The possession of rich soil and agro-climatic resources in the modern world is becoming one of the key factors for sustainable development in the long term. With ever-increasing overpopulation in some countries, as well as pressure on soils, water bodies and the atmosphere, access to sources of quality water and fertile soil becomes a strategically important advantage.
Regions of the world. Agro-climatic resources
It is obvious that soil fertility, the number of sunny days per year, as well as water are unevenly distributed on the surface of the planet. While some regions of the world suffer from a lack of sunlight, others experience an excess of solar radiation and constant droughts. In some areas, devastating floods regularly occur, destroying crops and even entire villages.
It should also be taken into account that soil fertility is far from a constant factor, which can vary depending on the intensity and quality of exploitation. Soils in many parts of the world tend to degrade, their fertility declines, and over time, erosion makes productive agriculture impossible.
Heat as the main factor
Speaking about the characteristics of agro-climatic resources, it is worth starting with the temperature regime, without which the growth of crops is impossible.
In biology, there is such a thing as "biological zero" - this is the temperature at which the plant stops growing and dies. For all crops, this temperature is not the same. For most crops that are grown in central Russia, this temperature is approximately +5 degrees.
It should also be noted that the agro-climatic resources of the European part of Russia are rich and diverse, because a significant part of the Central European region of the country is occupied by black soil, and there is an abundance of water and sun from spring to early autumn. In addition, thermophilic crops are cultivated in the south and along the Black Sea coast.
Water resources and ecology
Considering the level of industrial development, the increasing environmental pollution, it is worth talking not only about the quantity of agro-climatic resources, but also about their quality. Therefore, the territories are subdivided according to the level of heat supply or the presence of large rivers, as well as the ecological cleanliness of these resources.
For example, in China, despite significant water reserves and large areas of agricultural land, it is not necessary to talk about the complete provision of this densely populated country with the necessary resources, because the aggressive development of the manufacturing and mining industries has led to the fact that many rivers have become polluted and unsuitable for the production of quality products.
At the same time, countries such as the Netherlands and Israel, with their small territories and difficult climatic conditions, are becoming leaders in food production. And Russia, as experts note, is far from using the advantages of the temperate zone, in which a significant part of the European territory of the country is located, far from being at full capacity.
Technology at the service of agriculture
The more people inhabit the Earth, the more urgent the problem becomes to feed the inhabitants of the planet. The load on the soils is growing, and they are degrading, the sown areas are shrinking.
However, science does not stand still, and after the Green Revolution, which made it possible to feed a billion people in the middle of the last century, a new one is coming. Considering that the main agro-climatic resources are concentrated on the territory of such large states as Russia, the USA, Ukraine, China, Canada and Australia, more and more small states use modern technologies and become leaders in agricultural production.
Thus, technologies make it possible to compensate for the lack of heat, moisture or sunlight.
Resource allocation
Soil and agro-climatic resources are unevenly distributed over the Earth. In order to indicate the level of resource endowment in a given region, the most important criteria for assessing the quality of agro-climatic resources include heat. On this basis, the following climatic zones are determined:
- cold - heat supply less than 1000 degrees;
- cool - from 1000 to 2000 degrees during the growing season;
- moderate - in the southern regions, heat supply reaches 4000 degrees;
- subtropical;
- hot.
Taking into account the fact that natural agro-climatic resources are not equally distributed on the planet, in the conditions of the modern market, all states have access to agricultural products, in whatever region they are produced.
Agro-climatic resources are the properties of the climate that provide opportunities for agricultural production. The most important indicator of agro-climatic resources are: the duration of the period with an average daily temperature above 10 degrees; sum of temperatures for this period; moisture coefficient; thickness and duration of snow cover. Since the climate of our country is very diverse, different parts of it have different agro-climatic “opportunities”.
Most (3/4) of the territory of Russia is located in the zone of cold and temperate climatic zones. Therefore, solar heat is supplied to it in a very limited amount (the average temperature of the territory as a whole does not exceed 5 °C, the sum of temperatures over a period of over 10 °C ranges from 400 °C in the north to 4000 °C in the south of the country), huge areas (10 million sq. km, or 60% of the country's territory) is occupied by permafrost.
On the part of the Russian territory (approximately 35% of the country's area), located in the temperate zone (with temperatures above 10 ° C 1000-4000 ° C), there is enough heat for the ripening of crops such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat , flax, sugar beets, sunflowers, etc. However, on a huge area located beyond the Arctic Circle (islands and the mainland coast of the Arctic Ocean), only vegetable growing in closed ground or focal agriculture is possible.
Due to the considerable extent of the territory in Russia, a continental climate prevails, while the continentality of the climate increases from west to east. In the European part of Russia, the climate is temperate continental with cold and snowy winters and warm, relatively humid summers. Beyond the Urals, in Siberia and in most of the Far East, the climate is sharply continental, with a significant difference in seasonal temperatures (very cold and long winters and hot, short summers) and a reduced amount of annual precipitation. With the general severity of nature, the possibilities of agriculture in the eastern regions are also limited by the presence of a huge area of permafrost.
The greatest amount of precipitation falls in the mountains of the southern slope of the Caucasus (up to 1000 mm per year), in the western and central regions of European Russia (up to 600-700 mm per year). To the north (in the Arctic) and east (in some southern regions of the European part of the country, in Siberia), their number decreases to 100-150 mm. In the south of the Far East (in Primorye), in the region of the monsoonal climate, precipitation again increases to 1000 mm per year. At the same time, due to sharp differences in evaporation, the northern and northwestern regions are classified as waterlogged (humid) territories, and the southern (eastern regions of the North Caucasus, the south of the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia) are arid (arid).
As a result, almost the entire territory of the country is located in the zone of risky agriculture (areas where the return of cold weather, drought or waterlogging is frequent and, as a result, lean years); growing most of the perennial crops in the country is impossible; most of its pastures fall on low-productive tundra lands; areas with favorable conditions for agriculture (the North Caucasus, the Central Black Earth region, the Middle Volga region) occupy a small space (slightly more than 5% of the country's territory).
In terms of heat and moisture, Russia is significantly inferior to many countries, including the United States, whose agro-climatic potential is more than 2.5 times higher, France - 2.25 times higher, Germany - 1.7 times higher, Great Britain - 1.5 times higher, than the RF.
In the latitudinal direction, from north to south, the territory of Russia is crossed by several soil and plant (natural) zones: arctic deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, forest (taiga and mixed forests), forest-steppe, steppe, semi-deserts. A small area on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus (from Anapa to Adler) is occupied by the subtropical zone.
The zones of the Arctic deserts, tundra and forest-tundra are either unsuitable at all or extremely unfavorable for agricultural activities. Farming in most of the territory in open ground is impossible. The predominant type of farming is extensive reindeer grazing and fur farming.
Agricultural development of the forest zone, due to climatic (cool short summer, the predominance of precipitation over the amount of evaporation), soil (infertile podzolic, gray forest and swamp soils) and other conditions, is associated with overcoming significant difficulties - land reclamation (drainage), liming soils, applying additional fertilizers, clearing the territory (cleaning boulders, cutting down forests, uprooting stumps, etc.), etc. The plowed area of the forest zone is small, hayfields and natural pastures have significant areas. The main directions of development of the economy are dairy and meat cattle breeding and flax breeding, the production of early-ripening grains (rye, barley, oats) and fodder crops, potatoes.
The forest-steppe and steppe zone (Central Black Earth, North Caucasian, Volga regions, southern regions of the Urals, Western and Eastern Siberia) surpasses all others in terms of agro-climatic resources. In addition to high heat supply, the zone is characterized by the presence of various types of chernozem and chestnut soils, which are characterized by high fertility. Plowed land is very high. The zone is the main breadbasket of the country, the main producer of agricultural products (almost 80% of the country's agricultural products, including the vast majority of wheat, rice, corn for grain, sugar beets and sunflowers, fruits and vegetables, melons and grapes, etc.). In animal husbandry, dairy-meat and meat cattle breeding, pig breeding, poultry farming and sheep breeding are developed.
The subtropical zone (the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory) is very small in area, but it concentrates all the production of tobacco and tea in Russia.
The mountainous territories of the Caucasus and Southern Siberia (Altai, Kuznetsk Alatau, Western and Eastern Sayans, mountains of Tuva, Baikal and Transbaikalia) are distinguished by their natural meadows used for pastures. Agriculture specializes in beef cattle breeding, sheep breeding, horse breeding, deer breeding, yak breeding, camel breeding.
In the production of agricultural products of the country, approximately the same role belongs to crop production and animal husbandry.
The last 15 years have been one of the driest in the recent history of our country. Thus, the frequency of droughts has noticeably increased in the European territory of Russia, where they were observed in 1999, 1998, 1996, 2002, 2010 and some other years. At the same time, the nature of winter has noticeably changed, which is now characterized by the frequent absence of snow cover or a decrease in its height. This leads to the fact that the duration of the growing season everywhere has increased by at least 7-10 days, which, accordingly, affects the timing of ripening and harvesting.
It should be noted that the impact of climate on different agricultural crops is quite differentiated. Thus, rice and grain corn, which are fully or partially located on irrigated lands, have the greatest resistance to weather changes. At the same time, barley and spring wheat are the most susceptible, the yield of which decreases markedly with the deterioration of weather conditions.
Experts assess the current trend of climate change as "warming with increasing aridity." For our country, this may lead to a shift in the zone of risky farming to the north. According to various estimates, the modern border of natural zones can shift 700-1000 kilometers to the north. At the same time, areas that will be more favorable for agriculture may also increase. Thanks to this, our country will be able to significantly increase the size of exports.
In general, global climate change is predicted to have a positive impact on the development and functioning of agriculture. According to the assessments of the National Report on the problems of global warming and climate change, prepared by specialists from the Ministry of Economic Development, the balance of negative and positive impacts on the work of agricultural enterprises will be in favor of the latter. Thus, the area suitable for cultivation will increase, heat supply will increase, and conditions for overwintering of plants will improve.
Development of agriculture in the zone with favorable agro-climatic resources in the south of Russia
Agro-climatic resources are the properties of the climate that provide opportunities for agricultural production. They are characterized by: the duration of the period with an average daily temperature above +10°C; the sum of temperatures for this period; the ratio of heat and moisture; moisture reserves created during a given period by snow cover.
Different regions of our country have different agro-climatic resources, but in general, on the territory of Kazakhstan, solar heat is sufficient for the maturation of many agricultural crops. At an average daily temperature above +10°С, its total amount fluctuates significantly: in the north it is 2000-2100°, and in the south -4800-4600°.
In the northern part of the republic, where the average daily temperature exceeds +10°C, the growing season lasts 130-135 days. Here, agro-climatic resources are suitable for growing spring wheat, flax, vegetables, fruits and melons.
In the central part of Kazakhstan, the climate is relatively dry. Heat resources - 2400°-2800°. The number of days when the average temperature rises above +10°C is 150-160. Here you can grow cereals, sunflower, buckwheat and potatoes.
In the south of the republic, the growing season lasts a little over 180 days. The abundance of solar heat makes it possible to grow here such irrigated crops as rice, cotton, tobacco, grapes, sugar beets, etc.
A person can use climatic resources as the most important healing factors. Scientists involved in the problems of medical and resort climatology study the influence of climatic factors on living organisms. These factors include: solar radiation, temperature, humidity, wind, etc. There is the concept of "comfort zone", i.e. a zone in which climatic elements have a positive effect on people's health and mood. The climate of Kazakhstan is healing in many places. According to medical observations, in the inhabitants of deserts and mountains, extreme blood pressure indicators are lower than usual, hypertension is rare. In pine forests on the banks of rivers and lakes, in mountain valleys there are many climatic sanatoriums.
The duration of sunshine and the intensity of radiation in the summer favor the use of solar energy for technical purposes. The construction of solar stations is planned in the deserts.
The small thickness of the snow cover in a significant part of the south of the republic makes it possible to keep cattle on pasture in warm winters. However, climatic conditions are not favorable everywhere. The alternation of thaws with frosts, unexpected snowfalls, strong winds make it necessary to make insurance stocks of fodder in places of winter grazing.
1. In which part of Kazakhstan is it warmest and what heat-loving crops do you know?
2. What areas of Kazakhstan are favorable for the development of grain crops?
3. What crops are grown in the republic? Where and why?
4. How does climate affect economic activity?
5. What are the agro-climatic resources of your area?
Questions and tasks for repeating the topic "Climate"
1. Name the factors that shape the climate of Kazakhstan.
2. In what climate zone is Kazakhstan located?
3. What types of air masses form the climate of Kazakhstan?
4. Where are the highest (maximum) and lowest (minimum) temperatures observed in Kazakhstan?
5. How is precipitation distributed depending on the season? Why?
6. Where in Kazakhstan there is more precipitation, where is it less? Why?
7. What are the climatic features of the highlands?
8. How does climate affect human life and economic activity?
9. What adverse weather events do you know about climate?
10. What are agro-climatic resources? How are they used?
11. What crops are grown in the republic?
The possession of rich soil and agro-climatic resources in the modern world is becoming one of the key factors for sustainable development in the long term. With ever-increasing overpopulation in some countries, as well as pressure on soils, water bodies and the atmosphere, access to sources of quality water and fertile soil becomes a strategically important advantage.
Agro-climatic resources
It is obvious that soil fertility, the number of sunny days per year, as well as water are unevenly distributed on the surface of the planet. While some regions of the world suffer from a lack of sunlight, others experience an excess of solar radiation and constant droughts. In some areas, devastating floods regularly occur, destroying crops and even entire villages.
It should also be taken into account that soil fertility is far from a constant factor, which can vary depending on the intensity and quality of exploitation. Soils in many parts of the world tend to degrade, their fertility declines, and over time, erosion makes productive agriculture impossible.
Heat as the main factor
Speaking about the characteristics of agro-climatic resources, it is worth starting with the temperature regime, without which the growth of crops is impossible.
In biology, there is such a thing as "biological zero" - this is the temperature at which the plant stops growing and dies. For all crops, this temperature is not the same. For most crops that are grown in central Russia, this temperature is approximately +5 degrees.
It should also be noted that the agro-climatic resources of the European part of Russia are rich and diverse, because a significant part of the Central European region of the country is occupied by black soil, and there is an abundance of water and sun from spring to early autumn. In addition, thermophilic crops are cultivated in the south and along the Black Sea coast.
Water resources and ecology
Considering the level of industrial development, the increasing environmental pollution, it is worth talking not only about the quantity of agro-climatic resources, but also about their quality. Therefore, the territories are subdivided according to the level of heat supply or the presence of large rivers, as well as the ecological cleanliness of these resources.
For example, in China, despite significant water reserves and large areas of agricultural land, it is not necessary to talk about the complete provision of this densely populated country with the necessary resources, because the aggressive development of the manufacturing and mining industries has led to the fact that many rivers have become polluted and unsuitable for the production of quality products.
At the same time, countries such as the Netherlands and Israel, with their small territories and difficult climatic conditions, are becoming leaders in food production. And Russia, as experts note, is far from using the advantages of the temperate zone, in which a significant part of the European territory of the country is located, far from being at full capacity.
Technology at the service of agriculture
The more people inhabit the Earth, the more urgent the problem becomes to feed the inhabitants of the planet. The load on the soils is growing, and they are degrading, the sown areas are shrinking.
However, science does not stand still, and after the Green Revolution, which made it possible to feed a billion people in the middle of the last century, a new one is coming. Considering that the main agro-climatic resources are concentrated on the territory of such large states as Russia, the USA, Ukraine, China, Canada and Australia, more and more small states use modern technologies and become leaders in agricultural production.
Thus, technologies make it possible to compensate for the lack of heat, moisture or sunlight.
Resource allocation
Soil and agro-climatic resources are unevenly distributed over the Earth. In order to indicate the level of resource endowment in a given region, the most important criteria for assessing the quality of agro-climatic resources include heat. On this basis, the following climatic zones are determined:
- cold - heat supply less than 1000 degrees;
- cool - from 1000 to 2000 degrees during the growing season;
- moderate - in the southern regions, heat supply reaches 4000 degrees;
- subtropical;
- hot.
Taking into account the fact that natural agro-climatic resources are not equally distributed on the planet, in the conditions of the modern market, all states have access to agricultural products, in whatever region they are produced.
