Due to the predominance of hot foods on the continent humid climate affecting natural areas, South America has widespread forests and relatively few deserts and semi-deserts. On both sides of the equator in the Amazon basin there is a zone of humid equatorial forests. The area occupied by them is larger than in Africa, they are more humid, their flora and fauna are richer in species than African forests. The Portuguese called these forests selva.
Selva amazes the naturalist with its riot of life and colors. Among the trees are remarkable ceiba, melon tree, various types of palm trees, chocolate tree (cocoa), hevea, many orchids, and vines. Many animals are adapted to life in trees: prehensile-tailed monkeys, sloths, arboreal porcupines. Tapirs, anteaters, and jaguars live here; many species of parrots, hummingbirds; The world of insects is very rich.
Savanna zones occupy the Orinoco Lowland, most of the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus. Palm trees and acacias grow among the grasses, but in the savannas of the Southern Hemisphere the woody vegetation is poorer: mimosas, cacti, milkweed, bottle trees with barrel-shaped trunks. The South American savannas do not have large herbivores like those in Africa. Small deer, wild peccary pigs, armadillos, anteaters, birds - rhea ostrich, and predators - jaguars and pumas live here.
The tropical desert area occupies a small coastal strip on west coast. Here, not far from the ocean, lies the Atacama Desert - one of the most waterless deserts in the world. Cacti and thorny cushion-shaped bushes grow here and there on the barren rocky soils. The subtropical forest zone occupies the south of the Brazilian Plateau. The landscape of the zone is formed by beautiful park-type forests of coniferous araucarias; Paraguayan tea also grows here.
The steppe zone is also located in the subtropical climate zone. Meadow steppes are called pampas in South America. In the humid subtropical climate, very fertile reddish-black soils formed in the steppes. The main vegetation is grasses, among which feather grass, wild millet and other types of cereals predominate. For open spaces The pampas are characterized by fast-running animals - pampas deer, pampas cat, several types of llamas. Lots of rodents (nutria, viscacha), as well as armadillos and birds.
The semi-desert zone of the temperate zone is located in the south of the continent, where dry cereals and thorny bushes, often forming the shape of pillows, grow on poor soils. The same animals live in semi-deserts as in the pampa.
Altitudinal zonation in the Andes, which are located on different latitudes, differs in quantity altitude zones. The number of these belts depends on geographical latitude and mountain heights. Their greatest number is observed at the latitude of the equator. On the plateaus Central Andes, isolated from the influence of the oceans, there are dry mountain steppes and semi-deserts called Pune. Among the animals living in the Andes there are endemics: the spectacled bear, the chinchilla rodent, the wild llama, etc.
South America is a unique continent. More than 50% of all equatorial and tropical forests growing on Earth are located in this part of the world. Most of The continent's territories are located in tropical and equatorial zones. The climate is humid and warm, the temperature in winter and summer time does not differ much and is always positive in most parts of the mainland. Natural areas South America are located unevenly due to the large differences in the relief of eastern and western parts. Animal and vegetable world presented big amount endemic species. Almost all minerals are mined on this continent.
This topic is studied in detail school subject geography (7th grade). “Natural areas of South America” is the name of the lesson topic.
Geographical position
South America is entirely in western hemisphere, most of its territories lie in tropical and equatorial latitudes.
The mainland includes the Malvinas Islands, which lie in the shelf zone Atlantic Ocean, and the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Archipelago Tierra del Fuego separated from the main part of South America by the Strait of Magellan. The length of the strait is about 550 km, it is located in the south.
In the north is Lake Maracaibo, which is connected by a narrow strait to the Gulf of Venezuela, one of the largest in the Caribbean Sea.
The coastline is not very indented.
Geological structure. Relief
Conventionally, South America can be divided into two parts: mountainous and flat. In the West - pleated belt Andes, in the east - a platform (ancient South American Precambrian).
The shields are elevated sections of the platform; in relief they correspond to the Guiana and Brazilian highlands. From the east of the Brazilian Highlands, the sierras - blocky mountains - formed.
The Orinoco and Amazonian lowland plains are troughs South American platform. The Amazonian lowland occupies the entire part of the territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes mountains, limited to the north by the Guiana Plateau, and to the south by the Brazilian Plateau.
The Andes are among the highest mountain systems on the planet. And this is the longest chain of mountains on Earth, its length is almost 9 thousand km. 
The earliest folding in the Andes is the Hercynian, which began to form in the Paleozoic. Mountain movements continue to occur today - this zone is one of the most active. This is evidenced by strong earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Minerals
The continent is very rich in various minerals. Oil, gas, hard and brown coal, as well as various metal and non-metallic ores (iron, aluminum, copper, tungsten, diamonds, iodine, magnesite, etc.) are mined here. The distribution of minerals depends on geological structure. Iron ore deposits belong to ancient shields, this is the northern part of the Guiana Highlands and central part Brazilian Highlands.
Bauxite and manganese ores are concentrated in the weathering crust of the uplands.
In the depressions of the foothills, on the shelf, in the troughs of the platform, the extraction of combustible minerals is carried out: oil, gas, coal.
Emeralds are mined in Colombia.
Molybdenum and copper are mined in Chile. This country ranks second (like Zambia) in the world in the extraction of natural resources.
These are the natural zones of South America, the geography of distribution of minerals.
Climate
The climate of the mainland, like any continent, depends on several factors: the currents washing the continent, macrorelief, and atmospheric circulation. Since the continent is crossed by the equator line, most of it is located in the subequatorial, equatorial, subtropical, and tropical zones, therefore the amount of solar radiation is quite large. 
Characteristics of natural zones of South America. Zone of humid equatorial forests. Selva
This zone in South America occupies large territory: the entire Amazonian lowland, the nearby foothills of the Andes and part of the nearby east coast. Equatorial rainforests or as they are called local residents, "selvas", which translates from Portuguese as "forest". Another name proposed by A. Humboldt is “Gilea”. Equatorial forests are multi-layered, almost all trees are intertwined various types lianas, many epiphytes, including orchids. 
Typical fauna are monkeys, tapirs, sloths, a huge variety of birds and insects.
Zone of savannas and woodlands. Llanos
This zone covers the entire Orinoco Lowland, as well as the Brazilian and Guiana Highlands. This natural area is also called llanos or campos. The soils are red-brown and red ferralitic. Most of the territory is occupied by tall grasses: cereals, legumes. There are trees, usually acacias and palms, as well as mimosa, bottle tree, and quebracho - an endemic species growing in the Brazilian Highlands. Translated it means “break the axe”, because The wood of this tree is very hard.
Among the animals, the most common are: baker pigs, deer, anteaters and cougars.
Zone of subtropical steppes. Pampa
This zone covers the entire La Plata lowland. The soil is red-black ferralitic, it is formed as a result of the rotting of pampas grass and tree leaves. The humus horizon of such soil can reach 40 cm, therefore the land is very fertile, which local residents take advantage of. 
The most common animals are llama and Pampas deer.
Semi-desert and desert zone. Patagonia
This zone is located in the “rain shadow” of the Andes, because mountains block the wet path air masses. The soils are poor, brown, gray-brown and gray-brown. Sparse vegetation, mainly cacti and grasses.
Among the animals there are many endemic species: Magellanic dog, skunk, Darwin's ostrich.
Temperate forest zone
This zone is located south of 38° S. Its second name is hemigels. These are evergreen, permanently moist forests. The soils are mainly forest brown soils. The vegetation is very diverse, but the main representatives of the flora are southern beech, Chilean cypresses and araucarias.
Altitudinal zone
Altitudinal zonation is characteristic of the entire Andes region, but it is most fully represented in the equator region.
Up to an altitude of 1500 m there is “hot land”. Humid equatorial forests grow here.
Up to 2800 m is temperate land. Tree ferns and coca bushes grow here, as well as bamboo and cinchona.
Up to 3800 - a zone of crooked forests or a belt of low-growing high-mountain forests.
Up to 4500 m lies paramos - a zone of high-mountain meadows.
“Natural zones of South America” (grade 7) is a topic in which one can see how individual geocomponents are interconnected and how they influence the formation of each other.
The continent of South America is located in all geographical zones, with the exception of the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic. The wide northern part of the continent lies at low latitudes, so the equatorial and subequatorial belts are most widespread. Distinctive feature The continent is characterized by the widespread development of forest natural zones (47% of the area). 1/4 of the planet’s forests are concentrated on the “green continent”.
South America gave humanity many cultivated plants: potatoes, tomatoes, beans, tobacco, pineapple, hevea, cocoa, peanuts, etc.
Natural areas of South America
In the equatorial geographical zone there is a zone of moist equatorial forests, occupying Western Amazonia. They were called by A. Humboldt hylea, and local population- selva. The equatorial rainforests of South America are the richest species composition forests on Earth. They are rightfully considered the “gene pool of the planet”: they contain more than 45 thousand plant species, including 4000 woody ones.
There are flooded, non-flooded and mountain hylia. In river floodplains flooded with water a long period, impoverished forests of low trees (10-15 m) with breathing and stilt roots grow. Cecropia (“ant tree”) predominates; giant Victoria regia swim in the reservoirs.
In elevated areas, rich, dense, multi-tiered (up to 5 tiers) flood-free forests are formed. The solitary ceiba (cotton tree) and the Brazil nut-bearing bertolecia grow to a height of 40-50 m. The upper tiers (20-30 m) are formed by trees with valuable wood (rosewood, pau brazil, mahogany), as well as ficus and hevea, from whose milky juice rubber is obtained. In the lower tiers, under the canopy of palm trees, chocolate and melon trees grow, as well as the oldest plants on Earth - tree ferns. The trees are densely intertwined with lianas; among the epiphytes there are many brightly colored orchids.
Mangrove vegetation, poor in composition (nipa palm, rhizophora), is developed near the coast. Mangroves are thickets of evergreen trees and shrubs in a wetland sea tides and ebb tides of tropical and equatorial latitudes, adapted to salt water.
Moist equatorial forests form on red-yellow ferrallitic soils, poor nutrients. Falling leaves in hot and humid climates quickly rot, and the humus is immediately absorbed by plants, without having time to accumulate in the soil.
Hylaea animals are adapted to life in trees. Many have a prehensile tail, such as the sloth, opossum, prehensile-tailed porcupine, and broad-nosed monkeys (howler monkeys, arachnids, marmosets). The ponds are home to peccary pigs and tapirs. There are predators: jaguar, ocelot. There are numerous turtles and snakes, including the longest one - the anaconda (up to 11 m). South America is the “continent of birds”. Hylea is home to macaws, toucans, hoatzins, tree hens and the smallest birds - hummingbirds (up to 2 g).
The rivers are teeming with caimans and alligators. They are home to 2,000 species of fish, including the dangerous predatory piranha and the largest in the world, the arapaima (up to 5 m in length and weighing up to 250 kg). The electric eel and the freshwater inia dolphin are also found. There are zones of variable-humid forests in three geographical zones.
Subequatorial variable-humid forests occupy eastern part The Amazonian lowland and the adjacent slopes of the Brazilian and Guiana plateaus. The presence of a dry period causes the appearance of deciduous trees. Among the evergreens, cinchona, ficus, and balsa, which have the lightest wood, predominate. In tropical latitudes on a humidified eastern outskirts On the mountainous red soils of the Brazilian plateau, rich evergreen tropical forests grow, similar in composition to equatorial ones. The southeast of the plateau on red soils and yellow soils is occupied by sparse subtropical moist forests. They are formed by Brazilian araucaria with an undergrowth of yerba mate (“Paraguayan tea”) shrubs.
The zone of savannas and woodlands is distributed in two geographical zones. In subequatorial latitudes it covers the Orinoco Lowland and the interior regions of the Brazilian Plateau, and in tropical latitudes it covers the Gran Chaco plain. Depending on the moisture content, wet, typical and desertified savannas are distinguished; red, brown-red and red-brown soils develop under them, respectively.
The tall grass wet savanna in the Orinoco River basin is traditionally called llanos. It is flooded for up to six months, turning into an impassable swamp. Grains and sedges grow; Of the trees, the Mauritius palm dominates, which is why the llanos is called the “palm savanna.”
On the Brazilian plateau, savannas are called campos. Wet shrub-tree savanna occupies the center of the plateau, while typical grassy savanna occupies the south. Low-growing shrubs grow against the background of cereal vegetation (bearded grass, feather grass). The trees are dominated by palms (wax palms, oil palms, vine palms). The arid northeast of the Brazilian Plateau is occupied by desert savanna - caatinga. This is a woodland of thorny bushes and cacti. There is a stocking rainwater bottle-shaped tree - bombax cottonwood.
Savannas continue into tropical latitudes, occupying the Gran Chaco plain. Only in tropical woodlands is the quebracho ("break the axe") tree found, with hard and heavy wood that sinks in water. The savannas contain plantations of coffee, cotton, and bananas. Dry savannas are an important area for grazing.
Savannah animals are characterized by a protective brown coloration (spice-horned deer, red nose, maned wolf, rhea ostrich). Rodents are abundantly represented, including the largest in the world, the capybara. Many Hylaea animals (armadillos, anteaters) also live in savannas. Termite mounds are ubiquitous.
In the Laplata Lowland south of 30° S. w. subtropical steppes are formed. In South America they are called pampas. It is characterized by rich forb-grass vegetation (wild lupine, pampas grass, feather grass). The chernozem soils of the pampa are very fertile and therefore heavily plowed. The Argentine pampa is the main growing area for wheat and forage grasses in South America. Animal world Pampa is rich in rodents (tuco-tuco, viscacha). There are Pampas deer, Pampas cat, puma, and rhea ostrich.
The semi-deserts and deserts of South America extend across three geographical zones: tropical, subtropical and temperate. In the west of the tropics, tropical deserts and semi-deserts stretch in a narrow strip along the Pacific coast and on the high plateaus of the Central Andes. This is one of the driest areas on Earth: in the Atacama Desert it may not rain for years. On the infertile gray soils of coastal deserts, dry cereals and cacti grow, receiving moisture from dew and fog; on the gravelly soils of high-mountain deserts there are creeping and cushion-shaped grasses and thorny shrubs.
The fauna of tropical deserts is poor. The inhabitants of the highlands are llamas, spectacled bears, and chinchillas with valuable fur. There is the Andean condor - the largest bird in the world with a wingspan of up to 4 m.
West of the pampa in conditions continental climate Subtropical semi-deserts and deserts are widespread. Light forests of acacias and cacti are developed on gray soils, and solyankas are found on salt marshes. In the harsh temperate latitudes of lowland Patagonia, dry cereals and thorny shrubs grow on brown semi-desert soils. The southwestern edge of the continent in two zones is occupied by forest natural zones. In the subtropics in Mediterranean conditions maritime climate a zone of dry hard-leaved forests and shrubs is formed. The coast and slopes of the Chilean-Argentine Andes (between 28° and 36° S) are covered with forests of evergreen southern beech, teak, persea on brown and gray-brown soils.
To the south there are moist evergreen and mixed forests. In the northern Patagonian Andes, moist evergreen forests grow on mountain brown forest soils in a subtropical humid climate. With abundant moisture (more than 3000-4000 mm of precipitation), these rain forests are multi-layered and rich, for which they received the name “subtropical hylea”. They consist of evergreen beeches, magnolias, Chilean araucaria, Chilean cedar, South American larch with a rich understory of tree ferns and bamboos. In the south of the Patagonian Andes, in a temperate maritime climate, mixed forests of deciduous beech and coniferous podocarpus grow. Here you can find puda deer, Magellanic dog, otter, and skunk.
The high-mountain region of the Andes occupies a vast territory with a well-defined altitudinal zone, most fully manifested in equatorial latitudes. Up to an altitude of 1500 m, there is a hot zone - hylea with an abundance of palm trees and bananas. Above up to 2000 m - temperate zone with cinchona, balsa, tree ferns and bamboos. A cold belt extends to the 3500 m mark - a high-mountain hylea of low-growing crooked forests. It is replaced by a frost belt with high-mountain meadows of paramos cereals and low-growing shrubs. Above 4700 m there is a belt of eternal snow and ice.
The main part of South America is occupied by natural zones of moist equatorial forests, as well as savannas and woodlands. The Amazonian Hylea has no equal on Earth in terms of species richness. In the Andes mountains there is a pronounced altitudinal zonation, most fully manifested in equatorial latitudes.
- Educational:
- consolidate and deepen knowledge about the basic law of geography - latitudinal zonality using the example of natural areas of South America;
- study the features of the natural areas of South America.
- Show the relationship between the components of the continent’s nature, the influence of relief, climate and inland waters on development organic world South America;
- Developmental:
- continue to improve your analysis skills thematic cards;
- to develop students’ ability to characterize natural areas, identify relationships between natural ingredients;
- develop skills in choosing the rational execution of work stages.
- Educational:
- assess the degree of change in nature under the influence economic activity person;
- cultivate mutual understanding, mutual assistance, friendship in the process collaboration on the result;
- to educate schoolchildren to respect nature.
Lesson type: learning new material.
Equipment:
- geography textbook “Continents, oceans and countries” I. V. Korinskaya, V.A. Dushina, atlases on geography 7th grade,
- notebooks, tables to fill out,
- multimedia projector,
- student drawings,
- wall map of South America.
Methods and forms: partially search, explanatory and illustrative, visual, reproductive, independent work, individual.
DURING THE CLASSES
– Today in class we will continue to study the nature of South America: we will find out what natural areas are on this continent and give them a description. Let's get acquainted with new concepts and listen to messages prepared by the guys. Let's consider how the nature of the continent changes under the influence of human agriculture, what negative impact humans have on the flora and fauna. Let’s formulate rules for caring for nature. Write down the date and topic of the lesson in your notebook.
II. Learning new material
– Guys, open the atlases on page PZ. Let's see what natural areas have formed on the mainland.
Due to the predominance of a humid climate, South America has widespread forests and relatively little desert and semi-desert. On both sides of the equator in the Amazon there are constantly moist evergreen forests, giving way to the north and south on the highlands to variable moist deciduous tropical forests, woodlands and savannas, especially extensive in southern hemisphere. In the south of the continent there are steppes and semi-deserts. Narrow band within the tropical climate zone in the west it is occupied by the Atacama Desert, (we wrote down the natural zones in a notebook)
Like Australia, South America stands out among the continents for the uniqueness of its organic world. Long-term isolation from other continents contributed to the formation of a rich and largely endemic flora and fauna in South America. It is the birthplace of the rubber plant Hevea, chocolate tree, cinchona and mahogany trees, Victoria regia, as well as many cultivated plants - potatoes, tomatoes, beans. Among the endemics of the animal world, one should mention partial teeth (anteaters, armadillos, sloths), broad-nosed monkeys, llamas, and some rodents (capybaras, capybaras, chinchillas).
– Now we will listen to messages about the features of the flora and fauna, those PZs that occupy largest areas on the mainland. Be careful, I am giving you tables with partial characteristics of P.Z., but not all columns contain information. The task is for you to fill them out as the message progresses.
Natural area |
Vegetation |
Animal world |
Human influence |
|||
Equatorial rainforests - selva |
On both sides of the equator, in the Amazonian lowland |
Equatorial belt: hot and humid |
Red-yellow ferrallite |
Chocolate tree, cinchona, palm trees, ceiba, spurge, melon tree, hevea, liana, orchid |
Howler monkey, sloth, anteater, tapir, jaguar, parrots, hummingbirds |
Deforestation, which provides a lot of oxygen |
Orinoco Lowland, |
Subequatorial: hot, tropical zone: dry and hot |
Red ferrallite |
Acacias, |
Deer, peccaries, anteaters, armadillos, jaguars, pumas, rhea ostrich |
Coffee plantations are being created in place of tropical forests |
|
Steppes - Pampa |
South of the savannahs to 40° S. |
Subtropical zone: warm and humid |
Reddish-black |
Feather grass, millet, reeds |
Pampas deer, llama, nutria, armadillo, pampas cat |
Fields of wheat, corn, grazing paddocks, felling of coniferous trees |
Semi-desert – Patagonia |
A narrow strip along the Andes in the south. |
Subtropical, temperate zone: dry and cool" |
Brown, gray-brown |
Grasses, cushion shrubs |
Whiscacha, nutria, armadillos |
Students read out the messages, after each we check what they have written in the table.
- Wet equatorial forests.
- Savannah.
- Steppes - pampa.
- Semi-deserts.
– So, we listened to messages about the main P.Z., we proved that the flora and fauna of South America are endemic and diverse. Now let’s give an assessment of the degree of change in the nature of the continent under the influence of human agriculture.
A poem about nature and a message are read.
Somehow, having gathered with with the last of my strength,
The Lord created a beautiful planet.
Gave her the shape of a large ball,
And he planted trees and flowers there,
Herbs of unprecedented beauty.
Many animals began to live there:
Snakes, elephants, turtles and birds.
Here's a gift for you, people, own it.
Plow the land, sow it with grain.
From now on I bequeath to you all -
Take care of this shrine!
Everything was fine, of course,
But... civilization has arrived on Earth.
Technological progress was unleashed.
The scientific world, hitherto dormant, suddenly rose again,
And gave to the earth's population
Hell of your inventions.
Conclusion: We show a slide about the negative impact of a person. We draw the diagram in a notebook.
Homework you had to formulate the rules careful attitude to nature. Please, whoever prepared it, let's hear it. Slide on nature conservation.
To preserve flora and fauna, it is necessary to take care of nature, create specially protected areas - reserves, National parks, create various centers and organizations for environmental protection. After all, our health depends on how we treat nature. We draw the diagram in a notebook.
III. Comprehension
– What explains the species diversity of the flora and fauna of South America?
– List the main natural areas of South America (according to the table)
IV. Summarizing
– To all the guys who prepared the messages, rating “5”
– Evaluate those who answered during the lesson.
V. Homework
§ 44 attach the table to your notebook and memorize it.
More than 50% of equatorial and tropical forests are located in South America. Also on this continent is concentrated 28% of total area forests in the world.
Selva zone
Selva occupies a huge area adjacent to the equator. A huge number of unique plants grow in the jungle zone - vines, euphorbia trees, balsa, ceiba, tree ferns.
The height of trees in the South American jungle is somewhat lower equatorial forests Africa. They live in difficult forests different types animals and birds - hummingbirds, parrots, sloths, tapirs, jaguars.
Found in the waters of the Amazon rare species fish, as well as crocodiles, dolphins, water snakes, anacondas. The climate of the selva is humid and hot, average temperature air does not drop below 23 °C.
Shroud zone
Equatorial jungles give way to shrouds. Savannahs are characterized by red-brown soils with sparse vegetation. Here you can find thickets of bushes, mimosas, cacti, bottle trees, and milkweeds.
The savannahs of the western Brazilian Highlands are characterized by hardwood trees. Savannahs are home to pumas, jaguars, armadillos, anteaters, deer and wild pigs.
Steppe zone
To the south, the savannas give way to a wide steppe, which in South America is called the pampa. Cereals are grown in the steppe zone; this natural zone is often called the breadbasket of the continent. Despite frequent droughts, the soils of the pampa are very fertile: the humus layer reaches 50 cm.
The steppe zone is home to animals such as pampas deer, llama, wild cat, and several species of rodents. The southwestern part of the pampa is not suitable for agricultural use: dry grasses and thorny bushes grow in most of this area.
Deserts and semi-deserts
Deserts and semi-deserts are characteristic of the Pacific coast of South America. At the foot of the Andes lies the Atacami Desert. The surface of the desert is rocky; closer to the ocean there are sand dunes.
South of the Andes lies the semi-desert of Patagonia. The vegetation here is better developed than in Atakami, since the surface of Patagonia is represented by gray-brown soils.
Andes mountain system
The Andes are a very complex mountain system, having a pronounced altitudinal zone. Highest point The Andes Mountains are located near the equator.
At the foot of the Andes there are tracts of evergreen trees; at an altitude of 3500 there are spacious meadows, which the aborigines call paramos.
At an altitude of 4500 meters there are glaciers and eternal snow. The Andes are home to such representatives of the animal world as the spectacled bear, chinchilla, llama and condor.
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