What changes occur in nature in winter
Video: Winter vocabulary - Learn to talk about winter season 2024, July
Calendar winter begins on December 1 and ends on February 28. In fact, it does not always coincide with these terms. The winter season is characterized by a number of amazing natural phenomena.
Instruction manual
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Very often, the first signs of winter are already visible in the second half of November, when frosts are observed at night. Days in winter become very short, and nights become long. The length of the night reaches its apogee on December 21, after which the daytime again begins to slowly lengthen.
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Clouds lose summer lightness, become heavy and low. Often they fill the entire horizon, from time to time precipitation falls. Winter precipitation is called snow, it is based on frozen droplets of water. When they pass through the cold layers of air, they form six-pointed snowflakes, necessarily symmetrical in shape. Having fallen to the surface, they grow together with others, forming snowdrifts.
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One of the most dangerous winter phenomena of nature is a blizzard, which is a heavy snowfall. At the same time, the wind is also significantly increased, it raises the upper layers of the snow cover into the air. Another characteristic phenomenon is ice, which is the formation of an ice crust on the surface of the earth. During prolonged frosts, ice thoroughly fetters rivers and ponds, which impedes navigation. This phenomenon is called freezing. Ice formation begins when water reaches zero temperature, and in areas with a rapid flow of ice it may not be. The presence of snow on the earth creates a special microclimate that helps all living things to survive low temperatures. It retains heat, and also creates a moisture reserve for springtime. Melting snow masses in the spring becomes the key to "awakening" of trees.
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In plants, the metabolism slows sharply in winter, and there is no visible growth. Starch stocks are converted to carbohydrates and fats. Sugars are necessary for the respiration process, the intensity of which in the winter is 300 times lower. In winter, the cells of the educational meristem tissue become active, the buds of leaves in the kidneys are laid. Plant cells alter the chemical composition to become frost resistant. The role of antifreeze is played by sugar. In the forest, the soil does not freeze, being under snow cover. The presence of a layer of humus also plays a role. Throughout winter, the temperature of the soil is about 0 degrees, because moisture remains accessible to plants.
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Animals have their own adaptations against the cold. In mammals, the thermoregulation mechanism works intensively, allowing them to protect the hairless parts of the body. Also, for successful survival, the animal must have the skills of storing food or winter hunting.
Herbivores dig twigs and blades of grass out from under the snow and can feed on bark. Small animals make a preliminary supply for the winter in their homes, therefore they may not go outside at all. Some animals hibernate, such as a groundhog, bear, badger, raccoon. Before lying down for the winter, the animal actively accumulates subcutaneous fat, after which it equips a hole for itself. In a state of hibernation, all processes in the body slow down sharply. The body processes stored nutrients.
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Many predatory animals, such as weasel, ermine, marten or ferret, acquire the skills of snow-hunting. Those who do not have these skills most often go hunting in a field where snow is blown away by the wind. Wolves in winter are usually interrupted by carrion.