INTRODUCTION

Natural conditions have played and continue to play a vital role in the life and development of human society.

Natural conditions are understood as a set of the most important natural characteristics of a territory, reflecting the main features of the components of the natural environment or local natural phenomena. environmental energy war poverty

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 therefore the competitiveness of the products produced, which is especially important for countries with a significant prevalence of extreme natural features, which includes Russia.

INFLUENCE OF NATURAL CONDITIONS ON PEOPLE’S ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Natural conditions are objects and forces of nature that are essential at a given level of development of society for economic life, but are not directly involved in material activity.

The influence of different natural conditions on different sectors of economic activity is variable. It manifests itself differently in different sectors of the economy and in different economic conditions. In any specific situation, favorable or unfavorable conditions can accelerate or delay the pace of economic development, promote the formation of certain types of activity or slow it down. Natural conditions have a direct impact on industries operating in the open air, agriculture and forestry, the efficiency and specialization of which are largely related to soil fertility, climate, and water regime. Many other activities are also influenced by them. Thus, when extracting minerals, not only the reserves and quality of ores are taken into account, but also the totality of the conditions of their occurrence, which affect the method, scale and cost of extraction.

It may turn out that not the richest, but poorer deposits located in favorable conditions will be the most economical. The cost of capital construction largely depends on the strength and water content of the soil, the degree of seismicity or swampiness of the area, the presence of permafrost and mountainous terrain. Nature also influences the organization of public utilities.

The main elements of natural conditions, from the point of view of their influence on the economy, can be considered:

• · territory, its position on the mainland, size;
• · climate;
• · relief (geological and geomorphological conditions);
• · soil cover;
• · water resources;
• flora and fauna.

Natural conditions of Russia. Within Russia there is a natural zonality, manifested in differences in soil cover, vegetation and fauna. The boundaries of the zones are mainly extended along parallels (sublatitudinal). Over the vast territory of the country, the following natural zones are presented successively from north to south (Figure 1): arctic desert, tundra, forest-tundra, forest, forest-steppe, steppe, semi-desert and desert zones. In mountainous areas, altitudinal zonation is clearly expressed.

Significant restrictions for economic activity in Russia are:

• · seasonality of climate with large temperature fluctuations;
• · permafrost (on 2/3 of the territory of the Russian Federation);
• · seismic and volcanic activity (for mountainous areas, including volcanic activity for the Kamchatka Peninsula).
• · The combination of river basins with the main forms of the surface formed large natural-geographical regions on the territory of the country, which, in turn, acquired common economic features during the history of development and settlement of the country. These regions are: East European, (or the European part of Russia), West Siberian, Central Siberian (in economic geography it is called East Siberian) and Far Eastern.

The concept of natural conditions is always associated with one or another type of human activity, but it is not at all constant, changes from one era to another, and strongly depends on the nature and level of production. For a long time, the study of natural conditions was mainly associated with assessing their impact on various sectors of economic activity. For example, mining may begin sooner in deposits located in more favorable natural conditions, since it will be more economical. The cost of capital construction largely depends on the strength and water content of the soil, the degree of swampiness of the territory, the presence of permafrost and the mountainousness of the terrain. The cost of water supply, heating, lighting of houses and their construction varies in areas of warm and cold, humid and dry climates, in conditions of short and long daylight hours.

The natural environment must be “weighed economically.” The influence of natural conditions, affecting the productivity of social and individual labor, largely determines the amount of material costs.

Natural conditions also need to be assessed from the perspective of the living conditions of the population. They are one of the most important factors that facilitate or hinder the settlement and development of a territory, largely determining the scale, ways and forms of using its natural resources and economic opportunities. The favorability or unfavorability of these conditions, both in their natural form and modified as a result of anthropogenic transformations of nature, strongly and diversely affects all aspects of the life of the population: their life, work, rest, health. The solution to many socio-economic and economic problems largely depends on the correct assessment of natural conditions. According to experts, the cost of housing one person in different regions of Russia can vary by 7-10 or even more times. The features of human settlement from the first steps of the formation of human society were limited by environmental factors.

The overall assessment of the natural living conditions of people is contained in the level of comfort. To determine the level of comfort, you can evaluate about 30 parameters of the natural environment (the duration of various climatic periods with comfortable and uncomfortable temperatures relative to the season, an assessment of the thermal insulation required for each season, clothing, the presence of natural foci of infectious diseases, etc.).

MBOU Sosvinskaya Secondary School

Open lesson in 8th grade

GEOGRAPHY

Lesson topic: “The influence of natural conditions on human life and health”

Geography teacher:

Loginova V.V.

Sosva 2014.

Lesson topic: “The influence of natural conditions on human life and health”

Lesson on Russian geography in 8th grade.

Lesson objectives:
-form an idea of ​​favorable and extreme living conditions for people;

Deepen knowledge about the influence of natural conditions on human life and health;

Develop skills in working with different sources of geographic information.

Create conditions for the development of students’ speech in the classroom;

Using a regional component to increase interest in the native land

Equipment: maps of Russia, computer, atlases, handouts.

Lesson progress

Organizational point:

Determining the topic and setting the goal of the lesson.

Teacher's opening speech.

Today we have an unusual lesson. Its topic is painfully familiar to all of us firsthand: it is talked about on the radio and shown on television, experts discuss it at conferences. This topic has too many unresolved, controversial issues, and therefore will always be relevant.

you.

Associations : deer, moss, lakes, Arctic Circle, permafrost, Taimyr (tundra)

Black Sea, Caucasus Mountains, cruise ships (South of Russia)

II Updating knowledge

The connection between natural conditions and human health 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 the largest number of centenarians live. Think about 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.

III Studying new material.

Natural factors play an important role in maintaining people’s health and treating various diseases: sun rays, sea, forest, mountain air, sea water, mineral waters, healing mud.

- Air temperature and humidity. Atmospheric pressure
- Proximity or distance from water bodies, quality of drinking water;
- Condition of landscapes and sanitary condition of soils on which vegetables and fruits eaten are grown

There is a special branch of science - MEDICAL GEOGRAPHY, studying the patterns of spread of human diseases.

RECREATIONAL GEOGRAPHY– the science of the territory of organizing people’s recreation.

Warm sunny summer Cold summer

Moderately cold winter Very damp summer

Sufficient rainfall Harsh winter

Abundance of beautiful places (bodies of water) Poor natural resources

Mountain air

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, moderately cold winters, sufficient rainfall, and an abundance of attractive picturesque landscapes.

The climate of the middle and southern part of the European territory, the south of Western Siberia, and the North Caucasus is very favorable for health. 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.

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; in winter the highest atmospheric pressure is observed 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 influence 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.

Difficult natural conditions create great difficulties in the development of territories and require significant material costs for construction and maintaining a certain standard of living.

IV . Practical work “Studying the degree of favorableness of natural conditions for people’s lives.”

This practical work allows us to conclude that unfavorable conditions for the life and economic activities of the population prevail on the territory of Russia. Russia is the coldest country on the planet (not counting Antarctica).
Territories with favorable conditions for human habitation occupy only 1/3 of its area in Russia.

We would all very much like to know first your general opinion on the ecology of such a large and rich country as Russia, and then each group will be given the opportunity to determine the most ecologically clean and polluted areas, as well as determine the reasons for their cleanliness or outline ways to improve their ecological condition, But first, let's give the floor to our guest - an ecologist.

Now each group will try to make mineenvironmental hazard rating in natural areas of Russia. You can do this work by filling out a table of the general environmental situation in Russia, and then we will compare your data with the data of ecologists and determine the level of your environmental competence in relation to our home country. You fill out the data for each natural area based on a 10-point scale and determine the average score.

Teacher:

You have received your GPA according to the degree of environmental comfort of the territory of Russia . Raise your hands who scored 10 points; 1 point; 5 points or close to it. As can be seen from your activity, the environmental condition in Russia is average.

How do experts evaluate it?

You can give many more examples of your good and not so good activities in the environment, but every person who lives on Earth must remember that he is part of it, and therefore must treat everything living and inanimate with care and not alienate himself from nature.

Area of ​​territories favorable for living of the population by country of the world
(in million sq. km)

The maximum population density is observed in areas with favorable natural conditions for life:

North Caucasus and South-West of the European part of Russia (the most favorable conditions);

The central regions of the East European Plain, the south of Western Siberia, the foothills of the mountains of Southern Siberia, the extreme south of Central Siberia and the Far East (favorable conditions).

V. Fixing the material.

"Attention! Problem"
“Can a person completely free himself from the influence of the natural environment on his life and activities?”

Man cannot completely free himself from the influence of the natural environment, but headapts, adapts to the conditions in which it lives and engages in economic activities.

Try to determine the extent of your impact on nature and evaluate it. To do this, each of you is invited to draw a person (yourself) in the center on a separate piece of paper, and from it, using arrows in different directions (like rays of the sun), draw what you personally do in nature.

Now say out loud: a) what, in your opinion, everything should be done to make the environmental situation of our homeland better; b) something that should never be done in the environment.

I'm not against progress, neither - nor!

I understand the scope and greatness. But I ask you, century:

Save at least some small wildness.

Save the lakeside reeds, Save the village cherries,

Preserve the pristine silence from which we once emerged.

VI. Reflection

Students relate “new” information to “old” information using knowledge acquired at the comprehension stage

Lecture 3. Natural conditions as a factor in the development of human society

Plan:

1. The concept of natural conditions and their characteristics

2. The influence of natural conditions on the life and economic activities of people

3. Adverse and dangerous natural phenomena

Natural conditions have played and continue to play a vital role in the life and development of human society. Undoubtedly, scientific and technological progress has significantly influenced the growth of human power in relation to nature.

Since 1992 - the year of the UN Environment Conference in Rio de Janeiro - the idea has become generally accepted that the primary condition for the sustainable development of individual countries and all of humanity as a whole is the totality of natural factors.

Taking into account and adequate understanding of the role and place of natural development factors are of vital importance in modern conditions in the field of management at almost all territorial levels. The concept of “natural factors” usually includes the following categories: natural conditions, natural resources, landscape sustainability and environmental situation.

Natural conditions– a set of the most important natural characteristics of the territory, reflecting the main features of the components of the natural environment or local natural phenomena.

They influence the life and economic activities of the population, the settlement of the population, the development and location of productive forces, and their specialization depend on them. They determine the cost, and, consequently, the competitiveness of the products produced, which is especially important for countries with a significant prevalence of extreme natural features, which include Russia.

Among the components of the natural environment, climate, geological environment, surface and groundwater, soil, biota, landscape or landscape conditions in general are considered as characteristics of natural conditions.

The specificity of the natural conditions of an area depends on its location in a particular natural zone and the presence in it of a certain combination of natural landscapes.

Natural areas- large divisions of the geographical envelope, expressed in the form of wide belts of the earth's surface, united by the similarity of such characteristics as the amount of solar radiation, moisture, type of soil, vegetation and fauna.

Natural landscapes– these are relatively homogeneous areas of the geographical envelope, distinguished by the natural combination of its components and phenomena, and the nature of their interrelations. Along with natural ones, anthropogenic or cultural landscapes are also distinguished, characterized by varying degrees of purposeful or spontaneous transformation of the original natural complexes.

Landscape– the main category of territorial division of the natural environment. The processes of exchange of matter and energy between the components of landscapes (rocks, soils, vegetation, etc.) determine their structure. Both natural and anthropogenic landscapes are subject to rhythmic and irreversible changes, therefore both are objects of regulation in human activity.

Among the landscape-forming factors that shape the most important properties of landscapes, there are external (cosmic and geodynamic) and internal (manifested in the processes of interaction of individual natural components) factors. All landscape-forming factors are also divided into zonal (climate, soil, vegetation) and azonal (relief, geological structure).

In management in general and in regional policy in particular, landscapes are considered as the natural basis for people’s lives and economic activities. At the same time, such features as their genesis, type, resistance to anthropogenic influences, aesthetic merits, degree of disturbance or preservation, and the nature of anthropogenic influences are taken into account.

The identification of natural zones and landscapes is based on the climatic characteristics of the territory, manifested primarily in the ratio of heat and moisture.

Climate- This is the average long-term weather regime in a particular area. Being the result of various natural processes continuously occurring in the atmosphere, the climate of the Earth and its individual regions is constantly changing, significantly affecting people's lives.

The most important climatic factor is heat. Thermal resources determine the energy of plant growth. The amount of heat required to complete the vegetation cycle (growth period) is called the biological sum of temperatures. It should be emphasized that this most directly affects the country’s economy, the economy, many aspects of the population’s life and politics.

A consequence of climatic conditions is permafrost, sometimes called permafrost, widespread in the countries of the northern hemisphere. The specifics of permafrost must be taken into account when creating engineering structures: pipelines, bridges, railways, etc.

Water(humidification), primarily in the form of precipitation, is the second most important climatic factor. A lack of water, as well as its excess, adversely affects the development of both agriculture and the economy as a whole, bringing significant costs to the budget.

The most important factor in the formation of natural specificity is relief. By influencing all components of the natural environment, it contributes to the emergence of various landscapes. Over the past centuries, the formation of anthropogenic relief has become widespread. Humans influence the relief directly (mining and technical work, hydraulic construction, etc.) and indirectly through other components of the natural environment. For example, deforestation in savannas contributes to desertification and the development of aeolian landforms; overgrazing leads to increased water erosion, etc.

For agriculture and a number of other areas of the economy, soil conditions are of utmost importance. Soil is a special natural body that is formed as a result of the transformation of the surface layer of the earth’s crust, air and biota and combines 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. Natural and artificial fertility are distinguished. Comparative qualitative assessment of soils according to developed scales in relation to a given area is carried out using grading.

Biota is understood as a historically established set of living organisms living in any territory, i.e. flora and fauna of the area. The characterization of the natural conditions of the area also includes an assessment of the flora and fauna.

Vegetation is a set of plant communities (phytocenoses). This or that type of vegetation has a significant impact on the development of the economy - agriculture, forestry and other opportunities.

Animal world is a collection of animal communities living within a specific territory.

Natural conditions influence almost all aspects of the daily life of the population, especially their work, rest and life, people’s health and the ability to adapt to new, unusual conditions.

The total assessment of natural conditions is determined by their level comfort for a person. 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:

· extreme territories (polar regions, high-mountain regions of high latitudes, etc.);

· 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;

· hyper-comfortable territories – areas with limited favorable conditions for the resettled population; divided into boreal (temperate forests) and semiarid (temperate steppes);

· pre-comfortable territories – areas with minor deviations from the natural optimum for the formation of a permanent population;

· comfortable territories – areas with almost ideal environmental conditions for the life of the population; characteristic of the southern part of the temperate zone, etc.

The concept of natural conditions in itself presupposes one or another type of economic activity. Natural conditions predetermine the economic diversity of human activity, the sectoral specialization of individual regions, and the pace of economic and social development. At the same time, the influence of natural conditions on the national economy is ambiguous and largely depends on the level of development and economic situation of the country.

Natural conditions are of primary importance for those sectors of the national economy that operate in the open air. First of all, these are agriculture, forestry and water management. Their specialization and development efficiency are directly related to soil fertility, climate, and water regime of the territory. Transport and many other sectors of the economy are also under their influence.

For example, when organizing the extraction of mineral resources, not only reserves and quality characteristics are taken into account, but also the conditions of their occurrence, which directly affect the method, scale and cost of extraction. In practice, it often happens that the most economical fields become not the richest, but relatively poor ones, but located in more favorable natural conditions.

Almost all types of construction are highly dependent on natural conditions. Its cost is determined by such terrain parameters as the strength and water content of the soil, the degree of seismicity, swampiness of the territory, the presence of permafrost, mountainous terrain, etc.

The natural parameters of the territory also have a significant impact on the organization of urban utilities. Thus, the cost of heating, water supply, sewerage, lighting of dwellings, as well as their construction, also vary significantly depending on the climate and engineering and geological conditions. In the northern regions of Russia, the heating season lasts up to 10 months, and in the south of the country 4-5 months.

The issue of natural conditions for agriculture deserves special attention. The specialization and efficiency of the agricultural sector of the economy are directly related to the natural fertility of soils, climate, and water regime of the territory.

Methods of growing various crops and breeding farm animals depend on agroclimatic conditions - climate resources in relation to agricultural needs.

Agroclimatic conditions vary significantly from place to place. Understanding the patterns of agroclimatic differentiation is necessary not only for managing the agricultural sector of the national economy, but also for the purposes of political and economic analysis. It is estimated, for example, that the agroclimatic potential of the United States is approximately 2.5 times higher than that of Russia. It follows that, given equal inputs, the productivity of US agriculture will always be higher.

When assessing agroclimatic conditions and for a number of other practical purposes, data on zonal differences in the country’s territory are used.

A specific form of natural conditions is the inherent unfavorable and dangerous natural phenomena or natural disasters inherent in certain areas.Natural disaster is a dangerous natural phenomenon that causes emergencies. Under emergency means a critical situation in a certain territory that has developed as a result of a natural disaster or man-made accident and entailed human casualties, damage to human health or the environment, significant material losses and disruption of normal living conditions of people.

The most common and at the same time dangerous natural disasters for humanity 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.

According to their genesis, all main types of adverse and dangerous natural phenomena are divided into hydrometeorological and geological-geomorphological. Among the less common ones, there are also solar-cosmic (magnetic storms, meteorite impacts), biogeochemical (soil salinization, biogeochemical corrosion) and biological (reproduction of agricultural pests, epizootics, etc.).

Floods are among the most common hazardous phenomena. They threaten almost ¾ of the earth's surface. Usually, seasonal floods are observed on rivers, associated with the manifestation of regular climatic factors, in particular with snow melting (for example, the Lena River). Catastrophic floods are often caused by heavy rainfall.

The largest Chinese river, the Yellow River, is especially famous for its catastrophic floods, in the valley of which more than 80 million people live. More victims are recorded here than in all other regions combined. It holds the most tragic record in human history: in the fall of 1987, the water level in the Yellow River rose by 20 m. 300 settlements were flooded, about 2 million people were left homeless, and the death toll reached 1 million.

Floods have been and continue to be a formidable and treacherous element for humans. According to UNESCO, over the last century they have killed 9 million people. The material damage they cause is also colossal.

The most important prerequisite for effective flood protection is accurate flood forecasting. Flood protection can be active (construction of dams, dams, diversion canals, regulation of river beds) or passive (warning and evacuation of people, their use of places that are likely not to be flooded, etc.).

Earthquakes– the most significant geological element in its consequences. Every year, about 10 thousand people die from them in the world, and material damage, according to far from complete data, reaches 400 million dollars.

Earthquakes are generated by seismic shock waves and elastic vibrations of the earth's crust. In addition to natural ones, earthquakes caused by human activity occur and can be destructive - flooding of deep reservoirs, oil production, injection of industrial wastewater into the depths, creation of deep quarries, etc.

The destructive power of earthquakes is characterized in conventional intensity scores. Russia has adopted a 12-point intensity scale that describes the result of an earthquake.

The earthquake in the Chinese province of Shaanxi (1556) with a death toll of 830 thousand people is considered the most catastrophic.

Other widespread geological hazards of exogenous origin include landslides, landslides, mudflows, and coastal abrasion.

Despite the undoubted achievements of science and technology, the vulnerability of modern society to natural disasters is constantly increasing. The number of victims of adverse and dangerous natural phenomena increases annually by approximately 6%. This is due to rapid population growth and high concentration of population in cities; environmental degradation causing dangerous natural processes.

The greatest economic losses in the world are caused by floods, tropical storms, droughts and earthquakes.

It is clear that there is a tangible connection between human health and natural conditions. The state of human health and well-being is influenced by the quality of water, soil, air and basic climatic conditions. After all what does it depend on human ability to work and normal life expectancy?

From the air he breathes, the food he eats and the environment in which he lives. For this reason, the issue of ecology is so important in the modern world. Natural factors such as sea and mineral water, sun, forest and mountain air, healing mud significantly contribute to human health.

Favorable conditions for human existence

A significant part of Russia is a favorable area for a healthy life for people. This applies to conditions such as fairly warm, sunny summers, moderately cold winters and sufficient rainfall.

The territory with favorable living conditions is the middle and young part of the European territory, the south of the North Caucasus and Western Siberia. Since ancient times, these regions have had a high population density, since the climate of these territories has a very good effect on people's health.

Extreme conditions

But there are territories that are characterized by unfavorable living conditions for people. What are extreme conditions? These are the conditions of nature that have a bad effect on the human body. These include low winter temperatures and high summer temperatures, high humidity and strong winds.

These are the territories of the tundra, deserts, the Far Eastern monsoon zone and areas of sharply continental climate in Siberia. For example, the region of Eastern Siberia is the coldest region in the Northern Hemisphere and has the largest annual temperature ranges.

In winter it can be -50 ... -60 °C, and in summer, on the contrary, the temperature is very high up to +30 °C. Such a contrast cannot but affect health. This temperature is problematic not only for human life, but also for tools and various materials that must be frost-resistant.

Therefore, the development of territories with extreme living conditions is a rather complex process. which requires significant material costs and new achievements in science and technology.

There are natural phenomena that adversely affect human life and health. This is due to the fact that often natural phenomena are unforeseen and destructive disruptions to the normal course of natural processes.

The consequences of these phenomena do not contribute to further human development and sometimes have an extremely negative impact on human health for a long time.