The formation and distribution of the region's vegetation was influenced by several factors: the geological history of the development of the territory, the peculiar relief and climate. Vegetable world Altai Territory rich, especially in the mountains, where there are 1840 species - this is approximately 2.5 times more than in the West Siberian Plain.
In the Tertiary, Altai had a warm and humid maritime climate, conducive to the growth of subtropical vegetation - sequoia, cypress, gingo, walnut, beech, hornbeam, ash, linden and others.
During the ice age, broad-leaved subtropical forests perished, and several species of tertiary plants, called relics, remained. Relic plants are found in the upper reaches of the river. Swans, where linden grows, giant fescue, European hoof.
In the Quaternary period, the glacier pushed arctic species of vegetation far to the south. Representatives of the Arctic flora were widespread in Altai at that time. In the Alpine belt, dozens of arctic species adapted to the conditions of the highlands have survived to this day.
Some plant species developed in isolation, so they developed features that were not characteristic of their ancestors or similar plants. Such species are called endemic, they include Altai sedge, Krylov's birch (shrub), Altai willows. There are more than 200 endemic plant species in the Altai mountains.
The geographical position influenced the formation of vegetation and its distribution. The Altai Territory is located at the junction of large physical and geographical regions - the West Siberian Plain, the mountain belt of Southern Siberia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Plant species characteristic of neighboring regions are found in Altai, but they have acquired peculiar features: there are no purely Mongolian and Central Asian species.
In the placement of vegetation, you most clearly show zoning. In the flat part, the vegetation zones change in the direction from west to east, for the same reasons as soils. Steppes are located at the western borders of the region; to the east of them, in a vast area - Altai forest-steppes.
In spring and early summer, in the steppes of the region, there is a beautiful carpet of grasses: against the background of greenery, bright large flowers of yellow, dark blue and pale pink tulips, delicate blue bells, fragrant carnations intertwined with pea stalks stand out.
In summer, the plants burn out and become yellow-brown, a dull picture is enlivened by flowering feather grass. The wind shakes flexible silky plumes, and silvery waves are formed, which often move, getting lost near the horizon.
In the forest-steppes, on chernozem soils, there is a continuous grassy cover, in which alfalfa, yarrow, bedstraw, and vetch predominate. On the soddy-podzolic soils of the forest-steppes, there are birch groves occupying low, moistened areas.
Ribbon pine forests are widespread on sands and sandy soils; they occupy the Ob plateau along the valleys of the Kasmala and Barnaulka rivers and go to the southwest, to the borders of the region.
In the Altai Mountains, three belts of vegetation are clearly traced - steppe, forest and alpine (alpine). Real steppes are located at the foot of the Kolyvan ridge and along the lower reaches of the Katun. Areas with steppe vegetation are found from the foothills to the highlands. The steppes of the low mountains are distinguished by herbs: anemone and geranium grow with an admixture of cereals - feather grass, fescue, thin-legged and shrubs - honeysuckle, wild rose, bean, meadowsweet.
On the southern slopes of the mountains there are sections of stony steppes, which are interrupted by talus and bare rocks. They have a sparse herbage, with a predominance of narrow-leaved grasses, such as fescue, feather grass, wheatgrass. Stony steppes are pastures for sheep and goats.
The closed basins of the middle mountains, located along the Katun and its left tributaries, have steppe areas with fertile chernozem soils, which are dominated by cereal vegetation: feather grass, fescue, steppe bluegrass with an admixture of alfalfa, sainfoin. Perennials bloom in spring - yellow and white buttercups, backache, bright yellow silky adonis, anemones.
Alpine dry steppes are located in the southeast of the Altai Mountains. There are no forests in the upper reaches of the Chuya, and dry steppes are replaced by alpine meadows. Altai and Mongolian plant species grow in the dry steppes, adapted to the harsh conditions of high-mountain semi-deserts. These are very low, creeping plants, their leaves are hard, pubescent with thin hairs. Wormwood, fescue, Potentilla grow in the Kurai steppe, and pebble feather grass, hard sedge, and desert kachim grow in the Chui steppe.
The forest belt in the north and north-west of the Altai Mountains begins at a height of 400-600 m. The upper border of the forest rises to the south: the Korbu ridge has a forest border at an altitude of 1800 m, on the Terektinsky ridge - 2100, on Katunsky - 2200, Chuisky - 2400. The distribution of forests is influenced by the exposure of slopes: more forest grows on the northern ones than on the southern ones, which are under the influence of southwestern and southern winds.
Forests occupy a significant part of the Altai Mountains, their area is more than 5 million hectares. They consist mainly of conifers.
There are more larch forests in Gorny Altai than forests of other types. Larch- a tall tree adapted to adverse climatic conditions, withstands severe frosts, can grow in the valley, on the northern wet and southern dry stony slopes; together with the cedar it rises to the upper border of the forest. Light and clean larch forests resemble natural parks spread on the slopes of the mountains. In them, each tree grows separately, the sun's rays freely penetrate between the trees, small needles almost do not give shade, the surface is occupied by a continuous grassy cover. Larch park forests have a dense shrubby undergrowth.
Larch wood is hard, durable, well preserved in the ground and in water. It replaces oak and ash in the manufacture of wooden parts of machines. Larch - the most valuable construction material in the construction of berths, dams, bridges; sleepers, telegraph poles are made from it.
Cedar, Siberian cedar pine, - important tree species forests of the Altai Mountains. Cedar - a mighty tree with a dark green sprawling crown, with long prickly needles. Forms pure cedars, occurs as an admixture in larch and fir forests. Cedar can grow high in the mountains rising to the edge of the forest. The largest cedar massifs are located in the Teletsk taiga. Cedar has high-quality wood - light, durable, beautiful. From it they make a pencil board, a container for food products, furniture and other products, cedar resin is a raw material for balsam, oil and halva are obtained from pine nuts. Cedar nuts are food for birds and valuable game animals.
Siberian fir- beautiful, slender evergreen tree. Its height reaches 40 m, and the thickness of the trunk is 80 cm. The needles of the fir are dark green and very soft, long (up to 10 cm), the cones stick up at the ends of the branches. In this, fir differs from spruce, in which the needles are prickly and the cones hang down. Fir gives very good wood for the production of paper and cardboard. Camphor and fir balsam are obtained from it, used in medicine.
Black forests are located on the northwestern, northeastern ridges of the Altai Mountains and on the Salair Ridge. The Altai niello is a type of impenetrable dark coniferous forests, consisting of fir, cedar, spruce with an admixture of aspen, and birch. In the black taiga there are many shrubs - mountain ash, currant, raspberry, viburnum, bird cherry.
It is dark and damp in the black taiga, moss hangs from the branches, envelops tree trunks, stones, stumps. In places there is a continuous soft carpet of moss, with dense thickets of lingonberries with shiny small leathery leaves and islets of blueberries. In the open glades of the Altai niello and in other types of Altai forests grow herbaceous plants with tall stems that form impenetrable thickets. Among tall grasses there are honey plants, medicinal, edible and poisonous plants.
On Salair, the niello consists of fir and fir-aspen forests.
Pine forests in the Altai Mountains are located in the central part of the low mountains and occupy the territory from Charysh to Katun; pine grows together with birch, aspen, larch.
Dozens of species of shrubs grow in the mountain forests of Altai, giving edible berries having beautiful flowers, a pleasant decorative appearance. In early spring the slopes of the mountains are covered with bright raspberry-purple flowers of the evergreen maral shrub (Siberian wild rosemary, Daurian rhododendron). The white flowers of the climbing princess are beautiful, thickets of juniper, meadowsweet, and cinquefoil are not uncommon. Very useful shrub- sea buckthorn, from the berries of which a valuable medicine is made - sea buckthorn oil.
The alpine or alpine belt of Altai includes subalpine and alpine meadows, mountain tundra, and glaciers. Thickets are characteristic of subalpine meadows. dwarf birch, willows, honeysuckle, they alternate with meadows, where grasses reach a meter height. Here grow wheatgrass, oats, bluegrass, umbrella, maral root (leuzea).
Alpine meadows with dense herbage are located in the southern and western regions of the highlands. The alpine meadows of Altai are beautiful - this is a living carpet of large beautiful flowers against the background of small green leaves. Blue catchments alternate with bright orange lights, between them gentle pansies- yellow, blue, brown; white anemones make up an amazing bouquet with dark blue goblets of flowering gentian; everywhere poppies, buttercups and many more unusually beautiful flowering plants. Among this wealth of flowers, black spikelets of alpine sedge, modest saxifrage flowers, alpine cereals flash.
Subalpine and alpine meadows are wonderful summer pastures.
There are more mountain tundra in Altai than subalpine and alpine meadows. Mosses, lichens, rocky areas and swamps, glacial lakes and river valleys are replaced by impenetrable thickets of dwarf birch and willow. Among the mountain tundra there are lawns with alpine vegetation, consisting of partridge grass, fescue, polar poppies, sedge, and saxifrage. Above the tundra zone - stone placers, bare rocks, glaciers.
Target: To form the ability to recognize and correctly name medicinal herbs.
Vocabulary work: infusion, decoction, medicinal plants
Preliminary work: a conversation about medicinal herbs, an excursion to the phyto-garden and the collection of medicinal herbs. Learning poems, riddles.
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medicinal plants Altai Territory
Target: To form the ability to recognize and correctly name medicinal herbs.
Vocabulary work:infusion, decoction, medicinal plants
Preliminary work:a conversation about medicinal herbs, an excursion to the phyto-garden and the collection of medicinal herbs. Learning poems, riddles.
Lesson progress
Children sit on chairs.
Educator: Hello guys! I walked through the fields and meadows. I collected a lot of medicinal plants, but I don’t know what they are called. Help me.
Grow in the meadow: chamomile(Slide 1)
Horse sorrel, (Slide 2) clover-porridge, (Slide 3)
Burdock, (Slide 4) knotweed (Slide 5) and bluebell, (Slide 6)
Dandelion, (Slide 7) lily of the valley-tail (Slide 8)
What else?
Plantain, (Slide 9) cornflowers, (Slide 10)
Nettle, (Slide 11) mint, (Slide 12) marigolds. (Slide 13)
Many more herbs
By the paths, by the ditches.
Both beautiful and fluffy!
Multicolored and fragrant.
Guys, let's play the game "Find out and tell." The teacher turns on the multimedia projector, and the children name the plant and talk about it according to the description algorithm.
The educator supplements the answers of the children, clarifies for what diseases this or that plant is used. For example: a decoction of chamomile or calendula gargle with sore throat; plantain leaves are applied to the wound; soothing tea is brewed from mint. Burdock roots are brewed, and then the head is washed with a decoction in case of hair loss.
Doctor Pilyulkin appears:Hello guys! And what are you doing here? (Answers of children). What good fellows! Do you know how to collect medicinal herbs correctly? (Children answer, and Pilyulkin supplements their answers).
Firstly: must be treated with care medicinal herbs when you collect them, do not uproot, do not knock down flowers. We need to take care of nature.
Secondly: during the collection of plants, you can not touch your face with your hands and take your hands to your mouth, taste the leaves or roots of plants. Be sure to wash your hands with soap after collection.
Third: collected herbs must be dried, protecting from direct sun rays and store in bags or boxes in well-ventilated areas so that they retain their medicinal properties.
Are you tired of sitting? Let's have a gym session and play.
Repeat after me.
In the field I walk, I raise my legs (walking in place with a high knee lift)
I'll lean closer to the flowers
I see all their beauty
Delicate wonderful fragrance
I'm happy to feel too! (bend over, take a few breaths with your nose)
I won’t pick flowers (straighten head turns to the right - to the left)
The Altai Mountains are located in the very center of Asia on the territory of four states at once: Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia. Altai is usually called the Russian part of the mountain system.
Altai is a unique place. At the junction natural areas, in the very center of the mainland, at an equal distance from the Pacific, Indian and Arctic Oceans, nature has created an amazing land of blue lakes, high cliffs, impenetrable taiga, dry steppes and vast and rich meadows. Here the Russian Old Believers have long been mixed with the culture of Asia, Genghis Khan's cavalry galloped here, and the pioneers were looking for a way to the mysterious Shambhala. Altai is a kind of mix of Asian flavor and the Slavic world, archaic and modern "in one bottle".
The nature of Altai is just as unique. Most of the territory is occupied by mountains, completely cut by river valleys and intermountain pits. There are over 200 thousand rivers and lakes in Altai, and for the most part these are mountain rivers - with the purest water, strong currents, steep rapids and strong drops.
The entire territory of the Altai Territory occupies a little more than 167 thousand square meters. km. And in such a relatively small space, 6 natural zones are represented at once: tundra, forest, steppe, semi-desert, subalpine and alpine zones.
In 2002, 5 natural objects in Altai were immediately included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List.
Flora of Altai
The peculiarity of the flora of Altai is due to the extraordinary relief, special climatic conditions and features of historical development. Almost all plants characteristic of northern and central Asia and the European part of Russia are represented here.
One of the most famous wonders of Altai is ribbon pine forests. There is no such natural formation anywhere else in the world. Five years of pine forests stretch parallel to each other from the Ob to the Irtysh. Biologists explain the amazing arrangement of plants by the fact that in the prehistoric era most Altai was occupied by the sea. Over time, the waters of the sea flowed towards the Aral Basin. And along the way, at the place where the hollows formed, pines began to grow.
The second miracle of Altai is the black taiga. Here, pines grow next to firs, and mighty Siberian cedars are surrounded by curly birches. Deciduous forests are very common. Altai larch is highly valued in construction.
And a huge number of shrubs: raspberries and viburnum, blueberries and currants, mountain ash and bird cherry. In spring, the slopes of the mountains look very picturesque. Here and there thickets of honeysuckle and blueberries stretch like a solid carpet, evergreen maral spreads in raspberry-purple paths. Dunarian rhododendrons and Siberian wild rosemary, cinquefoil and juicy sea buckthorn grow here.
The flat part of Altai is replete with tall grasses. Often there are pegs - small groves where aspens, birches, poplars and maples grow. And how many flowers are here! Sky blue bells and sapphire tulips, orange lights and white daisies, sunny yellow buttercups and colorful carnations. Not surprisingly, Altai honey is considered the most delicious in Russia.
In total, there are over two thousand plant species in the Altai Republic, of which 144 are listed in the Red Book.
Animal world of Altai
The richness of the Altai fauna is also explained by the diversity of the landscape. High in the mountains, golden eagles live, for which mice, ground squirrels and marmots serve as prey.
In the taiga Altai regions there are formidable wolverines and brown bears, huge elks and predatory lynxes, fluffy ermines and funny chipmunks. Squirrels fly from tree to tree, moles and hares dig holes under the trees. And in the most windbreak places, the most valuable Altai animal, the sable, is hidden.
There are foxes on the plains. Often there are wolves. But most of all jerboas, hamsters and several types of ground squirrels.
Altai reservoirs are favorite habitats for muskrats and beavers. A huge number of birds also live here: ducks and snipes, teals and gray geese, cranes and gulls. During flights, swans and northern geese stop in the swamps and lakes of Altai.
But there are few reptiles in Altai. The muzzle is considered the most poisonous, and the largest is the patterned snake, reaching a length of 1 meter. There are unusual viviparous lizards, a lot of vipers - steppe and common.
Lakes and rivers are famous for their abundance of fish. Perch, minnow and ruff are caught in the rivers. The most important river of Altai is the Ob, where pike perch, sterlet and bream are found. And on the Altai lakes they get a good catch of pike and perch.
Climate in Altai
The climate of Altai is distinguished by its diversity and contrast. So, in the northern regions, summers are warm and dry, and winters are mild and with little snow. But in the mountains, summers are hotter, and winters are more severe.
The coldest point of Altai is the Chuya steppe. The average winter temperature is minus 32ºC. The absolute minimum - 62 degrees below zero - was also recorded here. Cold regions also include the Ukok plateau and the Kurai basin.
Winter frosts set in late November. And the snow lies until mid-April. Then a short and stormy spring gives way to a warm summer. Moreover, in the flat part, summer is hotter and drier. Already at the end of August, it is time for leaf fall and cool winds. Autumn by the beginning of September fully comes into its own.
But Chemal, Kyzyl-ozek, Bele and Yailu are considered warm regions of Altai. In winter, the temperature rarely drops below minus 10ºC. This is explained by the fact that these areas are located near Lake Teletskoye and dry and warm winds often blow here.
The nature of Altai is unique. An amazing combination of natural conditions has created a unique look of its landscapes. Here you can find juicy meadows full of herbs, and steppes dried up by the heat, dull mountain tundras and luxurious coniferous forests. However, the true miracle of Altai is the zone of high mountain belts. These are alpine and subalpine meadows, playing with all the colors of the rainbow, like magical flower beds created by the hand of a sorcerer. This is also the zone of the forest border, where mighty centuries-old cedars, like epic heroes, guard the secrets of majestic rocks. These are also wonderful springs, carrying their crystal jets from the eternal snows resting on the sky-high peaks of the mountains.
The main features of the vegetation cover of Altai are due to its geographic location, complex geological history, variety of climatic conditions. Great length the territory of Altai, both from north to south and from west to east, predetermines the extraordinary diversity of its flora. More than 2000 species of plants grow on the territory of Altai. useful plants, directly used by man, about 660 species. Many types of plants can be both medicinal, food, vitamin-bearing, and poisonous at the same time. The group of medicinal plants is one of the largest. Widely used in official medicine golden root, thick-leaved bergenia, officinalis valerian, Ural licorice, azure cyanosis, peony, dandelion, highlander, safflower-like rapotnik.
There are 149 species of food plants in the flora of the region. The stalks of hogweed, wild angelica, Siberian skerda, Gmelin's ranks, sorrel leaves, rhubarb, bracken, flask, berry plants, wild onions are edible and widely used. The stocks of raw materials of some food plants are quite large, but some need protection - rhubarb, flask, fern.
The flora of Altai is unique - more than 100 plant species are found only in Altai and nowhere else in the world. These are endemics that have arisen here in the process of evolutionary development, among which, for the most part, are especially valuable medicinal plants, such as red brush. The flora of the Altai Territory includes 32 relict species. These are Siberian linden, European hoof, fragrant bedstraw, giant fescue, Siberian brunner, floating salvinia, water chestnut and others. The Red Book of Russia (1988) includes ten species of plants growing in the Altai Territory: Siberian kandyk, Ludwig's iris, Zalessky's feather grass, downy feather grass, pinnate feather grass, Altai onion, steppe peony, Altai gymnosperm, Altai stellophopsis.
Altai is rightfully considered one of the most environmentally friendly places not only in Russia, but also in the world. There are eight sites on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List in Russia. Five of them are located on the territory of Altai. These are the Katunsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve, the city of Belukha, the Altai State Natural Reserve, Teletskoye Lake and the Ukok Rest Zone. Studies conducted on the initiative of WWF (World Wildlife Fund) within the framework of the Living Planet program have shown that there are about two hundred regions on planet Earth in which 95% of all species of living organisms are concentrated. They are called ecoregions (ecological regions). By preserving these regions, mankind will be able to save more than 95% of the existing biological diversity of the planet. Altai is included in the list of 200 unique ecoregions of the world (Global 200). Protecting this truly unique corner of nature is important matter both the population of Altai and all mankind.
Archaeological excavations convincingly prove that medicinal plants have been known in the Altai Mountains for more than 5 thousand years. The remains of dried medicinal plants (wormwood, Kuril tea, hemp, thyme, peony roots) and special utensils for their boiling and rubbing are found in the mounds of leaders and military leaders.
Books on medicinal herbs appeared in Rus' already in 1306 - "Zeleinik or Herbalist". In 1588, the first official Russian "Travnik" was published - a prototype of future pharmacopoeias. Siberian herbs in Rus' were especially valued. Voivode Romodanovsky had a decree "to collect St. John's wort growing in Siberia, dry it, grind it and send it to Moscow by a pood every year."
In 1719, by order of Peter I, including “to search for all sorts of rarities and pharmaceutical items: herbs, flowers, roots, seeds, and other items belonging to medicinal formulations» Daniil Gottlieb Messerschmidt, a German physician and botanist, head of the first Siberian scientific expedition, founder of Russian archeology, who discovered . For 8 years he conducted this work, and the result was a description of more than 380 species of Siberian plants.
An extensive five-volume Flora of Siberia, which describes 1,178 species of Siberian plants, 500 of which were previously unknown, was compiled by Johann Georg Gmelin, a German naturalist in the Russian service, a doctor, botanist, ethnographer, traveler, explorer of Siberia and the Urals.
Lomonosov was interested in studying the natural resources of Siberia. All expeditions of the second half of the 17th century were carried out on the basis of his ideas and instructions.
The Decembrists, who lived in Siberia after serving hard labor, made their contribution to the study of medicinal plants. So, Alexander von Humboldt, the founder of the geography of vegetation, a German scientist - an encyclopedist, was accompanied to Altai by the Decembrist Stepan Mikhailovich Semenov. Ivan Dmitrievich Yakushkin participated in the collection of materials on medicinal plants for the expedition of Alexander Fedorovich Middendorf, a Russian traveler, geographer, botanist, founder of permafrost. Ippolit Irinarkhovich Zavalishin wrote a book about the nature of Western Siberia, in which he included information about Siberian folk medicine.
The works of Porfiry Nikitich Krylov had a great influence on the study of medicinal plants in Siberia; he wrote the seven-volume Flora of Altai and the Tomsk province and the twenty-volume Flora of Western Siberia, completed after his death by his students, in which 1,800 plant species were described.
Studies conducted on the initiative of WWF (World Wildlife Fund) within the framework of the Living Planet program have identified about two hundred regions of the world in which 95% of all species of living organisms of the Earth are concentrated, by preserving them, mankind will be able to preserve the biological diversity of our planet. Altai is included in these unique regions of the world (Global 200).
Almost all are represented in Altai climatic zones: tundra, steppes, meadows, coniferous and deciduous forests, and, of course, a special, completely unique zone of the high mountain belts of the Altai Mountains - alpine meadows. Unique Traits The vegetation of Gorny Altai is shaped by its geographical position, complex geological structure and variety of climatic conditions.
More than 2,000 plant species grow on the territory of Altai, 660 species are used by humans, more than 100 species of endemic plants are found only in Altai and nowhere else in the world. There are 32 relict plant species in Altai - unique living monuments of past geological epochs.
The most famous medicinal plants of the Altai Mountains are:
Golden root - Rhodiola rosea- an adaptogen that is practically not inferior to ginseng, increases mental and physical performance, improves memory, increases the body's resistance to adverse effects, slows down the aging process, normalizes metabolic processes, positively affects the functions of the sex glands and reproductive organs, accelerates the healing of wounds, injuries, bone fractures, is effective for overwork, stress, depression.
Maral root - Leuzea safflower- adaptogen, increases efficiency in case of physical and mental overwork, has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, is effective for low blood pressure, physical and mental fatigue, reduced efficiency, decreased potency, functional disorder nervous system as well as in the treatment of chronic alcoholism.
In spring, deer - marals dig up the roots with their hooves and eat them, which is why the plant got its name - “maral root” or “maral grass”.
Red brush - Rhodiola four-part- adaptogen, increases vitality organism, contributes to its rejuvenation. Effective in cancer. For men, it is effective for prostate adenoma, prostatitis, weakening of potency. For women, it is effective for hormonal disorders, menstrual disorders, infertility.
Upland uterus - Ortilia lopsided- adaptogen, has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antitumor, resolving, analgesic and diuretic effects, helps maintain immunity, increases the functional activity of the uterus and appendages, improves the functioning of the woman's reproductive system as a whole. Effective in the treatment of infertility.
Of course, we have presented far from all medicinal plants of the Altai Mountains, and have described far from all health and healing properties these plants. We are just getting started with this. wonderful world- the world of medicinal plants, a unique living pharmacy of the Altai Mountains, given to us by Nature itself for health and active longevity!
