North America, the geography of which was mastered only in the 17th century, and even then not completely, is a huge continent.It was opened by Europeans in the 10th century.The length of North America is so great that nature is different, not only in the south and the north, but also in the western and eastern parts of the continent.
Overview
Map of North America (physical) shows that in the far north of here, as on the Eurasian continent, located arctic wilderness - the realm of ice and snow.In this land, nothing grows except mosses and lichens.From Alaska, northern Labrador and Hudson Bay begins tundra zone.It is already possible to meet the dwarf trees, shrubs and grasses low.Forest-tundra flows into the coniferous forest.In general, the forests of North America occupy a third of the continent.Taiga with white and black spruce, pine, fir balsamic replaced by mixed and deciduous forests, where there are linden, maples, oaks, chestnuts.Then the forest thins out and goes to the south in the forest, and then - in the steppe.These zones are referred to the North American prairies.On the mainland there are real desert, but they violated them cut through the mountains.
Climatic features
Nature North America as diverse as the continent is in all climatic zones, except the equatorial.In winter, the weather is much dependent on solar radiation, and in summer - from the influence of the oceans.In the north of the continent in January frosts reach -20 ... -25 degrees, and in the central part of Greenland can reach -55 degrees.In Alaska and most of Hudson Bay in the winter gets cold up to -15 ... -20, and in the summer the air warms up to + 5 ... + 10.In areas with a temperate climate (to the north of the mouth of the Columbia) winter temperature is -5 ... -10 degrees, and summer does not exceed 20.The area from Florida to California, belongs to the subtropical belt.In the Mississippi Valley in the summer average is warming up to + 25 ... + 30, and the winter frost can reach -15 degrees.
Arctic
shows map of North America (physical), the northernmost part of the continent is not monotonous.Depending on the terrain and the nature of change.Anything that is not covered by ice, saturated with water.The color of the tundra sometimes even brighter than the Russian autumn forest.Ocean ice give amazing colors with a smooth transition from white to black.Ice is often painted blue and greenish hues.It is home to polar bears and walruses and birds is not so much, but the abundance of insects used for their rich food.
More than half the land of the American Arctic Greenland, which is 85% covered by the ice sheet.However, its coastline is not so cool as it seems to many.In the summer, people here even swim in the lake.Flora of Greenland is very diverse and has several hundred different species of plants, among which there is even a birch.But, of course, mainly land covered with vegetation typical of the tundra.Here it is found the smallest planet in the tree - a dwarf willow, which reaches a height of not more than 5 centimeters.The west coast of Greenland has a more severe nature.There is ice and rocky shores cut by fjords and bays.
boreal forest
Nature North America is rich in forests.To the south of the tundra grow osinovidnye poplar and fir, south-west - spruce and pine forests, which give way to the south of the transition zone with coniferous and deciduous vegetation.Canadian northern region affects the silent beauty at any time of year, but in summer, when the fir forest shines with bright colors, is especially beautiful.Yukon and British Columbia covered the whole ocean of trees.Plants and animals in North America in the area represented by a set of species.From the fauna found there white-tailed deer, wild buffalo, coyotes, beavers, moose, gray and red lynx, woodland caribou, rabbits and hares, wolverines.
In the transition zone conifers begin to alternate with deciduous: oak, elder, alder, maple.Mixed forest stretches from British Columbia to the Great Lakes and beyond - to New England.Mountains of Southern California and surrounded by meadows covered with green forests.The coastal zone is a lot of exotic plants - a palm trees and eucalyptus trees imported from Australia.In Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee currently growing broadleaf forest.Through these states and Georgia, he goes to the east, to the south of Virginia.There are oaks, hazel, elm, birch, hornbeam, magnolia, alder, willow, maple, poplar, chestnut, ash, acacia.
temperate forests are separated from the strip of prairie parkland.They run through East Texas, encircle the Great Plains and cover the plains of Illinois, and then pass by the Rocky Mountains and again appear in the south of British Columbia.This kind of landscape characterized by grass and appearing among them single trees: juniper, pine, oak, maple, spruce.
Prairie
So called boundless space, occupying the entire central part of the continent.Nature North America has changed dramatically due to human impact, and prairie in its original form is now found only in small patches.The rest of the land is plowed, watered artificially crossed by power lines and road network.Along the rivers in flood plains stretched farm.Many plants and animals of North America, previously encountered here, now vanished or drastically reduced.
on the prairie in winter is cold enough: snowfall, raging winds.With the arrival of spring may be severe floods.Here is the best time - the first month of summer, when everything is fragrant and blooms.In August comes the drought, fires often occur.Still, the corners of the prairie, preserved intact, Americans consider the edge of unsurpassed beauty.Tourists love this place not less than sea coast and forest parks.
Mountains from Alaska to Mexico stretches a chain of the Cordillera, and between them ridges lie highlands and plateaus.Rocky Mountains covered with wonderful vegetation and harbor many wondrous blue lakes.The snow on the northern slopes and in the bowl-shaped valley can not melt all summer.Mountains of Arizona, Utah and Colorado surrounded by high plateaus.This whole area has its own climate, its nature and the geological structure, amazing flora and fauna.Many geological formations cuts through one of the wonders of North America - Grand Canyon, which reaches a depth of 1,800 meters, and the length - 340 kilometers.People from all over the world come here to see with my own eyes the sight of eternity and majesty of nature.
sandy coast in the north-east of the mainland, the island of Nantucket to Florida and around the Gulf of Mexico coastal strip stretches with lots of sand dunes.In some places on the dunes with pine trees, groundsel, wild rose.Here it is found a lot of birds mockingbirds, blackbirds, blue herons, woodpeckers, marsh lycidae trupialy, oatmeal, cormorants, gulls, ducks.Birds feed on marine life: fish, crabs, horseshoe crabs, and so on.
In conclusion
Nature North America no longer is as it was before.After plowing the prairie, cutting down forests to build the city, people have broken the natural balance.Man killed passenger pigeon, bison herds destroyed, and the animals that are left, have to adapt to new conditions.You can see how the city streets opossums overturned garbage cans in search of food, raccoon near the restaurant begging for scraps, and along highways wild deer grazing, completely oblivious to the careening cars.In New York, the skyscrapers of nesting owls and falcons, and in parks and gardens have taken root variety of birds.Here's a she, fauna anthropogenic landscape!
