ANIMAL WORLD OF EURASIA
The fauna of Eurasia is very diverse. The distribution of modern wild fauna across the territory depends on the characteristics of natural conditions and on the results of human activity. The most common large mammal of the tundra is the reindeer. Arctic fox, lemming and white hare are also found in the tundra. Of the birds, the white and tundra partridges are the most common. For the summer period, gulls, loons, eiders, geese, ducks, swans fly to the tundra. The fauna of the forest zone is best preserved in the taiga. Wolves, brown bears, moose, lynxes, foxes, squirrels, wolverines, martens live here. Of the birds - black grouse, capercaillie, hazel grouse, crossbill. Steppe animals - steppe ferret, ground squirrels, various mice. Of the large animals, the saiga has been preserved. Diverse birds - larks, swallows, falcons. Reptiles, rodents, and ungulates predominate in semi-deserts and deserts. Bactrian camels live in Central Asia, wild donkeys - kulans. In the mountain forests of South China, the panda bamboo bear, the black Himalayan bear, and the leopard have been preserved. Wild elephants still live in Hindustan and on the island of Sri Lanka. India and Indochina are characterized by an abundance of monkeys, a large number of various reptiles, especially poisonous snakes. Many animals living in Eurasia are listed in the Red Book: bison, Ussuri tiger, kulan, etc.
A large, northern, part of Eurasia belongs to the Holarctic zoogeographic region; the smaller, southern one, to the Indo-Malayan and Ethiopian regions (Fig. 20).
Rice. 20. Faunistic zoning of Eurasia
The Indo-Malay region includes the Hindustan and Indo-China peninsulas, together with the adjacent part of the mainland, the Taiwan, Philippine and Sunda islands, South Arabia, together with most of Africa, is included in the Ethiopian region. Some southeastern islands of the Malay Archipelago are classified by most zoogeographers as part of the Australian zoogeographic region. This division reflects the features of the development of the Eurasian fauna in the process of changing natural conditions during the end of the Mesozoic and the entire Cenozoic, as well as connections with other continents. To characterize modern natural conditions, of interest are the ancient extinct fauna, known only in the fossil state, the fauna that disappeared in historical time as a result of human activity, and modern fauna.
At the end of the Mesozoic, a diverse fauna formed on the territory of Eurasia, consisting of monotremes and marsupials, snakes, turtles, etc. With the advent of placental mammals, especially predators, lower mammals retreated south to Africa and Australia. They were replaced by proboscis, camels, horses, rhinos, which inhabited most of Eurasia in the Cenozoic. The cooling of the climate at the end of the Cenozoic led to the extinction of many of them or retreat to the south. Proboscis, rhinos, etc. in the north of Eurasia are known only in a fossil state, and now they live only in South and Southeast Asia. Until recently, camels and wild horses were widespread in the interior arid parts of Eurasia.
The cooling of the climate led to the settlement of Eurasia by animals adapted to harsh climatic conditions (mammoth, aurochs, etc.). This northern fauna, the center of formation of which was in the area of the Bering Sea and was common with North America, gradually pushed the heat-loving fauna to the south. Many of its representatives have died out, some have survived in the composition of the modern fauna of the tundra and taiga forests. The drying up of the climate of the interior regions of the mainland was accompanied by the spread of the steppe and desert fauna, which survived mainly in the steppes and deserts of Asia, and partially died out in Europe.
In the eastern part of Asia, where climatic conditions did not undergo significant changes during the Cenozoic, many pre-glacial animals found refuge. In addition, through East Asia there was an exchange of animals between the Holarctic and Indo-Malay regions. Within its limits, such tropical forms as the tiger, the Japanese macaque, and others penetrate far to the north.
The distribution of modern wild fauna across the territory of Eurasia reflects both the history of its development and the characteristics of natural conditions and the results of human activity.
On the northern islands and in the extreme north of the mainland, the composition of the fauna almost does not change from west to east. The fauna of the tundra and taiga forests has minor internal differences. The farther to the south, the differences in latitude within the Holarctic become more and more significant. The fauna of the extreme south of Eurasia is already so specific and so different from the tropical fauna of Africa and even Arabia that they are assigned to different zoogeographic regions.
The fauna of the tundra is especially monotonous throughout Eurasia (as well as North America).
The most common large mammal of the tundra is the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). It is almost never found in Europe in the wild; this is the most common and valuable domestic animal in the north of Eurasia. The tundra is characterized by arctic fox, lemming and white hare (Fig. 21).
Rice. 21. Distribution of some animals in foreign Europe
Of the land birds, the most common partridge and tundra (Lagopus lagopus and Lagopus mutus), plantains and horned larks. For a short summer period, numerous migratory waterfowl fly into the tundra to breed chicks: gulls, guillemots, loons, eiders, geese, ducks, and swans. Gulls and gulls usually settle on high rocky shores, lay their eggs on cornices and in crevices of rocky cliffs. Hundreds of thousands of them gather in such places, so-called bird colonies are formed. During the nesting period, birds are easy to catch, and the population, taking advantage of this, exterminates them and collects eggs. The most valuable birds of the sea coasts are common eiders (Somateria mollissima), which have a light and exceptionally warm down, with which they cover their nests. In some countries (Iceland, Norway, Russia), eiders are under surveillance and protection, and the collection of their down, which is highly valued on the world market, is controlled by the state. Ducks, geese and other birds nest on the banks of lakes, rivers and swamps.
Coastal waters, rivers and lakes of the north of Eurasia are rich in fish, mainly from the salmon family.
During the Ice Age, mammoths, woolly rhinos, and musk oxen lived in the modern tundra. Now their remains are found only in a fossil state. In some places (for example, on Spitsbergen), musk ox, taken from Arctic America, is artificially bred.
The fauna of the forests of Eurasia is somewhat more differentiated. The differences between the fauna of broad-leaved forests of the west and east, separated by vast expanses of steppes and deserts, are especially pronounced. The taiga forests, stretching across the entire continent, are characterized by the comparative uniformity of the animal world.
The most typical representatives of the taiga fauna of Eurasia can be considered the elk, brown bear, lynx, wolverine, squirrel, chipmunk, bank voles; from birds - black grouse, capercaillie, hazel grouse, crossbills. These animals are common in the lowland taiga, as well as in the coniferous forests of the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia.
Between the mixed and broad-leaved forests of Atlantic Europe, on the one hand, and Far East On the other hand, there are, as already mentioned, great differences in the composition of the animal world.
The forests of Europe were once inhabited by numerous large mammals - predators and herbivores, which were the subject of hunting because of their meat or valuable fur. The most characteristic representatives of the forest fauna are the brown bear, bison (Bison bonasus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), wolverine, pine marten (Martes martes), forest polecat (Mustela putorius), weasel (Mustela nivalis) , wild cat (Felis silvestris), fox, hedgehog, mountain hare and European hare. The brown bear (Ursus arctos), which has completely disappeared from the plains, is still found in the mountains, especially in the Carpathians. Endemic mountain species include chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), mountain goats (Capra ibex, Capra pyrenaica) and marmots (Marmota marmota). Deforestation and plowing of large areas have led to a wide distribution of small rodents - voles, shrews, ground squirrels, which cause great harm to agriculture.
Great wealth of avifauna. Mixed and broad-leaved forests are inhabited by partridges, black grouse, capercaillie, hazel grouse, which are valuable game; many songbirds are also common - thrushes, orioles, warblers, warblers, etc. Owls, owls, pigeons and cuckoos are often found. Waterfowl nest in the ponds. Near settlements swallows, rooks and storks settle. Most birds are migratory. In autumn, along strictly defined routes, caravans of geese, ducks, cranes, flocks of rooks and other birds stretch to the south in order to return to their nesting places in the spring.
In rivers and lakes, mainly cyprinids are found, but salmonids are also found.
Some of the large animals that used to live in European forests are now gone, while others have survived only in specially protected areas. Among the first it is necessary to name the tour (Bos primigenius) - a huge wild bull. The last tour perished in Europe at the beginning of the 17th century. On the verge of complete extinction was the bison, which used to live in vast expanses from France and Belgium to the Caucasus. Systematically exterminated during knightly, royal and royal hunts, severely damaged during the First and Second World Wars, the bison was saved from complete extermination by the joint efforts of Soviet and Polish scientists. The largest bison population currently lives in the Belovezhsky Biosphere Reserve on the border of Poland and Belarus. The number of deer, mountain goats, and chamois has greatly decreased. Wolves have been exterminated almost everywhere, and bears have retreated to the mountainous regions, and even there they are extremely rare.
The fauna of the forests of eastern Asia, identified in the Manchurian-Chinese subregion of the Holarctic, has a pronounced mountain-forest character and is distinguished by high species richness. This is due, on the one hand, to the fact that the east of Asia did not experience significant climate fluctuations during the ice age, and some representatives of the heat-loving ancient fauna found refuge within its boundaries. On the other hand, the climatic conditions of this part of Asia change gradually from north to south, contributing to the penetration of northern taiga forms to the south, and tropical forms to the north, which creates a mixture of faunas characteristic of East Asia and leads to great species richness.
One of the most characteristic representatives of the mammalian fauna of the mountain forests of China and the Himalayas is the Himalayan black bear (Ursus thibetanus), which lives in the mountains up to a height of 4000 m, eating plant foods, insects and small animals. Bamboo bear, or giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) lives in the bamboo thickets of Eastern Tibet and Southeast China. In dense riverside bamboo and reed thickets and mountain forests, sometimes rising to the upper forest boundary, there is a tiger (Panthera tigris) - the most dangerous predator of Asia, there are also a leopard (Panthera pardus) and a marten marten (Martes flavigula). Characteristic representatives of the fauna of broad-leaved forests are the endemic raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and the Far Eastern forest cat. In the River Valleys of China and the Korean Peninsula, there is a small hornless water deer (Hydropotes inermis); in the north, the sika deer (Cervus nippon) is common, whose young antlers - antlers - are valued as medicinal raw materials. Some monkeys (from the macaque genus) come from South Asia. In the Manchurian-Chinese subregion, at 40° N, lies the northern limit of their distribution on the globe. Representatives of the taiga fauna of the neighboring European-Siberian subregion are the flying squirrel and the chipmunk.
The forests of East Asia are inhabited by various birds. Pheasants stand out with their bright plumage (golden, royal, etc.), the colorfully colored mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) is the most beautiful representative of this family, the endemic Japanese crane (Grus japonensis). Numerous are various passerines - white-eyes, larvae, thymelia.
Among the reptiles there are many lizards and snakes, which are represented by genera common with the Indo-Malayan region. In addition, one species of alligator and a land tortoise are found. Of the amphibians, tree frogs and the endemic giant salamander (Andrias japonicus) living on the Japanese islands are characteristic.
The fauna of the Mediterranean, the Near Asian highlands and Arabia is peculiar, which gave grounds for distinguishing a special Mediterranean subregion of the Holarctic. There are endemic mountain and lowland species, as well as species common with North Africa. The fauna of southern Europe includes monkeys, primitive predators, birds, and a large number of amphibians and reptiles, which are almost completely absent in the more northern parts of Eurasia.
On the Iberian Peninsula and in the south of France, a representative of the viverrid family lives - an ordinary genet (Genetta genetta), a small predator that eats rodents and is therefore considered a useful animal. In the south of the Iberian Peninsula lives the only species of monkeys found in the wild in Europe, the macaque macaque, or tailless macaque.
The wild mountain sheep (Ovis ammon), which used to live in mountain forests or on open mountain peaks, which used to live on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, is almost completely exterminated. On the islands of the Aegean Sea and in the south of the Balkan Peninsula, in mountainous areas with very sparse vegetation, wild goats are still found. Goats are generally widespread in the Mediterranean, in some areas they are the only domestic animals. Only in Southern Europe do the Pyrenean desman, porcupine, jackal, and wild rabbit live.
The birds of the Mediterranean are no less peculiar than the mammals. The most characteristic are the blue magpie, the mountain hen, the Sardinian warbler, the Spanish and stone sparrow, and many others. Of the birds of prey, the black vulture, vulture, and lamb are common, attacking small livestock.
Reptiles feel good in a dry climate. Among them there are endemic forms: gecko lizards, chameleons, Mediterranean viper and some other snake species; from land turtles - the Greek tortoise. Arthropods are also numerous - scorpions, freshwater crabs, various beetles, cicadas, brightly colored butterflies.
The composition of the fauna of the Near Asian highlands, in addition to typical Mediterranean elements, includes some representatives of the Central Asian subregion, as well as the Ethiopian region of Africa. Of the ungulates, gazelles, antelopes, wild donkeys, Central Asian mountain sheep and goats are characteristic. Representatives of the Ethiopian region are peculiar ungulates - hyraxes (Hyracoidea), living in rocky mountainous regions at a considerable height. Of the predators, leopards, lynx, caracal, jackal, hyena, and some species of foxes are often found. There are numerous rodents - hares, jerboas, gerbils, one species of porcupine. Among the birds of Western Asia, there are many representatives of the Central Asian deserts and steppes: bustards, sandgrouse, larks, desert jays, etc. Herons, flamingos, and pelicans are found near water bodies. The diversity of reptiles, especially lizards, snakes is also very large: steppe boa constrictor, viper viper (Vipera lebetina), horned viper (Vipera ammodites), snakes, snakes. An abundance of arthropods is characteristic, often causing great harm to people. Among them are phalanxes, scorpions, tarantulas. Crops of agricultural crops periodically suffer from locusts.
The desert plateaus and mountain ranges of Central Asia have a peculiar fauna and stand out as a special Central Asian zoogeographic subregion. It is characterized by the general relative poverty of the species composition and the predominance of ungulates and rodents, which are adapted to exist in the vast treeless and waterless spaces of the central regions of Asia.
Some animals are limited in their distribution to certain regions of Central Asia, while others are settled throughout it. So, only in Tibet and Kunlun is the wild yak (Bos mutus) found, and even there it is gradually disappearing. This large animal is content with the meager food of the high desert plateaus and feels great in the harsh continental climate, but does not tolerate high temperatures at all. The yak is one of the most common domestic animals in Central Asia. They are used for carrying heavy loads and as riding animals. Local residents eat their milk and meat, skins and wool are used to make clothes.
Orongo (Pantholops hodgsoni), addax (Addax nasomaculatus), mountain sheep argali, or argali (Ovis ammon), reaching enormous sizes, mountain goats are widespread in the Tibetan Plateau and in the mountains of Central Asia. On the steppe and semi-desert plains of Mongolia and Northwest China, there are gazelles (Procapra gutturosa), wild ass, kulan (Equus hemmionus) and the extremely rare kiang (Equus kiang), as well as the wild Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) - the ancestor of the domestic camel . This typical animal of deserts and dry steppes does not live in mountains and areas with a humid climate. Camels are used on the plains of Central and Central Asia as a means of transportation and draft power. Local residents feed on their milk, fat and meat, and make clothes from wool.
Predators are not as diverse in Central Asia as ungulates. Snow leopard irbis (Uncia uncia), Tibetan subspecies of brown bear and wolf are found in the mountains. Almost everywhere there are foxes, common wolf, weasel, jackal.
On the plains and in the mountainous regions, both in terms of the number of species and the number of individuals, rodents are abundantly represented.
Birds are especially diverse in mountainous areas. These are mountain turkeys, snowcocks, Tibetan saja (Syrrhaptes tibetanus), alpine jackdaws, vulture, lamb, chough, wall climber. Bustards, sandgrouse, and larks (small, crested, etc.) are found on the plains.
There are few reptiles and amphibians in Central Asia. Some lizards and snakes, a land tortoise are widespread.
The rest of the southern part of Eurasia falls within the limits of the Indo-Malayan zoogeographical region and is characterized by especially great richness, diversity and antiquity of the animal world. The fauna of the region has a pronounced tropical character and features common with other tropical regions of the globe, for example, with the Ethiopian region of Africa, with the Neotropics. In addition, former ties with Australia had a significant impact on the fauna. The Malay Peninsula, the Sunda and Philippine Islands, united in the Malay subregion, are distinguished by the greatest wealth and colorfulness of the animal world. The uniformly hot and humid climate and the predominance of tropical rainforests, as well as the insular nature of the territory, which had lost land connections with other parts of Asia since the beginning of the Quaternary, determined the great originality and endemism of the fauna of this subregion.
The most striking representatives of the ungulates of the Malay Archipelago are the black-backed, or two-colored, tapir (Tapirus indicus), which has relatives in South America, the one-horned Indian and two-horned Sumatran rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis and Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), the wild banteng bull (Bos javanicus), which became the ancestor of the Balinese livestock, Indian buffalo (Bubalus arnee), gaur (Bos gaurus). In the mountains and uplands, in forests little visited by people, a small muntjac deer (Muntiacus muntjak) is common.
Of the predators, the Malay short-haired "sunny" bear (Helarctos malayanus) and the tiger should be mentioned. On the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, there is a great ape orangutan ("forest man"), which is now extremely rare (Fig. 22).
Rice. 22. Distribution of some animals in foreign Asia
Representatives of the gibbon family, the subfamily of marmosets, and some species of macaques are ubiquitous. Tupai, close to primates and insectivores, and primitive primates, tarsiers, are characteristic.
A feature of the fauna of the islands is the presence of a large number of species of "planning" animals. Among them are mammals - flying squirrels and woolly wings, which are a form intermediate between insectivores, bats and semi-monkeys; reptiles - a flying dragon (Dracovolans) - a lizard whose limbs are equipped with a flying membrane.
Among the birds, the bright argus pheasant (Argusianus argus), the blue-winged peacock (Pavo muticus) and natives of Australia - birds of paradise and big-legged chickens are remarkable.
Reptiles amaze with an abundance of species and large sizes. On the small island of Komodo lives the greatest of modern lizards - the giant Komodo monitor lizard (Varanus Komodensis), reaching 3-4 m in length. A large gharial crocodile lives in the rivers of Kalimantan. There are many poisonous snakes, of which the most dangerous to humans are spectacled snakes, or cobras. Boas are also common. The largest of them - reticulated python (Python reticulatus) - reaches a length of 8-10 m and a weight of 100 kg. It is dangerous not only for large animals, but also for humans.
Among the various arthropods, large and brightly colored butterflies are especially significant. Scorpions and huge tarantulas are also common.
The islands of Sulawesi and Lesser Sunda occupy a special place in zoological terms. Sulawesi's endemic animals include the wild boar babirussa (Babyrossa babyrussa), the dwarf anoa buffalo (Bubalus depressicornis) and black macaques, while the Australian fauna includes marsupial couscous, large-legged chickens and many other birds.
In a special Indian subregion, India, Sri Lanka and Indochina are distinguished. In the composition of the fauna of this subregion, along with many typical representatives of the Indo-Malay region, there are immigrants from the Ethiopian region and the Holarctic. The fauna of the Indian subregion is distinguished by species diversity and a large number of individuals. This is especially true for India, where the killing of any living beings is prohibited by religion, so even harmful animals are very rarely exterminated here.
In the fauna of India and Indochina, the presence of the Indian elephant is characteristic. Wild elephants are still found in the sparsely populated areas of the foothills of the Himalayas, in the forests of Sri Lanka and other places. The domestic elephant, accustomed to perform difficult and complex work, is one of the most typical animals of India and the countries of Indochina.
The local population also tames a wild bull - gaura (gayala). The Indian buffalo is domesticated and widely distributed as working cattle. Wild Indian wild boar is often found in dense riverside thickets. In those areas where significant tracts of forests have been preserved, the large nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) and the four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis), muntjac and axis deer (Cervus axis) live - one of the most beautiful representatives of this family, living in forest areas rich in water. Of the predators, the tiger, leopard and a special form of the leopard, the black panther, are widespread, causing significant damage to cattle breeding. Within the Thar Desert, a lion is occasionally found, which has penetrated here from the Ethiopian region.
India and Indochina are characterized by an abundance of monkeys, which are distributed everywhere: in forests, savannahs, gardens, near settlements and even in cities. They eat fruits and spoil crops, causing great damage to the population. Dog-like monkeys are found in India, and gibbons, macaques, and others are found in Indo-China. Within the limits of the subregion, both in forests and near human habitation, semi-monkeys, or lemurs, live. For Indochina, as well as for the islands, woolly wings are characteristic.
The real disaster for the local population is the abundance of various reptiles, especially poisonous snakes, from the bites of which thousands of people die every year. In the waters of the Ganges and other large rivers, giant crocodiles (Gavialis gangeticus) are found, reaching 6 m in length.
The world of birds amazes with the brightness of plumage and variety of forms. Among them are the common peacock (Pavo cristatus), the pheasant, wild chicken species from which domestic breeds are descended, various thrushes, etc. Of the insects, there are especially many different motley-colored butterflies, giant tarantulas that feed on small birds. In India, there is a wild bee - the ancestor of the domestic bee.
The direct destruction of valuable species of plants and animals (hunting, poaching, illegal trade), and most importantly, the change in their habitats as a result of anthropogenic impact, have led to the fact that many species of Eurasian fauna are endangered. These are 471 species of mammals, 389 species of birds, 276 species of fish, 85 species of reptiles and 33 species of amphibians. About two thirds of all Asian wildlife habitats have been destroyed. In China, one of the 12 "megadiverse" countries in the world, 15-20% of species are threatened with extinction. Of the seven endemic mammal species of Western Asia, four (Arabian leopard, striped hyena, Arabian tahr and Arabian wolf) are endangered. The situation with the loss of species and their habitats in Western Europe is practically not improving.
The complexity of the natural conditions of Eurasia, the complex structure of the relief, the great contrast of temperatures - all this greatly influenced the entire animal world of the largest continent, making it diverse and unique.
The forest fauna of different regions of Eurasia is more differentiated.
Many large mammals live in the European part, such as,. In the mountain forests and reed beds of Asia, you can find bamboo and,. Common, freshwater crabs,. In India and Indochina, there are a large number of monkeys, many reptiles, in particular poisonous snakes.
For the taiga fauna of Eurasia, typical representatives can be called,. Often found in the tundra,. On the desert plateaus and mountain ranges of the continent, the species composition is relatively poor, ungulates and rodents predominate. In the steppes of Eurasia, it is found, as well as various,. In the fauna of the southern part of Eurasia, which has pronounced tropical features, primitive predators, amphibians and reptiles are often found, which are almost absent in the northern parts of the continent.
In the rivers and lakes of the middle zone, both burbot and roach are found. Representatives of the salmon class are also not uncommon. There, on the rivers, you can meet an otter and a great worker -.
Common types
It inhabits almost all of Europe, the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, Crimea, Asia Minor and Central Asia, South and Central Siberia, south of the Far East, East China, Korean Peninsula, Japan.
The badger has massive, short legs, resting on the ground with the whole foot. The fingers have long, blunt claws adapted for digging. On the muzzle of the animal, you can see two dark stripes stretching from the eyes to the ears. It lives, as a rule, in mixed and taiga, less often in mountain forests; in the south of its range it occurs in steppes and semi-deserts. Adheres to dry areas, but near (up to 1 km) water bodies or swampy lowlands, where there is more food.
The badger lives in deep burrows, which it digs along the slopes of sandy hills, forest ravines and gullies. It is worth noting that badgers adhere to their native places from generation to generation. According to research, some of the badger towns are several thousand years old. Solitary individuals use simple burrows with one entrance and a nesting chamber. The badger has a very important economic value: it destroys insect pests, especially the larvae of the cockchafer, thereby bringing great benefits to agriculture. The skin of a badger is of little value, but the hair is used to make brushes.
A male brown bear can reach a length of 2.5 m and a body weight of up to 500–750 kg. In appearance, the brown bear is clumsy, although in reality it is very mobile and agile: it can run fast, make big jumps, climb trees, and swim.
He moves like a pacer, that is, he alternately steps on both right and then on left paws. Leaning on the entire foot, it can rear up, stretching up to 3 m in height. A brown bear runs faster uphill than on level ground, since its hind legs are longer than its front legs. He walks through the forest carefully and almost silently. Unlike the polar bear, it avoids diving and plunges into the water, leaving its head outside. In calm times, he walks slowly, putting his feet slightly inward, justifying the popular name "clubfoot".
Another name "bear-because" is due to the fact that this beast loves honey very much and knows (knows) where to look for it. Behind him, he climbs high trees into hollows with honeycombs of wild bees, often raids apiaries. According to the way of life, the brown bear is a twilight animal. During the day it hides in the remote places of the taiga and only in the evening comes out in search of food. The forest provides him with abundant and varied food. At the beginning of summer, he eats young shoots, roots, bulbs, later - mushrooms, berries, acorns, nuts. In autumn, it enters the fields with oats or corn, where it causes more damage by crushing the ears and stems of plants. In the Caucasus, it visits groves of wild fruit trees, willingly eating pears and cherry plums; in Central Asia eats pistachios, grapes, apricots, going out to their plantations. Sometimes it goes to the outskirts of large orchards, dropping apples and pears with ripe fruits. In the forest, it unfolds ant heaps, peels off the bark from old stumps, extracting bark beetles and other insects. Along the way, it eats eggs and chicks from nests on the ground, catches small rodents, frogs. During the course of fish in taiga rivers (in Kamchatka and the Far East), it catches it off the coast and eats it in large quantities. On occasion, it attacks moose, wild boars, reindeer, cows and horses. Often feeds on carrion.
Brown bears live 35–50 years. In the past, these animals were ordinary inhabitants of the forest zone, but as a result of intensive logging, plowing fields and immoderate bear hunting, a little more than 100 thousand heads have survived in Russia. Bears are hunted mainly for tasty meat, healing, vitamin-rich fat and warm, albeit very heavy skin, which is valued relatively cheaply. The protection of some subspecies of brown bears has become necessary.
Large European bull. The bison is the heaviest and largest land mammal in Europe, but at the same time, already at the end of the 19th century, there was a tendency to reduce the size of the European bison. Back in the first half of the 20th century, there were adult males of the Belovezhskaya subspecies, reaching a mass of 1200 kilograms. Lives in lowland, partly swampy or mountain forests. Eats grass, leaves, tree shoots, bark. In the morning and in the evening it goes out to graze in the meadows, and in the middle of the day lies in the forest, chewing the cud. In the heat, he goes to the watering hole twice a day. Bison are kept in groups: a mother with calves or only adult bulls. The differences between bison and American bison are minor. The bison has a higher hump, which differs in shape, longer horns and tail. The bison's head is set higher than that of the bison. The body of a bison fits into a square, and for a bison it fits into an elongated rectangle, that is, the bison has a longer back and shorter legs. In the hot season, the back of the bison is covered with very short hair, almost bald, while the bison in all seasons has hair developed all over the body. Both species are approximately the same in size, although the American bison looks more compact and stronger due to its stockiness.
Description. In appearance, it is similar to an ordinary domestic pig, which is a descendant of a tamed boar. It is characterized by a strong development of the front of the body, in comparison with which the back is much lower and seems weak. The head is large, massive. Canines are strongly developed, especially in males: lower, sharp and trihedral, directed upwards; the upper ones are blunt and sometimes curved so strongly that their ends are bent upwards. In females, fangs are weaker, the upper ones are not bent and do not protrude outward. The sizes of wild boars in different areas are not the same. Males from the Caucasus reach a length of 205 cm, with a height at the withers of up to 120 cm. The weight of adult animals in different subspecies ranges from 48–50 to 320 kg.
The hairline is highly developed. In winter, it consists of long bristles split at the end, which form a mane on the back, and a thick undercoat. The color of the bristles is dark brown with light ends, grayish, sometimes almost white. Thick chestnut-brown undercoat. The general coloration varies both in connection with geographical distribution and individually. The most characteristic of wild boars is a dark brown or dark brown color, with darker colored legs, sometimes completely black. When the light-colored ends of the bristles are lengthened, the boar acquires a lighter color. Summer hairline consists of sparse short bristles, the undercoat falls out. Coloring in summer is brownish-gray, sometimes ash-gray. The coloration of piglets is very peculiar and consists of alternating dark brown and light longitudinal stripes.
A very smart predator. In the Far North, wolves are larger, in the south - smaller. The wolf loves open places: it is easier to catch prey there. It runs beautifully, quickly, as if spreading along the ground. A wolf chooses a pair for himself for life. And wolves often hunt together: one sits in ambush, and the other drives prey at him. Wolves have their own communication system. They use howls, howls, whimpers, grunts, growls, yelps, barks, and even different movements to communicate. The wolf has the best hearing. The color of wolves often corresponds to the places in which they live. For example, in desert wolves, the color is with a red tint, in tundra it is white, and in forest wolves it varies from light gray, gray-brown to black. It has been proven that the wolf has better mental abilities than the dog. Scientists at the Veterinary University of Vienna conducted an experiment in which 15 puppies and 14 wolf cubs of six months of age participated. All animals participating in the experiment were shown how a trained dog opens a wooden box with food with the help of teeth and paws. Then each puppy was able to try to cope with the same task on their own. The result amazed the scientists, only 4 mutts coped with the task, but all 14 cubs were able to open the box using the same techniques as a trained dog. The experiment proves that wolf cubs remember well and are able to learn.
The smallest forest ungulate animal is the musk deer from the group of deer. The musk deer has no horns, but the upper fangs are strongly developed. In males, they protrude far outward. The musk deer feeds mainly on tree lichens. The male has a pouch on the ventral side containing musk, a special substance with a strong odor that is used in perfumery.
The most valuable fur-bearing animal, the sable, lives in the most remote parts of the taiga, most often in areas overgrown with tall trees, littered with windbreak and deadwood, crossed by streams and rivers. Sable also likes impassable thickets of elfin cedar on stony screes of mountain spurs. After these thickets are covered with a thick layer of snow, the sable finds an excellent refuge from their enemies in them, and it is almost impossible to get it there.
The sable climbs trees reluctantly and builds its nests under tree roots, in hollows located not high from the ground, or in rock crevices. The sable is distinguished by its attachment to the area of the taiga forest that it once chose for life.
The largest hares - white hare live in the tundra, in Western Siberia, their body length reaches 70 centimeters, and their weight exceeds 5 kilograms. The smallest hare are in the taiga of Yakutia, they weigh no more than 3 kilograms. The ears of the hare are not very long, they are bent forward; they reach only the tip of the nose and slightly exceed it. The tail of the animal is white, with an admixture of dark hair. The tail is relatively short and rounded. The paws of the hare are wide, and the feet are covered with thick hair, which provides better support in the snow. The coloring changes depending on the season. In summer, the fur on the back is brownish-brown, the sides are light, and the abdomen is white. In winter, the animal is dressed in pure white fur, but the tips of the ears remain black. Winter fur is thicker and longer. The means of protecting the hare from pursuit is a quick run and confusion of tracks, the so-called “doubles” and “discounts”, dead ends of tracks that make tracking difficult.
Harvest mouse
A small animal with a body length not exceeding 12 cm, and weighing 31 g. Long small tail, slightly elongated body, covered with soft hair. The color of the vole is from dark brown to gray. The field mouse is distributed in Europe and Asia (Siberia, Baikal). Lives in fields, meadows, on the edges of deciduous and mixed forests and near rivers in minks dug shallowly in the soil.
Each burrow has several entrances and a nesting chamber built from dry stems, twigs, leaves, grass and other natural "materials". The field mouse is more active at night than during the day. In this chamber, mice rest during the day, waiting for their nightly foraging adventures. They feed on seeds of various plants and insects. Nutritious feed is scattered throughout the field. To find it, voles have to leave their homes for long distances. In this, she is helped by a long tail, which is a “balancer” and, of course, well-developed paws that help the animal run very fast.
At the age of two months, the field mouse is already capable of sexual reproduction. She brings offspring up to 4 times a year, each time bringing 4-8 mice. Cubs are born blind, but they quickly develop, feeding on mother's milk. On the 12-12th day, the mice begin to see clearly, and after 2 weeks they begin to lead a more independent life. Vole knows how to hide perfectly, run away and hide in case of danger. It is extremely difficult to see the animal.
These are tailless amphibians. There are a lot of frogs, they are all different, but, in general, they are similar: the body is short, there are no necks, tails and external ears, the hind legs are two to three times longer than the front ones. They move by jumping. They throw eggs in the water, tadpoles hatch from them and, growing up, turn into frogs. The vision of frogs is arranged in such a way that they can look forward, sideways and up at the same time. They never close their eyes for a long time, even during sleep. Wet skin of frogs has bactericidal properties. Our ancestors, knowing this, threw them into milk so that it would not turn sour.
It is hard to imagine how many rodents are destroyed by feathered and four-legged predators. And yet, while conditions are favorable for the reproduction of rodents, predators cannot stop the growth of their numbers, they only restrain it. But gradually the rate of reproduction of rodents is falling: lack of food, intense competition for burrows and habitats, and finally, a special state of the body that occurs during overpopulation, lead to a drop in their fertility.
Similar mass reproductions of steppe mouse-like rodents usually occurred once every 10–11 years, but it is difficult to establish a strict periodicity here. In our time, man, who plowed almost all the steppes of the planet, has made significant changes to this picture. Where agricultural technology is at a high level, correct crop rotations are observed, and birds of prey nest in forest shelterbelts, mass reproduction of rodents is simply impossible. In the same place, where the rules of agricultural technology and the system of crop rotation are grossly violated, and our predatory friends are killed or dispersed, the number of mouse-like rodents increases sharply almost every autumn. Fighting them with pesticides is expensive, dangerous and ineffective.
It is a large relative of the chicken. Lives in coniferous and mixed forests. In summer, it pecks berries, flowers, leaves, insects on the ground - and everything is running. In autumn and winter it feeds on trees: needles, young twigs, buds, mountain ash. In winter, it dives from a tree into the snow at night. Takes off hard, noisy, low and not for long. In early spring, it flows, calling on a friend. It starts on a tree: raises and lowers its tail, throws its head back and slowly walks back and forth along the branch. Then it falls lower, lower and flows already on the ground. During turning, the capercaillie does not hear anything, which is why it was called that. Glukharka builds a nest in a hole on the ground, lays up to 16 eggs.
Goose
Famous waterfowl. In winter, it flies south. In summer, the couple builds a nest on the shore - in the grass or in the thickets. The goose lays it down inside: she plucks it from herself, and sometimes from her father. There are more than 5 eggs in a clutch. Having dried out, the chicks immediately begin to run, swim, dive, look for food - under the supervision of their mother. Geese have horny plates on the edges of their beaks. Water is filtered through them, and algae, aquatic insects, mollusks remain in the beak. On land, geese feed on grass.
steppe eagle
It does not have time to get dark, when short-eared owls fly out to help diurnal predators, and long-eared owls from the nearest forests in river valleys and old forest belts. Their bloody feast lasts all night, in which four-legged predators take part - wolves, foxes, corsacs, steppe ferrets, ermines, weasels, badgers. Rodents are found in the stomachs of steppe vipers, patterned snakes and water snakes, they are eaten and fed to their chicks by herring, gray and river gulls, flying far into the steppe to hunt. Rooks, gray crows and magpies successfully pursue rodents, even in a large sandpiper - a large curlew, young voles were found in the stomach. The steppe giants bustards swallow both young and adult animals several pieces at a time, with pleasure diversifying their vegetarian table with them.
The belt of alpine vegetation - low-growing meadow grasses, turf grasses, sedges - is highly developed on the high ridges of Eurasia above the forest belt. The Alps, the Caucasus and the Carpathians, as well as the western and northern Tien Shan, are characterized by subalpine and alpine colorful meadows. Subalpine meadows are similar to plain ones: their herbage reaches 50-60 cm in height; there are many moisture-loving perennials. These meadows are divided into cereal, sedge, mixed herbs. Alpine meadows have a lower herbage (10-15 cm) and less diverse species composition of grasses. Precipitation is brought to the high mountains by moist winds blowing from the Atlantic Ocean and from the Mediterranean Sea. The snow accumulated during the winter with the onset of a cool summer gradually melts. At the very edge of the snows, on soil constantly moistened by melt water, succulent, squat perennial alpine grasses grow. They are distinguished by large flowers of bright color: yellow and orange - in buttercups, primroses, cinquefoil, poppy, blue - in gentian, pink and white - in mytniks, saxifrage, stellaria, red and pink - in onions, blue - in forget-me-not, purple - in violet, alpine aster and many others. Alpine plants are cold-resistant, but do not tolerate dryness.
Alpine monotonous green cobresia densely sod meadows in Altai, Pamir-Alai, Tien Shan, Tibet and the Himalayas are very different from typical alpine meadows. Here, the soil is almost completely covered with different types of rhizomatous plants, mainly from the genus cobresia (sedge family). They are mixed with low cereals, some types of plants of alpine meadows. Cobresia meadows live on moisture from the melting of snow that fell during the winter and scarce spring-summer precipitation. These are valuable summer pastures. In autumn, the vegetation on them dries up and turns yellow.
Below the strip of alpine meadows, away from the snow line, especially in Altai, in the Dzungarian Alatau, in the Northern Tien Shan and the Caucasus, the highlands are covered with subalpine grass-forb meadows. Plants develop here due to summer rainfall. These are very valuable alpine pastures and hayfields.
Where the climate of the highlands is more arid, at altitudes of 3000-3500 m on the syrts of the Central Tien Shan, in the ridges and highlands of the Pamir-Alay, Pamir, Tibet, Karakoram, Himalayas, with their cool summers, peculiar high-mountain steppes, semi-deserts and desert. In the high-mountain steppe spaces, the vegetation cover is dominated by densely soddy grass fescue, feather grass, wormwood, teresken, etc.
The Central Tien Shan and especially the Pamirs are characterized by alpine deserts, extending at altitudes of 3500-4900 m. The conditions here are extremely severe. There are very few rainfalls. Snow cover is negligible. The soil freezes deeply, forming permafrost. In winter, the temperature drops to -45° (on the soil surface), and in August it rises to +56°. Vegetation cover is sparse. It consists mainly of semi-shrubs, reaching only 20-25 cm in height: wormwood, cushion-shaped teresken, leafless shrub ephedra (kuzmiche grass), etc. In the highlands of the south of Central Asia and Transcaucasia, in sharply continental conditions, a special type of vegetation is common - upland xerophytes. They are highly drought tolerant, usually cushion-like thorny plants.
Herbaceous plants of the alpine belt of the Caucasus: primrose, hazel grouse, gentian (from left to right). herbaceous plants
In the highlands of Siberia and the Far East, vegetation is different. Extremely cold winters here have little or almost no snow. Almost everywhere there is permafrost, so the vegetation is in the nature of the tundra. Among the continuous cover of mosses and lichens 3-8 cm thick, small semi-shrubs and shrubs huddle: round-leaved birch, creeping myrtle-leaved willow, etc. From a distance, these highlands seem bare, therefore they are called chars.
Subalpine belt of the Caucasus: colchicum, saffron, large-cupped primrose (from left to right).
In the lower part of the alpine belt stretches a strip of dwarf vegetation, transitional to the forest zone. In Siberia and the Far East, cedar, Siberian pine, Dahurian and Ayan larches, Siberian fir take the form of elfin. In the Southern Altai, Central Asia and the Eastern Caucasus, juniper dwarfs are widespread, in the Urals - shrub alder, in the Carpathians - green alder and mountain pine. In the Caucasus, dense elfin thickets form an evergreen shrub of the Caucasian rhododendron. Even lower, the alpine belt is replaced by forests of the middle mountain stage. In the Khibiny, in the Urals, in the mountains of Eastern Siberia, in the Carpathians, they are made up of the same forest species that grow in abundance on the adjacent plains.
Mountain rainforest in the Himalayas. Fir with an undergrowth of rhododendron.
In the forest belt of the mountains of Central Asia and the Caucasus, forest species are peculiar, often found only here. Siberian fir is found only in the Dzungarian Alatau. To the south, in the Western Tien Shan, the Semenov fir grows close to it. The Siberian spruce is replaced by the Tien Shan spruce, which is distributed at altitudes of 1500-2850 m from the Dzungarian Alatau to the Zaalai Range. Juniper with non-thorny needles, or juniper, which forms light forests, is characteristic. In the Kopetdag, light forests of the Turkmen juniper are combined with the mountain steppe. In the mountains of Central Asia, many types of trees grow from widely hardwood: maple, ash, plane tree, walnut, etc.; shrubs - honeysuckle, wild rose, barberry, euonymus, cherry. Along the valleys of mountain rivers - willow, birch, poplar, alder, elm, sea buckthorn. The forest flora of the mountains of Central Asia is rich in fruit plants; walnut, pistachio, apple, cherry plum, pear, almond, cherry, apricot, wild grapes, hawthorn and many others are found here in abundance. The mountains of Central Asia are famous for their many ornamental plants: tulips, irises, onions.
Caucasian rhododendron.
The forest belt of the Caucasus is the most diverse in terms of composition of tree species in its western, wet part. In the upper strip (1200-1900 m) coniferous forests grow from hooked pine, eastern spruce, Caucasian fir. Below, deciduous forests of beech, several species of oak, maple, hornbeam, and birch predominate. There are many evergreen shrubs here - cherry laurel, holly, Pontic rhododendron. Some once widespread tree species are now preserved only in some places in the Caucasus. These are such relics of the Caucasian flora as real chestnut, dzelkva, yew, Eldar pine, Pitsunda pine, boxwood.
The forest belt of the Ukrainian, or Wooded, Carpathians, reaching 2663 m in height, is developed from the very foothills to heights of about 1800 m. Spruce forests grow here with an admixture of fir, European cedar (cedar pine) and beech, mixed forests of oak, hornbeam, beech, European fir, maple, linden, occasionally there are yew, hook pine.
The upper border of the forest in the Caucasus (Teberda).
Mountain forests and valuable mountain pastures are widely used. The water protection, anti-erosion role of the vegetation cover of the mountains is invaluable. The flora of the high mountains is a treasury of useful, especially medicinal and ornamental plants. Of the high mountains of Eurasia, the European Alps and the Himalayas are the most interesting in terms of vegetation cover.
Tundra in the northern mountains.
The European Alps are a vast high-mountainous country with the highest point of Western Europe, Mont Blanc. Here falls from 600 to 3000 mm of precipitation per year. The boundary of eternal snows passes at an altitude of 2500-3200 m. Alpine meadows turn green in the high-mountain belt, and subalpine tall grass meadows below. Even lower begins the forest belt with a predominance of conifers (spruce, fir, larch, cedar pine), and behind them are already forests of broad-leaved species, mainly oak and beech.
The northern slopes of the main ridge of the highest Himalayan mountains face Central Asia with its sharply continental desert-steppe climate. The vegetation here is similar to the vegetation of the Pamirs and the highlands of Tibet, raised to a height of up to 4-5 thousand meters. The southern slopes of the Himalayas are already under the influence of a tropical monsoon climate. Up to 1000 m they are covered with a tropical forest of giant trees entwined with lianas. Ficuses, palms are characteristic. Bananas, bamboos, tree ferns also grow here. This part of the Himalayas is very humid. For example, Sikkim receives up to 12 m of precipitation per year! Above, the tropical forest is replaced by a subtropical one, with evergreen magnolias, oaks, and long-coniferous pines. Above 2,000 m there are hardwood forests - oak, chestnut, walnut and coniferous - mainly silver fir, pine and Himalayan cedar. The alpine belt with alpine steppes stretches even higher. The snow line starts at an altitude of 3500 m.
Animals of Eurasia
The largest poisonous snake lives in the tropical forests of Asia - the king cobra, reaching 5.5 m. The female builds a nest from dry leaves, where she lays about 20 eggs and guards them until the offspring hatch. The clutch is also guarded by the common spectacled snake, or the Indian cobra, which is widespread in India and Sri Lanka. Of the other snakes that are poisonous and dangerous with their bite, the closest relatives of cobras are characteristic - bungars, or krayti, chain vipers, some muzzles and keffis.
The composition and ratio of the biological groups of birds and animals of the evergreen forests of Asia fully corresponds to the picture already known to us, which is characteristic of other continents. Let us dwell on some species and groups characteristic only of this land area.
Of the parrots, typical of all tropical latitudes, in the Asian Hylaea, as in Australia, species of the subfamily Loris are characteristic. They have a brush or special outgrowths at the end of their tongue, with the help of which these medium-sized and very brightly colored parrots collect flower nectar and soft fruit juice. Of the hornbills, let's call the kalao, which is close in its way of life to its African relatives. As in other areas, various types of woodpeckers, bearded birds are typical, and from the order of passerines - pittas, larvae, bulbuli, thymelia, blackbirds, flycatchers, warblers, white-eyed, sunflowers. The family of leaflets is characteristically close to the bulbuls. These are small, often beautifully colored and well-singing birds with a brush on the tongue to collect nectar and fruit juice. The family of weed chickens is common with the fauna of Australia.
The mammalian fauna of the rain and seasonal evergreen forests of Eurasia includes many ancient species and groups that are absent on other continents. At the same time, examples of systematic (phylogenetic) similarity are known not only with Africa, but also with South America. An endemic group of animals are related to hedgehogs gymnurs. The most common is a large, almost 1.5 m, ordinary gymnur. Its body is covered with stiff bristles of dark color, the long tail is scaly and hairless. The beast feeds on various small animals and fruits that have fallen to the ground, and breeds at any time of the year. Among fruit bats so characteristic of the tropics of the Old World, both the largest species live here - almost half a meter long kalong, and pygmy fruit bat, with a body length of 6-7 cm. Kalong eats fruits and lives in large flocks. The dwarf fruit bat has adapted to the consumption of nectar. It has a very long tongue, so the animal can feed on the fly, hovering in the air in front of the flower. Of the other bats, one may mention one that is completely devoid of hair. This species is common in Indonesia, Malacca and the Philippines, spending the day in caves where many thousands of animals can gather.
Of the rodents, we note small primitive long-tailed porcupines, brush-tailed porcupines, and landaks. Among the numerous and diverse wood rodents, there are large, up to 3 kg ratuf squirrels, small crumb squirrels with a body length of 7-10 cm, beautiful squirrels that are very attractive in color. Flying squirrels are also diverse in appearance and size, having the ability to glide with the help of a leathery membrane covered with wool between the front and hind legs. The largest species (body length 60 cm) - taguan - is able to cover a distance of 60 m. It is common in the forests of Burma, Sri Lanka and East India.
Many predators also lead an arboreal lifestyle. Firstly, as in Africa, various groups of viverrids are characteristic. Some of them eat, in addition to small animals, also fruits. Let's mention the Asian palm civet. The smoky leopard, leading an arboreal lifestyle, is especially characteristic of evergreen forests. The tigers and leopards living here are also found in many other zones. In India and Indochina, "brunette" leopards (melanistic individuals, which are called black panthers) are often found.
Living in the forests of Southeast Asia, the black-backed tapir has long been a classic example for faunists. Its closest relatives live in Central and South America. The range of the tapir family is relict; in the Paleogene and Neogene, these animals were widespread in most of Eurasia and North America. Several species of Asian rhinoceros are now threatened with extinction. For evergreen forests, a bearded pig, similar to our wild boar, is very typical. In many places, the number of these animals is still high. As on other continents, very small forest species of ungulates live in the hylaea of Eurasia. Asian deer are close to African species, the smallest species has a mass of only 2.5 kg. Among the deer, there are also small forest species, of which the muntjac weighing about 25 kg is widely known. Larger representatives of real deer, such as the Indian sambar, live both in humid lowland and in dry or mountain forests of tropical latitudes. Several rainforest-specific deer species are now very rare. Also rare are many types of bulls (gaur, banteng, kouprey) and wild Asian buffalo.
A detachment of primates in tropical Eurasia has a special primitive family of tupai. These are small arboreal animals, usually squirrel-sized, quite unlike their monkey relatives. They feed on insects and other small animals, as well as fruits. The family, as it were, connects the rest of the primates with the order of insectivores, with which they have many common features in structure. Of the lemurs, thin and thick lorises live in the Asian hylaea. All six species of the gibbon family and the orangutan, endemic to Eurasia, are the most adapted to life in trees among the great apes. Unfortunately, many gibbons and orangutans are rare endangered animals. The place of monkeys, characteristic of the forests of Africa, in Eurasia is occupied by various species of macaques. In many areas, macaques are the most numerous of the monkeys. They live in herds, often descend to the ground, and often raid fields and plantations.
Within the belt of the equatorial forests of Eurasia, and to an even greater extent in the area of distribution of moist monsoon forests, very large areas are occupied by secondary communities that have arisen under the influence of human activity (cutting and burning using the vacated land for crops and pastures). Within the Malay Archipelago and Malacca, secondary forests are called belukar. As in other areas, such groups often represent difficult thickets with the participation of thorny plants. In many places, regressive successions lead to the appearance of thickets of shrubs and areas of tall grasses with the dominance of the emperor, called in Indonesia ylang-ylang. The lantana shrub is also very typical. On the Malay Peninsula, plantings of the Brazilian Hevea, which gives rubber, are now extremely widespread. Hevea is by far the most characteristic species of most of the cultural landscapes of the area. In secondary communities, several types of bananas, bamboo, some palm trees, ferns, and numerous herbaceous vines are also typical.
Despite the similarity of the secondary forests of the equatorial latitudes of Asia, as well as New Guinea, with the corresponding forests of Africa, the Asian ones are more diverse in terms of the set of species and the number of their groups. This is due to the general floristic and plant richness of Eurasia, as well as to the more complex geographical conditions of the southern margin of the continent (mountainous, the presence of islands). After a more or less long time after human intervention, a forest close to climax zonal types gradually forms again on the site of secondary communities. Interestingly, the forest on the site of the ancient Cambodian town of Anko Bat, destroyed about 600 years ago, is outwardly indistinguishable from the primary moist forest of this area, but upon closer examination, some differences can still be found.
The production characteristics and biomass of the vegetation cover of the humid monsoon and equatorial forests of Eurasia are the same as for similar zonal ecosystems in Africa, South America, and Australia.
The composition and participation in the biocenosis of various functional (mainly tropical) groups of organisms are also very similar for similar groups of different continents, although species, genera, and even families of plants and animals can be completely different.
The destruction of forests and the profit of open spaces contributed to the penetration of a number of steppe animals into this zone: the common hamster, common voles, bustards, gray partridges, and quails. The number of forest animals has been greatly reduced. Most of the animals affected were large mammals, whose ecological needs turned out to be incompatible with the conversion of biofuels. In Western Europe in the first half of the XVII century. the rear tour disappeared, for the Balkan Peninsula lions ceased to be found, the habitats of the wolf were reduced. The European ibis disappeared from the birds, the composition of eagles was hastily reduced. The animal silence of the steppe and semi-desert regions of Eastern Europe is characterized by the spread of rodents (red and small howrah, hares, common hamster, marmot, extra jerboa, blind, voles).
The largest continent of our planet is Eurasia. It is washed by all four oceans. The flora and fauna of the continent is striking in its diversity. This is due to difficult living conditions, relief, temperature contrast. In the western part of the mainland there are plains, while the eastern part is mostly covered with mountains. All natural areas are present here. Basically, they are elongated from west to east.
Flora and fauna of the arctic deserts, tundra and forest tundra
The northern regions of Eurasia are characterized by low temperatures, permafrost and swampy terrain. The flora and fauna in these areas is poor.
In the Arctic deserts, there is no continuous soil cover. You can meet only mosses and lichens, very rarely - some types of grasses and sedge.
The fauna is mainly marine: walruses, seals, in summer such bird species as goose, eider, guillemots arrive. There are few land animals: polar bear, arctic fox and lemming.
On the territory of the tundra and forest-tundra, in addition to plants of the Arctic deserts, dwarf trees (willows and birches), shrubs (blueberries, princesses) begin to occur. The inhabitants of this natural zone are reindeer, wolves, foxes, hares. Polar owls and white partridges live here. Fish swim in rivers and lakes.
Animals and plants of Eurasia: taiga
The climate of these areas is warmer and more humid. They dominate on podzolic soils. Depending on the composition of the earth and the relief, they differ from each other. It is customary to distinguish between dark coniferous and light coniferous. The first plants of Eurasia are mainly represented by firs and spruces, the second - by pines and larches.
There are among conifers and small-leaved species: birch and aspen. Usually they dominate in the first stages of forest restoration after fires and clearings. On the territory of the continent is 55% of the coniferous forests of the entire planet.
There are many fur-bearing animals in the taiga. You can also meet lynx, squirrel, wolverine, chipmunk, elk, roe deer, hares and numerous rodents. Of the birds at these latitudes, crossbills, hazel grouses, and nutcrackers live.
Mixed and broad-leaved forests: animals and plants of Eurasia
The list of fauna of the territories south of the taiga is represented by numerous trees. They are mainly located in Europe and the Far East.
In broad-leaved forests, the flora is characterized as follows: tree layer (usually 1-2 species or more), shrubs and herbs.
Life at this latitude freezes in the cold season and begins to wake up in the spring. Most often you can find oak, linden, maple, ash, beech. Basically, these plants of Eurasia bloom and bear fruits rich in nutrients, such as acorns, nuts and others.
The second tree layer is represented by bird cherry poppy, yellow maple, Maksimovich cherry, Amur lilac, viburnum. Honeysuckle, aralia, currants, and elderberry grow in the undergrowth. Creepers are also found here: grapes and lemongrass.
The flora of the Far East is more diverse and has a southern appearance. There are more vines in these areas, and moss is present on the trees. This is due to the precipitation that the Pacific Ocean brings. Mixed forests here are simply unique. You can meet larch, and nearby - actinidia, spruce and nearby - hornbeam and yew.
The relationship between the animal and plant world is unconditional. Therefore, the fauna of these territories is more diverse: deer, wild boar, bison, roe deer, squirrel, chipmunk, various rodents, hare, hedgehog, fox, brown bear, wolf, marten, weasel, mink. There are also some species of reptiles and amphibians.
Forest-steppes and steppes
As you move from west to east of the continent, the climate changes significantly. Warm weather and lack of sufficient moisture have formed fertile chernozems and forest soils. The flora becomes poorer, the forest - rare, consisting of birch, linden, oak, maple, alder, willow, elm. In the eastern part of the mainland, the soils are saline; only grasses and shrubs are found.
However, in spring, the steppe expanses are simply pleasing to the eye: the plants of Eurasia wake up. Multi-colored carpets of violets, tulips, sage, irises are located for many kilometers.
With the advent of heat, the fauna also becomes active. It is represented here by steppe birds, ground squirrels, voles, jerboas, foxes, wolves, and saigas.
It should be noted that most of this natural area is used in agriculture. The natural fauna has been preserved for the most part in places not suitable for plowing.
Deserts and semi-deserts
Despite the harsh climate of these territories, the flora and fauna are rich in diversity. Plants of the mainland Eurasia of this natural zone are unpretentious. These are wormwood and ephemeroid, cactus, sand acacia, tulips and malcomia.
Some go through their life cycle in a couple of months, others quickly wither, which keeps their roots and bulbs underground.
The animals of these places are nocturnal, because during the day they have to hide from the scorching sun. Large representatives of the fauna are saigas, smaller - various rodents, ground squirrels, steppe turtles, geckos, lizards.
Savannahs and woodlands
This natural area is characterized by a monsoon climate. Tall plants of Eurasia in savannahs in drought conditions are not often found, mainly palm trees, acacias, thickets of wild banana, bamboo. In some places you can find evergreen trees.
Some representatives of the local flora shed their foliage for several months during the dry season.
The fauna of the savannas and light forests, characteristic of this area, is a tiger, an elephant, a rhinoceros, a large number of reptiles.
evergreen subtropical forests
They occupy the Mediterranean region. Summers are hot here, while winters are warm and humid. Such weather conditions are favorable for the growth of evergreen trees and shrubs: pine, laurel, holm and cork oak, magnolia, cypress, various lianas. In places where agriculture is well developed, there are many vineyards, wheat and olive plantations.
Animals and plants of Eurasia, characteristic of this natural zone, are significantly different from those that lived here before. Man is to blame for everything. Now wolves, tigers, ground squirrels, marmots, markhor goats live here.
Tropical rainforests
They stretch from east to south of Eurasia. The flora is characterized by both coniferous and deciduous forests: cedar, oak, pine, walnut, and evergreens: ficus, bamboo, magnolia, palm, which prefer red-yellow soils.
The fauna is also diverse: tigers, monkeys, leopards, pandas, gibbons.
On the territory of the largest continent of Eurasia, all the natural zones of the world are located. Therefore, its flora and fauna is very diverse. It should be noted that it is this continent that is the most populated and it was here that industry began to develop first of all, requiring the development of new territories, new mineral deposits, as well as new transport routes. All this had a negative impact on the species composition of animals and plants of Eurasia. Many of them have disappeared from the face of the Earth, many are listed in the Red Book and taken under protection. Nowadays, most of the plant communities and animal species of Eurasia can be found within the protected areas.
Among the animals of Eurasia there are many representatives of invertebrates, insects, reptiles and mammals. Since the largest area on the mainland is within the taiga zone, representatives of the fauna of this natural zone occupy significant areas of Eurasia. Among the inhabitants of the taiga, the most common wolverine and brown bear, fox and wolf, hare and squirrel, many rodents and birds. Among them are black grouse, hazel grouse, capercaillie, crossbills, crows and tits. This list is very incomplete. In fact, the species diversity of taiga animals is quite an impressive list.
A very rich and diverse fauna of Eurasian reservoirs. This is a whole range of waterfowl, amphibians, fish of valuable commercial species.
Despite the difficult living conditions of the tundra and desert zone, which occupy large areas in Eurasia, the animals living there have adapted both to the arid conditions of the desert and to the low temperatures in the tundra.
Flora of Eurasia
The flora of Eurasia is also diverse. A significant area of the mainland is occupied by coniferous, broad-leaved, equatorial and variable-humid forests. Trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation grow here in open areas. Among the typical representatives of the plant world of Eurasia are Siberian cedar, oak, beech, banyan tree, bamboo, tulip tree and the largest and most fetid flower in the world - rafflesia.
Vast steppe spaces are covered with cereal grasses and feather grass. It should be noted that most of the steppes of Eurasia are under agricultural crops and natural vegetation has been preserved in a rather limited area of the steppes.
The interior of the mainland is occupied by deserts. Here the most common are wormwood, kurai, camel thorn and saxaul, a plant that does not give shade. In deserts, as well as in the steppes, there are many ephemera, plants with a short growing season. During the spring period, the desert is filled with flowering plants. different types, and with the onset of a summer drought, all this flowering splendor quickly disappears without a trace.
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