Why are mountains important
- A quarter of the world’s surface
- almost all of the world’s rivers have their headwaters in mountains
- > more than half of the world’s population relies on the fresh water that collects in the mountain regions
- hydropower
- > makes up nearly 20% of the world’s entire electricity supply
- mountain forests provide millions of people with timber and other products
- > mountain forests also play a vital role in capturing and storing rainfall and moisture
- > mountain forests also maintain water quality and regulate river flow
- > these forests also reduce erosion and downstream sedimentation
-mountain mines are a major source of metals and ores
- biodiversity
- > support different species of microbes, animals and plants
- > can have different environments as well
- mountain ranges can be biological corridors
- > connecting isolated habitats or protected areas
- > allowing species the space needed to migrate and thrive
Is there cultural diversity in the mountains
- yes
- > eg; New Guinnea
- mountains are home to many indigenous peoples around the world
- some of the world’s most important food staples were domesticated in mountains
What are mountains based on Peattie’s definition
- subjective criteria
- > mountains should be imaginative and individual(distinctive)
- > eg; Mount Fuji is looked as a symbol of stability, while Mount Etna is looked as evil and explosive
-for Peattie, a mountain is a mountain because it plays a symbolic role in people’s culture
Is elevation sufficient by itself to identify a mountain
- no
- > for example, a plateau is a table land that is raised significantly around the area
- > but it is not classified as a mountain
How is terrain used to classify if a mountain is a mountain
Local relief
->the elevational distance between the highest and lowest points in a given area
Elevated and Dissected Landscapes
- > land surface is generally inclined
- > slopes are steeper than those in the lowlands
- > there is great variation however in the world
Geology
- > there is distinct physical characteristics
- > eg; faulted or folded strata
- > these characteristics are used to describe the processes by which these structures were built up(erosion for example)
Climactic and vegetational characteristics
- > significantly different climates at different zones is one way you can differentiate a mountain
- > from bottom to top, vegetation changes as well due to changes in climate
- > the temperature gets colder as well
Is there a universal definition of mountains
-no
What does elevation, altitude and height mean
Elevation
- > vertical distance between a point on the land distance and a reference point
- > reference point is sea level for example
Altitude
- > distance between an object(bird, plane) and a reference point
- > the reference point can’t be in contact with the object
- > eg; sea level
Height
- > vertical distance between the top of an object and the land surface
- > at which the object is in contact with the land surface
What are the negative effects of tourism on mountain culture
- there is potential for negative environmental and cultural consequences
- > as there are large number of people on fragile mountain eco-systems
- > also, there can be the loss of traditional cultural values
Are mountains elevated, dissected landscapes, with steeper slopes than those structures found in lowlands
- yes
- note the steepness can depend on the mountains geological history, which varies around the world
Can local relief by itself be used as a classification for mountains
- no
- > eg; several early geographers believed that a mountain should be classified at about 900 meters of local relief
- > if applied around the world, only the major mountain ranges would be included(European Alps or the South American Andes)
- > other smaller mountains(Appalachian Mountains) would not be included
