Dams, such as this one at Marmolada in the Dolomites, Italy, are a common sight in many upland areas. They trap and store water, making it available for use during periods of water shortage. Highland areas are favoured because of the higher rainfall there (known as orographic or relief rainfall). Hard rocks, which form the high ground, make a good base and building material for the reservoir, and the valleys in such areas provide narrow sites ideal for flooding, to become the reservoir basin.

Scattered dwellings in the Dolomites, Italy. In mountainous areas there are few suitable sites for settlement. There are problems of flooding, low temperatures, and steep gradients. Settlements tend be to located on south-facing slopes, in areas that are free from flooding, and where there is some scope for farming or trading.

A village nestled among the Dolomite mountains of northern Italy. Mountains are inhospitable terrain for settlement, so sites are chosen carefully, with particular attention to flooding hazards, agricultural potential, and trading routes. In recent decades many of these mountain villages have become important tourist destinations.

Coniferous trees surround a glacial lake, among the Dolomite mountains in Italy. Forests in mountainous areas are often coniferous, because this type of evergreen tree is well suited to the soil, weather, and other environmental factors found at high altitudes.

Alluvial fans are cone-shaped landforms that form at the base of slopes, near the mouth of a mountain canyon. Material is deposited by a river as it emerges from the gorge. There is a reduction in the velocity of the river, and it drops some of its load. The heavy, coarse material is deposited first, and the finest material is deposited later, further from the mountain face, helping to produce the conical slope.

In many mountain areas there are large areas of coniferous forest. This is because temperatures are low, and the soil thin and acidic. Evergreen trees are also able to photosynthesize at low temperatures, and their conical shape helps them to get rid of snow during winter. Their wide roots also help them to survive rocking by high winds, and they are able to cling to steep slopes such as the one pictured.

A rock face in the Dolomites, a mountain range in northern Italy composed largely of dolomitic sandstone. The jagged edges and rocky screes are the result of atmospheric erosion.

The characteristic cold and rugged appearance of high mountain areas is produced by freeze-thaw weathering, and the development of snow and ice. Such areas, having the same conditions as those experienced on a glacier, but not frozen all year round, are known as periglacial.

This rock face in the Dolomite mountains of northern Italy has been subjected to extensive weathering. Unlike mountains in other parts of the Alps, the various peaks are not linked by smooth and winding crests, but instead stand apart and isolated.

The Italian Dolomites. The limestone Dolomites, one of Europe's greatest natural sites, are located in the northeastern part of the Italian Alps. Once a part of Austria, this region is still Tirolean in character, and this is reflected in the language, culture, and cuisine.