakes. Geographers consider the Chelyabinsk region to be a lake region. There are more than 3 thousand of them here. Surrounded by dense forests, they have retained their original appearance. The lakes are rich in fish, the forests are rich in mushrooms and berries. These are real paradises away from the bustle of the city. The deepest lakes are Uvildy, Irtyash, Turgoyak, Chebarkul, Zyuratkul and Bolshoi Kisegach. Their depths reach 30-40 m. Lake Turgoyak is called the younger brother of Baikal, the water in it is just like Baikal’s - clean and transparent, the bottom can be seen for two dozen meters. This lake is included in the list of the most valuable reservoirs in the world. A national park has been created around the mountain lake Zyuratkul. On the border of the Middle and Southern Urals there is the “cup of health and longevity” Lake Uvildy. Vacationers bestowed this epithet on it for its invaluable recreational and medicinal properties. Many lakes in the Chelyabinsk region have balneological properties. In terms of the variety of therapeutic muds (from organic to sapropel silts), the Chelyabinsk region ranks 1st in Russia. Lakes in the foothills (Svetlenkoe, Agachkul, Sabanay) are organic; their muds are widely used in the resorts of Uvildy and Bol. Kissegach, Elovoe. Lakes Tauzatkul, Gorkoye, Podbornoe (Uvelsky district) are famous for their mineral muds; Salty, Sweet (Oktyabrsky district); Big and Small Shantropay (Etkul district).
The region is home to more than 60 species of mammals and 232 species of birds. The most common species are wolves, foxes, moose, roe deer, squirrels, moles, hedgehogs, beavers, marten, mink, ferret, badger, rodents, ducks, geese, cranes, woodpeckers, seagulls, finches, less often - bear, lynx, roe deer, sika deer , wood grouse, swans. Hunting is organized for game species of animals and birds.
There are over two hundred protected areas in the region. On the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains there is a mineralogical - Ilmensky, in which more than 260 minerals and 70 rocks were found, a natural-landscape and historical-archaeological museum-reserve Arkaim - one of the settlements of the "Country of Cities", the discovery of which is recognized as the most important archaeological event of the twentieth century, national parks "Taganay" and "Zyuratkul". The network of ski sports complexes - Abzakovo, Zavyalikha, Adzhigardak - is actively developing.
Economic characteristics of nature in the Chelyabinsk region
The Chelyabinsk region is one of the largest economic entities of the Russian Federation. 1701.0 thousand people or 48.4% of the region’s population are employed in various sectors of the economy. The modern structure of production has developed taking into account the historically powerful production potential of the region, convenient geographical location, and the availability of qualified personnel. More than 94 thousand enterprises and organizations of all forms of ownership are registered in the region. The region has adopted and is implementing a socio-economic development strategy until 2020.
In December 2006, the Chelyabinsk region was assigned, and in 2007 and 2008, a long-term credit rating of the Aa1.ru category was confirmed. The region's positive rating is determined by the high level of industrial development, growing investment attractiveness, rapid growth of consolidated budget revenues, low accumulated debt, good credit history, and increasing quality of management.
Federal highways and the South Ural Railway, which is a branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway, pass through the region. The region has significant production, labor and scientific potential, a diverse resource base, developed infrastructure and a favorable transport and geographical location, unique natural and climatic conditions.
The Chelyabinsk region ranks 4th in the country in terms of industrial production, 9th in housing construction and agricultural products, 10th in retail trade turnover. At the end of 2008, the GRP volume amounted to 659 billion rubles - this is the 11th result in the Russian Federation. The Chelyabinsk region produced industrial products worth almost 800 billion rubles. Labor productivity growth amounted to 11.7%, production of machinery and equipment increased by 8%, vehicles – by 2%. In general, there are positive dynamics in communication services, construction, light industry, retail and foreign trade turnover, and the provision of paid services.
The Chelyabinsk region lies on the slopes of the Ural Mountains and in the West Siberian Lowland. The region crosses the border between Europe and Asia. It passes along the watershed ridges of the Ural Mountains. The highest mountain in the Chelyabinsk region is Nurlat, its height is 1406 m.
Subject characteristics
The climate here is continental. Winter is cold, frosts up to -17 degrees. Summer is warm, temperature plus 16-18 degrees. The territory of the Chelyabinsk region lies in the Ob basin. The Trans-Ural rivers flow into Tobol: Techa, Sinara, Uy, Uvelka, Kartaly-Ayat, Toguzak. In the region there are salt and fresh lakes: Chebarkul, Irtyash, Uvildy, Bolshiye Kisly.
Flora of the Chelyabinsk region.
All types of plants from the temperate and arctic zones of the Russian Federation are present in the region. It can be divided into three zones: steppe, forest-steppe and mountain-forest zone. The plant species here are very diverse. Mixed and coniferous forests grow in the mountain forest zone. There are deciduous trees, spruce and fir. There are open forests, subalpine meadows and char (mountain tundra).
In the forest-steppe zone, from the Uy River to the north, aspen and birch trees grow. Below the Uy River, a steppe zone begins with meadow forb-feather grass steppes. Shrubs grow along the beams and lowlands. There are pine islands and rocky steppes in this area. Many plants in the region (377 species) are included in the Red Book and require protection. Among them: carnation lily, European swimmer, Siberian phlox, Altai anemone, needle-leaved carnation, bifolia, lady's slipper and others.
2 European swimsuit
3 Phlox Siberian
4 Altai anemone
5 Dianthus aquifolia
6 lyubka bifolia
7 lady's slipper
Fauna of the Chelyabinsk region.
These areas have good living conditions for animals. The forest provides them with food and shelter from the cold. Moose live in the forest-steppe. In the mountain-steppe zone there are brown bears and lynxes. Lynx hunts hares, partridges and wood grouse. Fur-bearing animals also live here: otter, weasel, marten, mink, ermine, fox and furry weasel. Squirrels and striped chipmunks live in the trees.
There are many birds in the area. The taiga forests are inhabited by wood grouse, hazel grouse, waxwings, woodpeckers, owls, nutcrackers and crossbills. There are a lot of finches here. In mixed forests there are gray partridges and black grouse.
In the forests of the steppe zone you can see Siberian roe deer and elk, wolves and foxes. There are many rodents in the steppe zone. Different types of mice, gophers, bobbacks, hamsters, jerboas, and water rats have chosen these places. Birds of prey also live in the steppe: eagles, hawks and kites. Their prey often includes quails, larks, partridges and bustards.
176 species of animals are included in the Red Book of the Chelyabinsk Region. Among them: Steppe pika, jerboa, lemming, flying squirrel, Russian muskrat, European mink, Nathusius's pipistrelle (bat), sika deer and others.
8 steppe pika
12 Russian muskrat
13 European mink
14 Nathusius's bat (bat)
15 sika deer
Video: BEAUTIFUL nature Chelyabinsk region
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Full electronic version of the Red Book of the Chelyabinsk Region - http://www.redbook.ru/books.html
Characteristics of the natural conditions of the Chelyabinsk region
Climate and weather conditions
The foothill part of the steppe zone of the Chelyabinsk region has a fairly warm and moderately dry climate. The duration of the active growing season of plants ranges from 125 days in the north of the zone (Verkhneuralsky region) to 135 days. It starts on May 5-11 and ends on September 14-18. During this time, the sum of effective temperatures is 2200-2300°C. At the same time, a characteristic feature of the weather conditions in this zone is the return of cold weather and frosts. In the spring they occur until May 27-30, in the fall - until September 9-10, so the duration of the frost-free period here is the same as in the foothill forest-steppe regions - 105-110 days.
— Agrometeorologists believe that in the steppe zone of the region, all varieties of crops in the middle zone and early ripening varieties of heat-loving crops are provided with heat.
— The amount of precipitation for a period with average daily temperatures of more than 10°C is 220-230 mm, the hydrothermal coefficient, as a rule, does not exceed one. The reserves of productive moisture in a meter layer of soil at the beginning of field work range from 15044a in the north of the zone to 100-110 mm in the south, so the moisture supply of main agricultural crops is 50-60% of the optimal requirement.
— Stable snow cover in the foothill steppe zone is established in mid-November and lasts 140-150 days. It is characterized by insignificant thickness (25-30 cm), uneven distribution, and therefore does not provide favorable conditions for overwintering winter crops.
Terrain
The terrain, in interaction with other factors, plays a significant role in the development of soil-forming processes and in the formation of certain agronomic characteristics of the soil. In the Trans-Urals, it determines many patterns in the distribution of soils. Chernozems, solonetzes and other types of soils are confined to certain forms of relief.
The relief of the steppe zone is flat. There is also grassy vegetation and water features.
The floodplains of the left banks of the Tobol, Iset, Miass and other rivers have well-developed plains, and their numerous small tributaries in the floodplain part drain the territory well, so that on the floodplains of the rivers in the northeastern part of the forest-steppe Trans-Urals there are no saline lowlands, which are so characteristic of the Tobol floodplain and Uya of the southeastern region.
The absolute elevations of the flat territory of the Trans-Urals have significant differences.
Geography of the Chelyabinsk region
According to topographic survey data, on the Tobol floodplain they fluctuate between 140-150 m, on watershed areas within the Kurgan region they increase to 170-180 m, and on the territory of the Chelyabinsk region they reach 200-210 m or more.
Soil-forming rocks
The modern lithological composition of loose surface rocks and the development of the hydrographic network in the Trans-Ural region are largely determined by the geological past. In the Mesozoic, the territory of Western Siberia was subject to tectonic depression; as a result of the activity of dislocation processes, the West Siberian Lowland was formed. The Mesozoic sea advancing from the north filled the resulting depression and, together with the Paleogene sea that followed it, greatly peneplained the surface. In the Neogene, the sea separated from the Northern Ocean and formed a closed basin, which then broke up into a number of large lakes that disappeared by the end of this time. So the Trans-Ural region, covering part of the West Siberian plate, has a Paleozoic base, covered with a cover of Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediments.
The Eocene Sea and the lake basins that replaced it in the Paleogene filled the West Siberian depression with a thick layer of loose sediments, which remained on the surface to this day in the Tobol-Miass and Iset-Miass watersheds and had a great influence on the formation of the soil cover. They are represented predominantly by bluish-gray clays of the montmorillonite group, as they contain more than 2% alkalis, 3% alkali-earth metals and 7% iron.
Sediments of the Neogene system are represented by greenish-gray, dirty green or dense non-layered bluish-green clays of the Aral Formation (Lower-Middle Miocene), which contain nodules, druses, crystals, less often gypsum plates, and clays of the Zhiland Formation with calcareous inclusions in the form of cranes. The sediments of this formation apparently formed in saline lakes and are often associated with saline-solonetz soils.
At the end of the Pliocene, a hydrographic network with well-developed valleys was formed. Paleogene and Neogene deposits were subjected to intense erosion, during which the Quaternary system was formed. During the dry post-glacial period, deposits of layered sands formed in the riverine areas of the Tobol, Iset and other rivers of the Trans-Urals.
The lithologic-facial composition of Quaternary sediments, formed as a result of the erosion of the original Paleogene and Neogene predominantly clayey rocks, is relatively consistent and is represented by silts and clays of polygenetic, lacustrine and illuvial origin. Their thickness varies from one meter in watershed areas to tens of meters in riverine plains. The watershed elevated plain contains polygenetic and lacustrine sediments, while the lowland plain contains sediments of alluvial and lacustrine origin.
The development of relief and the formation of Quaternary soil-forming rocks did not proceed in the same way geologically. Thus, the erosion of Neogene and Paleogene clays in the watershed territories of the Trans-Urals was much greater than in the central part of the West Siberian Lowland, for example, in the Tobol-Ishim watershed. Variegated salt-bearing clays of the Neogene and Paleogene are preserved in the Dalmatovsky, Shadrinsky, Chashinsky, Shchuchansky, in the virgin regions of the Kurgan region, as well as in the Oktyabrsky, Etkulsky, Uvelsky, Krasnoarmeysky districts of the Chelyabinsk region. They became the cause of the development of solonchak and solonetz soil formation processes.
And yet, in the territory of the Trans-Urals up to the Tobol River, the source rocks are represented mainly by Quaternary alluvial, lacustrine-alluvial and colluvial loams. Their power and mechanical composition fluctuates. In the interfluve spaces they are represented by relatively thin heavy yellow-brown loams or light clay. The parent rocks of the upper terraces of the Tobol and its tributaries - Iset, Miass, Uya - are also composed of alluvial and lacustrine-alluvial deposits of heavy loamy granulometric composition, but of low thickness. Closer to river valleys, the thickness of sediments increases, the granulometric composition becomes lighter to medium and light loam, and in some cases changes to layered yellow-brown sands. In the areas of the Trans-Ural peneplain, colluvial, “often gravelly and sandy loams of the upper part of the relief are replaced by deposits of heavy loamy granulometric composition.
Heavy yellow-brown loams and clays in the interfluves are products of an alluvial nature, often contain gypsum crystals and are underlain by dense, waterproof Neogene clays at a depth of 120-150 cm. Deluvial and alluvial loams, as a rule, rich in calcium carbonate in the form of white eyes, nodules and veins, do not contain mobile salts of sulfates and chlorides, and if they do, it is as a result of secondary salinization. The loamy granulometric composition of these Quaternary soil-forming rocks and the high calcium content in them contributed to the formation of fertile chernozem soils. However, in places where salt-bearing tertiary clays occur closely on flat watershed spaces, it led to the formation of solonchak-solonetz soils on these rocks as well.
Natural vegetation and structure of crop areas
It is well known that vegetation is the main driving factor in soil formation. The emergence of modern vegetation, in addition to general physical factors (climate, geomorphological features of the territory, etc.), is associated with human activity. He created arable land, deposits that are widespread today, as well as the unique appearance of forest areas.
Humans have a number of indirect impacts on vegetation. For example, deforestation causes changes in the surrounding herbaceous vegetation, since the vegetation finds itself in different conditions of moisture, lighting, etc. And yet, the preserved natural forest, meadow, meadow-steppe and steppe plant groups sufficiently fully ensure the occurrence of natural soil formation processes and can serve as a standard for assessing soil processes on arable land.
Forest vegetation. The natural conditions of the Trans-Urals are such that they allow forest and steppe vegetation to exist simultaneously.
Meadow-steppe and steppe vegetation is characterized by the abundant development of annual grasses and dicotyledonous plants. Some of them are able to withstand prolonged droughts and lack of moisture, others are less xerophytic and cannot tolerate severe drought. Plants with visually subtle signs of xeromorphism are found more often in the southern regions of the region, that is, where there is less precipitation and drought is longer. Plants that approach the so-called mesophytes are found more often in the northern regions, where even if there are dry periods, they are not characterized by specific and permanent climate features.
Agrophytocenoses.
The main user of the soil cover of the Trans-Urals is agricultural enterprises. A large number of agricultural crops are cultivated.
But the structure of sown areas is dominated by grains and annual forage crops.
The main source of replenishment of organic matter in the soil is root and other plant debris. The replacement of natural phytocenoses by cultivated vegetation significantly affected the intensity of the accumulative process of soil formation. In annual cereals, forage and row crops, which dominate the structure of sown areas, root and other plant residues account for an average of 40% of the total biomass. And only after harvesting the sown perennial grasses, root and mowing residues account for 60%.
The return of organic matter during the cultivation of grain and annual forage crops is 1.5-5.6 times less than in natural grass ecosystems. Therefore, an important problem in agriculture is the preservation of soil fertility, since, compared with natural conditions, the cycle of organic matter and nutrients changes in an unfavorable direction. Differences between agrophytocenoses and natural plant groups are most significantly revealed when comparing the amount of mass of the underground part of plants - roots. In spring wheat, the root system is 2.19-2.43 t/ha, or 36.6-38.3% of the total biomass, in barley - 1.83-2.04 t/ha (34.1-35. 8%), oats - 2.61 t/ha (38.1%), corn - 1.86-2.55 t/ha (27.9-45.3%), and annual grasses -2.18- 2.47 t/ha (46.1-53.8%). Only in perennial seeded grasses the mass of roots significantly exceeds the above-ground plant organs. Perennial grasses in this indicator are close to natural herbal groups, in which the root system and its remains account for 77.9-78.2%, and the above-ground part - 21.8-22.1%.
Land resources. According to the Committee on Land Resources and Land Management of the Chelyabinsk Region, the area of arable land as of January 1, 1999 amounted to 3082.7 thousand hectares.
The properties of soil-forming rocks play a major role in the formation of the soil cover of the Trans-Urals. The participation of saline Neogene and Pliogene clays in soil formation was the reason for the formation of solonetzic and solonchak soils in the form of small spots and extensive tracts. Even southern chernozems are characterized by an increased content of exchangeable sodium and magnesium in the illuvial horizons. The occurrence of groundwater close to the surface and temporary seasonal waterlogging of the territory due to high water, with the drainage of the plain and the low filtration capacity of the underlying rocks, contribute to the formation of hydromorphic soils.
