Alps, Human uses of fold mountains case study

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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