Agricultural Settlement and Land Use in Mountains - Mountain Geography: Physical and Human Dimensions - page 579

FIGURE 11.21 Yi women collect fodder (brush, needles, and leaves) in the Hengduan Mountains,
southern China. This nontimber resource is gathered from the forest floor to use as roof thatch,
animal feed, and fire starter. (Photo by S. F. Cunha.)
Tree cover in tropical mountains is very diverse and includes cloud forests on
rain-soaked tropical slopes, seasonally dry deciduous forests and woodlands, and pine
forests at higher elevations. In midlatitude temperate zones, montane forests of mostly
evergreen species (e.g., pine, fir, and cedar) cloak mountain slopes in predictable el-
evation zones. Within these two generalized classes—tropical and montane—the forest
shows considerable variation as individual species adapt to the diverse microclimatic
temperature and precipitation regimes that define mountain environments, as dis-
cussed in Chapter 7.
Mountain societies exploit forests in myriad ways. In addition to the obvious demand
for fuelwood and construction timber, trees protect fields and dwellings from high winds
and snow avalanches. Leaves, branches, and bark make excellent livestock fodder; some
is used only for roofing, while other components boost the quality and quantity of milk,
dung, and wool (Fig. 11.21). Mountain forests also harbor wildlife and feral animals that
farmers pursue for meat, pelts, and body parts. Various tree species—especially nuts
and fruits—are essential producers of food, medicine, and fiber. Forests store and puri-
fy water. The upper canopy filters solar radiation, which augments soil moisture and
groundwater storage. Vigorous tree cover decreases runoff and soil erosion. Mountain
forests harbor important plant biodiversity, with the neotropical (New World) mountain
forests alone accounting for half of the world's 90,000 species of higher plants. Most
highland societies also now realize that standing forest cover attracts tourist revenue.
Finally, mountains “covered in deep forest have generated an aura of hidden power,