What are natural complexes? This is a geographical concept that denotes a number of interconnected components of nature. They can cover both vast territories and completely small areas of the Earth. What natural complexes are there? What is the difference? What are characterized by? Let's find out.
Geographic shell
Telling what natural complexes are, it is impossible not to mention the geographical envelope. This is a conditional concept uniting several spheres of the Earth at once, which intersect and interact with each other, forming a single system. In fact, it is the largest natural complex on the planet.
The boundaries of the geographic envelope almost repeat the edges of the biosphere. It includes the hydrosphere, biosphere, anthroposphere, the upper part of the lithosphere (earth's crust) and the lower atmosphere (troposphere and stratosphere).
The shell is solid and continuous. Each of its components (terrestrial spheres) has its own laws of development and features, but at the same time it experiences the influence of other spheres and exerts influence on them. They constantly participate in the cycles of substances in nature, exchanging energy, water, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, etc.
Natural complex and its types
The geographic envelope is the largest, but not the only natural complex. There are a lot of them on the globe. What are natural complexes? These are certain parts of the planet that have a homogeneous geological structure, soil, vegetation, wildlife, climatic conditions and the same nature of the waters.
Natural complexes are also called landscapes or geosystems. They differ in vertical and horizontal directions. Based on this, the complexes are divided into zonal and azonal. The main reason for their diversity is the heterogeneity of the geographical envelope.
First of all, differences in natural conditions provide an uneven distribution of solar heat on the Earth. This is due to the elliptical shape of the planet, the unequal ratio of land and water, the location of mountains (which delay air masses), etc.
Zone natural complexes
Zonal natural complexes represent mainly the horizontal division of the planet. The largest of them are geographical zones. Their location is consistent and regular. The occurrence of these complexes is directly related to the climatic conditions of the area.
The nature of geographical zones varies from the equator to the poles. Within each of them, their temperature and weather conditions are observed, as well as the nature of soils, groundwater and surface water. These belts are distinguished:
- arctic;
- subarctic;
- Antarctic;
- subantarctic;
- northern and southern temperate;
- northern and southern subtropical;
- northern and southern subequatorial;
- equatorial.
The next largest zonal complexes are natural zones, which are divided by the nature of moisture, that is, the amount and frequency of precipitation. They do not always have a purely latitudinal distribution. And they depend on the height of the area, as well as proximity to the ocean. They distinguish the Arctic desert, steppe, tundra, taiga, savannah and other natural zones.
Azonal natural complexes
Azonal complexes are not associated with latitudinal division of the planet. Their formation is primarily associated with the relief and the formation of the earth's crust. The largest azonal natural complexes are the oceans and continents, which differ significantly in geological history and structure.
The continents and oceans are divided into smaller complexes - natural countries. They consist of large mountain and lowland formations. For example, natural complexes of the Far East include the Central Kamchatka Plain, the Sikhote-Alin Mountains and the Khingan-Bureya Mountains, etc.
The natural countries of the planet include the Sahara Desert, the Ural Mountains, and the East European Plain. They can be divided into narrower and more uniform areas. For example, gallery forests located on the outskirts of the steppes and savannahs, mangroves located along the coast of the seas and in estuaries. The smallest natural complexes include river floodplains, hills, ridges, urea, swamps, etc.
Components of natural complexes
The main components of any geographic landscape are relief, water, soil, flora and fauna, climate. The interconnection of the components of the natural complex is very close. Each of them creates certain conditions for the existence of the rest. Rivers affect the condition of soils, soils, and climate — the appearance of certain plants, and plants attract certain animals.
A change in even one component can lead to a complete change in the entire complex. Drying the river will lead to the disappearance of vegetation characteristic of the riverine area, to a change in soil quality. This will certainly affect the animals that leave the geosystem in search of their usual conditions.
Excessive propagation of any kind of animals can lead to the extermination of plants that they eat. There are cases when huge swarms of locusts completely destroyed meadows or fields. Such a development of events does not remain invisible to the natural complex and provokes changes in the soil, water, and then the climatic regime.
Conclusion
So what are natural complexes? This is a natural-territorial system, the components of which are homogeneous in origin and composition. The complexes are divided into two main groups: azonal and zonal. Within each group, there is a separation from large to smaller sections.
The largest natural complex is the geographical envelope, which includes part of the lithosphere and atmosphere, the biosphere and hydrosphere of the Earth. The smallest complexes are individual hills, small forests, estuaries, and swamps.