Human Activity in Glacial Landscapes
Glaciated and formerly glaciated landscapes are not empty wilderness — they are home to millions of people and support a wide range of economic activities. However, these landscapes are often fragile, and human activities can generate significant conflicts and environmental pressures. This lesson examines the opportunities and challenges presented by glacial environments, using case studies from the UK and the Alps.
Opportunities in Glacial Landscapes
Glaciated landscapes provide numerous economic opportunities:
Tourism and Recreation
Tourism is typically the most important economic activity in glaciated upland areas:
| Activity | Glacial Feature Exploited | Examples |
|---|
| Hiking and mountaineering | Dramatic mountain scenery (corries, arêtes, peaks) | Lake District (19.38 million visitors/year, 2019), Chamonix, Swiss Alps |
| Water sports | Ribbon lakes, tarns | Windermere (sailing, kayaking), Lake Lucerne (Switzerland) |
| Winter sports | Steep slopes, reliable snow cover | Chamonix (1.5 million ski visitors/year), Zermatt, Verbier |
| Sightseeing | Glaciers, scenic valleys, waterfalls | Mer de Glace (France), Aletsch Glacier (Switzerland), Jungfraujoch |
| Dark sky tourism | Remote, unpolluted locations | Lake District International Dark Sky Park (Ennerdale) |
Tourism in the Lake District contributes approximately £1.5 billion per year to the local economy and supports over 18,000 jobs (Cumbria Tourism, 2019).
Farming and Forestry
- Sheep farming dominates upland glacial landscapes in the UK — the wide, flat floors of glacial troughs and the lower slopes provide rough grazing for hardy breeds (Herdwick sheep in the Lake District, Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales)
- Dairy farming on the more fertile lowland till deposits around the margins of the Lake District
- Forestry — conifer plantations in Grizedale Forest and Whinlatter Forest (Lake District) exploit the mild, wet climate and glacially deposited soils
- In the Alps, pastoral farming (dairy cattle, cheese production) on alpine meadows (alps) is a traditional activity, with seasonal transhumance (moving cattle to high pastures in summer)
Hydroelectric Power (HEP)
Glaciated landscapes are ideal for HEP generation:
- Steep valleys provide the necessary head of water (height difference)
- High rainfall in upland glaciated areas ensures reliable water supply
- Ribbon lakes act as natural reservoirs
- Thirlmere and Haweswater (Lake District) are reservoirs supplying Manchester — Thirlmere's dam was completed in 1894 via a 154 km pipeline
- Grande Dixence Dam, Switzerland — 285 m high, one of the world's tallest gravity dams, harnessing meltwater from the surrounding glaciers in the Valais Alps. Capacity: 400 million m³
- Norway generates approximately 96% of its electricity from HEP, much of it from glacially carved valleys and fjords
Quarrying and Mining
- Slate quarrying — Honister Slate Mine (Lake District) has operated since the 17th century; Borrowdale volcanic slate is prized for roofing
- Granite quarrying — Shap Granite (eastern Lake District) is commercially extracted for building stone and road aggregate
- Copper mining — historical copper mining at Coniston (Lake District) operated from the 16th to 20th century; now a heritage attraction
Conflicts in Glacial Landscapes
The multiple uses of glaciated landscapes inevitably generate conflicts between different stakeholders:
Tourism vs. Environment
| Issue | Description | Examples |
|---|
| Footpath erosion | Heavy foot traffic erodes thin mountain soils and vegetation | Helvellyn summit paths widened to over 10 m in places; National Trust spends £1 million/year on path repair in the Lake District |
| Traffic congestion | Narrow valley roads become gridlocked at peak times | Borrowdale road regularly congested in summer; Ambleside and Windermere experience severe parking problems |
| Litter and pollution | Waste left by visitors; water pollution from boats and campsites | Windermere has experienced algal blooms linked to sewage from tourism infrastructure |
| Visual impact | Car parks, visitor centres, and infrastructure alter the scenic landscape | Controversial proposals for zip wires and gondolas in the Lake District |
| Wildlife disturbance | Visitors disturb breeding birds and other wildlife | Nesting peregrine falcons and red squirrels affected by recreation in quiet valleys |
Tourism vs. Local Communities
- Second homes and holiday lets — in some Lake District villages, over 25% of properties are second homes or holiday lets (e.g., Elterwater, Grasmere), inflating house prices beyond the reach of local workers
- Seasonal employment — many tourism jobs are seasonal, low-paid, and insecure
- Loss of services — as permanent population declines, local schools, shops, and bus services close
Farming vs. Conservation
- Overgrazing by sheep has degraded upland habitats, preventing natural woodland regeneration
- Farmers argue that sheep grazing maintains the "traditional" landscape that tourists come to see
- Conservation bodies (Natural England, National Trust) advocate rewilding — reducing grazing to allow native woodland to return, improving biodiversity and reducing flood risk downstream
Quarrying vs. Conservation
- Quarrying provides local employment but creates noise, dust, heavy vehicle traffic, and visual scarring
- Honister Slate Mine is a working quarry within a National Park — it operates under strict planning conditions to minimise environmental impact