Fold Mountains Case Study
Learning Objective:
To know a case study The Alps Fold Mountains- how they are
used for farming, hydroelectric power, mining, tourism and how
people adapt to limited communications, steep relief and poor
soils.
Power
Colder Slopes
Built Up Areas
Valley Floor
Reasons why the Alps are
good for HEP:
•Steep slopes
•High precipitation
•Summer melting of
glaciers
•Narrow valleys easy to
dam
•Lakes exist to store
water
Timber Industry
Up to 1800m slopes
covered in coniferous
forest.
Soft wood is used for:
•Fuel
•Building
•Making wood pulp
•Making paper
There are many tourist
attractions in the Alps:
•Skiing
•Climbing
•Walking
•Sight seeing (lots of
beautiful scenery)
Good for tourism because:
•Good winter scenery
•Extensive winter sports
•Lakeside summer resorts
•Good communications, close
to road and rail routes
•Near affluent parts of
Europe
•Alpine climate
There are many Alpine villages that are popular with tourists.
There are activities
all the time for the
tourists:
•Bars
•Nightclubs
•Skiing lessons
•Cafés and
restaurants
•Shopping
The valley floor is good for farming because:
•The land here is flatter
•The soils are deeper and more fertile
•Sheltered from the wind
•Better access to communications
Most farms are on the north facing slope as this is the warmest
and driest, but they do keep some cattle on the south side in
summer (the movement of these cattle is called transhumance).