The alpine meadow is the last vertical belt of mountains where flora can still be found. Above this belt, areas of eternal snow and glaciers begin, under which there is only a rocky layer, practically devoid of fertile soil. That is, alpine meadows are the last natural landscapes in the mountains where you can see rich plant life.
Blooming alpine meadows are a delightful and impressive sight. Forced to exist in harsh climatic conditions, plants alpine meadows Russians begin to bloom as soon as the snow melts. Snow is very important to them. In winter, it protects them from the winds and sun, and in the spring, when the melting begins, the snow provides the plants with moisture.
The Alpine belt is characterized by severe climatic conditions. The meadows are located at an altitude of approximately 2000 m above sea level, which is why there is a significant daily temperature difference. For example, even on summer nights frosts can occur, and during the daytime the temperature can rise to 45°C.
In the process of evolution, plants have adapted to such survival conditions. That is why they cannot afford to grow to large sizes and they are all mostly undersized. And in order to attract pollinating insects, they begin to bloom in early spring bright large flowers with a strong aroma. Therefore, with the onset of spring and summer, the alpine meadows resemble an oriental carpet - they bloom the most different shades, delicate and very bright, light and dark, the plants growing on them.
Short, but extremely beautiful, they have adapted to any, even very harsh, living conditions. In such a climate, other, ordinary plants are unlikely to be able to withstand. Indeed, in high altitude conditions, harsh, cold, windy winters, intense solar radiation, significant daily temperature fluctuations, and short-lived summers are considered common occurrences.
In the high mountain meadows you can find many very beautiful flowering and simply bright green plants. The most famous alpine flowering plants are gentian and edelweiss. They can even withstand almost complete absence of fertile soil.
In the highlands you can find the smallest tree in the world - the dwarf willow. Its thin trunk is pressed closer to the ground and is covered with small branches, only a few centimeters in size. The roots are located very close to the surface of the soil, in its warmest layer. Dwarf willow is not afraid strong winds, thanks precisely to her short stature.
In the alpine meadows of Russia you can find interesting plant called young. It is a type of rosettes consisting of dense leaves of various colors and shades. Young people can live in any conditions extreme conditions, so it can be seen growing even in the cracks between the stones that cover the mountain slopes.
One cannot help but think of Saxifraga. This plant is also a representative of the alpine flora. It looks like moss, grows thickly and covers itself like a carpet. large plots soil. In spring, this carpet of moss blooms with large flowers - white, red or soft pink.
In the highlands you can find many types of sedum. This plant grows quickly, covering large areas of soil. Begin to bloom in spring beautiful flowers white, yellow, dark red and Pink colour.
Rhododendrons are a real decoration of alpine meadows. They adapt to the bad weather conditions harsh climate, but prefer well-lit areas. They bloom in late spring with large flowers in a wide variety of shades from pale pink to dark cherry.
Here you can also see small bushes of blueberries, lingonberries, crowberries. In addition to berries, you will see here herbaceous plants- white beard sticking out, fragrant spikelet. Beautifully blooming - geranium holostem and alpine forget-me-not. And not far from the rhododendrons you will definitely see squat thickets of juniper.
On the high mountain slopes, where subalpine meadows are located, you can find cereals - reed grass, long-leaved bluegrass. Downy sheep, flat-leaved bentgrass, variegated brome and other plants can be found.
Alpine meadows are also interesting because throughout the growing season, plants bloom, replacing each other, causing the mountain slopes to be painted in different shades:
In June, the anemone blooms and blooms in real white waves. And along the streams the golden stars of the half-open marigold bloom.
July is the height of flowering. This summer month colors the meadows with a variety of shades. For example, during this period the black-and-yellow giant capitate blooms, and the Phrygian cornflower colors the space with a bright reddish-violet color. Here you can see bright orange-yellow flowers swimsuits, light lilac petals of St. John's wort flax.
Looking at the herbs, you will distinguish purple forest geranium, delicate pink ones, with a slight greenish tint graceful flowers stars, pink arrows of the knotweed, violet-pink petals of the initial cap and dark purple mytnik.
Interestingly, some tundra plants can be found in the alpine highlands, which indicates the similarity of their flora.
Alpine meadows and the Himalaya mountains are one of the most beautiful corners of our vast planet, which many travelers strive to visit. If alpine meadows attract tourists with their endless open spaces and the austere, sometimes ascetic beauty of the foothills, then the Himalayas attract lovers of exoticism and lush vegetation. The nature of the Himalayas and alpine meadows evokes admiration even among seasoned travelers, and people who visit here for the first time invariably fall in love with these wonderful lands.
Alpine meadow plants
Mountains can be harsh, and while trees can grow at their base and on the slopes, only grasses survive at high altitudes. But there are so many of them that they form amazing alpine meadows, named after the famous European mountains of the Alps. However, you can see this magnificence throughout our entire planet. Alpine meadows are located above the forest, in the belt, which is called alpine.
Look at the photo: the plants of alpine meadows are very low - this is how they can withstand the winds. Some stick together, forming living pillows or even balls. And in other flowers, the leaves form a rosette at the soil level in order to strengthen themselves and retain heat. They succeed thanks to the air temperature near the stems, leaves and flowers, which is 10°C higher than around them. This is how the plants themselves maintain the conditions necessary for them.
Every spring, residents of the foothills different countries of the world rise into the alpine belt along with herds of sheep, goats and even cows. There the shepherds spend several months, in specially equipped houses, among wildlife. And at this time the animals graze in meadows with high-mountain herbs. In the alpine meadows, mountain residents graze their sheep, which find a lot of food there.
The altitude at which alpine meadows are located varies depending on different regions. Typically, the farther from the poles, the warmer, the higher the alpine belt is located. And where there are night frosts even in summer, mountain flowers tolerate them safely.
Primrose, or primrose, grows in alpine meadows. One of its species, the medicinal primrose, was called by the ancient Greeks “the flower of the twelve gods living on Mount Olympus.”
In the mountains, at the very edge of the snow, beautiful edelweiss blooms every summer. At an altitude of several thousand meters, these snow-white star-like flowers demonstrate the triumph of life. The flower itself is listed in the Red Book - too many people want to pick it.
Among the mountain herbs, Alpine gentian stands out with its bright blue flowers. It has a short stem, and there is a rosette of basal leaves near the ground. This strong and hardy plant is often used in gardens to create alpine slides- areas simulating an alpine meadow.
Where are the Himalayas, the highest mountain and the nature of the Himalayas
The Himalayas are the highest mountain system on Earth. If you consider where the Himalayas are located, it becomes clear why in this territory the climatic boundary between the tropics of South Asia and the deserts of Central Asia is so sharply expressed. The fact is that the Himalayas stretch across India, China, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan - countries located in different climatic zones.
The huge Himalaya mountain system was formed approximately 39 million years ago when the Indian subcontinent collided with Eurasia. That's where the most high mountain The Himalayas and the highest point on Earth is Mount Chomolungma, reaching an altitude of 8850 km. Eternal snow lies on its peaks, blowing hurricane winds, and frosts even in summer exceed -25C. Forests grow at the foot and on the slopes of the mountains.
As can be seen in the photo, the Himalayas in this zone are humid jungles, which at an altitude of 1000 m are gradually replaced by bamboo forests and tree ferns. Above 2000 m the zone of deciduous forests begins; after 2600 m they become more common coniferous trees, and then a zone of alpine meadows. People living in the Himalayas are engaged in agriculture, growing some cereals, potatoes and vegetables. For centuries they have adapted to the rarefied mountain air, and therefore the harsh regions have become their home.
Alpine meadows
Alpine meadows- mountain meadows covered with herbaceous vegetation in mountain ranges are located above the forest border. The altitude at which alpine meadows begin depends to the greatest extent on the climate of the region and the geographic latitude of the area (the further from the poles, the higher the alpine meadows begin). Usually, alpine meadows are separated from the border of mountain forests by a belt of subalpine meadows.
Alpine meadows are characterized by specific, low-growing vegetation, as well as vegetation that forms “grass cushions”. This brings this type of ecosystem closer to the tundra, due to which alpine meadows are also called “mountain tundra.”
The soil layer in alpine meadows is usually relatively thin and infertile, with numerous inclusions of stones and rubble. In the temperate zone, a gley layer is usually formed in the soil of alpine meadows.
Since alpine meadows are found in almost all regions of the Earth, it is impossible to identify animal species that would be characteristic of all of them. But often, especially in tropical and subtropical regions, alpine meadows are islands of relict ecosystems, cut off from each other by a hotter lowland climate. In such areas, species may be preserved that are absent or disappeared in the surrounding area - often these are relics of the past ice age. Such a species, for example, is the Ethiopian wolf, which has survived in several isolated high-mountain populations where there is a relatively cool climate suitable for it.
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See what “Alpine meadows” are in other dictionaries: See Matgy. Ecological encyclopedic Dictionary . Chisinau: Main editorial office of the Moldavian Soviet Encyclopedia. I.I. Dedu. 1989 ...
Ecological dictionary ALPINE MEADOWS - ALPINE MEADOWS. Belt A. l. is important in assessing and medicinal use mountain climatic stations (see). The main properties of the latter (clean rarefied air, excellent ventilation, abundance sunlight , moderate humidity)… …
Great Medical Encyclopedia Alpine meadows located above subalpine meadows and forests. Characteristic of the Alps, Caucasus, Altai, northern, central. and east parts of Tien Shan, eastern. outskirts of the Center. Asia, Himalayas. In the West In Europe they are called mattas. Despite the differences in species... ...
Geographical encyclopedia Mattas, mountain meadows rising above the forest line. Cm. … Alpine vegetation
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Ecological dictionary- a group of formations of high-mountain meadow vegetation with a predominance of meadow-type turf-formers from cereals and sedges... Dictionary of botanical terms
Typical landscape of eastern Himalayan alpine meadows and bushes. Barun Valley Eastern Himalayan alpine grassland and scrub ecoregion in Bhutan ... Wikipedia
Area lands occupied perennial herbs natural (natural) or artificially sown. In the southern USSR, the grassy spaces of the steppe are covered with drought-resistant (xerophytic) vegetation, which usually burns out in the summer. Grassy spaces... Agricultural dictionary-reference book
1) r. see Ustilug 2) city, district center, Leningrad region. When the Pskov governorship was established in 1777, it was stated: On the Luga River to establish new town... naming this city Luga. Thus, the city is named after the river, and the name of the river is connected... ... Alpine meadows located above subalpine meadows and forests. Characteristic of the Alps, Caucasus, Altai, northern, central. and east parts of Tien Shan, eastern. outskirts of the Center. Asia, Himalayas. In the West In Europe they are called mattas. Despite the differences in species... ...
Alpine meadows are located on plateaus, along the slopes and valleys of mountains. G. hay, harvested in a timely manner, aromatic and high feed value alive for all species. Hay from the south slopes are more valuable in terms of feed and should be removed first. IN… … Agricultural dictionary-reference book
Alpine meadow is the last level of vertical zonation in the mountains where plants are still found. Above the alpine belt, in which the alpine meadows themselves are located, the zone of eternal snow begins. These are glaciers that don't melt all year round, under which lies a layer of bare rocky rock, practically devoid of fertile layer. In the language of romantics, an alpine meadow is the last refuge of rich plant life in the mountains.
The harsh climate of the Alpine belt largely explains why any Alpine meadow so attractive and aesthetic. At an altitude of about 2000 m above sea level and higher, the daily temperature range increases significantly. At night, even in summer, there may be frosts, and in the daytime, especially in the afternoon, the temperature can exceed 40-45°C. Under such conditions, plants freeze at night when the temperature drops below zero, and thaw during the day. Alpine meadow plants cannot afford big sizes Therefore, they attract the attention of pollinating insects with large, bright and fragrant flowers.
The alpine meadow is a real proving ground for natural testing. Here solar radiation is much more intense, and the number itself sunny days more than in the valleys lying 500 meters below. Thanks to this, the alpine meadow not only has time to bloom in record time, but also to form viable seeds and shoots for the next year. Throughout the year, the alpine zone is dominated by strong winds with frequent hurricane gusts. Please note that all the shrubs of the alpine meadow creep along the ground, and the rare trees are so twisted that they can serve as an ideal illustration of the vicissitudes of fate. Winter comes to alpine meadows very early and lasts most of the year: the warm period lasts only a month and a half (usually from mid-July to mid-August in the northern hemisphere).
Despite the harsh climatic conditions, Alpine meadow does not lack moisture. There is sufficient rainfall here: try digging into the soil of an alpine meadow. Moreover, dig not only in the lowlands, but on the slope. Literally after 20 centimeters you will reach wet soil. This is not surprising, because literally 1.5-2 meters from the surface there is usually a thick layer of permafrost that retains groundwater.
Our photo gallery is clear proof that an alpine meadow can exist not only in the Alps :) The pictures were taken in the Sayan Mountains on the border with Mongolia. However, all pictures show exclusively alpine meadows with their low growing plants and shrubs, lack of trees and short flowering period. From September to June there is a dense cover of snow, and a bright carpet of flowers blooms only in mid-July for literally two weeks. To photograph an alpine meadow, we had to go to
