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Mountain
The ocean is a vast expanse of salt water that separates the continents and covers 70% of the Earth's surface. Thanks to the plant elements in the plankton that drift across its surface, the ocean captures 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and emits 50% of the oxygen we breathe - one in two breaths! This has earned it the nickname "the lungs of the Earth".
The ocean is a vast expanse of salt water that separates the continents and covers 70% of the Earth's surface. Thanks to the plant elements in the plankton that drift across its surface, the ocean captures 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and emits 50% of the oxygen we breathe - one in two breaths! This has earned it the nickname "the lungs of the Earth".
A mountain is first and foremost a form of terrestrial relief characterized by a significant elevation of the terrain, with a steep difference in level between the summit and the valleys. If we add to this definition all the peaks, gentle or steep slopes and connecting valleys, the mountain environment is made up of a mosaic of rocky and verdant zones, irrigated by small streams, lakes and large torrents that are home to a flourishing biodiversity, particularly well adapted to its environment. So much so that mountain ecosystems account for some 25% of known terrestrial biodiversity, most of which is endemic or protected. Ibexes, chamois, marmots and snow voles make their home here, alongside iconic species such as the golden eagle, the lynx and even the bear.
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Les Alpes du Nord couvrent environ 20.000 km², englobant la Savoie, la Haute-Savoie et une partie de l’Isère, entre le Léman et la vallée de la Durance. Le Mont Blanc, culminant à 4808 m, est le point culminant de la France et de l’Europe occidentale.
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Les forêts couvrent près de 40 % du territoire, dominées par le hêtre, l’épicéa et le sapin, mais aussi par le mélèze et le pin cembro en haute montagne.
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La faune emblématique comprend chamois, bouquetins, tétras-lyres, chocards et grands corbeaux.Les glaciers, en fort recul, ne couvrent plus qu’environ 130 km² contre plus de 300 km² dans les années 80.Les Alpes du Nord abritent plus de 4500 espèces végétales, dont plusieurs endémiques (androsace des Alpes, saxifrage du Dauphiné).
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Le réchauffement climatique provoque une migration des espèces vers de plus hautes altitudes (+30 à 40 mètres par décennie) et fragilise les équilibres entre forêts, prairies et milieux rocheux.
