E-Book Overview
Mountains cover a quarter of the Earth’s land surface and a quarter of the global population lives in or adjacent to these areas. The global importance of mountains is recognized particularly because they provide critical resources, such as water, food and wood; contain high levels of biological and cultural diversity; and are often places for tourism and recreation and/or of sacred significance. This major revision of Larry Price’s book Mountains and Man (1981) is both timely and highly appropriate. The past three decades have been a period of remarkable progress in our understanding of mountains from an academic point of view. Of even greater importance is that society at large now realizes that mountains and the people who reside in them are not isolated from the mainstream of world affairs, but are vital if we are to achieve an environmentally sustainable future. Mountain Geography is a comprehensive resource that gives readers an in-depth understanding of the geographical processes occurring in the world’s mountains and the overall impact of these regions on culture and society as a whole. The volume begins with an introduction to how mountains are defined, followed by a comprehensive treatment of their physical geography: origins, climatology, snow and ice, landforms and geomorphic processes, soils, vegetation, and wildlife. The concluding chapters provide an introduction to the human geography of mountains: attitudes toward mountains, people living in mountain regions and their livelihoods and interactions within dynamic environments, the diverse types of mountain agriculture, and the challenges of sustainable mountain development.
E-Book Content
M O U N TA I N G EOG R A P H Y This page intentionally left blank Mountain Geography Physical and Human Dimensions Edited by Martin F. Price Alton C. Byers Donald A. Friend Thomas Kohler Larry W. Price U niver sit y of Califor nia Pr ess Berkeley Los Angeles London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. Mountain Geography Mountain geography : physical and human dimensions / edited by Martin F. Price, Alton C. Byers, Donald A. Friend, Thomas Kohler, Larry W. Price. pages cm Revision of: Mountains and man Includes bibliographical references and index. University of California Press ISBN 978-0-520-25431-2 (cloth : alk. paper) Berkeley and Los Angeles, California 1. Mountains 2. Mountain people. 3. Human geography. University of California Press, Ltd. London, England 4. Geomorphology. I. Price, Martin F. II. Title. GB501.2.M684 2013 910'.02143—dc23 2013002583 © 2013 by The Regents of the University of California 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R 2002) (Permanence of Paper). 8 Content s Contributors / vii Foreword / xi Jack D. Ives Preface / xv Alton C. Byers Acknowledgments / xvii 1 Introduction to Mountains / 1 Alton C. Byers, Larry W. Price, and Martin F. Price 2 Origins of Mountains / 11 John F. Shroder Jr. and Larry W. Price 3 Mountain Climate / 41 Andrew J. Bach and Larry W. Price 4 Snow, Ice, Avalanches, and Glaciers / 85 Leland R. Dexter, Karl W. Birkeland, and Larry W. Price 5 Mountain Landfo