MOUNTAINS69 SNOW LEOPARD The predatory snow
leopard has thick fur and small, rounded
ears to conserve body heat.MOUNTAIN MAMMALS
Despite the rugged terrain and
cold air, many mammals make
their homes in the mountains.
They must adapt to survive, so
many grow thick winter coats to
keep warm. Others migrate up
and down the slopes through the
year to avoid the worst weather.BUILDING MOUNTAINS
Mountains form when vast sheets of rock, called tectonic
plates, collide beneath the Earth’s surface. Depending on
which plates collide, the land is either pushed up to form
mountains or molten rock rises to the surface to form
volcanoes ( p. 32–33, p. 34–35). Volcanoes are more
regularly shaped than mountains
that have been folded and bent.
Mountains tend to have poor,
rocky soils and little grows
near their peaks. Despite the
danger of volcanoes, their ash
turns into fertile soil for
growing crops. MOUNTAIN GOAT Thick winter coats
protect these agile, muscular herbivores as
they scramble up steep mountain slopes.Mountains contain a rich range
of habitats. Lush alpine meadows
give way to conifer forests, while
the snow-capped peaks dominate
above. The main reason for the
variation is the sharp drop in
temperature with altitude—
about 11°F (6°C) for every^3 ⁄^5 mile
(1 km) in winter.
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AND ECOLOGYENVIRONMENT