ALTITUDINAL ZONATION OF LANDSCAPES

ALTITUDINAL ZONATION OF LANDSCAPES, the regular change of landscapes in the mountains with the change of altitude is similar to that of the latitudinal natural zones. With the growth of absolute altitude, the following parameters change: air temperature, the quantity of atmospheric precipitations, atmospheric pressure, soils, runoff conditions, flora, fauna. A.z.l. of the South Urals is influenced by: the zonality in the subzone of broadleaf forests and in the forest­steppe zone; clarification in steppe zone, as well as the meridian orientation of ridges. A.z.l. in Bashkortostan is expressed on the ridges, in the mountains with absolute altitude of more than 800 m (mountains Iremel, Yamantau, ridge Zigalga, Zilmerdak, Mashak, Nary, Uraltau, etc). The following 4 belts are distinguished: the mountain­forest steppe belt (up to the height of 600 m) is represented by a combination of meadow steppe with oak­lime forests in the west and birch­aspen forests in the east; the mountain­forest belt (up to the height of 1,200 m)— by broad­leaf forests in the west, pine and secondary birch forests on the eastern slopes, fir and spruce forests in the central part; the subgoltsy belt (up to 1,400 m) — by oak crooked forest and broad­leaf sparse forest in combination with meadow clearings; the goltsy belt, or mountain­tundra (above 1,400 m), with a predominance of mosses and lichens, dwarf willow, juniper, etc. The goltsy belt is characterized by stone rivers kurumy, often sliding down the slopes to the foot of the ridges.