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