Description of the nature of the population and human economic activity. The influence of natural conditions on human economic activity. Tell us what nature gives to man
The connection between natural conditions and human health is obvious. The quality of water, air, soil, and climatic conditions determines a person’s health, ability to work, and longevity.
Remember in which areas of our country people live? greatest number centenarians. Find out what explains this.
It has long been noted that beautiful landscapes have a positive effect on people: the sea, mountains, fields, forests, steppes, lakes, rivers, etc. The best proof of this is the recreation and treatment of people at resorts, as well as the widespread use of such forms of recreation as tourism.
Natural factors play an important role in maintaining people's health and treating various diseases: sunlight, sea, forest, mountain air, sea water, mineral waters, healing mud.
Name the ones you know resort areas in our country. Explain their placement.
Exists special industry science - medical geography, which studies the patterns of geographical distribution of human diseases and develops measures to combat these diseases. Medical geography studies the natural features of a territory in order to determine their impact on the health of the population and contributes to a more complete and comprehensive assessment natural conditions when designing and carrying out a set of measures to transform nature.
Attention to people, concern for their health and recreation requires a reasonable, careful attitude towards nature and its riches.
Favorable conditions for human life and activity. Part of the territory of our country is characterized by favorable conditions for human life and health: warm sunny summers, moderate cold winter, sufficient rainfall, an abundance of attractive picturesque landscapes.
The climate of the middle and southern parts is very favorable for health European territory, south Western Siberia, North Caucasus. For example, for a resident of temperate latitudes, the most favorable conditions are: temperature in winter -8...-10°C, in summer +23...+25°C, wind speed in winter reaches 0.15 m/s, in summer - 0, 2-0.4 m/s, relative air humidity is 40-60%, respectively. These territories have been developed for a long time and have a high population density.
Development of territories with extreme conditions. However, in our country there are many places with unfavorable conditions for human life.
Extreme conditions (from the Latin extremus - extreme, extreme, severe) are conditions that are extremely unfavorable for the human body: with very low winter temperatures, very high summer temperatures, strong winds, and very high humidity.
Rice. 136. The degree of favorableness of natural conditions for human life
On the territory of our country, the following territories with extreme conditions can be distinguished: tundra, deserts, areas of sharply continental climate in Siberia, the Far Eastern monsoon zone.
In Primorye, for example, the summer is very damp: people suffer from shortness of breath, everything iron quickly rusts.
In Eastern Siberia there are the coldest regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where it is extremely difficult to build any buildings due to the presence of permafrost soils. In winter the thermometer shows -50...-60°С, and in summer sometimes more than +30°С. Here are the largest annual temperature ranges on our planet: 95°C in the south and 105°C in the north, with the highest temperatures observed in winter Atmosphere pressure in Russia. Frosts of -45... -50°C can remain here continuously for 1.5 to 3 months.
Rice. 137. Degree of discomfort during the cold season (according to F. Reimers)
Natural conditions have a great impact on human life and health. By looking at Figure 137, you can determine for which areas of the country certain buildings and types of clothing are typical.
Such conditions create great difficulties not only for the people living in them, but also for the tools of labor. Temperature -45°C is critical for mechanisms. For northern regions it is necessary to make them from special frost-resistant materials.
The development of territories with extreme conditions requires significant expenditures of funds, as well as the enthusiasm of people.
Rice. 138. Structure of the concept, “natural benefits” (according to N. F. Reimers)
When developing these territories, the use of scientific and technological achievements is of great importance.
Give examples of the development of territories with the help of achievements of science and technology, known to you from courses in physics, chemistry, as well as from periodicals.
Natural natural phenomena and their reasons. Significant difficulties in human life and activity are associated with natural phenomena. Natural disasters usually mean unexpected disruptions in the normal course of natural processes that have terrible consequences for humans.
Natural disasters can become catastrophic. The types of natural disasters are very diverse (Fig. 139). Often these phenomena cause superstitious fear in people and give rise to belief in supernatural forces. Volcanic eruptions have always inspired people with particular fear. Here the “forces of hell” escaping from the bowels of the Earth were visible: red-hot lava, hot ash, scorching clouds, mud flows. Air whirlwinds - tornadoes - are notorious: they overturn cars, fell forests, carry almost tattered haystacks, destroy buildings and can maim and even kill people.
In order to understand and explain the causes of various natural phenomena, it is necessary to know the laws of development of the Earth's shells.
Rice. 139. Interrelation of natural phenomena in the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere
Analyzing the diagram (see Fig. 139), indicate what reasons cause this or that natural disaster. (Check your answers using the materials in §44.)
Tell us what the consequences of these natural phenomena are (you can use materials from periodicals).
Geography of natural phenomena. Many natural phenomena - earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. are associated with areas of active mountain building. In Russia, such areas are located in the Caucasus and Far East. Avalanches, landslides, and mudflows also form in the mountainous regions of the Caucasus, as well as in the Urals, in the Khibiny Mountains.
River floods occur mainly on rivers with unregulated flow. With the construction of dams and reservoirs, the risk of flooding is sharply reduced.
Tornadoes occur in the center of the European part of the country; their formation is associated with sharp changes in pressure and changes in air masses, but their manifestation, as in the classic “tornado country” - the southern states of the USA, is prevented by forests.
Surge floods occur when headwinds block river mouths, raising the water level in the bay into which the river flows, causing it to turn back. Such, for example, are the famous floods of St. Petersburg.
Depending on which area, inhabited or undeveloped, this or that occurs natural phenomenon, it is either classified as a natural disaster or not. In a populated area, it causes great material damage and sometimes leads to the death of people, which is why it is called a disaster.
Measures to combat natural disasters. To combat natural phenomena, you must first of all have a good knowledge of the reasons for their origin. Scientists come to the aid of people by studying and trying to predict natural phenomena. This is very difficult and hard work, despite the fact that it uses the latest achievements of science and technology, in particular space methods.
In our country, forecasts of volcanic eruptions in Kamchatka are successfully carried out, and local forecasts of avalanches, mudflows, and floods are carried out. To protect people from some of the natural disasters, special structures are created.
People have already learned to predict droughts and floods, hurricanes and storms, blizzards and snow drifts. But there remains a lot of unknown, requiring great effort in studying natural elements.
More detailed space methods for studying them will provide great assistance in understanding the formidable forces of nature, because they make it possible to obtain new operational information about formidable natural phenomena. In the future, people will conduct regular observations covering the entire Earth, and predict natural processes, and in some cases, prevent them.
To protect the country's population from natural and man-made disasters, it was created special Ministry for emergency situations. Well-trained and equipped professionals quickly move to the disaster area and provide assistance to victims.
Questions and tasks
- Name natural phenomena that prevent a person from mastering nature.
- What natural conditions are considered extreme?
- In what areas of our country and why do natural disasters occur? What measures are taken to combat them?
- Draw it in your notebook and fill out the table.
Table 11. The degree of comfort of territories for people’s lives
Direct impact is, first of all, the impact of climatic conditions, primarily affecting the thermal state of a person, which not only affects well-being and performance, but can also be accompanied by certain changes in the body and diseases. Climate zoning based on its impact on the human body is called anthropoclimatic zoning.
Methods for assessing the impact of climate on the human condition
Methods for assessing the influence of climate on a person’s thermal state are based on taking into account the combined influence of four factors: temperature, relative air humidity, wind speed and solar radiation. In this case, the change in these indicators by season of the year should also be taken into account, since it has a pronounced seasonal nature. The length of the seasons of the year, which varies by region, is also important. For example, it is believed that in Western Siberia, winter lasts from 240 days a year in the north to 135 days in the south, and summer lasts from 30 to 140 days, respectively. Summer is defined as a period with average daily air temperatures above 10°, and winter - below 0°. The summer period allocated according to this criterion lasts up to 240 days a year on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, about 180-200 days in the North Caucasus, 120-150 days in the Moscow region and about 90 days in Arkhangelsk.
Anthropoclimatic zoning also uses such indicators as the degree of weather variability (which is important for assessing the possibility of adverse reactions in people), the duration of the period with ultraviolet starvation, the number of days with precipitation, and so on. An assessment of the contrast between the seasons of the year is also interesting: winter and summer can either not differ too significantly from each other (for example, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, where the average temperatures in July and January differ by 15°), or be sharply different (in Verkhoyansk the amplitude is 66° : in winter minus 48°, and in summer plus 18°).
Geochemical conditions are the content in the environment of certain elements and their compounds, the deficiency or excess of which causes deviations in the health of the population. The main line of influence is biochemical: trace elements contained in rocks are absorbed by plants and animals through water and soil, and then enter the human body through food of plant and animal origin. Currently, the impact of natural geochemical anomalies on public health has significantly decreased, since knowledge of the geochemical situation makes it possible to carry out preventive measures and, in addition, products from other areas play an increasingly important role in the nutrition of the population. But man-made changes in the geochemical situation are becoming increasingly important.
Biotic conditions (the nature of vegetation and fauna) can have a direct impact on humans through the causative agents of various diseases, that is, through natural foci of diseases. A significant part of these outbreaks in our country have either been completely destroyed or their danger to the population has been sharply reduced. If these foci persist, then the population needs to take special protective measures (for example, against tick-borne encephalitis and others).
In some cases, individual representatives of the animal world are not so much dangerous as carriers of infections, but simply interfere with being in the open air. For example, Viktor Ivanovich Perevedentsev considers the abundance of blood-sucking insects (botflies, mosquitoes and midges, united under common name"gnus") one of the most difficult living conditions of the population in the taiga part of Siberia, and sometimes in the forest-steppe. In some periods, in many places in Siberia, the number of midges is so great that without special protective measures it is impossible to work outdoors. The use of special clothing and nets is associated with a number of inconveniences, it greatly interferes with work, productivity decreases, and significantly worsens the well-being of workers.
The influence of natural conditions on life and economic activity of people. Classification of Russian territories according to comfort level. Dependence of location of industries National economy from natural features territories. Adverse and dangerous natural phenomena: problems of protecting the population and economy. Classification of natural resources and their distribution throughout the country. Economic-geographical assessment of natural resources: quantitative, technological, cost.
Natural factors have played and continue to play a vital role in the life and development of human society.
The concept of “natural factors” usually includes the following categories: natural conditions, Natural resources, sustainability of landscapes and the ecological situation, which we will consider further mainly from the standpoint of management science.
Natural conditions mean the totality of the most important natural characteristics territories, reflecting the main features of the components of the natural environment or local natural phenomena.
Natural conditions directly affect the life and economic activities of the population. The following depend on them: population settlement, development and placement of productive forces, their specialization. They determine the cost and, consequently, the competitiveness of manufactured products, which is especially important for countries with a significant prevalence of extreme natural features, which includes Russia.
Among the components of the natural environment, climate, geological environment, surface and groundwater, soils, biota, and landscapes are usually considered as characteristics of natural conditions.
Additional, but very important characteristic natural conditions is the prevalence of local natural phenomena - adverse and dangerous natural phenomena, which include natural disasters and natural foci of infections.
The climatic features of the territory are manifested primarily in the ratio of heat and moisture.
The amount of heat required to complete the vegetation cycle (growth period) is called the biological sum of temperatures. Thermal resources determine the energy of plant growth.
Being the largest country in the world by territory (about 17 million sq. km), Russia is characterized by a significant variety of climatic conditions. At the same time, it should be emphasized that Russia as a whole is the northernmost and coldest country in the world, which affects its economy, many aspects of life and politics. A consequence of climatic conditions is permafrost, which occupies an area of almost 10 million square meters. km.
The specifics of permafrost must be taken into account when creating engineering structures: pipelines, bridges, iron and highways, power lines and other infrastructure facilities.
Humidification manifests itself primarily in the form of precipitation and is the second most important climatic factor. It is necessary for the entire life cycle of plants. Lack of moisture leads to a sharp decrease in yield. To identify the moisture conditions of a particular territory, they operate with indicators of the amount of precipitation and the amount of possible evaporation. In Russia, areas with excess moisture predominate, i.e. excess precipitation over evaporation.
The most important factors in the formation of the natural specificity of the region are relief and geological structure. Influencing all components of the natural environment, relief contributes to the emergence of differences in landscapes and at the same time itself is influenced by natural zonality and altitudinal zone. Engineering-geological conditions of the area reflect the composition, structure and dynamics of the upper horizons earth's crust in connection with human economic (engineering) activities. Based on engineering-geological studies, the most favorable places for locating various types of economic facilities are determined, and calculations are made of the stability of rocks at construction work, processing of banks after filling reservoirs, stability of dams, determine the requirements for the construction of structures in conditions of permafrost, excessive surface moisture in seismic, karst, landslide areas, etc. Taking into account mining and geological conditions is vitally important in all areas of economic activity, but especially in urban planning, transport and hydraulic engineering.
For Agriculture and a number of other areas of the economy, soil conditions are of utmost importance. Soil is a special natural body, formed as a result of the transformation of the surface layer of the earth's crust under the influence of water, air and biota and combining the properties of living and inanimate nature. The valuable properties of the soil are reflected in its fertility - the ability to provide plants with digestible nutrients and moisture and create conditions for harvesting.
In the natural sciences, biota is understood as a historically established set of living organisms living on any large territory, i.e. fauna and flora of this territory. The characterization of the natural conditions of the area also includes an assessment of the flora and fauna.
In Russia, the main types of vegetation include tundra, forest, meadow and steppe. Among various types Forests have a special place in vegetation. Their ecological and economic value is high, as well as their unique environment-forming role on the planet.
Natural conditions influence almost all aspects Everyday life the population, the characteristics of its work, leisure and life, people’s health and the possibility of their adaptation to new, unusual conditions. The overall assessment of natural conditions is determined by the level of their comfort for humans. To measure it, up to 30 parameters are used (duration of climatic periods, temperature contrast, climate humidity, wind conditions, the presence of natural foci of infectious diseases, etc.)
According to the level of comfort there are:
1. extreme territories (polar regions, high mountain areas high latitudes and so on.);
2. uncomfortable territories - areas with harsh natural conditions, unsuitable for life of the non-indigenous, unadapted population; are divided into cold humid (arctic deserts, tundra), arid territories (deserts and semi-deserts), as well as mountainous areas;
3. hyper-comfortable territories - areas with limited favorable natural conditions for the resettled population; divided into boreal (temperate forests) and semiarid (temperate steppes);
4. pre-comfortable territories - areas with minor deviations from the natural optimum for the formation of a permanent population;
5. comfortable territories - areas with almost ideal environmental conditions for the life of the population; characteristic of the southern part of the temperate zone, in Russia they are represented by small areas.
Natural conditions are of primary importance for those sectors of the national economy that operate under open air. These are agriculture, forestry and water management. Almost all types of construction are highly dependent on natural conditions. The natural parameters of the territory also have a significant impact on the organization of urban utilities.
In the north and in other regions with extreme natural conditions, there is a need to create special technical means, adapted to these conditions, for example with an increased margin of safety.
A specific form of natural conditions are unfavorable and dangerous natural phenomena (NEPs) or natural disasters inherent in certain areas.
The most common and at the same time dangerous for humans natural disasters include earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes and storms, tornadoes, typhoons, landslides, landslides, mudflows, avalanches, forest and peat fires. Typical examples of unfavorable natural phenomena are droughts, frosts, severe frosts, thunderstorms, heavy or prolonged rains, hail and some others.
Vitally necessary in many cases, protection from NOE inevitably leads to a significant increase in the cost of construction and maintenance of cities and communications; technologies adapted to increased loads or capable of preventing hazardous impacts.
Natural resources are represented by those elements of the natural environment that can be used in the process of material production at a given stage of social development. They are used to obtain industrial and food raw materials, generate electricity, etc.
As the basis of any production, they are divided into:
1. subsoil resources (these include all types of mineral raw materials and fuel);
2. biological, land and water resources;
3. resources of the World Ocean;
4. recreational resources.
Based on exhaustibility, natural resources are divided into exhaustible and inexhaustible.
Exhaustible resources are divided into non-renewable and renewable. Inexhaustible natural resources include water, climate and space resources, and the resources of the World Ocean.
Mineral resources remain an indispensable basis for the development of any society. Based on the nature of their industrial use, they are divided into three large groups:
fuel or combustible - liquid fuel (oil), gaseous (usable gas), solid (coal, oil shale, peat), nuclear fuel (uranium and thorium). These are the main sources of energy for most types of transport, thermal and nuclear power plants, and blast furnaces. All of them except nuclear fuel, used in the chemical industry;
metal ores - ores of ferrous, non-ferrous, rare, noble metals, rare and rare earth metals. They form the basis for the development of modern mechanical engineering;
non-metallic - mining chemical raw materials (asbestos, graphite,
mica, talc), construction raw materials (clays, sands, limestones),
agrochemical raw materials (sulfur, salts, phosphorites, and apatites), etc.
Economic-geographical assessment of mineral resources is a complex concept and includes three types of assessments.
It includes: quantitative assessment of individual resources (for example, coal in tons, gas, wood in cubic meters, etc.), its value increases as the exploration of the resource increases and decreases as it is exploited; technological, technical (the suitability of resources for economic purposes is revealed, their condition and knowledge, the degree of exploration and accessibility) and cost (in monetary terms).
The total value of explored and assessed mineral raw materials is 28.6 (or 30.0) trillion US dollars, of which a third is gas (32.2%), 23.3 is coal, 15.7 is oil, and the forecast potential is at 140.2 trillion US dollars (structure: 79.5% - solid fuel, 6.9 - gas, 6.5 - oil).
Natural resource potential Russia is distributed unevenly across its territory. Main and most promising sources natural resources are located mainly in the East and North of the country and are located at very considerable distances from the developed areas. The eastern regions account for 90% of the reserves of all fuel resources, more than 80% of hydropower resources, and a high proportion of reserves of non-ferrous and rare metal ores.
39. A complex of natural conditions affecting humans.
Natural conditions are bodies and forces of nature that, at a given level of development of productive forces, are essential for the life and activities of society, but are not directly involved in material production (for example, relief, climate of the area, its geographical location). Natural conditions from the components of the natural environment usually include: climate, soil, relief, geological structure, flora and fauna of the area. A very important component of natural conditions is also the physical-geographical position of the area, in particular its location in one or another natural area land. Natural conditions influence almost all aspects of people’s daily life and economic activities. Their impact on the health and cost of living of the population (costs of housing, clothing, food), the productivity and specialization of agriculture, methods and efficiency of mining, the economics of construction, water transport, and technological characteristics of production is especially great. The influence of natural conditions on the life, work and everyday characteristics of the population is determined by the level of their comfort for humans, for which many indicators are used: the duration of climatic periods, temperature contrast, climate humidity, wind conditions, the presence of natural foci of infectious diseases, etc. Assessment of natural conditions is widespread in relation to various spheres and sectors of human economic activity (transport, industry, agriculture, construction industry).
It is of particular importance for agriculture, where production is directly related to the use of land, solar energy, moisture and other components of the natural complex. Agricultural assessment of natural conditions is based on a comparison of the parameters of their main characteristics with the requirements various types cultivated plants and animals to life factors: heat, moisture, soil, natural types of vegetation that make up the food supply for domestic animals, etc. To account for thermal resources, use the sum of active (average daily) temperatures for the entire growth period (vegetation period, growing season) plants. In this case, periods with temperatures above +5, +10, +15 °C are distinguished. This is due to the fact that different crops begin and end their growing cycles at different temperatures. The moisture conditions of a particular area are assessed by the amount of precipitation (the amount of atmospheric precipitation per year in millimeters) and the amount of its possible evaporation. For this purpose, the ratio of these quantities is used, called the evaporation coefficient. Soil conditions, another important component of the natural characteristics of a region (country, region), are also of great importance in the life of plants. An indicator of the valuable properties of soil is its fertility, i.e. the ability to provide the plant with digestible nutrients, moisture and produce a harvest.
40. The influence of physical factors (light, temperature, humidity, climate) on human health.
Everyone knows that the power of the sun Sveta so great that he is able to control the cycles of nature and human biorhythms. Light is actually associated with our emotions, with feelings of comfort, security, but also anxiety and restlessness. However, in many areas of modern life, light is not given the attention it needs.
We now spend most of our time indoors with artificial light. Many components of the natural light spectrum that are important for our health are lost when passing through glass. According to light therapist Alexander Wunsch, throughout evolution, humans have adapted to the spectrum of solar radiation and for good health they need to receive the full spectrum. Many people compensate for the lack of sunlight by walking in the park, on the beach or relaxing on the balcony. Observations show that there is a specific connection between lighting and a sense of comfort. They also show that natural light is always more favorable and convenient for all normal activities.
Temperature environment- This is the main factor on which the vital activity of the body depends.
When the ambient temperature is low, the body reduces heat loss and increases heat production. Then the blood vessels of the skin, mucous and subcutaneous tissue narrow. The lips of a frozen person acquire a bluish tint, the face turns pale, and so-called goose bumps appear. This is due to the fact that an involuntary contraction of her muscles occurs. When heated, the capillaries expand, the skin turns pink, and the body relaxes. In unseasoned or unhealthy people, the heat-regulating system may not cope with its task, so even slight cooling causes colds, runny nose, and aggravates chronic ailments. However, even healthy and strong people With high humidity and drafts, they can catch a cold.
When it's hot, skin vessels reflexively dilate. Pulse and breathing increase. Skin temperature rises. In this case, the body protects itself from overheating by sweating. The intensity of cooling depends on the rate and volume of sweat evaporation. In the inhabitants of the hot zone, the sweat and sebaceous glands work intensively, therefore they are more developed than in people who live in the north. Fatty substances secreted by the sebaceous glands also contribute to faster evaporation of moisture on the skin.
In addition, the feeling of hot or cold largely depends on nervous system, body weight, conditioning, general health. Sometimes lightly dressed people feel just as comfortable in the cold as those who are tightly wrapped in scarves.
It is known that the sensation of cold and heat depends on the wind flow, temperature and humidity air. Comfort conditions are different for each person. Ambient temperature, which also depends on air humidity, has a significant impact on humans.
At a certain temperature, but with high humidity, an ideal environment is formed for the development of airborne infections. When the moisture content in the air is excessively high, the balance of fluid exchange in the human body is disrupted. As a result, you feel unwell. And with high humidity but low temperatures, the cold is felt more strongly.
Saturated, humid air is very beneficial. This is why a person feels good on the shore of a lake or river. This air saturates the human body, relieving headaches and other ailments. It is no coincidence that during vacation many people are drawn to the sea coast.
When optimal humidity parameters change, immunity decreases. A person’s health deteriorates, a feeling of fatigue and lethargy appears. At home, where the climate is changed, the natural balance of humidity is disrupted. This is especially felt in winter. It is at this time that the humidity drop is most significant. The air entering the room is dried due to the general heating in the rooms.
Lack of moisture causes a feeling of dry mouth, as well as drying of the skin of the face and body. The development of many diseases is possible: sore throat, irritation of the nasal mucosa. With excess dryness, a person loses concentration and fatigue increases.
The environment influences human life and health. Moreover, such an important factor as climate. Changing it can both help cure a certain disease, and, on the contrary, lead to the development of the disease. When going on vacation or moving to a new place of residence, make sure that the local climate will not harm you.
Many people go to the sea not only to soak up the sun, but also to improve their health. A warm but mild climate, a fresh breeze that saturates the air with iodine, sea water, the composition of which is close to the composition of human blood, and hot sand can work wonders. They cure old colds, fatigue and depression, and are excellent in treating skin diseases.
Being in the mountains gives a different effect. People suffering from anemia should strive for the top. Thin mountain air and low atmospheric pressure help increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood. In addition, a person's metabolism accelerates and hyperventilation occurs.
The desert climate is dry and hot, and for a resident of temperate latitudes it may seem simply extreme. During a day spent in the desert, a person can lose about ten liters of fluid. However, this feature can also be used to improve health. In such a climate, there are specialized resorts aimed at treating kidney diseases.
The harsh climate of northern latitudes also has its influence on people. Due to constant low temperature, blood vessels constrict and blood flow increases, thereby increasing pressure in the body. Thanks to constant heat generation, a person’s metabolism accelerates. The speed of nervous reactions also increases.
However, living in a cold climate also has its disadvantages. Long periods of darkness and the absence of sunlight contribute to the development of depression, a decrease in the rate of regeneration of damaged tissues, and a decrease in overall tone.
Scientists consider a temperate climate to be the most suitable for human life. A person does not have to spend energy on protection from heat or cold, which means that all of it can be directed to productive activity.