Some vacations I have taken in the past have been to areas that are mountainous – for example, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. I took this picture when I was at Lake Tahoe in summer 2005. Nice, eh? But what goes on deep within this beautiful scenery? These expansive mountain areas are more than simply gorgeous to view. They are, in some ways, worlds of their own.
Mountains all over the world contain different diversities of wildlife, human communities, and climates. Mountain regions promote, in particular, biological diversity. Many mountains have higher numbers of animal species than lowlands. They may also provide refuge for animals escaping changes in the environment or escaping competitors in the surrounding lowlands. But the flower meadows are threatened because of continuous animal grazing.
In addition, many crops – such as corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and apples – were first grown in mountainous regions. Domestic animals such as goats and sheeps also originated in mountain areas. A problem develops, however, when crops are expanded into areas which these kinds of animals inhabit.
Mountains also contain forests which maintain biodiversity. But the expansion of agriculture threatens forest areas because trees are cut down to clear areas for farming.
Tourist activities such as hiking and skiing (and I hope to do plenty of skiing if I decide to go to Colorado for college) can take a toll on mountain ecosystems because these paths are built into the moutains. As a result, the environment becomes “urbanized” and starts to deteriorate. Mining is another activity that threatens the mountain ecosystem. The minerals and other materials that are extracted can cause water pollution. This poses a problem because much of the water we drink originates from the mountains.
Global warming and air pollution are also problems. Global warming causes the ice and snow on mountain tops to melt, thus the mountain’s capacity to hold water is reduced. The air can become polluted because pollutants can become trapped in mountain soil or snow, and these eventually reach the ecosystem. Trees die because of acid rain. There are other problems that aren’t as obvious that scientists need to investigate.
I was surprised to learn that mountain areas are so threatened, particularly by agriculture, pollution, and global warming. I tend to think of mountains as these huge, gorgeous, and indestructible hills. I hope the right measures can be taken to prevent any serious destruction that may occur.
week was interesting. What interested me in particular was the role played by wolves in Yellowstone National Park. This is probably partly because I vacationed there 2 or 3 years ago. I decided to do a little research on this topic.
