Subtropical forest - a forest that grows in the subtropical zones of both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. There are almost no natural old forests, most of the subtropical forests are cultivated [1] .
It is subdivided into zones of hemigilia, monsoon mixed forests and Mediterranean summer dry forests and shrubs . Later, Kalesnik S. V. considered hemigileas and monsoon mixed forests as a single landscape zone of subtropical evergreen and mixed forests [2] . The new zone includes Transcaucasia , in which zonal subtropical vegetation was replaced by broad-leaved forests with evergreen undergrowth ( class Carpino-Fagetea sylvaticae ) [3] . While some geographers were engaged in mergers, others continued to isolate transition zones. The forest-tundra was supplemented by a subtaiga and a sub-Mediterranean landscape zone [4] . The sub-Mediterranean zone was split off from the Mediterranean. The sub-Mediterranean type of landscapes is characteristic of the southern coast of Crimea and the area from the Abrau Peninsula to the vicinity of Tuapse [5] .
Content
- 1 Climate
- 2 Mediterranean summer dry forests and shrubs
- 2.1 Mediterranean
- 2.2 Azores and Canaries, Madeira
- 3 Monsoon mixed forests
- 3.1 East Asia
- 3.2 United States of America
- 4 Hemigileas
- 5 fauna
- 6 See also
- 7 Notes
- 8 References
Climate
The subtropical climate is characterized by the absence of prolonged negative temperatures throughout the year, so frost does not stop the vegetation of plants . The change of seasons occurs in connection with periodic seasonal changes in the prevailing air masses . The movement of air masses from east to west (western air transport) determines the predominant wetting of the eastern edge of the continents . The areas under its influence throughout the year do not experience seasonal changes in rainfall . The climate of regions in which such air currents are replaced in winter by the movement of cold northwestern air masses from the mainland is monsoon, with dry winters and plentiful summer humidification.
In the west of the continents the situation is the opposite. In summer, tropical air masses prevail with high atmospheric pressure , which is characterized by little cloudiness and humidity, and scanty precipitation; in winter, air masses of temperate latitudes come here, bringing cyclones . This is the reason for the western oceanic (Mediterranean) climate with winter precipitation. The continental climate inherent in areas remote from the ocean is characterized by a deficit of precipitation throughout the year. [6] [7]
Mediterranean Summer Dry Forests and Shrubs
The central place in this zone belongs to the class of plant formations of hard-leaved forests. Hard-leaved summer dry forests grow in subtropical zones on the western outskirts of the continents; they occupy the largest area in the Mediterranean Sea. They are much smaller in North America ( California ), in the west of South America (in the middle part of Chile ), in the south and west of Australia , in South Africa , in the north of New Zealand . The climate is dry, precipitation in the form of rain falls in winter, from 500 to 1000 mm per year, even mild frosts are extremely rare, summers are dry and hot. The characteristic features of these forests are
- The prevalence of xerophilic, hard-leaved rocks with sclerophytic leaves. [6] The mechanical tissues of their leaves and stems are developed in such a way that when there is a shortage of water, their rigidity is preserved and the wilting is externally imperceptible. [8]
- The forest canopy is single-tier, the crowns are wide.
- The undergrowth is dense, from evergreen shrubs. [9]
- Tree trunks are dressed with a thick crust or cork, begin to branch almost from the ground [7] .
Here evergreen oaks and various conifers (pines, pine trees , cedars ), junipers , a noble laurel , a strawberry tree , which annually dumps bark, wild olives , roses and myrtle grow here . [10]
Mediterranean
Classes of zonal vegetation ( Brown-Blanca approach): Quercetea ilicis , Ononido-Rosmarinetea , Cisto-Lavanduletea stoechadis . Examples of Mediterranean forests and shrubs are described below [3] .
- Forests from evergreen oaks: stone , cork, and kermes, with the participation of forest olives and other species.
- Forests from Mediterranean pines: coastal , Italian , Aleppo .
- Relict forests of evergreen cypress and noble laurel .
- For maquis , communities from species of juniper , pistachio , evergreen oaks and joster are characteristic , to which olives , ceratonium and common myrtle are connected in places.
- Frigana and gariga are covered with thickets of medicinal rosemary , cistus , thyme , St. John's wort and lavender .
The Quercetea pubescentis ( fluffy oak ) class, which is widespread in the region, is considered zonal not for the Mediterranean, but for the immoral forest zone. Many interesting species are attributed to it: from Lebanese cedar to horse chestnut and common lilac [3] .
Azores and Canaries, Madeira
Classes of zonal vegetation (Brown-Blanca approach): Lauro azoricae-Juniperetea brevifoliae , Oleo cerasiformis-Rhamnetea crenulatae , Pruno lusitanicae-Lauretea azoricae , Kleinio neriifoliae-Euphorbietea canariensisetartocy The following is an abbreviated list of forests and shrubs of this island territory [3] .
- Evergreen forests from the Azores laurel with the participation of the treelike cells , Visnea mocanera and the wavy pittosporum .
- Canary pine forests.
- Semi-dry woodlands from red- fronted juniper , Canarian date and species of olive. Thickets of joster and maytenus.
- Succulent vegetation is represented by milkweed Canarian and oleandrian clay .
Monsoon Mixed Forests
Monsoon mixed forests grow in warm climates with pronounced dry winter and humid summer seasons, mainly on the eastern outskirts of the continents of Asia, North and South America, Australia. The absence of noticeable seasonal temperature differences allows the development of evergreen vegetation. The floristic composition is very rich, for example, in East China about 20 thousand species. The main forest-forming species are evergreen oaks and other beech trees , as well as camellias , magnolias , pines , firs , cryptomeria , bamboos , representatives of the Lavrovy , Palmovy families and others.
Closer to the equator of the forest, moisture-loving, multi-tiered, with vines and dense undergrowth, with the distance from the equator of evergreen species becomes smaller. Soils, mainly red and yellow soils, are low humus, often podzolized, their structure is fragile. [6]
East Asia
Class of zonal vegetation and syntaxa of a lower rank with unclear affiliation: Camellietea japonicae , Boninio-Machiletalia boninensis , Fico-Mallotetalia [11] . The natural fir, tsugovy , cypress and broad-leaved forests found in this region form high-altitude belts above the forests and shrubs listed below [12] [13] .
- Low-lying laurel forests composed of Machilus species, which are accompanied by cinnamon and evergreen magnolia (Michelia).
- Mountain forests from Castanopsis species with the participation of Sсhima superba and Altingia . Under their canopy are widespread: camellia , evergreen rhododendron , simplokos and ardizia .
- Mountain forests of evergreen oaks and lithocarpus . Common here are: henna , holly , witch hazel , pentaphylaxis .
- Pine groves and thickets of unpretentious shrubs: Quercus phillyreoides , Tobira pittosporum , rafiolepis .
- Secondary forests and shrubs from Mallotus japonicus , Zanthoxylum ailanthoides and Trema orientalis . Here are registered: Lankaran albicia , triple-separated clerodendrum and juicy toxicodendron .
When zonal evergreen vegetation is destroyed, its place is temporarily occupied by pine and deciduous oak forests, enriched with some southern elements: the Formosky liquidation bar , eastern persimmon , Fortuna paulownia and Hubei dalbergia [14] .
United States of America
Hemigilia
Hemigileas are evergreen, in higher latitudes, semi-deciduous broad-leaved forests, grow in places with a fairly humid climate (more than 1000 mm per year). Their range includes the southeastern United States , the south of the Brazilian Plateau, southeast of Africa, and the North Island of New Zealand. The climate of the eastern margins of the continents is more humid. [6] The subtropical forest differs from the humid tropical forests by a lower species diversity, a decrease in the number of epiphytes and lianas, and also by the appearance of conifers ( podocarpus , some species of araucaria ) and tree ferns in the forest stand. Dense, humid forests of evergreen oaks, magnolias, camphor laurels predominate here. Numerous vines , thickets of tall bamboos and various shrubs enhance the originality of the humid subtropical forest. [6] [15]
Fauna
The fauna of subtropical forests is characterized by the presence of temperate and tropical zones. [7]
The fauna of the Mediterranean is diverse, but it has suffered greatly as a result of human activities. Among ungulates predominate species of small sizes: small mountain sheep mouflon ; bearded, or bezoarless , goat, red deer and fallow deer. Predators are represented by a fox , a jackal , a ferret , an otter . Subtropical forests are wintering places for many birds living in places with harsh winters. [16]
See also
- A tropical forest
- Himalayan subtropical pine forests
- Himalayan subtropical broad-leaved forests
- Rain-variable rainforests
Notes
- ↑ Elements - science news: World forests are gradually disappearing
- ↑ Kalesnik S.V. General geographic patterns of land. - Moscow: Thought, 1970 .-- S. 283 (143-144).
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Ladislav Mucina, Helga Bültmann, Klaus Dierßen, Jean ‐ Paul Theurillat, Thomas Raus, Andraž Čarni, Kateřina Šumberová, Wolfgang Willner, Jürgen Dengler, Rosario Gavilán García, Milan Chytrý, Michalus Dichroit , Jens Pallas, Fred JA Daniëls, Erwin Bergmeier, Arnoldo Santos Guerra, Nikolai Ermakov, Milan Valachovič, Joop HJ Schaminée, Tatiana Lysenko, Yakiv P. Didukh, Sandro Pignatti, John S. Rodwell, Jorge Capelo, Heinrich E. Weber, Ayzik Solomeshch, Panayotis Dimopoulos, Carlos Aguiar, Stephan M. Hennekens, Lubomír Tichý. Vegetation of Europe: hierarchical floristic classification system of vascular plant, bryophyte, lichen, and algal communities. // Applied Vegetation Science. - 2016 .-- T. 19 (S1) . - S. 3-264 . - ISSN 1402-2001 .
- ↑ Isachenko A.G. Landscape science and physical-geographical zoning . - Moscow: Higher School, 1991 .-- S. 366 (Fig. 53). - ISBN 5-06-001731-1 .
- ↑ Landscape Science: Theory, Methods, Regional Studies, Practice: Materials of the XI International Landscape Conference / K. N. Dyakonov. - Moscow: Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, 2006. - 788 (227-230) p. - ISBN 5-89575-104-0 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 Forest zones of subtropical zones // Great Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 vol.] / Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov . - 3rd ed. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
- ↑ 1 2 3 subtropical belts . Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. Edited by prof. A.P. Gorkin. - M.: Rosman. 2006.
- ↑ Sclerophytes // Great Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 vol.] / Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov . - 3rd ed. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
- ↑ Hard-leaved forests // Big Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 vol.] / Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov . - 3rd ed. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
- ↑ SUBTROPIC FORESTS AND BUSHES
- ↑ Phytosoc.WEB-J .
- ↑ Kozo Kawano, Yukito Nakamura, Yuhide Murakami, Shin-ichi Suzuki and Yong-Chang Song. Phytosociological comparison of the evergreen broad-leaved forest around Zhejiang Province, China and Southern Kyushu, Japan. // Eco-Habitat: JISE Reaserch. - 2008. - T. 15 , No. 1 . - S. 75 - 96 . - ISSN 1340-4776 .
- ↑ Elgene Owen Box. Vegetation Structure and Function at Multiple Spatial, Temporal and Conceptual Scales . - Springer, 2016 .-- S. 578 (102-126). - ISBN 978-3-319-21451-1 .
- ↑ Wu C., Vellend M., Yuan W., Jiang B., Liu J., Shen A., et al. Patterns and determinants of plant biodiversity in non-commercial forests of eastern China. // PLoS ONE. - 2017. - T. 12 , No. 11 . - ISSN 1932-6203 . Table S2 (link to view list of 600 plots).
- ↑ Rainforests // Big Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 vol.] / Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov . - 3rd ed. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
- ↑ [1] The animal world of the Mediterranean. Travel geography