Mountain Geography

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 bookMountains 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.




 

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 bookMountains 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.




 

Foreword Jack D. Ives
Preface to the Second Edition Alton C. Byers
Acknowledgements

Chapter 1 Introduction to Mountains
Alton C. Byers, Larry W. Price and Martin F. Price

Chapter 2 Origins of Mountains
John F. Shroder, Jr. and Larry W. Price

Chapter 3 Mountain Climate
Andrew J. Bach and Larry W. Price

Chapter 4 Snow, Ice, Avalanches and Glaciers
Leland R. Dexter, Karl W. Birkeland, and Larry W. Price

Chapter 5 Mountain Landforms and Geomorphic Processes
Jason R. Janke and Larry W. Price

Chapter 6 Mountain Soils
Larry W. Price and Carol P. Harden

Chapter 7 Mountain Vegetation
Keith S. Hadley, Larry W. Price and Georg Grabherr

Chapter 8 Mountain Wildlife
Larry W. Price and Valerius Geist

Chapter 9 Attitudes Towards Mountains
Edwin Bernbaum and Larry W. Price

Chapter 10 People in the Mountains
James S. Gardner, Robert E. Rhoades, and Christoph Stadel

Chapter 11 Agricultural Settlement and Land Use in Mountains
Stephen F. Cunha and Larry W. Price

Chapter 12 Sustainable Mountain Development
Martin F. Price and Thomas Kohler

Index