Lesson 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Why are mountains important

A
  • 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
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2
Q

Is there cultural diversity in the mountains

A
  • 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
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3
Q

What are mountains based on Peattie’s definition

A
  • 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

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4
Q

Is elevation sufficient by itself to identify a mountain

A
  • no
  • > for example, a plateau is a table land that is raised significantly around the area
  • > but it is not classified as a mountain
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5
Q

How is terrain used to classify if a mountain is a mountain

A

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
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6
Q

Is there a universal definition of mountains

A

-no

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7
Q

What does elevation, altitude and height mean

A

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
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8
Q

What are the negative effects of tourism on mountain culture

A
  • 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
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9
Q

Are mountains elevated, dissected landscapes, with steeper slopes than those structures found in lowlands

A
  • yes

- note the steepness can depend on the mountains geological history, which varies around the world

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10
Q

Can local relief by itself be used as a classification for mountains

A
  • 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
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