Alps, Human uses of fold mountains case study

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Human uses of fold mountains (The Alps Case Study)

Farming

·

The steep upland areas are used to farm goats,

to produce milk, meat and cheese

·

Farmers can also plant crops in the nutrient

rich floors of valleys

·

Sunnier slopes can be used to plant vineyards, to

make wine which helps to boost their income

·

Farmers use pipes to transport the milk down

from the steep slopes

Tourism

·

100 million tourists visit the Alps each year

·

New villages have been built to cater for

tourists (e.g Tignes, France)

·

Ski runs, lifts and cable cars as well as hotels

cover the landscape

Forestry

·

Second most important type of land use

·

Many forests have been lost to settlements and

river regulation

·

Scots pines are planted over the Alps, as they

can withstand the goats

·

However this means many native tree species have

been lost

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

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

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