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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AQA GCSE Physical Geography, The Restless Earth, Human uses of fold mountains Alps case study