Why don't they grow in the steppe. If more trees are planted in the steppe, then. Plant world of the steppe

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Steppe - a belt of plains in the temperate and subtropical regions, covered mainly with low grassy vegetation. The Eurasian steppe stretches for 8000 km from Hungary in the west through Ukraine, Russia and Central Asia to Manchuria in the east. Mountain ranges interrupt, dividing it into separate fragments.

The soils of the steppe are rich in minerals, but contain little organic matter due to little rainfall. The annual precipitation is approximately 960 mm (of which 460 mm is rain and 500 mm is snow) in the northern regions of the steppe and about 360 mm (of which 260 mm is rain and 100 mm is snow) in the south. Summer lasts from four to six months, with average temperatures around 21-23° C. Winter lasts for three to five months with temperatures ranging from -13° to 0° C. There are also few trees in the Steppe, so there are often strong and cold winds or dust storms.

Plant world of the steppe

The steppe flora usually consists of plants such as small shrubs and grasses that can withstand drought and lack of nutrients in the soil. There are also trees, but only along the banks of the rivers. Tall grasses growing up to one and a half meters in height are found near trees near water sources. Lower grasses - up to one meter in height - can be found in areas closer to deserts. Due to the dryness of vegetation, sometimes in summer time grass catches fire and fires spread very quickly, covering large areas.

Grasses predominate among the vegetation of the steppe, growing in small bunches, between which a bare soil cover is visible. Widespread different types feather grass, such as John's feather grass ( Stipa pennata). It often occupies vast territories. In densely overgrown areas of the steppe, species of feather grass flourish, characterized by a much larger size. On arid, infertile steppes, small species feather grass. There are also various species from the genus Tonkonog ( Koeleria). They grow everywhere in the steppes, but are especially common east of the Ural Mountains, and certain types serve as excellent food for grazing.

Since the steppe is very diverse, the flora that grows in the steppes also varies greatly depending on the region. Regarding most plants, there is no general opinion as to which of them belong exclusively to the steppe species.

Vegetable world the steppe differs, for example, from the forest, in its resistance to heat and drought. The color of the plants is usually grayish or gray-green, the leaf plates are small, and the cuticles are thickened. In most steppe grasses, leaves have evolved adaptations to curl up in dry weather, protecting them from extreme moisture loss.

Among the steppe flora, there are plants that have an important economic importance. This is mainly fodder vegetation that grows in the steppe and forms pasture lands. Other valuable steppe plants for humans are honey and medicinal herbs. Also special attention cereals and legumes deserve, but among other plants united by the concept of forbs, there are also valuable species.

Below is a list of some plants of the steppe zone with brief description and photo:

Common mullein

This biennial reaches one and a half meters in height, its leaves have felt pubescence. Spike-shaped inflorescences of mullein are dotted with yellow flowers. The flowering period lasts from July to September. All parts of the plant are widely used in medicine. Decoctions and infusions from the leaves are used as expectorants, analgesics, anticonvulsants.

Adonis spring

Spring Adonis is a rhizomatous perennial from the buttercup family. It tolerates strong temperature fluctuations well, and reaches 20 cm in height. The erect stems are covered with small green leaves. Bright yellow flowers stand out against their background. They open early in the morning and close in the afternoon cloudy days not open at all. The flowering period is April - May. The life expectancy of a plant in one place is about 50 years. Adonis preparations are used in folk medicine more than a century with heart disease and diseases of the nervous system.

slender-legged crested

A representative of the cereal family prefers dry fields. The height of the thin-legged comb is 65 cm. The lower leaves are pubescent, the stems have a dense base. The inflorescence is an elongated panicle, the shade of which varies from green to silver. The plant bears fruit profusely. Infusions from the leaves have a wound-healing effect.

Schizonepeta multinotched

It is a good honey plant, grows on hillsides and meadows. The plant has a woody root and a simple stem, the height of which can exceed 60 cm. Pinnately dissected leaves have 3–5 lobes. Shizonepeta, or anise grass, blooms from June to August. Violet flowers are collected in an ear. The plant has a high nectar productivity. Shizonepeta has been used in folk medicine for many centuries: a decoction is used as an expectorant and anti-inflammatory drug. The plant is part of the hypoallergenic cosmetics. In cooking, it is used as a seasoning, especially for fish dishes.

Iris leafless

The herbaceous perennial is considered a rare species, that's why . Iris, or iris, is found in thickets of steppe shrubs and along river valleys. The rhizome of the plant is short and creeping. The height of the peduncle is about 50 cm. The leaves, covered with a bluish bloom, appear later and grow higher than the peduncle. The flowers themselves are large, purple in color. The middle is painted yellow. You can admire the irises in late May - early June. The fruit is a box that opens with flaps. Some forms are characterized by remontance, that is, the ability to bloom again.

Cornflower blue

The plant belongs to the Compositae family. The period of his life can be one or two years. During this time, the cornflower is extended by 60 cm. The green mass is thin and pointed, covered with a felt coating, the lower leaves are trifoliate-lobed. Flower baskets are located singly. The edges are painted blue. Flowers in the middle of the plant are purple. The flowering period falls on June - July. This species is considered a weed plant, its favorite habitat is rye crops. The fruits of the cornflower are smooth achenes with a red tuft. Marginal flowers, colored blue, are often harvested and dried. They are the basis for various medicinal collections. Seed powder is used to treat skin inflammations.

Bluegrass meadow

A perennial plant from the grass family very quickly builds up a dense turf. Withstands moisture very coldy and drought. Bluegrass reaches full development in the fourth year of life. The rhizome of the plant does not penetrate deeper than 100 cm, so bluegrass forms loose sods. The bright green leaves are narrow and rough. Spikelets form a pyramidal panicle. Meadow grass meadow is a valuable pasture plant. It is high-yielding, rich in proteins and vitamins.

White sweet clover

A biennial from the legume family reaches a height of 2 m. The root is taproot, up to two meters deep. Excellent honey plant. The plant is photophilous and very cold-resistant. The leaves are trifoliate, small white flowers are collected in brushes. The plant does not tolerate waterlogging and acidic soils; arid, stony and saline steppes are an ideal place for growing sweet clover. The flowering period falls on June - August, even in dry summers the plant produces a lot of nectar. White sweet clover is widely used in medicine as an antiseptic, anticonvulsant, analgesic and hypotensive agent.

steppe sage

The perennial plant prefers meadows and grassy slopes of the steppe and. The height of the pubescent stems is 80 cm. It blooms in the second year after planting. purple flowers collected in a tall inflorescence. These bright brushes stand out noticeably against the background of green grass. Sage blooms from May to July. The aerial part of the plant is used in medicine and cosmetology. The leaves of the plant are used as a medicinal raw material. They have anti-inflammatory, disinfectant and antimicrobial properties. In folk medicine, it is used in the treatment inflammatory diseases internal organs.

Feather grass

A perennial herbaceous plant belongs to the grass family. The height of an adult plant is 80 cm. A special feature is silver panicle inflorescences. The feather grass forms a thick turf. The plant has succulent stems, so it is actively used as feed for sheep and horses. The fruit, a caryopsis, is equipped with upwardly directed hairs and a special awn. It spreads seeds hundreds of meters from the mother plant.

The close relationship between the flora and fauna of the steppes is a consequence of the fact that the vegetative cover of the steppes already in the most remote times experienced the influence of grazing, and therefore adapted to it with its organization.

WHY THE FOREST DOES NOT GROW IN THE STEPPE

As the first and, it would seem, most probable cause the treelessness of our steppes put forward unfavorable for the growth of trees climatic conditions steppe belt: low rainfall, general dryness of the air along with drying winds, strong evaporation of soil moisture, etc. However, we know many large forest areas in the steppe belt, such as, for example, Buzuluksky forest in the Chkalovsky region, Khrenovsky forest, Shipov forest and Tellermanovskaya grove in the Voronezh region and many others, the existence of which, as it were, contradicts the fact that the climate prevents the growth of woody vegetation in the steppe. In addition, this point of view is completely inapplicable to the forest-steppe belt, where forest and steppe are equal members of the natural landscape.

The reason for the barrenness of the steppes was also sought in the salinity of steppe soils and soils. It has long been noticed that the trees around solonetzes, as, for example, in the Thorn forest, suffer greatly and are stunted and withered. A large number of salts in the soil are unfavorable for the growth of trees in the sense that in this case the roots have to take water from concentrated solutions, as it were, due to which the flow of already meager moisture into the plant is even more difficult.

In 1843, in the open steppe, in the region of Mariupol, the famous Veliko-Anadol forestry was founded, where a number of local and foreign trees were planted on a vast territory. tree species. For 40 years, the trees grew excellently, and the issue of steppe afforestation was already considered resolved, but after the dry year of 1891, the trees began to noticeably suffer, and in the end, this artificial forest largely died. Supporters of the climatic reasons for the treelessness of the steppes saw this fact as confirmation of the correctness of their point of view; however, those who argued for the paramount importance of soil salinity in this matter believed that the forest could grow well only until the roots of the trees reached deeper and more saline soil layers, after which the death of the forest began.

Among other views expressed to explain the reasons for the lack of forests of the steppes, we will also point out the opinion according to which the growth of the forest is adversely affected by physical properties steppe soil, in particular its fine earth. Chernozem, consisting of very fine clay soil particles, is poorly permeable to water, which does not have time to seep into the deeper layers of the soil, where the roots of woody plants are located. That is why, according to this view, the forest cannot grow on chernozem, but settles in the steppe zone only on soils of a coarser mechanical composition, in particular on sands (Buzuluksky and Khrenovsky forests).

Most of the researchers explaining the treelessness of the steppes, one way or another, proceeded from the lack of moisture necessary for the growth of trees in the steppe, but the opposite point of view was also expressed, according to which, in the conditions of the steppe plain, the forest cannot grow due to stagnant moisture in the soil and the absence of drains. . As confirmation of this view, they were inclined to consider the fact that the forest in the steppe zone presses along the ravines and gullies that drain the area. However, supporters of the climatic causes of treelessness interpreted the fact of forest growth in ravines in their favor, as well as supporters of the adverse effect of soil salinization, who believed that the soil in ravines is more leached, and therefore more suitable for forest settlement.

We are not in a position to present here all the numerous views that have been expressed to explain the reasons for the barrenness of the steppe. We will dwell on some of them in the future, but now we will only note that none of the proposed hypotheses can be extended to the entire steppe region.

It can be assumed that the various views that explain the treelessness of the steppes do not exclude, but mutually complement each other, and in different regions of our vast steppe belt, first one, then another reason for treelessness comes to the fore. In most cases, there is a combined effect of various factors, since it is impossible to separate, for example, the unfavorable influence of the steppe climate in the southern steppes from the influence of salinization and especially from human activity.

In the section on the question Why do not trees grow in the steppes? given by the author capable the best answer is There are three reasons why trees cannot grow in the steppe zone. The first reason is that there is too little water in the soil and it is difficult to pump it to a great height. Therefore, in steppe zone trees (usually small) grow only along the banks of rivers.
The second reason is that a continuous cover of fast-growing grasses drowns out the shoots of trees that grow much more slowly than grass.
The third reason is that many large herbivores live in the steppe, which trample both grass and trees. At the same time, the grass is crumpled, but quickly rises, while the seedlings of trees break and die. Directly, as in the famous fable of I. A. Krylov.

Answer from roast beef[guru]
by the wind fertile soil blows away
grow if planted properly

Answer from Neurosis[guru]
The steppe inhabitants cut down all the trees for firewood.

Answer from Natasha Kornienko[newbie]
Hello, my name is Natasha. I am a resident of the village of Stepnoe. And the steppe because it is located on the steppe. And we have a bunch of trees, shrubs, flowers, fruits and vegetables. And no one cuts all the trees for firewood is just a myth. Potatoes grow very well in the steppe last summer, my parents and I dug up 83 tons of hoya planted 2. And this is a plus that the hail beat potatoes.

SPRING SURROUNDINGS

WHY IS THE STEPPE BALD?

For more than one century, scientists have been occupied with the problem of treelessness of the steppes, but they found the answer only recently. Research by domestic experts on this topic was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

Plants on our planet are divided into zones. Trees predominate in the forest zone, grasses dominate in the steppe zone, and shrubs dominate in the zone of hot deserts. Scientists have long been interested in the causes of zoning. They were especially interested in the relationship between forest and steppe vegetation. Indeed, why shouldn't trees grow in sunny and warm steppes?

AT different years Experts have offered different answers to this question. Two hundred years ago, scientists believed that natural conditions the steppes are quite favorable for the growth of trees, and in the past the steppe spaces were covered with forests, which were then destroyed by man. In the middle of the 19th century, the opinion prevailed that the nature of the steppes was unsuitable for forest vegetation, especially since attempts to grow forests in the steppe ended in failure. By the end of the century before last, experts came to the conclusion that the forest was advancing on the steppe, and human activity was hindering the successful completion of this process. And only relatively recently it became clear that the zoning of vegetation depends on the degree of moisture and the energy balance of plants. Employees of the Institute of Problems of Ecology and Evolution. A.N. Severtsov RAS B.D. Abaturov and V.N. Lopatin, relying on the data of domestic scientists, explain why there are no forests in the steppes and under what conditions trees can grow there.

The plant receives all its energy from photosynthesis, which occurs in the leaves. The leaves inside are very wet and also evaporate moisture, so only plants in humid places can afford a lush crown. The drier the area, the less leaves, and hence the energy. In dry steppes, the plant receives moisture mainly from the soil, therefore it must have a powerful root system. The proportion of roots in the total mass of the steppe blade of grass is six times higher than that of meadow grass in the humid forest zone. To the energy it receives steppe plant from his few leaves, enough to support the roots, he has to sacrifice everything that does not photosynthesize and does not absorb moisture, that is, woody stems and branches. Therefore, grasses predominate in the steppes. It is possible that rare trees could grow in the steppe zone if the grass did not compete with them. Proof of this are the experiments on growing artificial forests in the arid zones of the northern Caspian region - for the success of this undertaking, it was necessary to constantly destroy all herbaceous plants.

But there are times when the plant is forced to keep the tree trunk, despite the severe lack of water. In deserts, where it is much drier than in the steppes, it is also very hot, for example, in the Eastern Karakum, the temperature at the earth's surface reaches 50-75 degrees. Photosynthesis does not take place under such conditions. But at a meter height, the air is heated only to 40 degrees, you can live. So desert plants have to put their leaves in a cooler place, away from the ground. Of course, being a tree in the desert is an unaffordable luxury, and shrubs have taken root there, since they do not have to compete for moisture with herbaceous plants, which in such conditions simply do not survive.

Forests, on the other hand, are possible only in humid places, where plants compete not for moisture, but for light. It is here that the trees, which carry a sprawling multi-tiered crown to the sun, finally defeat the grasses, which in literally leave no room for the sun. Getting plenty of both light and water, trees can afford to spend energy on maintaining a mighty trunk and numerous long branches.

Researchers believe that the physiological basis of the zonal distribution of vegetation, obviously, is not limited only to the characteristics of plant energy. Other physiological parameters may also play a significant role. different forms plants, but the assessment of this role requires special analysis.

INFORMNAUKA