Natural landscapesNatural landscapes

Natural landscapeNatural landscape• Refers to the Visible features of the environment

– Varies from place to place and form patterns which can be described/mapped

• Includes interacting components or elements, including– Relief

• Leave 2 lines

– Climate• Leave 2 lines

– Soils• Leave 2 lines

– Vegetation • Leave 2 lines

ReliefRelief

• Height and shape of the land

• Processes that have formed the land over geological time

ClimateClimate

• Average atmospheric conditions over a long period of time

• Rainfall, temperature, sunshine hours, humidity, wind etc

SoilsSoils

• Weathered or eroded materials from rocks

• Of interest is soil type, fertility, drainage

VegetationVegetation

• Plant cover of an area

• Vegetation

types and

their distribution

InteractionInteraction

• Elements of the landscape affect one another in different ways

• As a consequence of interaction the natural landscape of an area can be seen as a system

Climate

Relief

Vegetation

Soils

Interactions in the natural landscape

Direct interaction

Indirect interaction

ActivityActivity1. Define ‘natural

landscapes’2. Define ‘interaction’3. Study photo and

answer the followinga) Describe two relief

features of the areab) Describe one

feature of the climate

c) Describe one vegetation feature

d) Describe one soil feature

4. Describe how relief is interacting with climate in the area

5. Describe how climate is interacting with relief in the area

Head of Lake Wakatipu, Dart River

Cultural landscapesCultural landscapes

Cultural landscapesCultural landscapes

• The activities and ways which people have influenced the landscape are known as it’s cultural landscape

• Cultural features are established by people as they modify the natural landscape– In order to use it

• The main cultural features are (leave two lines between each)

– Land use – Transport features– Population and settlement

• Natural features in the area will affect the cultural features– Very few people live in the hottest or coldest climates

• Cultural factors can influence features of the environment as people and the environment interact– An opencast mine changes the relief features of the environment

Land useLand use

• Patterns made by people as they use the land for mining, farming, forestry etc

• For example– Altering the vegetation by clearing forests to

make pasture

Transport featuresTransport features

• Networks of roads, railways, canals, shipping lanes, airports etc

• Known as infrastructure

Population and settlementPopulation and settlement

• Patterns of population, its distribution and the location of settlements

• Such as– Farmsteads– Villages– Towns– Cities

ActivityActivity

1. Define ‘cultural landscape’2. Study the photograph of The Canterbury Plains

3. Describe 2 natural features

4. Describe 3 cultural features

5. Show an example of a. Influence of

relief on climate

b. Influence of relief on farming