East European Plain natural conditions. Regional reviews of the nature of Russia

the East European Plain occupies an area of about 4 million km 2, which is approximately 26% of the territory of Russia. In the north, east and south, its borders run along natural boundaries, in the west - along the state border. In the north, the plain is washed by the Barents and White Seas, in the south - by the Caspian, Black and Azov, in the west - by the Baltic Sea. The Ural Mountains border the plain from the east.

Large tectonic structures lie at the base of the plain - the Russian platform and the Scythian plate. In most of the territory, their foundation is deeply submerged under thick layers of sedimentary rocks of different ages, lying horizontally. Therefore, flat relief prevails on the platforms. In a number of places the foundation of the platform is raised. There are large hills in these areas. The Dnieper Upland is located within the Ukrainian Shield. The relatively elevated plains of Karelia and the Kola Peninsula, as well as the low mountains of the Khibiny, correspond to the Baltic Shield. The uplifted foundation of the Voronezh anticlise serves as the core of the Central Russian Upland. The same rise in the basement is located at the base of the highlands of the High Trans-Volga region. A special case is the Volga Upland, where the foundation lies at great depths. Here, during the entire Mesozoic and Paleogene, the earth's crust sagged and thick strata of sedimentary rocks accumulated. Then, during the Neogene and Quaternary time, this area of the earth's crust was uplifted, which led to the formation of the Volga Upland.

A number of large hills were formed as a result of repeated Quaternary glaciations, the accumulation of glacial material - moraine loams and sands. Such are the Valdai, Smolensk-Moscow, Klinsko-Dmitrovskaya, Northern Ridges hills.

Between the large hills are lowlands, in which the valleys of large rivers - the Dnieper, Don, Volga - were laid.

On the outskirts of the East European Plain, where the foundation of the platform is lowered very deeply, there are large lowlands - the Caspian, Black Sea, Pechora, etc. Sea advances have repeatedly occurred in these territories, including recently - in the Quaternary, therefore they are blocked by heavy marine sediments and have a flat topography. The average height of the Russian Plain is about 170 m, some elevations reach 300-400 m or more.

On the territory of the East European Plain there are rich deposits of various minerals. Iron ores of the Kursk magnetic anomaly are connected with the foundation of the platform. The Kola Peninsula is especially rich in minerals, where there are significant reserves of iron, copper, nickel, aluminum ores, huge reserves of apatite. The sedimentary cover of the platform is associated with such minerals as oil shale, mined in the strata of the Ordovician and Silurian ages in the Baltic. Carbon deposits are associated with brown coal deposits of the Moscow region, Permian - bituminous coals of the Pechora basin, oil and gas of the Urals and the Volga region, salt and gypsum of the Cis-Urals. Phosphorites, chalk and manganese are mined in the sedimentary layers of the Mesozoic.

The East European Plain is located in temperate latitudes. It is open to the north and west and as a result is exposed to the air masses that form over the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Atlantic air masses bring a significant amount of precipitation to the East European Plain, so forests grow in most of its territory. The amount of precipitation decreases from 600-900 mm per year in the west to 300-200 mm in the south and southeast. As a result, in the south of the East European Plain there are dry steppes, and in the extreme southeast, in the Caspian lowland, there are semi-deserts and deserts.

Atlantic air masses throughout the year have a moderating effect on the climate. In winter, they bring warming up to thaws. Therefore, in the western regions of the plains it is much warmer than in the eastern. Average January temperatures drop from -4°C in the Kaliningrad region to -18°C in the Cis-Urals. As a result, winter isotherms in most of the plain (except for the extreme south) stretch almost meridionally, from north-northwest to south-southeast.

Arctic air in winter spreads over the entire territory of the East European Plain up to the extreme south. It brings with it dryness and coldness. In summer, the invasion of the Arctic air is accompanied by cold snaps and droughts. The alternating invasion of the Atlantic and Arctic air masses causes the instability of weather phenomena and the dissimilarity of the seasons of different years. Summer temperatures naturally increase from north to south: average temperatures in the north are +8...+10°С, in the south +24...+26°С, and the isotherms stretch almost in the latitudinal direction. In general, the climate in most of the East European Plain is temperate continental.

Unlike other large parts of Russia, the largest rivers of the East European Plain flow south. These are the Dnieper, Dniester, Southern Bug, Don, Volga, Kama, Vyatka, Ural. This allows their water to be used to irrigate the arid lands of the south. Large irrigation systems have been created in the North Caucasus, which use the water of the Volga, Don and local rivers. Extensive irrigation systems have been created on the lower Don, they also exist in the Volga region.

To the north, such high-water, but relatively short rivers as the Pechora, Northern Dvina, Onega carry their water, to the west - the Western Dvina, Neva and Neman.

The upper reaches and channels of many rivers are often located close to each other, which, in conditions of flat terrain, contributes to their connection by channels. These are the channels. Moscow, Volga-Baltic, Volga-Don, White Sea-Baltic. Thanks to canals, ships from Moscow can sail along rivers, lakes and reservoirs to the Caspian, Azov, Black, Baltic and White Seas. Therefore, Moscow is called the port of five seas.

In winter, all the rivers of the East European Plain freeze. In the spring, when the snow melts, floods occur in most parts. Numerous reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations have been built on the rivers to retain and use spring water. The Volga and Dnieper turned into a cascade of reservoirs used both for generating electricity and for navigation, land irrigation, water supply to cities and industrial centers.

A characteristic feature of the East European Plain is a clear manifestation of latitudinal zonality. It is expressed more fully and more clearly than on other plains of the globe. It is no coincidence that the law of zoning, formulated by the famous Russian scientist Dokuchaev, was primarily based on his study of this very territory.

The flatness of the territory, the abundance of minerals, the relatively mild climate, sufficient rainfall, the diversity of natural landscapes favorable for various branches of agriculture - all this contributed to the intensive economic development of the East European Plain. In economic terms, this is the most important part of Russia. It is home to more than 50% of the country's population and hosts two-thirds of the total number of cities and workers' settlements. On the territory of the plain there is the most dense network of highways and railways. Most of the largest rivers - the Volga, Dnieper, Don, Dniester, Zapadnaya Dvina, Kama - are regulated and transformed into a cascade of reservoirs. Large areas of forests have been cut down and forest landscapes have turned into a combination of forests and fields. Many forests are now secondary forests, where coniferous and broad-leaved species have been replaced by small-leaved species - birch, aspen. On the territory of the East European Plain there is half of the entire arable land of the country, about 40% of hayfields, 12% of pastures. Of all the large parts of the East European Plain, the most developed and changed by human activities.

North Caucasus

The North Caucasus occupies a vast space between the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas. In the north of this large part of Russia, the Kuma-Manych depression stretches, and in the south there is a state border. The North Caucasus consists of Ciscaucasia and the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus Mountains.

In Ciscaucasia there are vast lowlands, which are divided Stavropol Upland. By origin and natural features, they are associated with the Caucasus Mountains. The Kuban, Terek, Kuma, and other rivers carry a large amount of loose material from the mountains, which is deposited on the plains. As a result, rivers flow in their own sediment above the surrounding plains. Therefore, despite the aridity of the climate in Ciscaucasia, in the lower reaches of the rivers there are vast swampy areas - floodplains. Due to the fact that the riverbeds are elevated, the most favorable opportunities for the development of irrigated agriculture are opening up. In the Kuban valley there are vast flooded fields where a lot of rice is grown.

The climate of Ciscaucasia is arid. Annual rainfall in the west is 550 mm, in the east - about 200 mm. With such a small amount of moisture, productive agriculture is possible only with the use of irrigation. Therefore, a number of irrigation systems have been created that use the waters of the Volga, Don, Kuban, Kuma, Manych and other rivers.

Stavropol Upland located in the axial part of Ciscaucasia. As a result of intense tectonic uplifts of the earth's crust, it turned out to be uplifted to a height of 800 m. A large amount of precipitation falls on the relatively high slopes of the elevation - about 800 mm per year.

Chernozems dominate in the western part of Ciscaucasia. In the past, feather grass-forb steppes grew here, now almost completely plowed and occupied by crops of wheat, sugar beet and sunflower. To the east of the Stavropol Upland, where it is much drier, there are dry steppes on chestnut soils and semi-deserts. They are mainly used for pastures for numerous flocks of sheep.

To the south of the Stavropol Upland, along the faults of the earth's crust, laccolith mountains rose above the plains. The largest of them are Beshtau and Mashuk. At their foot there are sources of healing mineral waters - Narzan and Essentuki and a number of others. They are used in numerous sanatoriums and resorts in Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk, Essentuki, Kislovodsk, etc.

In tectonic piedmont troughs, oil and gas reserves were formed. The oilfields are located near the city of Grozny. Gas is produced in the Stavropol Territory.

Main Watershed, or Greater Caucasian, ridge stretches from the northwest to the southeast, rising up to 5000 m in huge anticlinal folds. Its central part is the highest, where solid crystalline rocks are broken by numerous tectonic cracks. In past geological epochs, lava erupted along cracks and volcanoes formed. The largest of them are Elbrus (5642 m) and Kazbek (5033 m). The snow-covered peak of Elbrus is the highest peak of the Caucasus. In the high mountains of the Greater Caucasus, there is a lot of snow and numerous glaciers (Table VIII.9). Rivers originate from them, carrying swift waters to the plains (Kuban, Terek, Kuma, etc.). The rivers of the Caucasus have large reserves of hydropower resources.

The mountains of the Greater Caucasus are located on the border of the temperate and subtropical zones. They serve as a barrier to the movement of cold air masses to the south. Under the cover of high mountains, the subtropics in this region have moved far to the north (the regions of Anapa and Sochi). The southwestern part of the mountains receives the most precipitation (from 2600 to 4000 mm). Throughout the year, over the Black Sea, cyclones move from west to east. When moist air masses rise along the slopes of the mountains, moisture condenses and precipitation occurs. So, in the vicinity of Sochi there is a large amount of precipitation - up to 2500 mm per year. On the southeastern slope of the mountains, the picture is reversed. The air masses flowing down from the mountains heat up and dry up, so there are arid territories in this area.

Changes in the amount of precipitation and air temperature are directly reflected in the nature of the soil and vegetation cover, in the features of vertical zonality along the slopes of the mountains. The highest peaks of the central part of the Caucasus Range are occupied by snow and glaciers.

Below are lush alpine and subalpine meadows with thickets of Caucasian rhododendron. These meadows are used as excellent summer pastures. Between the heights of 2000 and 1300 m, spruce-fir forests grow, which are replaced from top to bottom by broad-leaved - oak forests. In the lower parts of the southwestern slopes, evergreen shrubs and lianas are frequent. In the eastern part of the Caucasus Mountains, both on the northern and southern slopes, due to a decrease in precipitation, forests occupy much smaller areas. They are replaced by thickets of thorny bushes - shilyak.

The bowels of the Greater Caucasus are rich in minerals. At the eastern foot of the mountains on the Absheron Peninsula there are oil and gas fields.

Ural

Ural stretched in the meridional direction for 2000 km from north to south - from the Arctic islands of Novaya Zemlya to the sun-scorched deserts of the Turan Plain. A conditional geographical border between Europe and Asia is drawn along the Cis-Urals. The Ural Mountains are located in the inland boundary zone of the earth's crust between the ancient Russian platform and the young West Siberian plate. The folds of the earth's crust lying in the bases of the Ural Mountains were formed during the Hercynian orogeny. Mountain building was accompanied by intensive processes of volcanism and metamorphism of rocks, therefore, numerous minerals were formed in the depths of the Urals - ores of iron, polymetals, aluminum, gold, platinum. Then for a long time - in the Mesozoic and Paleogene - there were processes of destruction and alignment of the Hercynian mountains. Gradually, the mountains fell and turned into a hilly hill. In the Neogene-Quaternary time, the ancient folded structures lying at its base split into blocks that rose to different heights. Thus, the former folded mountains turned into folded-blocky ones. There was a rejuvenation of the ancient destroyed mountains. Nevertheless, the modern ranges of the Urals are predominantly low. In the north and south, they rise to 800-1000 m. The highest peak of the Urals is Mount Narodnaya (1894 m). In the middle part, the height of the ridges does not exceed 400-500 m. Railways pass through the low passes of this part of the Urals, along which trains move between the European and Asian parts of Russia.

Uneven uplift of blocks of the earth's crust led to differences in the height of mountain ranges, their external forms. According to the features of the relief, the Urals is divided into several parts. The Polar Urals are stretched by four ridges, gradually rising from the Pai-Khoi hills to 1500 m. The ridges of the Subpolar Urals have many sharp peaks. The Northern Urals consists of two elongated parallel ridges that rise up to 800-1000 m. The western of these two ridges has flat tops. The eastern slope of the Urals abruptly breaks off towards the West Siberian lowland. The Middle Urals is the lowest part of the entire Urals: heights of about 500 m dominate. However, individual peaks rise up to 800 m here too. The Southern Urals is the widest, with predominance of foothill plateaus. Mountain tops are often flat.

The distribution of minerals in the Urals is determined by the peculiarities of its geological structure. In the west, in the Cis-Ural trough, sedimentary strata of limestones, gypsums, and clays accumulated, which are associated with significant deposits of oil, potassium salts, and coal. In the central part of the Urals, metamorphic rocks of the inner folds of the mountains appeared on the surface - gneisses, quartzites and shales, broken by tectonic faults. Igneous rocks intruded along the faults led to the formation of ore minerals. Among them, the most important role belongs to the ores of iron, polymetals, and aluminum. During the years of the first five-year plans, a large iron ore plant and the city of Magnitogorsk were built on the basis of iron ore deposits. The eastern slope of the Urals is composed of various geological rocks - sedimentary, metamorphic and volcanic, and therefore the minerals are very diverse. These are ores of iron, non-ferrous metals, aluminum, deposits of gold and silver, precious and semi-precious stones, asbestos.

The Urals is a climate divide between the temperate continental climate of the East European Plain and the continental climate of Western Siberia. Despite their relatively low height, the Ural Mountains have an impact on the climate of our country. Throughout the year, moist air masses, brought by cyclones from the Atlantic Ocean, penetrate the Urals. When air rises along the western slope, the amount of precipitation increases. The lowering of air along the eastern slope is accompanied by its drying. Therefore, 1.5-2 times less precipitation falls on the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains than on the western ones. The western and eastern slopes differ both in temperature and in the nature of the weather. Average January temperatures vary from -22° in the north to -16°C in the south. On the western slope, winters are relatively mild and snowy. Little snow falls on the eastern slope, and frosts can reach -45°C. Summer in the north is cool and rainy, warm in most of the Urals, and hot and dry in the south.

Many rivers originate in the Urals. The largest among them flow to the west. These are Pechora, Kama, Belaya, Ufa. The Ishim flows to the east, the Urals to the south. On the meridional sections, the rivers flow calmly along wide valleys in the basins between the ridges. On latitudinal segments, they swiftly rush across the ridges along tectonic faults along narrow rocky gorges with many rapids. The alternation of narrow gorges and wide sections of valleys gives the rivers an amazing variety and beauty, favors the construction of reservoirs. In the Urals, the need for water is very high, which is needed in large quantities for numerous industrial enterprises and cities. However, many rivers are heavily polluted by wastewater from industrial enterprises and cities and need to be cleaned up. The economic importance of the Ural and Cis-Urals rivers is great and varied, although their role in shipping and energy is not so great. Hydropower reserves of the Ural rivers are below the national average. The average annual capacity of the middle rivers of the Urals is about 3.5 million kW. The Kama basin is richest in hydropower. A number of large hydroelectric power plants have been built here. Among them are Kamskaya and Votkinskaya HPPs. The largest reservoir of the Kamskaya HPP stretches for 220 km. A hydroelectric power station of significant capacity was built on the river. Ufa. Despite the abundance of Ural rivers, only a few of them are suitable for navigation. This is primarily Kama, Belaya, Ufa. In the Trans-Urals, ships sail along the Tobol, Tavda, and in the high waters along Sosva, Lozva and Tura. For shallow-draft vessels, the Urals are also navigable below the city of Orenburg.

To improve water supply, ponds and reservoirs have long been built on the rivers of the Urals. These are Verkhne-Isetsky and city ponds in Yekaterinburg, Nizhne-Tagilsky and others. Reservoirs have also been created: Volchikhinsky on Chusovaya, Magnitogorsky and Iriklinsky in the Urals.

For industrial, agricultural purposes, recreation and tourism, numerous lakes are used, of which there are more than 6 thousand lakes.

The Ural crosses several natural zones. Along its peaks and upper parts of the slopes, they are shifted to the south. Mountain tundras are common in the Polar Urals. To the south, on the western slopes, under conditions of high moisture, dark coniferous spruce-fir forests dominate, along the eastern slopes - pine and cedar forests. In the Southern Urals on the western slope there are coniferous-broad-leaved forests, to the south they are replaced by linden and oak forest-steppe. On the eastern slope of the Southern Urals there is a birch-aspen forest-steppe. In the extreme south of the Urals and in the low mountains of Mugodzhary, there are dry steppes and semi-deserts.

Western Siberia

Western Siberia- the largest plain in the world. It extends from the Kara Sea to the northern slopes of the Kazakh uplands for 2.5 thousand km. In the northern part, the plain stretches from the Urals to the Yenisei for 1,000 km, and in the southern part, for almost 2,000 km. The entire plain lies on the West Siberian Plate with a deeply dipped Paleozoic folded basement. It is covered by sedimentary strata of the Mesozoic, Paleogene and Quaternary age of enormous thickness, reaching 6 thousand m. They are represented by clays, sandstones, sands and shales. Quaternary strata consist of marine, river and glacial deposits: loams, sands and clays. During the revival of the Ural and Altai mountains, loose sedimentary strata of the West Siberian Plate were slightly deformed. Folds appeared in them, which led to the formation of underground domes. In such domes, composed of sands, covered with impenetrable dense clays, oil and gas accumulated. The largest deposits are in the Surgut region, gas fields are in the Urengoy region and on the Yamal Peninsula. In the south of the plain, where the folded basement is elevated, there are deposits of iron ore. The largest of them is Sokolovsko-Sarbaiskoye.

A powerful horizontally occurring stratum of sedimentary rocks determines the flatness of the modern relief. The northern and central parts of Western Siberia are lowlands, located at an altitude of up to 100 m above sea level. The southern part of the plain rises a little higher. In general, Western Siberia has the shape of a huge bowl, slightly rising to the south, west and east and tilted to the north. The northern most lowered part of the plain is separated from the rest by a narrow, latitudinally elongated upland. Siberian Ridges.

Rivers flow slowly across the gently sloping plain. They are shallowly incised and form extensive meanders and channels with an unstable channel. During the spring floods, they overflow widely.

The flat surface of the northern half of the territory, poor drainage associated with shallow incision of rivers, excessive moisture, an abundance of groundwater coming from the elevated margins of the plain - all this led to the formation of extensive marshes. Western Siberia is the most swampy plain in the world. The swampiness is 38%.

The inland position of Western Siberia determined the continentality of its climate, especially in the south of the plain. The average January temperature varies from -25°С in the north to -18°С in the south. Middle July - from +2°С on the coast of the Kara Sea to +22°С in the extreme south. In the second half of winter, an area of increased pressure spreads to Western Siberia. At this time windless sunny frosty weather sets in. Little snow falls (with the exception of the northeast), but since there are practically no thaws in Western Siberia, it accumulates and a stable snow cover forms. In the south of the plain, its thickness is 30 cm, in the northeast, in front of the Putorana mountains, it is 80 cm. In summer, arctic air rushes to the heated surface of the plain, which meets with heated southern air currents. As a result of their interaction, cyclones arise and precipitation falls.

In Western Siberia, latitudinal zonality is clearly expressed. The extreme north on the Yamal, Tazovsky and Gydansky peninsulas is occupied by the tundra zone. The forest-tundra descends to the south almost to the Siberian Ridges. It presents larch and birch crooked forests. In the south of the forest-tundra, pine and cedar appear in larch forests. Forests extend far to the north along the rivers, as the river valleys are drier due to better drainage, and heat comes from the south with river water. In the tundra and forest-tundra zone there are pastures where many thousands of herds of reindeer graze. Commercial hunting (fox skins) and fishing provide rich prey. Gas is being produced.

Sixty percent of the territory of Western Siberia occupied by forested area. Swamps dominate in the interfluve areas. Taiga forests grow mainly on the slopes of river valleys and narrow sandy elevations in the interfluves - manes. Pine forests predominate in the western Cis-Ural part of the zone. In the northern and middle parts of the plain, spruce-cedar and larch forests dominate, in the southern - taiga of spruce, cedar, fir, birch. In the taiga they hunt sable, squirrel, marten, muskrat and mink. To the south, the taiga gives way to birch-aspen forests, which turn into forest-steppe. It consists of grassy steppes with numerous birch-aspen groves in depressions (choppings). The extreme south of Western Siberia is occupied by the steppe zone, where chernozems and dark chestnut soils have formed in an arid climate. They are almost completely open. Fields of spring wheat are located on vast tracts of former virgin lands. The plowing of the steppes led to the emergence of dust storms. Currently, in the vast expanses of the south of Western Siberia, special methods of non-moldboard tillage are used, in which the stubble of grain crops is preserved. It contributes to the accumulation of snow, protects the soil from blowing. There are many salt lakes in the steppes, where soda and table salt are mined.

In order to better analyze the environmental problems of the Russian Plain, it is necessary to consider in detail what natural resources this geographical area has, what makes it remarkable.

Features of the Russian Plain

First of all, we will answer the question of where the Russian Plain is located. The East European Plain is located on the continent of Eurasia and ranks second in the world in terms of area after the Amazonian Plain. The second name of the East European Plain is Russian. This is due to the fact that a significant part of it is occupied by the state of Russia. It is on this territory that most of the population of the country is concentrated and the largest cities are located.

The length of the plain from north to south is almost 2.5 thousand km, and from east to west - about 3 thousand km. Almost the entire territory of the Russian Plain has a flat relief with a slight slope - no more than 5 degrees. This is mainly due to the fact that the plain almost completely coincides with the East European Platform. It is not felt here and, as a result, there are no destructive natural phenomena (earthquakes).

The average height of the plain is about 200 m above sea level. It reaches its maximum height on the Bugulma-Belebeevskaya upland - 479 m. The Russian plain can be conditionally divided into three bands: northern, central and southern. On its territory there are a number of uplands: the Central Russian Plain, the Smolensk-Moscow Upland - and lowlands: the Polesskaya, Oka-Donskaya Plain, etc.

The Russian Plain is rich in resources. There are all kinds of minerals here: ore, non-metallic, combustible. A special place is occupied by the extraction of iron ores, oil and gas.

1. Ore

Iron ore of the Kursk Deposits: Lebedinskoye, Mikhailovskoye, Stoilenskoye, Yakovlevskoye. The ore of these developed deposits is distinguished by a high iron content - 41.5%.

2. Nonmetallic

bauxites. Deposits: Vislovskoye. The content of alumina in the rock reaches 70%.
Chalk, marl, fine-grained sand. Deposits: Volskoye, Tashlinskoye, Dyatkovskoye, etc.
Brown coal. Pools: Donetsk, Podmoskovny, Pechora.
Diamonds. Deposits of the Arkhangelsk region.

3. Combustible

Oil and gas. Oil and gas bearing areas: Timan-Pechora and Volga-Ural.
Burning shale. Deposits: Kashpirovskoe, Obschesyrtskoe.

Minerals of the Russian Plain are mined in various ways, which has a negative impact on the environment. Soil, water and atmosphere are polluted.

The impact of human activity on the nature of the East European Plain

The environmental problems of the Russian Plain are largely related to human activity: the development of mineral deposits, the construction of cities, roads, emissions from large enterprises, their use of huge volumes of water, the reserves of which do not have time to be replenished, and are also polluted.

Below we consider all the Russian plains. The table will show what problems exist, where they are localized. Possible ways of struggle are presented.

Ecological problems of the Russian Plain. Table

Problem	Causes	Localization	What threatens	Solutions
Soil pollution	KMA development	Belgorod region Kursk region	Decreased yield of grain crops	Land reclamation by accumulation of chernozem and overburden
	Industrial engineering	Regions: Belgorod, Kursk, Orenburg, Volgograd, Astrakhan		Proper waste disposal, reclamation of depleted lands
	Construction of railways and highways	All areas
	Development of deposits of chalk, phosphorites, rock salt, slates, bauxites	Regions: Moscow, Tula, Astrakhan, Bryansk, Saratov, etc.
Hydrosphere pollution	KMA development		Decreasing groundwater level	Water purification, raising the level of groundwater
Hydrosphere pollution	Groundwater pumping	Moscow region, Orenburg region and etc.	The emergence of karst landforms, deformation of the surface due to subsidence of rocks, landslides, funnels	Water purification, raising the level of groundwater
Air pollution	KMA development	Kursk region, Belgorod region	Air pollution with harmful emissions, accumulation of heavy metals	Increase in the area of forests, green spaces
	Large industrial enterprises	Regions: Moscow, Ivanovo, Orenburg, Astrakhan, etc.	Accumulation of greenhouse gases	Installation of high-quality filters on pipes of enterprises
	Big cities	All major centers	Accumulation of greenhouse gases	Reducing the number of transport, increasing green areas, parks
Decreased species diversity of flora and fauna	Hunting and population growth	All areas	The number of animals is decreasing, plant and animal species are disappearing	Creation of reserves and reserves

The climate of the Russian Plain

The climate of the East European Plain is temperate continental. Continentality increases as you move inland. The average temperature of the plain in the coldest month (January) is -8 degrees in the west and -12 degrees in the east. In the warmest month (July), the average temperature in the northwest is +18 degrees, in the southeast +21 degrees.

The greatest amount of precipitation falls in the warm season - approximately 60-70% of the annual amount. More precipitation falls over the highlands than over the lowlands. The annual amount of precipitation in the western part is 800 mm per year, in the eastern part - 600 mm.

There are several natural zones on the Russian Plain: steppes and semi-deserts, forest-steppes, taiga, tundra (when moving from south to north).

The forest resources of the plain are represented mainly by coniferous species - these are pine and spruce. Previously, forests were actively cut down and used in the woodworking industry. Currently, forests are of recreational, water-regulating and water-protective importance.

Flora and fauna of the East European Plain

Due to small climatic differences on the territory of the Russian Plain, one can observe a pronounced soil-vegetation zonality. Northern soddy-podzolic soils are replaced to the south by more fertile chernozems, which affects the nature of vegetation.

Flora and fauna have been significantly affected by human activities. Many plant species have disappeared. Of the fauna, the greatest damage was done to fur-bearing animals, which have always been a desirable object of hunting. Endangered mink, muskrat, raccoon dog, beaver. Such large ungulates as the tarpan have been exterminated forever, the saiga and bison have almost disappeared.

To preserve certain species of animals and plants, reserves were created: Oksky, Galichya Gora, Central Black Earth named after. V. V. Alekhina, Forest on Vorskla and others.

Rivers and seas of the East European Plain

Where the Russian Plain is located, there are many rivers and lakes. The main rivers that play a major role in human economic activity are the Volga, Oka and Don.

The Volga is the largest river in Europe. The Volga-Kama hydro-industrial complex is located on it, which includes a dam, a hydroelectric power station and a reservoir. The length of the Volga is 3631 km. Many of its tributaries are used on the farm for irrigation.

Don also plays a significant role in industrial activities. Its length is 1870 km. The Volga-Don shipping canal and the Tsimlyansk reservoir are especially important.

In addition to these large rivers, the Khoper, Voronezh, Bityug, Northern Onega, Kem and others flow on the plain.

In addition to rivers, the Russian Plain includes the Barents, White, Black, Caspian.

The Nord Stream gas pipeline runs along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. This affects the ecological situation of the hydrological object. During the laying of the gas pipeline, clogging of waters occurred, many species of fish decreased their numbers.

In the Baltic, Barents, Caspian, some minerals are being mined, which, in turn, adversely affects the waters. Some of the industrial waste seeps into the seas.

In the Barents and Black Seas, some types of fish are caught on an industrial scale: cod, herring, flounder, haddock, halibut, catfish, anchovy, pike perch, mackerel, etc.

Fishing is carried out in the Caspian Sea, mainly sturgeons. Due to favorable natural conditions, there are many sanatoriums and tourist centers on the seashore. There are navigable routes along the Black Sea. Oil products are exported from Russian ports.

Groundwater of the Russian Plain

In addition to surface water, people use groundwater, which, due to irrational use, adversely affects soils - subsidence, etc. are formed. There are three large artesian basins on the plain: the Caspian, Central Russian and East Russian. They serve as a source of water supply for a vast territory.

The East European or Russian Plain is one of the largest in the world: from north to south it stretches for 2.5 thousand km; from west to east - 1 thousand km. In size, the Russian Plain is second only to the Amazonian Plain, located in Western America.

East European Plain - location

From the name it is clear that the plain is located in the East of Europe, and most of it extends into the territory of Russia. In the northwest, the Russian Plain runs through the Scandinavian mountains; in the southwest - along the Sudetes and other European mountain ranges; from the West, the border is the river. Vistula; on the southeastern side, the border is the Caucasus; in the East - the Urals. In the North, the plain is washed by the White and Barents Seas; in the South - the waters of the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas.

East European Plain - relief

The main type of relief is gently sloping. Large cities and, accordingly, the bulk of the population of the Russian Federation are concentrated on the territory of the East European Plain. The Russian state was born on these lands. Minerals and other valuable natural resources are also located within the Russian Plain. The outlines of the Russian Plain practically repeat the outlines of the East European Platform. Due to this advantageous location, there is no seismic hazard and the likelihood of earthquakes. On the territory of the plain there are also hilly areas that appeared as a result of various tectonic processes. There are elevations up to 1000 m.

In ancient times, the Baltic Shield of the platform was located in the center of the glaciation. As a result, there is a glacial relief on the surface.

The terrain is made up of lowlands, as well as hills, because. platform deposits are located almost horizontally.

Ridges (Timansky) and uplands (Central Russian) were formed in the places of protrusions of the folded basement.
The height of the plain above sea level is approximately 170 m. The lowest areas are located on the coast of the Caspian Sea.

East European Plain - Glacier Influence

Glaciation processes significantly affected the relief of the Russian Plain, especially in its northern part. A glacier passed through this territory, as a result of which the famous lakes were formed: Chudskoye, Beloe, Pskovskoye.
Previously, glaciation affected the relief of the southeast of the plain, but its effects disappeared due to erosion. Uplands were formed: Smolensk-Moscow, Borisoglebskaya, etc., as well as lowlands: Pechora and Caspian.

In the south there are uplands (Priazovskaya, Privolzhskaya, Central Russian) and lowlands (Ulyanovskaya, Meshcherskaya).
Further to the South are the Black Sea and Caspian lowlands.

The glacier contributed to the formation of valleys, the increase in tectonic depressions, the grinding of rocks, the formation of ornate bays on the Kola Peninsula.

East European Plain - water arteries

The rivers of the East European Plain belong to the basins of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, the rest flow into the Caspian Sea and have no connection with the ocean.

The longest and deepest river in Europe, the Volga, flows through the territory of the Russian Plain.

East European Plain - natural areas, flora and fauna

Almost all natural zones of Russia are represented on the plain.

Off the coast of the Barents Sea, in the subtropical zone, tundra is concentrated.
On the territory of the temperate zone, south of Polissya and up to the Urals, coniferous and mixed forests stretch, giving way to deciduous forests in the West.
The south is dominated by forest-steppe with a gradual transition to the steppe.
In the region of the Caspian lowland there is a strip of deserts and semi-deserts.
Arctic, forest and steppe animals live on the lands of the Russian Plain.

The most dangerous natural phenomena that occur on the territory of the Russian Plain include floods and tornadoes. The problem of ecology due to human activity is acute.

The East European Plain is second in size only to the Amazonian Lowland, located in South America. The second largest plain of our planet is located on the continent of Eurasia. Most of it is located in the eastern part of the mainland, the smaller one is in the western part. Since the geographic location of the East European Plain is mainly in Russia, it is often called the Russian Plain.

East European Plain: its boundaries and location

From north to south, the plain has a length of more than 2.5 thousand kilometers, and from east to west, 1 thousand kilometers. Its flat relief is explained by almost complete coincidence with the East European platform. And, therefore, large natural phenomena do not threaten her, small earthquakes and flooding are possible. In the northwest, the plain ends with the Scandinavian mountains, in the southwest - with the Carpathians, in the south - with the Caucasus, in the east - with the Mugodzhars and the Urals. Its highest part is located in the Khibiny (1190m), the lowest is located on the Caspian coast (28 m below sea level). Most of the plain is located in the forest zone, the southern and central parts are forest-steppes and steppes. The extreme south and eastern part is covered with desert and semi-desert.

East European Plain: its rivers and lakes

Onega, Pechora, Mezen, Northern Dvina are large rivers of the northern part that belong to the Arctic Ocean. The Baltic Sea basin includes such large rivers as the Western Dvina, Neman, Vistula. The Dniester, the Southern Bug, the Dnieper flow to the Black Sea. The Volga and the Urals belong to the Caspian Sea basin. The Don rushes its waters to the Sea of Azov. In addition to large rivers, there are several large lakes on the Russian Plain: Ladoga, Beloe, Onega, Ilmen, Chudskoye.

East European Plain: wildlife

Animals of the forest group, arctic and steppe live on the Russian Plain. Forest representatives of the fauna are more common. These are lemmings, chipmunks, ground squirrels and marmots, antelopes, martens and forest cats, mink, black polecat and wild boar, garden, hazel and forest dormouse and so on. Unfortunately, man has caused significant damage to the fauna of the plain. Even before the 19th century, the tarpan (wild forest horse) lived in mixed forests. Today in Belovezhskaya Pushcha they try to save bison. There is a steppe reserve Askania-Nova, in which animals of Asia, Africa and Australia settled. And the Voronezh Reserve successfully protects beavers. Moose and wild boars, which had previously been completely exterminated, reappeared in this area.

Minerals of the East European Plain

The Russian Plain contains many mineral resources that are of great importance not only for our country, but also for the rest of the world. First of all, these are the Pechora coal basin, the Kursk deposits of magnetic ore, nepheline and apathetic ores on the Kola Peninsula, the Volga-Ural and Yaroslavl oil, brown coal in the Moscow region. No less important are the aluminum ores of Tikhvin and the brown iron ore of Lipetsk. Limestone, sand, clay and gravel are distributed almost throughout the plain. Salt is mined in the Elton and Baskunchak lakes, and potash salt is mined in the Kama Cis-Urals. In addition to all this, gas is being produced (the area of the Azov coast).