Mountains and rivers Mountains ecosystems Indian Himalayan region Mountains and freshwater Mountains wood

2. Introduction
A mountain is a landform that
stretches high above the
surrounding terrain in a limited
area. Mountain usually have
steep, sloping sides and sharp or
slightly rounded ridges and
peaks.
Mountain rages are long chains
or groups or mountains. Ranges
are usually 1000 or more miles
long. The rocky mountains and
the Himalayan mountains are
examples of mountain ranges.

3. Mountains and rivers
Mountains are places where many
rivers begin their sources. Form
example, the Himalayan Mountains
are the source of the river Ganges.
The Treeless Mountains of upper
Qinghai are the source of the
Yangtze River, the third largest river in
the world. The rivers and streams that
flow form mountain slopes connect
mountain and lowland communities,
more than half the world’s population
relies on the fresh water that flows
from these mountain watersheds.

4. Mountains ecosystems
Mountains ecosystems are
globally important as centers of
biological diversity. They
compress a wide range of
climates and ecosystems into a
relatively small area. Mountains
include other ecosystem types,
such as forests and inland water.
For example, Tropical Forests,
Subtropical Forests, Temperate
And Alpine Forest ecosystems are
found more or less parallel to
each other across the length of
the Himalayan regions

5. Indian Himalayan region
Indian Himalayan region is a treasure house of
biological and cultural diversity. A review of
existing information on the Himalayan flora
reveals that there are approximately 10,000
species or vascular plants in the Indian
Himalayan region, which forms more than 50
percent of the Indian flora.
Over 250 mammal species have been
described across the IHR, of which 12 are
endemic. Around 750 bird species are
recorded from across the region, with 20
endemics.
It is estimated that there approximately 270
species of fishes in the IHR of which 33 species
are endemic.

6. Mountains and freshwater
Mountains play a critical role in the
water cycle. High snowy mountains
play a central role in collecting
and storing the freshwater for
settlements, agriculture and
industries.
Mountains intercept air circulating
around the globe and force it
upwards where it condenses into
clouds, which provide rain and
snow. Mountains also store water in
various ways, including the
formation of snow and ice which is
later released as melt-off during
warmer periods.

7. Mountains wood
Wood, or charcoal fuel is one of
the energy sources for the
mountain settlers or people
living in urban centers in the
lowlands and on the plains. For
example, in Marrakech fuel
wood is used by many bakeries;
the wood comes from the
forests in the Atlas Mountains.