Economic Importance of glaciated landscapes

Question 1

How do indigenous communities in Bolivia utilize the highlands for farming, and what crops do they grow?

Answer 1

Indigenous communities in Bolivia’s high Andes engage in sustenance farming, growing crops such as potatoes, quinoa, and beans, and rearing llamas and alpacas.

Question 2

What percentage of Bolivia’s population lives in the high Andes, and what is the contribution of these communities to Bolivia’s GDP?

Answer 2

70% of Bolivia’s population lives in the high Andes, yet these communities only contribute 30% to Bolivia’s GDP

Question 3

What percentage of Bolivia’s population live under the poverty line?

Answer 3

60% of the Bolivia’s population live below the poverty line.

Question 4

What outdoor activities attract tourists to glaciated regions, and give examples of such regions.

Answer 4

Outdoor activities such as hill walking, climbing, mountaineering, and skiing attract tourists to glaciated regions. Examples include Alaska, Greenland, Iceland, South Georgia, the Arctic Peninsula, Everest base camp, Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers in Nepal, and the Mer de Glace in France.

Question 5

What forestry practices are becoming increasingly popular in glaciated regions, and why?

Answer 5

Forestry is becoming increasingly popular in glaciated regions due to the difficulty of using the land for farming. In the UK non-native conifers like Sitka Spruce are planted for softwood timber, wood pulp, and paper production, as they can tolerate harsh climates and acidic soil.

Question 6

How does glacial erosion contribute to mining and quarrying activities?

Answer 6

Glacial erosion removes regolith and vegetation, exposing valuable rocks, mineral deposits, ores, slates, and igneous and metamorphic rocks. In lowland areas, sand and gravel for the building industry can be found due to glacial activity.

Question 7

What countries derive a significant portion of their electricity from hydroelectric power (HEP), and why is there concern over damming rivers?

Answer 7

Norway and New Zealand derive 90% of their electricity from HEP, while Switzerland has over 500 HEP stations producing 70% of the country’s electricity. Concerns over damming rivers include the reliability of water supply and potential environmental impacts.

Question 8

How do developing nations like Nepal and Bolivia implement hydroelectric power?

Answer 8

Developing nations like Nepal and Bolivia implement micro-hydro systems for hydroelectric power generation.