A rangeland-based livestock industry is the major economic activity in the region. Less than three per cent of the area is exploited for fruits and vegetables with scarce groundwater resources. The region exports coal, gas, mutton, hides, temperate fruits, and vegetables to other regions and imports staple food and manufactured goods from the irrigated plains. Soil erosion is a major component of the desertification in the region. The main cause of the soil erosion is the reduction of plant cover.
Many special characteristics are fairly apparent.
The most critical differences appear in the area of geological and biophysical characteristics. Within one broad mountain ecosystem, small distances result in large changes based upon altitude, aspect, geology, and soils, giving rise to an amazing variety of micro-environments and biodiversity. These factors further influence the nature of human interventions-particularly in agriculture and related subsistence activities. It has also determined the risks and hazards that are likely to be encountered in each of these mountain areas. A large part of the research in mountain areas in the past has focussed on mapping some of these unique biophysical parameters and identifying their underlying processes and impacts.