[67], Major European rivers flow from the Alps, such as the Rhine, the Rhne, the Inn, and the Po, all of which have headwaters in the Alps and flow into neighbouring countries, finally emptying into the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. Brown-capped Rosy-Finch | Audubon Field Guide The Alps Width: 300km Length: 1,200km Area: 298,128 square km Altitudinal zonation - Wikipedia Elevation, climate, and soil fertility set upper limits on types of crops that can reside in each zone. Eritrichium nanum, commonly known as the King of the Alps, is the most elusive of the alpine flowers, growing on rocky ridges at 2,600 to 3,750m (8,530 to 12,300ft). A Dictionary of Ecology MICHAEL ALLABY alpine zone views 2,687,834 updated May 29 2018 Alpine tundra - Wikipedia The variances in nomenclature in the region spanned by the Alps make classification of the mountains and subregions difficult, but a general classification is that of the Eastern Alps and Western Alps with the divide between the two occurring in eastern Switzerland according to geologist Stefan Schmid,[11] near the Splgen Pass. [9], The lower bound of the montane zone may be a "lower timberline" that separates the montane forest from drier steppe or desert region. Later the first wave of Romanticism such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and J. M. W. Turner came to admire the Alpine scenery;[138] Wordsworth visited the area in 1790, writing of his experiences in The Prelude (1799). [55], Alpine glaciers can be straight rivers of ice, long sweeping rivers, spread in a fan-like shape (Piedmont glaciers), and curtains of ice that hang from vertical slopes of the mountain peaks. evergreen oak. [106], From the 13th to the 6th century BC much of the Alps was settled by the Germanic peoples, Lombards, Alemanni, Bavarii, and Franks. [12], Montane forests in temperate climate are typically one of temperate coniferous forest or temperate broadleaf and mixed forest, forest types that are well known from Europe and northeastern North America. Alps - Wikipedia [12] Golden eagles and bearded vultures are the largest birds to be found in the Alps; they nest high on rocky ledges and can be found at altitudes of 2,400m (7,900ft). In Germany, the medieval St. Bartholomew's chapel was built on the south side of the Knigssee, accessible only by boat or by climbing over the abutting peaks.[70]. The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. [49], Due to the ever-present geologic instability, earthquakes continue in the Alps to this day. On the highest rocky ledges, the spring flowers bloom in the summer. De Graciansky, Pierre-Charles et al. David Friedrich Wiser amassed a collection of 8000 crystals that he studied and documented. Today, altitudinal zonation represents a core concept in mountain research. Hannibal notably crossed the Alps with a herd of elephants, and the Romans had settlements in the region. The traditional culture of farming, cheesemaking, and woodworking still exists in Alpine villages, although the tourist industry began to grow early in the 20th century and expanded greatly after World War II to become the dominant industry by the end of the century. [57], High levels of precipitation cause the glaciers to descend to permafrost levels in some areas whereas in other, more arid regions, glaciers remain above about the 3,500m (11,483ft) level. At these higher elevations, trees become less dense and vegetation becomes a mosaic of herbaceous meadows and clumped tree communities. His clothing lets modern people assume that he was an alpine farmer. A railroad with a tunnel 1.6km (1mi) long was built along the route of the pass in the mid-19th century. The accumulation of several feet of snow during the winter is not uncommon and can stay on the ground for several months. [2][7] For mountains located in deserts, extreme high temperatures also limit the ability of large deciduous or coniferous trees to grow near the base of mountains. (p = 0.5235). [50] Typically, the largest earthquakes in the alps have been between magnitude 6 and 7 on the Richter scale. Chalets often face south or downhill and are built of solid wood, with a steeply gabled roof to allow accumulated snow to slide off easily. Holdridge defines the climate of montane forest as having a biotemperature of between 6 and 12C (43 and 54F), where biotemperature is the mean temperature considering temperatures below 0C (32F) to be 0C (32F). Their elevation normally ranges between 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) and the area where a mountain's snow line begins. 16871693, "Die Besteigung der Berge - Die Dolomitgipfel werden erobert (German: The ascent of the mountains - the dolomite peaks are conquered)", "Cahier d'architecture Haute Maurienne/Vanoise", "What Role Do the Alps Play within World Tourism? Nonetheless, altitudinal zonation caters to agricultural specialization and growing populations cause environmental degradation. [129], Charles VII of France ordered his chamberlain to climb Mont Aiguille in 1356. The grip of the Etruscan settlements broke down, as the Roman political system expanded, so as to take control over Alpine trade routes that connected human settlements in the Alps with settlements in the Mediterranean. 24 found that the generalist species with wide vertical ranges and optima in the alpine and steppe zone are more abundant in subnival flora of Ladakh than high-elevation specialists . Predicting phytochemical diversity of medicinal and aromatic - Nature Life Zones | Yosemite Field Station - University of California, Merced In Austria, the Mondsee lake shows evidence of houses built on piles. For example, a strong competitor can force weaker competitors to higher or lower positions on the elevation gradient. The variability of both natural and human environments has made it difficult to construct universal models to explain human cultivation in altitudinal environments. [citation needed], In the tropics, montane forests can consist of broadleaf forest in addition to coniferous forest. [6]:280, Plants have adapted to the harsh alpine environment. [150], Smugglers of humans claim that crossing the Alps, is less dangerous or deadly, than traveling 355km on water between Tripoli and Lampedusa with a tramp ship (carretta del mare) or a dinghy. [149] Massive numbers of refugees entered Italy illegally, by navigating the Alps. This domestic, but representative, fortification had two small bedrooms, and a full bathroom, planned by the Munich architect and NSDAP member Josef Neumaier. Montane ecosystems also exhibit variation in ecosystem services, which include carbon storage and water supply. During World War II the winter games were cancelled but after that time the Winter Games have been held in St. Moritz (1948), Cortina d'Ampezzo (1956), Innsbruck, Austria (1964 and 1976), Grenoble, France, (1968), Albertville, France, (1992), and Torino (2006). The alpine zone, or alpine fell-field, is above the tree line, generally at 11,000 to 11,500 feet (3,400 to 3,500 m) in the south, [4] [5] : 8 and 9,900 feet (3,000 m) [6] : 17 to 10,500 feet (3,200 m) [4] in the north. 1200-1800 meters) elevation depending on aspect, . The alpine zone extends from treeline to the mountain's summit. [35], Important geological concepts were established as naturalists began studying the rock formations of the Alps in the 18th century. About 200,000 drawings and etchings have been documented, and are known as the Rock Drawings in Valcamonica. The Lauberhorn is the more strenuous downhill race at 4.5km (2.8mi) and poses danger to racers who reach 130km/h (81mph) within seconds of leaving the start gate. [109], Between 430 and 400 BC prolonged warfare in the Alps resulted in the devastation of agricultural land and human settlements, ultimately triggering the enslavement of men, women, and children, goods had to be imported as a result. Some meals are communal, such as fondue, where a pot is set in the middle of the table for each person to dip into. Stairs leading to upper levels are sometimes built on the outside, and balconies are sometimes enclosed.[155][156]. Eroded rocks from the most recent ice age lie at the bottom of the valley while the top of the valley consists of erosion from earlier ice ages. Scorpions can be found in the Italian Alps. The Russian troops broke out, mauled the French troops, and retreated through the Panix Pass. [6][93], The largest mammal to live in the highest altitudes are the alpine ibex, which have been sighted as high as 3,000m (9,800ft). [43] Similarly the peaks in eastern Switzerland extending to western Austria (Helvetic nappes) consist of thin-skinned sedimentary folding that detached from former basement rock. Subalpine Plants and Habitats - Colorado Native Plant Society Numerical modeling suggests that glacial erosion propagates from low elevations to high elevations leading to an early increase of local relief followed by lowering of the mean orogen elevation. He completed his series of ascents in 1911. At cultural events, traditional folk costume (in German Tracht) is expected: typically lederhosen for men and dirndls for women. Plants - Mount Rainier National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Folk costume also continues to be worn for most weddings and festivals. At higher elevations, the climate is harsher, with lower temperatures and higher winds, preventing the growth of trees and causing the plant community to transition to montane grasslands and shrublands or alpine tundra. [161] From 1980 to the present, ski-lifts have been modernized and snow-making machines installed at many resorts, leading to mounting concerns regarding the loss of traditional Alpine culture and uncertainties regarding sustainable development. [52] The underlying mechanisms that jointly drive the present-day uplift pattern are the isostatic rebound due to the melting of the last glacial maximum ice-cap or long-term erosion, detachment of the Western Alpine subducting slab, mantle convection as well as ongoing horizontal convergence between Africa and Europe, but their relative contributions to the uplift of the Alps are difficult to quantify and likely to vary significantly in space and time. In machine learning, the epsilon-neighborhood graph is used both as a weighted or unweighted graph. Crowning the tops of the mountains, the alpine zone is biologically rich despite harsh growing conditions. Hay is normally brought in twice a year, often also on festival days. Roofs are traditionally constructed from Alpine rocks such as pieces of schist, gneiss, or slate. Alpine Zone. New York City: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. In some cases these level follow each other with the decrease in elevation, which is called vegetation inversion. They hibernate in large groups to provide warmth,[97] and can be found in all areas of the Alps, in large colonies they build beneath the alpine pastures. Reduction in cloudiness may already be affecting the Monteverde cloud forest in Costa Rica. 18, no. A region in the Hengduan Mountains adjoining Asia's Tibetan Plateau have been identified as the world's oldest continuous alpine ecosystem with a community of 3000 plant species, some of them continuously co-existing for 30 million years. Alpine climate | SpringerLink [25], Crossing the Italian-Austrian border, the Brenner Pass separates the tztal Alps and Zillertal Alps and has been in use as a trading route since the 14th century. Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrusting and folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. Colorado | Bureau of Land Management [143], From the beginning of the 19th century, the tourism and mountaineering development of the Alps began. [105] Analysis of the mitochondrial DNA of tzi, has shown that he belongs to the K1 subclade. Introduction. [55], Glaciers pick up rocks and sediment with them as they flow. The 18th and 19th centuries saw an influx of naturalists, writers, and artists, in particular, the Romantics, followed by the golden age of alpinism as mountaineers began to ascend the peaks of the Alps. Owners of the cows traditionally receive from the cheesemakers a portion about the proportion of the cows' milk from the summer months in the high alps. In the mid-19th century, the now-defunct idea of geosynclines was used to explain the presence of "folded" mountain chains. Similarly, the river god Alpheus is also supposed to derive from the Greek alphos and means whitish. The biotemperature of the subalpine zone is between 3 and 6C (37 and 43F). Some of the Romance dialects spoken in the French, Swiss and Italian alps of Aosta Valley derive from Arpitan, while the southern part of the western range is related to Occitan; the German dialects derive from Germanic tribal languages. [15] The range stretches from the Mediterranean Sea north above the Po basin, extending through France from Grenoble, and stretching eastward through mid and southern Switzerland. The subalpine life zone covers roughly 23% of the park spanning elevations from 5,000 to 7,000 feet and categorized into five broad vegetation groups. [168], The region is serviced by 4,200km (2,600mi) of roads used by six million vehicles per year. The Alpine region area contains 128 peaks higher than 4,000m (13,000ft). However, there is an accumulating body of evidence that competitively dominant plants may seize the preferred locations (warmer sites or deeper soils). [162], In the first half of the 20th century the Olympic Winter Games were held three times in Alpine venues: the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France; the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland; and the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. [10] The climate of montane forests is colder than lowland climate at the same latitude, so the montane forests often have species typical of higher-latitude lowland forests. By the mid-1850s Swiss mountaineers had ascended most of the peaks and were eagerly sought as mountain guides. The Alpine region area contains 128 peaks higher than 4,000 m (13,000 ft) . Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast! [8] Climate [110], During the Second Punic War in 218 BC, the Carthage general Hannibal initiated one of the most celebrated achievements of any military force in ancient warfare, recorded as Hannibal crossing the Alps. [132], Conrad Gessner was the first naturalist to ascend the mountains in the 16th century, to study them, writing that in the mountains he found the "theatre of the Lord". The peaks in the easterly portion of the range, in Austria and Slovenia, are smaller than those in the central and western portions.[18]. (2011). [76], Various models of climate change have been projected into the 22nd century for the Alps, with an expectation that a trend toward increased temperatures will have an effect on snowfall, snowpack, glaciation, and river runoff. [78][79] Significant changes, of both natural and anthropogenic origins, have already been diagnosed from observations,[80][81][82] including a 5.6% reduction per decade in snow cover duration over the last 50years, which also highlights climate change adaptation needs due to impacts on the climate and regional socio-economic activities. [124], Radiocarbon-dated charcoal placed around 50,000 years ago was found in the Drachloch (Dragon's Hole) cave above the village of Vattis in the canton of St. Gallen, proving that the high peaks were visited by prehistoric people. [155], Farming has been a traditional occupation for centuries, although it became less dominant in the 20th century with the advent of tourism. Get Saarbrcken's weather and area codes, time zone and DST. "[88] Gentians tend to "appear" repeatedly as the spring blooming takes place at progressively later dates, moving from the lower altitude to the higher altitude meadows where the snow melts much later than in the valleys. [99] The high-altitude Alpine salamanders have adapted to living above the snow line by giving birth to fully developed young rather than laying eggs. [28], Alpine meadows form where sediments from the weathering of rocks has produced soils well-developed enough to support grasses and sedges. Explore Saarbrcken's sunrise and sunset, moonrise and moonset. In 1800, Napoleon crossed one of the mountain passes with an army of 40,000. [39] In the Paleozoic Era the Pangaean supercontinent consisted of a single tectonic plate; it broke into separate plates during the Mesozoic Era and the Tethys sea developed between Laurasia and Gondwana during the Jurassic Period. [148] The Alps acted as a geographical barrier to Italy, and the Alps for centuries were permeated with established smuggling routes, known as green line. Their enclosed algal cells can photosynthesize at any temperature above 0C (32F), and the outer fungal layers can absorb more than their own weight in water. Larger cities outside the Alps are Milan, Verona, Turin (Italy), Munich (Germany), Graz, Vienna, Salzburg (Austria), Ljubljana, Maribor, Kranj (Slovenia), Zurich, Geneva (Switzerland), Nice and Lyon (France). Grazing and pasture land are limited because of the steep and rocky topography of the Alps. Please leash dogs. While Mont Blanc was first climbed in 1786 and the Jungfrau in 1811, most of the Alpine four-thousanders were climbed during the second half of the 19th century, notably Piz Bernina (1850), the Dom (1858), the Grand Combin (1859), the Weisshorn (1861) and the Barre des crins (1864); the ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 marked the end of the golden age of alpinism. The altitude and size of the range affect the climate in Europe; in the mountains, precipitation levels vary greatly and climatic conditions consist of distinct zones. Well-established krummholz trees may be several hundred to a thousand years old. [9] Even though rainfall may not be a significant factor for some mountains, atmospheric humidity or aridity can be more important climatic stresses that affect altitudinal zones. [6], "Alpe" redirects here. Machine Learning Group - Saarland University His work was continued by other scientists and now a permanent laboratory exists inside a glacier under the Jungfraujoch, devoted exclusively to the study of Alpine glaciers. Scientist C. Hart Merriam observed that changes in vegetation and animals in altitudinal zones map onto changes expected with increased latitude in his concept of life zones. For instance, the Sarca, the primary inflow of Lake Garda, originates in the Italian Alps. The relative importance of these factors is also difficult to assess, but the abundance of grazing animals, and the abundance of mycorrhizal associations, suggests that these elements may influence plant distributions in significant ways.[17].

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