The Alps - Fold Mountain Case Study

The Alps - Fold Mountain Case Study

1. Farming

   • Steep Upland
     • Goats
       • Milk
         • Farmers use pipes to transport it down the slopes
       • Cheese
       • Meat
   • Valleys
     • Nutrient rich
     • Crops
   • Sunny Slopes
     • Vineyards
       • WIne
       • Income

2. Mining

   • Often the minerals were blasted from the ground in large quarries which scarred the landscape
   • Salt, iron ore, silver and copper were mined in the Alps, but mining has declined due to cheaper foreign sources
   • Eisenerz in Austria developed as a mining village as there was lots of iron ore in the mountains which was used to make steel for nearby industry

3. Tourism

   • 100 000 000 per year
   • New Villages, e.g. Tignes France
   • Ski runs, lifts and cable cars as well as hotels cover the landscape

4. Hydroelectric Power

   • Fast flowing rivers are good for HEP power stations- the speed of the water turns the turbines to create the electricity
   • The narrow valleys are dammed. Switzerland gets 60% of its power from HEP power stations in the Alps
   • The electricity is used to power local homes, it’s also taken to further away cities

5. Forestry

   • 2nd Most important land use
   • Many forests lost to settlements and river regulation
   • Scots pines are planted over the Alps, as they can withstand the goats
     • Many native species lost