Natural conditions of the West Siberian basin. Natural conditions of the West Siberian Plain

reservoirs 22.09.2019

natural conditions and resources of the North Caucasian economic region. The relief of the North Caucasus is characterized by the alternation of small, strongly dissected uplands and almost ideal low-lying plains, with a general rise of the territory in the direction from north to south. With a wide variety of natural landscapes, differing from each other in the degree of continentality, the provision of heat and moisture, the severity and snowiness of winter, the following vast zones are clearly distinguished here: flat, steppe, mountainous and coastal-subtropical with a combination of natural conditions characteristic of each of them.

The temperature regime of the flat parts of the region is much more favorable for the development Agriculture compared to other regions of the country. Due to the position on the border of temperate and subtropical latitudes, the growing season with temperatures above 10 ° C lasts here from 170 to 190 days, while even in the Central Black Earth region it is only 139-164 days. Annual amount solar radiation on the plains and in the foothills it reaches 120-140 kcal/cm 2 . This is about 1.5 times more than in the Moscow region.

The climate is also influenced by the neighborhood of the region, with three seas: Black, Azov and Caspian. The Black Sea plays a special role as a climate-forming factor, softening summer temperatures and warming the coastal air in winter.

The soil cover is very diverse. Chernozem and chestnut soils predominate in the flat part, in the space from Sea of Azov to Vladikavkaz and in the foothills. Orchards and vineyards grow here, crops of various agricultural crops are spread. The leached clayey and heavy loamy chernozems of the Azov-Caucasian zone are among the best for grain cultivation. Other things being equal, the yield on them is approximately 1.5 times higher than on soddy medium podzolic soils of the Baltic-Belarusian zone. Brown desert-steppe soils with inclusions of rather large sandy massifs of solonetzes and solonchaks dominate in the semi-desert regions of the Stavropol Territory and Dagestan. This is the main area of distant-pasture animal husbandry in the North Caucasus. In some places, in areas with light chestnut and alluvial-meadow soils, agriculture is developed. Mountain-forest and mountain-meadow soils were formed on the slopes of the mountains. Here, in conditions of lower temperatures and more precipitation, large massifs of mountain pastures are concentrated.

A distinctive feature of the region's natural resources is their diversity. The reserves of mineral raw materials in the region are diverse, but small. There are deposits of natural gas (the total initial reserves are 2 trillion m 3 , or 0.9% of the total Russian reserves). The bulk of natural gas reserves are in the Stavropol Territory. A small amount of associated gas is produced together with oil. The total oil reserves are small (0.8% of the total Russian oil reserves of industrial categories and 0.9% of the total Russian prospective and forecast resources), but it is the best in the country in terms of quality: low-sulfur, low-tar, high-paraffin, with a high yield when processing light products. The most significant deposits are the Maikop and Kuban-Black Sea areas. An increase in oil production in Chechnya is planned. The development of Dagestan oil is constrained by difficult mining and geological conditions and lack of funds. There is hard coal (4% of Russia's industrial coal reserves). Almost all of its reserves (98%) are concentrated in the eastern wing of the Donets basin in the Rostov region (more than 16% of the total geological reserves of the entire Donbass). Energy coals predominate - anthracites.

Hydropower resources are small compared to other energy sources. And although the North Caucasus occupies a prominent place among the European regions of Russia in terms of their reserves, their economic potential is small - 25 billion kWh. Dagestan and Kuban are allocated the most significant share of potential hydropower reserves.

Huge reserves of hot water and steam have been discovered in the bowels of the North Caucasus, the involvement of which in economic circulation would give an additional 1.5 million tons of standard fuel annually.

Lead and zinc have been mined in the area for a long time. However, numerous small deposits of these minerals are located in complex mining and geological conditions, and their ores contain little base metals. Therefore, the cost of their production is high. It is valuable that the ores are complex. Industrial reserves of polymetallic ores are concentrated in Sadonskoye and other deposits North Ossetia. The Elbrus deposit (Karachay-Cherkessia) is also known. There are deposits of lead ores in Kabardino-Balkaria. Tungsten ores are much more widely distributed, but the Tyrnyauzskoye deposit remains the main developed deposit. There are deposits of copper ores in Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan, and others.

There are reserves of mercury raw materials on the territory of the region. Deposits of cinnabar, from which it is possible to extract mercury in industrial quantities, are known in Dagestan, Krasnodar Territory(basin: Bolshaya Laby river), Kabardino-Balkaria (Terek river basin) in ore occurrences that stretch from Tuapse to Novorossiysk. There are industrial reserves of nickel (Sadonsky ore-bearing region).

Significant resources of non-metallic raw materials. Barite is especially widespread, there is a lot of gypsum, limestone, very large deposits of rock salt (basin of the Laba River), sulfur (Dagestan, etc.).

The water resources of the region are significant -- 69.3 km 3 . However, in terms of water supply both per capita and per unit of territory, the North Caucasus occupies one of the last places in the country. The use of water resources is complicated by their extremely uneven distribution over the territory and seasons of the year. In many areas where water is actively used for irrigation (in the basins of the Don, Kuban, and Terek rivers), the situation with water is tense. There are no significant lakes here, and the largest reservoir is Tsimlyanskoe, whose area is 2702 km 5, and the volume is 23.68 km 3 (useful - 11.54 km 3).

Potential reserves groundwater in the North Caucasus they amount to 34,876 thousand m 3 /day (4% of their reserves in Russia as a whole), but here the degree of their use is the highest in the country (along with the Central Black Earth region) - 13.6%. The consumption of water from underground sources is especially high in the Krasnodar Territory (second place in Russia after the Moscow Region).

The area as a whole is characterized by a small forest cover - about 10%, the total timber reserves are 0.7% of the reserves of Russia. But the forest resources of the North Caucasus are sharply distinguished by the importance of the species composition. 100% of beech and 23% of oak wood in Russia are concentrated here, hornbeam, sycamore and other valuable tree species are common. Easily accessible for development arrays (about 25% of the total forest area) are almost already cut down. The development of the forest should not reduce its protective functions in relation to other components of natural complexes. Under these conditions, it is extremely important not only to restore and increase the productivity of forests, but also to rationally use and preserve the existing ecological areas.

A variety of mineral waters, high efficiency of treatment allowed the region of the Caucasus Mineralnye Vody for many decades to remain the leading resort area of Russia. The healing silt of Lake Tambukan (near Pyatigorsk), the mud of Lake Chemburg (near Anapa) and some estuaries of the Sea of Azov are of great balneological significance. Incomparable are the aesthetic recreational resources of the North Caucasus, which play an important role in its economic specialization. This and snowy highest mountains, and landscapes of the bright southern nature of the Black Sea, historical monuments, etc. All this creates a special attraction of the North Caucasus for tourism and mountaineering, treatment and recreation.

Natural conditions and resources of the West Siberian economic region. Western Siberia is rich in minerals - oil, gas, coal, and ores. The area of promising oil and gas bearing territories is estimated at more than 1.7 million km 2 . the main deposits are confined to the Middle Ob (Samotlor, Megionskoe and others in the Nizhnevartovsk region; Ust-Balykskoe, Fedorovskoe and others in the Surgut region). Deposits of natural gas in the polar region - Medvezhye, Urengoy and others, in the Arctic - Yamburgskoye, Ivankovskoye and others. New fields discovered on the Yamal Peninsula. There are oil and gas resources in the Urals. Gas fields were discovered in the Vasyugansk region. In general, more than 300 oil and gas fields were discovered in Western Siberia.

The area is also rich in coal. Its main resources are located in Kuzbass, whose reserves are estimated at 600 billion tons. About 30% of Kuznetsk coals are coking. Coal seams are very thick and lie close to the surface, which makes it possible, along with the mine method, to conduct open pit. In the northeast of the Kemerovo region is the western wing of the Kansk-Achinsk basin brown coal. The Itatskoye deposit stands out especially here. The thickness of the seams reaches 55-80 meters; they lie at a depth of 10 to 220 meters. The pool provides the cheapest coal in Russia. On South Novosibirsk region the Gorlovsky basin is located, rich in anthracite coals; in the north of the Tyumen region - the Chulym-Yenisei basins of brown coal, which are not yet exploited. Within Western Siberia are large deposits peat, more than 50% of the total Russian reserves.

The ore base of Western Siberia is also large. The West Siberian iron ore basin is distinguished by significant deposits - Narymsky, Kolpashevsky and Yuzhno-Kolpashevsky. They are dominated by brown iron ore. Richer iron ore deposits of magnesium ores are found in Gornaya Shoria - Tashtagol, Sheregesh and in Altai - Inskoye, Beloretskoye. In the south of the Kemerovo region, there is the Usinskoye deposit of manganese ores, in the east - the Kiya-Shaltyrskoye deposit of nephelines, in the Altai Territory - the Aktashskoye and Chaganuzinskoye mercury deposits.

There are reserves of soda and other salts in Western Siberia in the lakes of the Kulunda steppe. Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions are rich in limestone. Western Siberia has thermal iodine-bromine springs. Altai is rich in building materials.

For the industrial development of Western Siberia, its forest resources are of great importance. The forested area exceeds 72 million hectares, and the total timber stock is about 10 billion m 3 (11% of Russia's reserves). Of the total timber stock, 5.8 billion m 3 (about 12% of these reserves in Russia) fall to the share of ripe and overmature pleasures in forests. The West Siberian forests are characterized by a high development of small-leaved species and depressions in comparison with other densely forested regions of the country, the share of coniferous species.

Stocks of mature and overmature plantings, as well as natural growth, make it possible to cut about 100 million m 3 of wood per year in the region, or 3 times more than at present.

For the economic assessment of the forest resources of Western Siberia, its proximity, compared with Eastern Siberia and the Far East, to the forest-deficient regions of the country, is important. At the same time, the high swampiness of the West Siberian taiga and the mountainous nature of the forests of the Kemerovo Region and the Altai Territory make it difficult for road construction and the involvement of forests in exploitation on the basis of overland forest transport. Orientation towards water transport leads to the fact that mainly coniferous wood is cut down, and a significant part of hardwood remains on the vine due to the complexity of the organization of the alloy.

All this makes it possible to assess the conditions for the development of logging industry products in Western Siberia as less favorable than in the southern and central regions. Krasnoyarsk Territory and Irkutsk region. But with the depletion of forests in other regions of the country, the expediency of a wider use of West Siberian forests will increase. In this case, first of all, forest tracts will be used, which lie in the zone of attraction to new railways being built in Western Siberia, to oil and gas fields.

In terms of supply of input resources, Western Siberia is second only to Eastern Siberia and the Far East. There are more than 2.1 thousand rivers on the territory of the region, total length which exceeds 250 thousand km, and the total area of the water surface is 5 million hectares. The region accounts for about 15% of the annual flow of rivers in Russia. In addition, in Western Siberia there are more than 1 million lakes with a total area of 10 million hectares.

The assessment of water resources consists of the conditions of navigation, hydropower resources, the uniformity of their distribution over the territory of the region (the latter affects the organization of industrial and drinking water supply, and, consequently, the location of industry and agriculture) and fishing.

The river network of Western Siberia is characterized by its deep branching - in the taiga regions, there are 350-400 km of rivers per 1000 km 2 of the territory. Most of these rivers summer period shallow and become unsuitable even for small ships, but in the spring during the flood, small-draught ships can enter them and deliver the necessary cargo to the hinterland.

Despite the significant water content of the West Siberian rivers, their hydropower significance is low. The total potential resources of large and medium-sized rivers in the region are 250 billion kWh (7.5% of the total Russian). The share of Western Siberia in the total Russian reserves of effective water resources is even smaller. In essence, the water resources of the mountain rivers of the Biya, Tom, and especially Katun regions are of practical interest, where it is possible to build a hydroelectric power station with a capacity of up to 1 million kW with a small flood area.

The flat nature of the relief of the overwhelming part of Western Siberia not only reduces the possible unit capacity of a hydroelectric power station, but also leads to the creation of huge reservoirs in area. Reservoirs flood valuable agricultural land, contribute to increased waterlogging of surrounding areas, reduce the area of floodplain flood meadows, depriving livestock farming of cheap natural fodder, negative influence to the microclimate.

The river network of Western Siberia is developed very unevenly. Almost 1/5 of its territory - the Kulunda and Baraba drainless basins - are generally devoid of large rivers. The existing watercourses that flow into endorheic lakes dry up during dry periods. In mountainous regions, where large enterprises and cities cannot be located due to the conditions of the relief, there is essentially no significant need for water.

In a number of steppe and forest-steppe regions of Western Siberia, the organization of water supply for agriculture is a serious problem, since groundwater in many cases is mineralized and unsuitable for domestic and drinking use, so it is necessary to build deep wells to use groundwater, which these areas are rich in.

Serious problems arise in the organization of water supply to the coal centers of the Kemerovo region, since most of them lie on small tributaries of the Tom, originating from the low Salair Ridge, at the same time, due to the presence of large rivers - the Ob, Irtysh and Tom, flowing at relatively short distances from water-deficient areas, water supply to these areas can be organized at a relatively low cost.

Western Siberia stands out among the economic regions of the country with its vast agricultural land, which is estimated at 36 million hectares. Of these, more than 50% falls on arable land, almost 20% - on pastures. A feature of the hayfields of the regions is a large proportion of water meadows with increased productivity, however, a significant part of the meadows is concentrated in the Ob and Irtysh floodplains and is under water for a long time. This complicates their use by existing methods and requires the development of special techniques.

Western Siberia is rich in minerals - oil, gas, coal, and ores. The area of promising oil and gas bearing territories is estimated at more than 1.7 million km2. The main deposits are confined to the Middle Ob (Samotlorskoye, Megionskoye and others in the Nizhnevartovsk region; Ust-Balykskoye, Fedorovskoye and others in the Surgut region). Deposits of natural gas in the polar region - Medvezhye, Urengoy and others, in the Arctic - Yamburgskoye, Ivankovskoye and others. New fields discovered on the Yamal Peninsula. There are oil and gas resources in the Urals.

Gas and coal resources. Gas fields were discovered in the Vasyugansk region. In general, more than 300 oil and gas fields have been discovered in Western Siberia. The main coal resources are located in Kuzbass, whose reserves are estimated at 600 billion tons. About 30% of Kuznetsk coals are coking. Coal seams are very thick and lie close to the surface, which makes it possible, along with the mine method, to conduct open-pit mining. The western wing of the Kansk-Achinsk brown coal basin is located in the northeast of the Kemerovo region. The Itatskoye deposit stands out especially here. The thickness of the seams reaches 55-80 meters; they lie at a depth of 10 to 220 meters. The pool provides the cheapest coal in Russia. In the south of the Novosibirsk region, there is the Gorlovsky basin, rich in anthracite coals; in the north of the Tyumen region - the Chulym-Yenisei basins of brown coal, which are not yet exploited. Within Western Siberia there are large deposits of peat, more than 50% of the total Russian reserves.

Ore. The West Siberian iron ore basin is distinguished by significant deposits:

a) Narymskoe;

b) Kolpashevskoye;

c) Yuzhno-Kolpashevskoe.

They are dominated by brown iron ore. Richer iron ore deposits of magnesium ores are found in Gornaya Shoria - Tashtagol, Sheregesh and in Altai - Inskoye, Beloretskoye. In the south of the Kemerovo region, there is the Usinskoye deposit of manganese ores, in the east - the Kiya-Shaltyrskoye deposit of nephelines, in the Altai Territory - the Aktashskoye and Chaganuzinskoye mercury deposits.

Mineral resources. There are reserves of soda and other salts in Western Siberia in the lakes of the Kulunda steppe. Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions are rich in limestone. Western Siberia has thermal iodine-bromine springs. Altai is rich in building materials.

Forest resources. For the industrial development of Western Siberia, its forest resources are of great importance. The forested area exceeds 72 million hectares, and the total timber stock is about 10 billion m3 (11% of Russia's reserves). Of the total timber stock, 5.8 billion m3 (about 12% of these reserves in Russia) fall to the share of ripe and overripe pleasures in forests. The West Siberian forests are characterized by a high development of small-leaved species and depressions in comparison with other densely forested regions of the country, the share of coniferous species.

The vast majority of the forest resources of the region are concentrated in the zone of the West Siberian taiga, and the rest is approximately equally distributed between the Altai Territory and the Kemerovo Region, where mountain forests predominate. An insignificant share of forest resources (about 5%) falls on the forest-steppe territories of Western Siberia. Stocks of mature and overmature plantations, as well as natural growth, make it possible to cut about 100 million m3 of wood per year in the region, or 3 times more than at present.

All this makes it possible to assess the conditions for the development of logging products in Western Siberia as less favorable than in the southern and central regions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Irkutsk Region. But with the depletion of forests in other regions of the country, the expediency of a wider use of the West Siberian forests will increase. In this case, first of all, forest tracts will be used, which lie in the zone of attraction to new railways being built in Western Siberia, to oil and gas fields.

Water resources. In terms of water resources, Western Siberia is second only to Eastern Siberia and the Far East. There are more than 2.1 thousand rivers on the territory of the region, the total length of which exceeds 250 thousand km, and the total area of the water surface is 5 million hectares. The region accounts for about 15% of the annual flow of rivers in Russia. In addition, there are more than 1 million lakes in Western Siberia with a total area of 10 million hectares.

The Ob, Irtysh and their 61 tributaries are used for navigation. The total length of the navigable sections of the rivers is 42 thousand km. The duration of navigation on the Ob and Irtysh ranges from 140 days in the lower reaches of the Ob to 190-200 days in the south of the region. Such a significant difference in the duration of navigation makes it difficult to organize mass river transportation along the Irtysh and especially along the Ob. This situation is further aggravated by their meridional orientation, while the main economic ties in Western Siberia have a latitudinal direction. As a result, the volume of traffic in the Ob-Irtysh basin has been small until recent years, and their cost is relatively high.

The river network of Western Siberia is characterized by its deep branching - in the taiga regions, there are 350-400 km of rivers per 1000 km2 of territory. Most of these rivers become shallow in the summer and become unsuitable even for small ships, but in the spring, during high water, small-draft ships can enter them and deliver the necessary cargo to the deep regions.

Despite the significant water content of the West Siberian rivers, their hydropower significance is low. The total potential resources of large and medium-sized rivers in the region amount to 250 billion kW/h (7.5% of the total Russian). The share of Western Siberia in the total Russian reserves of effective water resources is even smaller. In essence, the water resources of the mountain rivers of the Biya, Tom, and especially Katun regions are of practical interest, where it is possible to build a hydroelectric power station with a capacity of up to 1 million kW with a small flood area.

The flat nature of the relief of the overwhelming part of Western Siberia not only reduces the possible unit capacity of hydroelectric power stations, but also leads to the creation of huge reservoirs in area. Reservoirs flood valuable agricultural land, contribute to increased waterlogging of surrounding areas, reduce the area of floodplain flood meadows, depriving livestock farming of cheap natural fodder, and have a negative impact on the microclimate.

The rivers and lakes of Western Siberia are of great value for the fish industry, since they concentrate significant resources of valuable fish species - whitefish, sturgeon and salmon. There are large resources of partial fish in numerous lakes, including slightly brackish ones.

1. Give an assessment of the natural resources of the West Siberian Plain.

The natural resources of the plain are very diverse. In terms of oil and gas reserves, Western Siberia is among the world leaders. 60% of the total peat reserves of Russia are concentrated on its territory, the richest salt deposits are located. The great wealth of Western Siberia is its water resources. In addition to surface waters - rivers and lakes - huge reservoirs of groundwater have been found. The economic importance of the biological resources of the tundra and forest-tundra is great - this zone, it would seem, is not rich in life. A significant amount of furs and game is mined in it, there are a lot of fish in its rivers and lakes. In addition, the tundra is the main reindeer breeding area. The taiga of Western Siberia has long been famous for the extraction of furs and timber.

2. Based on the reference materials of the textbook, prepare reports on the development of the territory of the plain.

The acquaintance of Russians with Western Siberia took place for the first time, probably, as early as the 11th century, when the Novgorodians visited the lower reaches of the Ob. The campaign of Yermak (1581-1584) opens the brilliant period of the Great Russians geographical discoveries in Siberia and the development of its territory.

However, the scientific study of the nature of the country began only in the 18th century, when detachments of the Great Northern, and then academic expeditions were sent here. In the 19th century Russian scientists and engineers are studying the conditions of navigation on the Ob, Yenisei and the Kara Sea, the geological and geographical features of the route of the Siberian railway that was being designed at that time, salt deposits in the steppe zone. A significant contribution to the knowledge of the West Siberian taiga and steppes was made by studies of soil-botanical expeditions of the Resettlement Administration, undertaken in 1908-1914. in order to study the conditions for the agricultural development of plots allocated for the resettlement of peasants from European Russia.

The study of the nature and natural resources of Western Siberia acquired a completely different scope after the Great October revolution. In the research that was necessary for the development of the productive forces, no longer individual specialists or small detachments took part, but hundreds of large complex expeditions and many scientific institutes created in various cities Western Siberia. Detailed and versatile studies were carried out here by the USSR Academy of Sciences (Kulunda, Baraba, Gydan and other expeditions) and its Siberian branch, the West Siberian Geological Administration, geological institutes, expeditions of the Ministry of Agriculture, Hydroproject and other organizations.

As a result of these studies, ideas about the country's relief have changed significantly, detailed soil maps of many regions of Western Siberia have been compiled, and measures have been developed for the rational use of saline soils and the famous West Siberian chernozems. big practical value had forest typological studies of Siberian geobotanists, the study of peat bogs and tundra pastures. But especially significant results were brought by the work of geologists. Deep drilling and special geophysical studies have shown that in the bowels of many regions of Western Siberia are the richest deposits of natural gas, large reserves iron ores, brown coal and many other minerals, which already serve as a solid base for the development of industry in Western Siberia.

4. What difficulties does a person encounter in the development of the natural resources of the West Siberian Plain?

Nature “protected” the oil and gas fields of the region from humans both with thick swamps and frozen soils. It is extremely difficult to build in conditions of such soils. In winter, severe frosts, high humidity, and strong wind interfere with a person. In summer, numerous blood-sucking midges, midges and mosquitoes torment people and animals.

5. How has the assessment of its natural resources changed since the conquest of Siberia by Yermak's detachments to the present day?

Since the conquest of Siberia by Yermak to the present day, new resources have been discovered in western Siberia and the potential of the territory has constantly grown.

the natural landscapes of the West Siberian Plain are increasingly giving way to anthropogenic ones. Where the Taz River crosses the Arctic Circle, in the XVI-XVII centuries. there were wooden huts of Mangazvi - a trading outpost of Russian explorers. Now, in the most dense places of the West Siberian taiga, in the most seemingly impenetrable swamps, cities and towns of oil workers, railways, major airports, gas pipelines transporting natural gas from Urengoy to the European part of Russia and to Western Europe.

2. Give an assessment of the geographical position of Siberia.

On the physical map Russia clearly sees that the region (about 10 million km2) stretches from the Ural Mountains in the west to the mountain ranges of the Pacific Divide in the east and from the cold northern seas to the southern border of Russia. All Siberia is located in the Asian part of Russia. Siberia is located in the arctic, subarctic and temperate climatic zones. And most of its territory lies in the area of continental and sharply continental climate. Between the Ural Mountains and the Yenisei lies one of the greatest plains in the world - the West Siberian. A characteristic feature of its nature is swampiness. More than 60% of Russian peat is concentrated in the swamps of Western Siberia. The largest rivers of Russia flow through the territory of Siberia - the Ob with the Irtysh, the Yenisei, belonging to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. They are almost clear natural boundaries separating the regions of the Asian part of Russia from one another.

3. Choose the correct answer. The area of the Siberian region is about: a) 5 million km2; b) 7 million km2; c) 10 million km2; d) 20 million km2.

4. Choose the correct answer. Western and Eastern Siberia are separated by the river: a) Ob; b) Yenisei; c) Lena.

5. Choose the correct answer. In Siberia largest area takes natural area: a) taiga; b) tundra; c) steppes.

6. On the map (see p. 185), trace which railway Siberia is connected with the European part of Russia and the Far East. What is the name of this highway? What is its length?

Trans-Siberian Railway (Transsib), Great Siberian Way (historical name) - Railway across Eurasia, connecting Moscow with the largest East Siberian and Far East industrial cities of Russia. The length of the line is 9288.2 km, it is the longest railway in the world.

7. Give an assessment of the natural conditions of Siberia for life, life and economic activity of people.

The natural conditions of Siberia are diverse - from arctic tundra to dry steppes and semi-deserts. In most of the territory, they are severe and unfavorable for human life and economic activity due to the sharp continentality of the climate and its inherent large amplitude of annual and daily temperatures, openness to the influence of cold air masses of the Arctic Ocean, and widespread permafrost. The relief of the region is diverse: here are located South part The West Siberian Plain, the Altai Mountains, the Kuznetsk Alatau, the Salair Ridge, a vast territory is occupied by the Central Siberian Plateau, which is replaced by the North Siberian Lowland to the north, and to the south by the system of mountain ranges of the Western and Eastern Sayan, Transbaikalia mountains. The basis of the economic complex of the region is its unique natural resource potential, and, first of all, reserves of hard and brown coal, oil and gas, hydropower, and softwood. A significant part of the ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and large reserves of chemical raw materials are also concentrated here.

Siberia, which seems so distant, harsh and cold, of course, is actually quite inhabited. To live here, you have to adapt to many things. Snow in Siberian cities lies from the beginning of November (sometimes October), becoming a familiar and integral part of the landscape until April itself. Summer seems to be successful if there were at least a dozen hot days, which usually fall in July, and in September people already put on hats.

8. Write down at least five sentences that, in your opinion, most clearly characterize Siberia.

1. Siberia is a vast geographical region in the northeastern part of Eurasia

2. Siberia makes up about 73.56% of the territory of Russia, its area even without Far East more than the territory of the second largest state in the world after Russia - Canada.

3. The average population density of Siberia and the Far East is 2 people per 1 km².

4. Siberia has a huge variety of zonal and intrazonal landscapes, which could not but affect the abundance and species diversity of the animal world of these places.

5. Siberia is rich in resources, and its territory contains: 85% of the total Russian reserves of lead and platinum, 80% of coal and molybdenum, 71% of nickel, 89% of oil, 95% of gas, 69% of copper, 44% of silver and 40% of gold.

6. The natural conditions of Siberia are diverse - from arctic tundra to dry steppes and semi-deserts.

9. Using knowledge of geography and biology, additional literature, find out how the West Siberian taiga differs from the East Siberian. Why do you think, despite the fact that the Siberian taiga occupies vast areas, it needs protection? Give at least 6-7 arguments.

The West Siberian taiga consists almost exclusively of Siberian fir and Siberian cedar. The undergrowth in it is formed by mountain ash, bird cherry, yellow acacia (caragana) and wild rose. In Western Siberia, especially on the watershed of the Ob-Irtysh and Ob-Yenisei, the taiga is interrupted by colossal swamps, occupying tens of thousands of square kilometers. The variety of swamps is great - there are sedge bogs, and peat bogs with swamp pine - “ryams”, and “galls”, and swampy forests.

The taiga of East Siberia is characterized by a sharply continental climate and slight waterlogging. The Central Siberian taiga is predominantly light coniferous taiga, consisting mainly of Naur larch and pine with a slight admixture of dark coniferous species - cedar, spruce and fir. The main reasons for the scarcity of the species composition of the eastern taiga are permafrost and a sharp continental climate.

Arguments in favor of protecting the taiga:

1. The massifs of the Siberian taiga are called the green “lungs” of the planet (by analogy with the South American hylaea), since the oxygen and carbon balance of the surface layer of the atmosphere depends on the state of these forests.

2. Industrial timber reserves are concentrated in the taiga

3. Unique natural landscapes

4. Unique flora

5. Unique fauna

6. Forest litter absorbs rainfall, melt water, replenishes groundwater.

To understand the history of the population of a particular region, one must have a clear idea of the natural and climatic conditions inherent in it. About this back in the 18th century. wrote the Russian scientist I.N. Boltin: “At every step of a historian who does not have geography in his hands, there is a stumbling block” (according to L.N. Gumilyov). Since our manual is devoted to the archeology of the West Siberian Plain, we will briefly characterize the natural and climatic features of this region.

GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Western Siberia occupies a huge area - about 3.5 million km2. The boundaries of the region under study are: the Trans-Urals in the west, the course of the Yenisei in the east, the northern spurs of the Altai in the south, and the coast of the Arctic Ocean in the north.

The study area makes up the main part of the West Siberian Plain, passing in the south to the foothills of Altai and Kuznetsk Alatau. Western Siberia occupies the area of the Ob basin, which is the largest in Eurasia. Here is the world's largest swamp system - Vasyugan swamps (800 x 350 km). Western Siberia is considered one of the most swampy regions of the Earth.

One of the features of Western Siberia is the abundance of lakes (several thousand). There are more than three thousand of them in Baraba alone. Among the lakes there are both very small and large ones (for example, Lake Chany has an area of about 3 thousand km2). Most of them (especially flowing ones) are rich in fish. The lakes of Western Siberia are characterized by periodic drying and renewal of the water level. This phenomenon is not directly related to an increase or decrease in precipitation, but depends on the level ground water. It can take several years between falling out a large number rainfall and rising water in lakes. Changes occur on average after 25-40 years. M.F. Kosarev in his book "Western Siberia in antiquity" gives the following data. In the vicinity of one of the villages of the Kurgan district, until 1854 there were only 6 lakes, and after 1854 there were 30 of them. In the Chistoozernaya and Lokta volosts there were none at all, and after 1884 in the Lokta volost alone there were about 50 of them. High water kept for several years (until about 1860), then began to dry out. In 1883 - 1886. there was a new flood.

Interestingly, soon after the appearance of the lakes, fish are found in them. In some cases, water appears suddenly. A. K. Heine described the events that took place in the north of the current Kustanai region in the following way: “With a crash and thunder, like a cannon, the keys of excellent water, which beat very high, opened between the two rivers. Water began to fill the space between the rivers... In a very short time, a vast lake was formed... It is strange that in a short time, after the formation of the lake, a lot of fish appeared there. Equally rich is Western Siberia with a developed river system. The Ob River crosses it all the way from south to north. A large tributary of the Ob - the Irtysh, its tributary the Tobol, as well as numerous small rivers form the features of the region. The Ob and Irtysh have a wide floodplain with water meadows rich in herbs. Its width increases as you move north. Various reservoirs are concentrated in the floodplain: lakes, oxbow lakes, channels, small rivers. They are very rich in fish, as they contain in sufficient quantities those organisms that they feed on. Thanks to the developed floodplain, the fish catch in the Ob basin, according to modern data, is 8-10 times higher than in the Yenisei and Lena basins. Birds, especially waterfowl, also show a great connection with the floodplain.

Thus, the rivers and their floodplains provided the population with a rich fish catch and hunting prey. Especially productive was the hunt for molting game, because. during molting, the bird cannot fly. Currently, such hunting is prohibited, but in ancient times, with a small number of people, the damage to nature was minimal.

According to the features of the landscape, the Ob can be divided into three regions. The Upper Ob is a steppe and forest-steppe region from the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers to the mouth of the river. Tomy.

The Middle Ob is a taiga massif from the mouth of the Tom to the mouth of the Irtysh. To the north of it is the Lower Ob region, which occupies the zones of taiga, forest-tundra and tundra. The Irtysh River crosses the steppe, forest-steppe and taiga zones and has a significant number of tributaries. The left-bank tributaries of the Irtysh include such major rivers like Ishim, Tobol and Konda. River basin Kondy is called the Kandinsky lowland. It should be noted that steppe zone in Western Siberia it occupies only a narrow strip in the south. Thus, all zones seem to be strung on one thread. It had great importance for the interaction of the population in the process of historical development.

For river reservoirs flowing in swampy places, zamors are typical (depletion of water with oxygen due to the flow of swamp waters into the rivers). Therefore, in the Middle Ob, where rivers flow into the Ob, taking their waters in swamps, there are few fish. But she is in large quantities found in floodplain sor lakes (temporary, arising after the decline of water).

CLIMATE CHARACTERISTICS

The climate of Western Siberia is characterized by harshness and sharp continentality. The plain is open to cold arctic air from the north in winter and hot winds from Kazakhstan and Central Asia in summer. The very location of the plain (mainly in temperate latitudes) reduces the amount of solar heat and causes the severity of the climate. The Ural Mountains, despite their low height, change the speed and direction of humid Atlantic winds from the west.

Throughout history, the climate has changed periodically. At present, no one doubts the hypothesis expressed by O. Petterson, and supplemented and refined for the northern hemisphere by paleoclimatologist A.V. Shnitnikov. According to it, there are certain climatic rhythms associated with the impact on the Earth of the tidal forces of the Moon, the Sun and the planets. solar system. After an equal number of years, the Earth, the Moon and the Sun are aligned in one straight line, which causes certain changes in the Earth's atmosphere and hydrosphere. According to the Shnitnikov-Petterson theory, these rhythms can be determined with sufficient accuracy for the postglacial period. The entire cycle lasts approximately 1850 years. It consists of phases of humidity (300-500 years), transition period (700-800 years) and dryness (600-800 years). Archaeological materials have confirmed the existence of such phases and even allowed them to be dated. So, the period of humidity covered the second half of the 3rd - the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. It was followed by a period of dryness. The second humidification occurred in the 1st millennium BC. e. Climate I millennium AD characterized by low moisture content. However, there were dry and wet ages within this period. Judging by the Chinese chronicles, II, III and VIII centuries. were wet, and IV, VI and VII centuries. - dry. The 10th and 11th centuries were especially dry. From the 14th century steppes began to dry out. Small cycles of 35 years (wetting and drying up of lakes) fit well into the longer Shnitnikov-Peterson cycles, since existed in parallel.

Climatic changes made certain adjustments to the boundaries of the zones, especially between the forest-steppe and the taiga. In wet phases, there is some advance of the taiga to the south, and in dry phases, the steppe spreads to the north. These changes took place in specific areas. Thus, forest fires often occurred during the dry season. It takes about 90 years to restore areas of coniferous forest. During this period, wedging of forest-steppe areas to the north is possible. During humid periods, there is an increase in groundwater and an increase in the bogging of the taiga, as a result of which the area occupied by coniferous forests is reduced.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Let's focus on those natural resources Western Siberia, which could be in demand by man in antiquity and the Middle Ages. Some modern wealth, such as oil and gas, did not find application in the economy. For the life of the population, waters rich in fish and waterfowl, which are especially numerous in the taiga zone, were of great importance. One of the main riches of these places was the forest. To the south, there was a forest-steppe with coniferous-birch forests stretching along the banks of the Ob and in the lower reaches of its tributaries. These forests near the Ob, as well as the belt forests located along the old channels of the Praob, connecting with the Irtysh, are relict forests. The microclimatic conditions in them differ from the surrounding forest-steppe and steppe in high humidity.

Outside the pine forests stretch areas of the steppe and the usual forest-steppe with stripes and pegs of deciduous forest, which gave man fuel, construction material and food (game, gathering products). In the forests there are various objects of hunting: large animals (elk, deer) and small furry game (especially a lot in the taiga).

Raw material reserves were not rich. The stone raw materials needed for the manufacture of tools were not of the best quality. Therefore, it was necessary either to use coastal pebble rocks, or to obtain good raw materials from the Urals (jasper), Angara-Baikal (jade), Kazakhstan, Altai and Kuznetsk Alatau (high-quality flint and other rocks).

Raw materials for bronze metallurgy were brought from the mountainous regions of the Southern Urals (copper pyrite), Kuznetsk Alatau (copper) and Altai (Kolbinsk tin mines). To obtain iron, ores containing a small amount of this metal were used. As studies by N.M. Zinyakov, the largest reserves of iron ore (for example, the West Siberian iron ore basin) remained inaccessible for mining in antiquity and the Middle Ages. It was easier to obtain iron from low-power swamp ores, scattered deposits of brown iron ore, etc. The percentage of iron content in them is low, but these ores are widespread, they are easy to develop.

In Western Siberia, there is a sufficient amount of clay and loam, which until now provides for the needs of ceramic production. The soil cover is quite fertile.

NATURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY

All of the listed natural and climatic conditions influenced the development of the economy of the population living here. First of all, it is necessary to note the favorable conditions for engaging in appropriating economy. Until the beginning of the Bronze Age, hunting and fishing flourished throughout Western Siberia. Later, with the advent of cattle breeding and agriculture, two regions emerged: the southern one with a producing economy and the northern one with an appropriating one.

Natural and climatic conditions did not allow cattle breeding in the north (reindeer breeding developed only by the 16th century) and agriculture. Here and at the present time, the local population continues to run an appropriating economy. In the contact zone (the northern part of the forest-steppe and the southern strip of the taiga), a diversified economy was developed, where agriculture and cattle breeding were combined to one degree or another with hunting and fishing.

The natural conditions of the Ob region provided the basis for the division of the population into those who were engaged in the appropriating economy, and those whose economy was producing. The border passed approximately between the Middle and Upper Ob, at the latitude of the mouth of the river. Tomy.

In the Middle Ob region, the main economic base was the floodplain (fish and waterfowl.) and taiga (upland game, furs, wild ungulates, etc.). The floods made it impossible to farm in the floodplain. On the terraces, there was little land free from forest, and the temperature was not favorable for agriculture. In the south of the Middle Ob region, horse breeding could be productive (horses are able to get food from under the snow). Thus, in the Middle Ob region, the main occupations were hunting and fishing, only in the south, cattle breeding and agriculture partially took root.

In the Upper Ob region, the basis for the development of the economy was a floodplain with rich forbs, ribbons of mixed forest and treeless areas on terraces. The temperature and landscape conditions made it possible to engage in an integrated economy with an emphasis on its producing industries. The northernmost section of the Upper Ob region, where it was possible to effectively engage in agriculture, the lower reaches of the river. Tomy. By the way, even now this region is the main grain base of the Tomsk region. To the north, grain is not produced on such a scale.

Climate fluctuations led to significant changes in the life of society. The population was forced to either change their occupations, or at least partially migrate to a new territory.

A big positive role was played by the fact that all the above-mentioned zones were connected by a single transport system, extending far beyond the borders of Western Siberia. This contributed to active contacts between various regions of Siberia, Altai, Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Metal mirrors of China, Iran and Central Asia penetrated into Western Siberia through them. Chinese, Khorezmian and Iranian coins appeared, as well as toreutics from Byzantium and other countries. Furs flowed from the forested regions of the north to the south. From the famous Silk Road to Western Siberia there were separate branches, along which caravan trade was carried out. It is no coincidence that in the forest-steppe monuments of the Early Iron Age, bones of camels were found, apparently unable to withstand the hard journey.

Natural conditions have had a certain impact on the level social development. In the northern taiga zone, where the appropriating economy prevailed, property differentiation did not reach the level that was typical for the forest-steppe and southern taiga zones. The materials of the monuments of the forest-steppe territory, where there was a manufacturing economy, indicate that here, already from the era of developed bronze social relations were quite complex. Property differentiation is clearly traced. In the early Iron Age, the decomposition of primitive society continued here, and formations such as chiefdoms were formed. The northern edge of the forest-steppe and the southern strip of the taiga with their diversified economy in the conditions of climatic fluctuations were in the most advantageous position. Here were well developed manufacturing industries (with a predominance of the forest-steppe in the north) and appropriating (prevailed on the edge of the taiga). With climate change, there was some fluctuation of these boundaries. The population adapted well to this, maintaining a diversified economy with a change in emphasis in one direction or another. Researchers believe that it is no coincidence that it was in the Middle Irtysh region that the large political and economic center of the Siberian Khanate, its capital Isker, was located.
In this way, historical processes in Western Siberia are closely related to the natural conditions of this region.