A ''Steilhang'' (; ) is a geoscientific term for a steep mountainside or hillside (or a part thereof), the average slope of which is greater than 1:2 or 30°. Leser defines a ''steilhang'' as a mountainside with an incline of between 16° and 60°, slopes of between 30° and 60° being described as "very steep" (''übersteil'') and anything over 60° being a rock face (''wand''). The term is German for "steep slope/mountainside/hillside", "escarpment"Leser, Hartmut, ed. (2005). ''Wörterbuch Allgemeine Geographie'', 13th ed., dtv, Munich, p. 893. . or "steep face". The word ''hang'' in this compound is derived from ''hängen'', "to hang". Also compare the British English word '' hanger'' (from Old English ''hangra'') for a steep wooded slope (compare

Hanger Lane Hanger Lane is a major road in Ealing, London, England. The majority of the road forms the westernmost part of the A406 North Circular Road, running north from the A4020 Uxbridge Road at Ealing Common to the A40 road in London, A40 Western Avenu ...

), or used to mean woods on steep hillsides, e.g. for the

East Hampshire Hangers The East Hampshire Hangers are located in the English county of Hampshire and form a line of hills with steep scarps that marks the eastern edge of the Hampshire Downs and its boundary with the Western Weald, an area of rolling countryside east o ...

Geology

The formation of slopes of different gradients depends on the one hand on the type of underlying

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

of the mountain or hill - and this may result in slopes varying from those on the other side of a mountain, hill or valley – and on the other hand on its local hardness, and circumstances of its deposition (

sedimentation Sedimentation is the deposition of sediments. It takes place when particles in suspension settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to th ...

, stratigraphy,

bedding Bedding, also called bedclothes or bed linen, is the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for hygiene, warmth, protection of the mattress, and decorative effect. Bedding is the removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environment ...

or jointing), on its resistance to

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...

and not least on the water flow and local climatic conditions. From a

geomorphological Geomorphology () is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topography, topographic and bathymetry, bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. Ge ...

standpoint, there is a distinction made between ''steilhänge'' not simply on the basis of their gradient and

rock type In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks form the Earth's o ...

, but especially on their aspect (i.e. their orientation), their rotundity or roughness (small shapes, flexion, steps, terraces, drainage etc.), the vegetation on the mountainsides or hillsides and the

soil formation Soil formation, also known as pedogenesis, is the process of soil genesis as regulated by the effects of place, environment, and history. Biogeochemical processes act to both create and destroy order ( anisotropy) within soils. These alteration ...

. For example, the soil type known as ''

ranker Ranker.com is a website that features polls on entertainment, brands, sports, food, and culture. Ranker claims to be one of the largest databases of opinions, with more than 1 billion votes gathered on over millions of subjective voters. Ranke ...

'' gets its name from the word ''Ranker'' which is commonly used in Western

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

to mean ''steilhang''.

Natural dangers

''Steilhänge'' present various natural dangers if they are not forested or interrupted by gentler slopes: *

Landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...

s – especially if the

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

is saturated after long periods of rain or during

snowmelt In hydrology, snowmelt is surface runoff produced from melting snow. It can also be used to describe the period or season during which such runoff is produced. Water produced by snowmelt is an important part of the annual water cycle in many part ...

* Collapse – if there is a

rock face In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are comm ...

or heavily eroded crags above, or *

Rockfall A rockfall or rock-fallWhittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, 1984. . is a quantity of Rock (geology), rock that has fallen freely from a cliff face. The term is also used for collapse of rock from roof or wa ...

, a less severe occurrence * Destruction caused by

mudflow A mudflow, also known as mudslide or mud flow, is a form of mass wasting involving fast-moving flow of debris and dirt that has become liquified by the addition of water. Such flows can move at speeds ranging from 3 meters/minute to 5 meters/se ...

s during bad weather or

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...

s * episodic or sudden rock creep, that may threaten to impound water.

Farming

''Steilhänge'' of up to about 40° can in principle be used for farming – for example to make

hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticate ...

or in

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

to obtain

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

. Under favourable climatic conditions they can even be used for

viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

. But they are only rarely economic when compared with more level landscapes with which they are in competition. As a result, hill farmers (their definition varies according to the location of the uplands and their hillsides) are usually supported from the public purse. This support of the

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

forestry and agriculture is sometimes not only justified, but also essential. Traditionally the higher level authorities are responsible (especially the German states for example), because the individual municipalities are economically unable to. Geotechnological institutions from the fields of mining, avalanche protection and tourism, as well as the EU are active in supporting the affected

highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

s in Europe Through sensible support, hill farmers are encouraged or enabled to continue to work their farms or

alms Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of Charity (practice), charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving. Etymology The word ''alms'' come ...

. Where this does not happen, the damage caused by the aforementioned natural dangers is generally more costly over time than the costs of subsidising hill farming. The advantages of protective and support measures are: * Preservation of

protected forest A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geolog ...

s (especially against mudflows and avalanches) * General conservation ("hill farmers as landscape gardeners") *

Environmental protection Environmental protection, or environment protection, refers to the taking of measures to protecting the natural environment, prevent pollution and maintain ecological balance. Action may be taken by individuals, advocacy groups and governments. ...

(e.g. preservation of

soil quality Soil quality refers to the condition of soil based on its capacity to perform ecosystem services that meet the needs of human and non-human life.Tóth, G., Stolbovoy, V. and Montanarella, 2007. Soil Quality and Sustainability Evaluation - An integ ...

, biodiversity, etc...) *

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

(desire for "intact

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...

s", native customs, etc.) * Control of

mountain stream A mountain stream is a Stream, brook or stream, usually with a steep gradient, flowing down a mountainside. Its swift flow rate often transports large quantities of rock (geology), rock, gravel, soil, wood or even entire Trunk (botany), logs with ...

s and

s * Protection of

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

s and stabilization of

forest track left, alt=Pathway through forest., Concrete pathway through deep forest in India. Forest tracks or forest roads are roads or tracks intended to carry motorised vehicles or horse-drawn wagons being used mainly or exclusively for forestry purposes, ...

s * Increased self-sufficiency in terms of the local supply of food and raw materials * Regional aspects of

planning Planning is the process of thinking regarding the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning is based on foresight, the fundamental capacity for mental time travel. Some researchers regard the evolution of forethought - the cap ...

References

{{Authority control Geomorphology Landforms Topography