Mountains make up a quarter of the world's surface and are highly important (no pun intended) to people in nearly every country in the world. The University of Alberta's newest massive open online course explains why. Mountains 101 was developed by U of A faculty and researchers from a variety of disciplines and faculties in partnership with Parks Canada and the Alpine Club of Canada. Led by biological sciences professor David Hik and Zac Robinson, '07 PhD, assistant professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, the 12-lesson course introduces students to one of the most dynamic landscapes on Earth.
A Source of Water
More than half of the world's population relies on fresh water that collects in mountain regions, whether it's for drinking, domestic use, irrigation, industry or transportation. Hydro power from mountain watersheds makes up nearly 20 per cent of the world's electricity supply.
Cultural Value
Mountains inspire imagination and are revered around the world. For centuries, they have been a prime focus for literary and artistic creations and have been considered places of restorative power and spiritual rejuvenation.
Natural Resources
Mountain forests supply millions of people with timber, fuel and other products. The forests also help capture and store rainfall and moisture, maintain water quality, regulate river flow and reduce erosion. Mountain mines are a major source of the world's ores and precious metals.
Biological Corridors
Isolated habitats and protected areas are connected by mountains, allowing species the space they need to migrate and thrive. In Western Canada, the Rocky Mountains provide the wild spaces that support grizzly bears, cougars and other large carnivores. Mountains also provide sanctuaries. For example, the last of the world's mountain gorillas, now numbering fewer than 300, are found in the Virunga Mountains, along the northern border of Rwanda in eastern Africa.
Habitats for Biodiversity
Mountains are ecological hot spots that sustain a huge variety of species, from large plants and animals to tiny invertebrates and microbes.
Climate Change
Mountains are early indicators of climate warming. Recent studies estimate that mountain glaciers in the Rockies, Andes, Alps, Pyrenees, African Rift, Southern Alps and Caucasus, as well as in Scandinavia and Indonesia, are disappearing fast and will be mostly gone by 2100.
Food
Many of the world's most important food staples, such as potatoes, wheat, corn and beans, were domesticated in mountainous regions. Industrious mountain peoples developed elaborate agricultural production systems and strategies. Many of these systems, such as terraced fields, are still in use today.
Learn More
Mountains 101 is the world's first massive open online course in interdisciplinary mountain studies. In this 12-lesson online course you will learn about one of the planet's most fascinating, dynamic landscapes from a range of experts, including historians, glaciologists, physiologists, entomologists, geophysicists and geologists. And the best part? It's free for everyone, everywhere. Take it for credit or just for fun.
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