For centuries man made little impact on the mountains. All that changed in the last century with summer and winter tourism.
The growth of ski runs, cable cars, chair lifts, roads and hotels has put pressure on the ecological structure and balance.
The explosion of tourism threatens many species that have a precarious existence in the mountain environment.
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Many
different species of animals live in the mountains. Most of the mammals
are herbivores such as chamois, mountain hares and marmottes although a
few foxes and lynx (very rare) can be found.
There is a
limited variety of birds but the sight of a royal eagle or a bearded
vulture, with over 2m wingspans is a real reward for any ornathologist.
Reptiles such as snakes and lizards enjoy sunbathing on the warm rocks.
Be careful a few are venomous!
Little affected by the reduced oxygen levels, many insects live at high
altitudes, in particular, butterflies.
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From the
bottom of the valleys to the highest peaks, a wide range of vegetation
can be found. Deciduous trees low down, with spruce and larch a bit
higher and finally conifers. Above 2500m only a few hardy bushes
survive, but algae can be found right up to the highest points.
In spring and summer a large variety of flowers can be appreciated in the forests and mountain pastures.
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The French Alps cover about 35 000 km² of the western Alpine chain.
They form an arc from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean, 350 km long
with an average width of 100 km. The highest point is the Mt-Blanc at
4807m (15 770ft). The average altitude is 1100m.
The
characteristics of these young (everything's relative!) mountains are
strongly defined by the pinacles, needles, enclosed valleys and long
glaciers.
An extraordinary variety of rocks and minerals can be found,
particularly in the massif. Intense erosion, often assisted by man,
continues to expose mineralogical and petrographical treasures.
Amateur mineralogists will find crystallised minerals, sedimentary rocks with fossils, volcanic and metamorphic rocks. Check the Events calendar for the annual Mineral Fair in the summer. You can also check out the museuam in the Espace Tairraz exhibition centre in Chamonix or up at the Montenvers train station.
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A nice place to start... The easy way to appreciate all this plant and animal life is to visit
to one of the zoos or nature reserves in the valley. The Aiguilles
Rouges nature reserve, the Marécottes zoo (in Switzerland), the Parc de
Merlet (a reserve of mountain animals at liberty) or the St. Bernard
breeding centre are the primary places. For more details on these see
our natural reserve and zoo page.
