COCJIN, KATRINA B.

SS2-A

Places And Landscapes Notes Module 1-3

Module1

This Places and Landscape in the Changing World OBTLP attempts to “coin” and “translate” “theory”
into “practice.” So that as mankind live on earth may be able to “transform” words into action. All
doings made by man to nature may be “helpful” in building a better place to live. Thus, the geographic
variables may be understood according to they are made. To give pride to those who are living in their
respective places and landscape both rural and urban areas. Attached to the landforms and water-forms
of the land may the variability on the changing identity made into pluralistic way with full of respect and
reverence. As rural inhabitants compete their urban counterpart in terms of their value-laden places and
landscape.

As nature provides sceneries that the rural are blessed may all men seen places and landscape full of life
to the fullest as their urban counterpart mainstreaming development as by-product of man’s
partnership to creation. However, there are also instances that the urban locale can landscape the
needs and wants of an individual that the rural cannot. With that, may this study will help the individual
to “foresee” and “predict” the variability of such places and landscape in the changing modern world.
May the multimedia infrastructure resilient enough to flatten the places and landscape as the WIFI and
PSYFI increases in the road-mapping on the superhigh-link Netizens of the world.

Abstraction

An understanding of place is fundamental to the concept of livability, including transportation-related

aspects of livability. People live in places, move within and between places, and depend on the
movement of goods to and from places. The individual characteristics of places are vital in determining
quality of life. The internal structure of places and the differences between places also matter greatly in
terms of socioeconomic inequality. However, it is difficult to measure what matters about places
because their nature depends on both physical and social characteristics. They not only have a location,
territorial domain, and natural environment, but also are social constructs, shaped by human behavior
and interactions. One must avoid the temptation to think of place only as a location or a piece of
territory, despite the fact that many data are collected and presented for a specific territory, especially
territory delimited by political boundaries. A place is distinguished by its people, markets, governments,
and institutions, as much as it is by its physical landscape and natural resources, transportation systems
(including streets and roads), buildings, and boundaries. Like livability and sustainability, place is an
ensemble concept.

Landscapes and features are important because they contribute significantly to our well-being and

quality of life. They provide the broader context within which we live our lives. Living within aesthetically
pleasing and culturally meaningful landscapes enhances our sense of wellbeing. Protection of cultural
landscapes can contribute to modern techniques of sustainable land-use and can maintain or enhance
natural values in the landscape. The continued existence of traditional forms of land-use supports
biological diversity in many regions of the world. Landscaping is an art of planning the drives, walks,
lawns, shrubs, gardens, flower-beds etc. so as to form a beautiful setting for a building. The main
purpose of landscaping is to create a joyful environment round the building and give the occupants a
healthy breath, good appearance and natural beauty.

A landscape is part of the Earth’s surface that can be viewed at one time from one place. It consists of
the geographic features that mark, or are characteristic of, a particular area. A natural landscape is made
up of a collection of landforms, such as mountains, hills, plains, and plateaus. Lakes, streams, soils (such
as sand or clay), and natural vegetation are other features of natural landscapes. A desert landscape, for
instance, usually indicates sandy soil and few deciduous trees. Even desert landscapes can vary: The hilly
sand dunes of the Sahara Desert landscape are very different from the cactus-dotted landscape of
the Mojave Desert of the American Southwest, for instance. A landscape that people have modified is
called a cultural landscape. People and the plants they grow, the animals they care for, and the
structures they build make up cultural landscapes. Such landscapes can vary greatly. The growth
of technology has increased our ability to change a natural landscape. An example of human impact on
landscape can be seen along the coastline of the Netherlands. Water from the North Sea was pumped
out of certain areas, uncovering the fertile soil below. Dikes and dams were built to keep water from
these areas, now used for farming and other purposes.

Many human activities increase the rate at which natural processes, such as weathering and erosion,
shape the landscape. The cutting of forests exposes more soil to wind and water erosion. Pollution such
as acid rain often speeds up the weathering, or breakdown, of the Earths rocky surface. By studying
natural and cultural landscapes, geographers learn how peoples activities affect the land. Their studies
may suggest ways that will help us protect the delicate balance of Earths ecosystems

MODULE 2

The frequency of events combined with high population and widely varied culture, differing levels of
education and knowledge of natural hazards, as well as varied income, combine to give the country a
high risk for natural disaster. Communication in hazard zones is affected by a number of factors such as:
differing terminology and perceptions of hazards by the public, scientists, and disaster managers; how
scientists and emergency managers communicate information; and how effectively the media transfers
the information to the public. Communication is also complicated by culture, social factors and a wide
variety of local languages. In order to obtain efficient communication with the public, trusting
relationships between scientists and communities are required. An understanding by scientists and
emergency managers of local culture, local languages and people’s character facilitates communication
and contributes to trust. In addition, the media used for information can contribute significantly to
improving communication. Hazard communication also aims to improve the capacity of communities
through enhancing their knowledge and strengthening of their mitigation institutions.
Cultural perspective refers to the way that individuals are shaped by their environments as well as social
and cultural factors. Such factors include a person’s nationality, race and gender. Each of us comes with
a unique story that shapes who we are and how we see the world. Where we grew up, the size and
makeup of our families, our ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and our educational background all
contribute to our world view. Two people who grew up next door to each other can have radically
different cultural experiences and points of view. Biological siblings raised together have different
cultural perspectives from having different gender identities, and being interested in different things.
Self-awareness about the origins of our beliefs gives us the understanding to appreciate the origins of
the beliefs of others. We learn to receive people as part of a story that has brought them to where they
are today and what their future potential might be, rather than a predetermined set of assumptions
based on stereotypes from external cues. Cultivating cultural perspective is an important step in
developing intelligent and agile social skills that create value in our organizations. Workplaces rely on
our ability to forge strong relationships, both internally and externally, to foster collaborative creativity,
attract talent, retain clients and grow support.

Abstraction

Asia is the largest of the world’s continents, covering approximately 30 percent of the Earth’s land
area. It is also the world’s most populous continent, with roughly 60 percent of the total population. It
makes up the eastern portion of the Eurasian supercontinent; Europe occupies the western portion. The
border between the two continents is debated. However, most geographers define Asia’s western
border as an indirect line that follows the Ural Mountains, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Caspian and
Black Seas. Asia is bordered by the Arctic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Asia’s physical geography,
environment and resources, and human geography can be considered separately. Asia can be divided
into five major physical regions: mountain systems; plateaus; plains, steppes, and deserts; freshwater
environments; and saltwater environments.

Mountain Systems: The Himalaya Mountains extend for about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles),
separating the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia. The Indian subcontinent, once connected to
Africa, collided with the Eurasian continent about 50 million to 55 million years ago, forming the
Himalayas. The Indian subcontinent is still crashing northward into Asia, and the Himalayas are growing
about 5 centimetres (2 inches) every year.

Plateaus: Asia is home to many plateaus, areas of relatively level high ground. The Iranian plateau
covers more than 3.6 million square kilometers (1.4 million square miles), encompassing most of Iran,
Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The plateau is not uniformly flat, but contains some high mountains and low
river basins. The highest mountain peak is Damavand, at 5,610 meters (18,410 feet). The plateau also
has two large deserts, the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut.

Plains, Steppes, and Deserts: The West Siberian Plain, located in central Russia, is considered one of the
world’s largest areas of continuous flatland. It extends from north to south about 2,400 kilometers
(1,500 miles) and from west to east about 1,900 kilometers (1,200 miles). With more than 50 percent of
its area at less than 100 meters (330 feet) above sea level, the plain contains some of the world’s
largest swamps and flood plains.

Terrestrial Flora and Fauna: Botanists nickname China the “Mother of Gardens.” It has more flowering
plant species than North and South America combined. Because China has such diverse landscapes,
from the arid Gobi Desert to the tropical rain forests of Yunnan Province, many flowers
can adapt to climates all over the world. From roses to peonies, many familiar flowers most
likely originated in northern China. China is the likely origin of such fruit trees as peaches and oranges.
China is also home to the dawn redwood, the only redwood tree found outside North America.

Aquatic Flora and Fauna: The freshwater and marine habitats of Asia offer incredible biodiversity. Lake
Baikal’s age and isolation make it a unique biological site. Aquatic life has been able to evolve for
millions of years relatively undisturbed, producing a rich variety of flora and fauna. The lake is known as
the “Galápagos of Russia” because of its importance to the study of evolutionary science. It has 1,340
species of animals and 570 species of plants.

North America, the third-largest continent, extends from the tiny Aleutian Islands in the northwest
to the Isthmus of Panama in the south. North America’s physical
geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered separately. North
America and South America are named after Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci was the first
European to suggest that the Americas were not part of the East Indies, but an entirely separate
landmass. The portions of the landmass that widened out north of the Isthmus of Panama became
known as North America.

Historic Cultures: Indigenous cultures shaped, and were shaped by, the geography of North America.
The first North Americans are believed to have migrated from Siberia, in northeast Asia, by crossing a
land bridge over the Bering Strait. These populations fanned out southward, to present-day Florida,
California, Mexico, and Central America. The Olmec and the Maya, indigenous to Central America, built
the first cities on the continent, eventually leading to the great urban areas of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco,
and Tlacopan. These cities, in what is now central Mexico, boasted sophisticated engineering structures,
such as canals, apartment buildings, and irrigation systems.

Contemporary Cultures: Contemporary North American societies are also greatly influenced by the
continent’s rich and varied environment. Our globalized world has pressed these societies to develop
complex ways of interacting with, and profiting from, geographic resources. North America’s economic
base is centered largely on the extraction, development, and trade of natural resources. Local
communities, as well as national governments and regional organizations, also use natural resources.
Guatemala, for example, has a traditional medicine system, which includes herbalists and spiritualists
who use medicinal plants to treat ailments. Costa Rica has developed a network of sustainable and fair-
trade coffee growers tailored to a growing international market.
Political Geography: North America's history and development have been shaped by its political
geography. Political geography is the internal and external relationships between its
various governments, citizens, and territories.

South America, the fourth-largest continent, extends from the Gulf of Darién in the northwest to
the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego in the south. South America’s physical
geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered separately. It can be
divided into three physical regions: mountains and highlands, river basins, and coastal plains. Mountains
and coastal plains generally run in a north-south direction, while highlands and river basins generally run
in an east-west direction. South America’s extreme geographic variation contributes to the continent’s
large number of biomes. A biome is a community of animals and plants that spreads over an area with a
relatively uniform climate. Within a few hundred kilometres, South America’s coastal plains’
dry desert biome rises to the rugged alpine biome of the Andes Mountains. One of the continent’s river
basins (the Amazon) is defined by dense, tropical rain forest, while the other (Paraná) is made up of
vast grasslands. With an unparalleled number of plant and animal species, South America’s
rich biodiversity is unique among the world’s continents.

Mountains & Highlands: South America’s primary mountain system, the Andes, is also the world’s
longest. The range covers about 8,850 kilometers (5,500 miles). Situated on the far western edge of the
continent, the Andes stretch from the southern tip to the northernmost coast of South America. There
are hundreds of peaks more than 4,500 meters (15,000 feet) tall, many of which are volcanic.

Coastal Plains: A coastal plain is an area of low, flat land next to a seacoast. South American coastal
plains are found on the northeastern coast of Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean, and the western, Pacific
coast of Peru and Chile. The coastal plains of northeastern Brazil are extremely dry. The Brazilian
Highlands act as a wedge that pushes moist sea winds away from the coastal plains.

Europe is the second-smallest continent. Only Oceania has less landmass. Europe extends from
the island nation of Iceland in the west to the Ural Mountains of Russia in the east. Europe’s
northernmost point is the Svalbard archipelago of Norway, and it reaches as far south as the islands of
Greece and Malta. It is sometimes described as a peninsula of peninsulas. A peninsula is a piece of land
surrounded by water on three sides. Europe is a peninsula of the Eurasian supercontinent and is
bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean,
Black, and Caspian Seas to the south. Its main peninsulas are the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan, located in
southern Europe, and the Scandinavian and Jutland, located in northern Europe. The link between these
peninsulas has made Europe a dominant economic, social, and cultural force throughout recorded
history. Europe’s physical geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be
considered separately. It can be divided into four major physical regions, running from north to south:
Western Uplands, North European Plain, Central Uplands, and Alpine Mountains.
The Western Uplands is defined by hard, ancient rock that was shaped by glaciation. Glaciation is the
process of land being transformed by glaciers or ice sheets. As glaciers receded from the area, they left a
number of distinct physical features, including abundant marshlands, lakes, and fjords. A fjord is a long
and narrow inlet of the sea that is surrounded by high, rugged cliffs. Many of Europe’s fjords are located
in Iceland and Scandinavia.

Most of the Great European Plain lies below 152 meters (500 feet) in elevation. It is home to
many navigable rivers, including the Rhine, Weser, Elbe, Oder, and Vistula. The climate supports a wide
variety of seasonal crops. These physical features allowed for early communication, travel,
and agricultural development. The North European Plain remains the most densely populated region of
Europe.

The Central Uplands are lower in altitude and less rugged than the Alpine region and are heavily
wooded. Important highlands in this region include the Massif Central and the Vosges in France, the
Ardennes of Belgium, the Black Forest and the Taunus in Germany, and the Ore and Sudeten in the
Czech Republic. This region is sparsely populated except in the Rhine, Rhine, Elbe, and Danube
river valleys.

Africa, the second-largest continent, is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Indian
Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is divided in half almost equally by the Equator. Africa’s physical
geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered separately. It has
eight major physical regions: the Sahara, the Sahel, the Ethiopian Highlands, the savanna, the Swahili
Coast, the rain forest, the African Great Lakes, and Southern Africa. Some of these regions cover large
bands of the continent, such as the Sahara and Sahel, while others are isolated areas, such as the
Ethiopian Highlands and the Great Lakes. Each of these regions has unique animal and plant
communities.

The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert, covering 8.5 million square kilometers (3.3 million square
miles), about the size of the South American country of Brazil. Defining Africa's northern bulge, the
Sahara makes up 25 percent of the continent. The Sahel is a narrow band of semi-arid land that forms
a transition zone between the Sahara to the north and the savannas to the south. It is made up of flat,
barren plains that stretch roughly 5,400 kilometers (3,300 miles) across Africa, from Senegal to Sudan.

The Ethiopian Highlands began to rise 75 million years ago, as magma from Earth’s mantle uplifted a
broad dome of ancient rock. This dome was later split as Africa's continental crust pulled apart, creating
the Great Rift Valley system. Today, this valley cuts through the Ethiopian Highlands from the southwest
to the northeast. The Ethiopian Highlands are home to 80 percent of Africas tallest mountains.

Southern Africa is the epicenter of Africas well-known reserves, which protect animal species such as
lions, elephants, baboons, white rhinos, and Burchells zebras. Other important animal species include
the impala, a type of deer, and the springbok, a type of gazelle that can spring several feet into the air to
avoid predators. Southern Africas Cape Floral Region is one of the richest areas for plants in the world.
While the Cape Floral Region covers less than 0.5 percent of Africa, it is home to nearly 20 percent of the
continents flora. The giant protea, South Africas national flower, is found in the Cape Floral Region.

Oceania is a region made up of thousands of islands throughout the Central and South Pacific Ocean. It
includes Australia, the smallest continent in terms of total land area. Most of Australia and Oceania is
under the Pacific, a vast body of water that is larger than all the Earth’s continental landmasses and
islands combined. The name “Oceania” justly establishes the Pacific Ocean as the defining characteristic
of the region. It is dominated by the nation of Australia. The other two major landmasses are the
microcontinent of Zealandia, which includes the country of New Zealand, and the western half of the
island of New Guinea, made up of the nation of Papua New Guinea.

Oceania also includes three island regions: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia (including the U.S.
state of Hawaii). Melanesia includes the independent nations of Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, the
Solomon Islands, and the islands of New Caledonia, a “sui generis collectivity” of France. Micronesia
includes the independent nations of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Kiribati,
and Nauru; the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth in political union with the United States;
and Guam and Wake Island, two territories of the United States. Polynesia includes the independent
nations of Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu; the Cook Islands and Nieu, two self-governing islands in free
association with New Zealand; Tokelau, an island territory of New Zealand; French Polynesia and Wallis
and Futuna, two French overseas collectivities; American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the
United States; and the Pitcairn Islands, a British overseas territory.

Governments and intergovernmental agencies in Australia and Oceania are taking steps to minimize the
effects of climate change. As part of the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, countries such as Australia and New
Zealand agreed to reduce carbon emissions. Other Oceanic countries, such as Tuvalu, argued that the
international agreement unfairly disadvantages developing countries, especially small island states. The
Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) advocates increased support from the international community to assist
these island states in their efforts to adapt to climate change. As part of the Pacific Environment
Community initiative, the PIF secured about $66 million from Japan to support projects that focus on
solar power generation and seawater desalination.

MODULE 3

A landscape, in this context, is not just the scenery that you view from a scenic lookout point.
Instead, it is the combination of environmental and human phenomena that coexist together in a
particular place on Earth's surface. Landscapes include physical features like streams, oceans, forests,
and soils as well as human-constructed buildings, trails, fences, and mines. One emphasis of a
landscape-based approach is that none of these features is entirely natural or entirely human. While the
concept of “environment” often refers only to the non-human phenomena that humans interact with,
the concept of “landscapes” refers to both human and non-human phenomena. Landscapes thus remind
us that it is actually impossible to completely disentangle the human from the non-human.

As our understanding of the dynamism of human-environment systems has evolved, geographers have
continued to recognize the importance of history while building a new emphasis on the recursive
relationships (interactions in both directions) within the human-environment landscapes. We cannot
simply think about how humans have shaped a landscape, we must also think about how the natural
features have enabled and constrained human efforts. This bi-directional interaction, or coupledness, is
why we study landscapes as a human-environment system. A dynamic historical perspective also
reminds us that there is no pre-determined way that a human-environment landscape will evolve or
should evolve. “Landscapes aren’t just “out there” waiting for us to interact with and learn from them.
Instead, our interpretations of landscapes are shaped by our own preferences, needs, and experiences.
In other words, we mentally “construct” landscapes based on our perspective. For some, a particular
landscape of coastal environments may represent environmental preservation. For others, it may reflect
recreation. For still others, it may evoke labor and oppression. This means that when we study a
landscape, we have to be careful not to imagine that we immediately see all that is there or that our
initial perceptions are correct.

Abstraction

Landscape means an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and
interaction of natural and/or human factors. It is is not defined by its sizes but defined by an interacting
mosaic of ecosystems relevant to some phenomenon under consideration. Thus landscape can be called
as an area of land containing an interesting pattern of ecological processes. Landscapes and their
associated ecosystems are shaped by complex and interrelated biological, geological and hydrological
responses to both natural and cultural influences.

Mountain. Landscapes. A mountain is an elevated landform that rises above the

surrounding landscape. Mountain landscapes appear on every continent on Earth. Mountains are
created by the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. The world's tallest mountain ranges form when
pieces of Earth's crust—called plates—smash against each other in a process called plate tectonics, and
buckle up like the hood of a car in a head-on collision. The Himalaya in Asia formed from one such
massive wreck that started about 55 million years ago. Mountains often serve as geographic features
that define natural borders of countries. Their height can influence weather patterns, stalling storms
that roll off the oceans and squeezing water from the clouds. The other side is often much drier. The
rugged landscapes even provide refuge—and protection—for fleeing and invading armies.

A landscape is all the things that we see in a place. There are different types of landscapes.

Mountain landscapes have mountains and valleys.

Coastal landscapes have beaches and cliffs.

Flat landscapes have plains and plateaus.

We can see natural and man-made elements in a landscape. Natural elements have not been made by
humans.(Mountains, rivers, forests…)

Man-made elements have been made by humans. (Bridges, roads, houses…)

INLAND LANDSCAPES

MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES

Mountain landscapes consist of mountains and valleys. A mountain is an area of high land with steep
sides. A group of mountains is called a mountain range. A low mountain is called a hill. A valley is an
area of low land between mountains or hills. Rivers often flow through valleys. Mountain villages are
small, and mountain roads are very narrow.

Flat Landscapes: Plains, flood plains and plateaus are different types of flat lands. A plain is a large area
of low, flat land. It often has a wide river flowing through it. The land near these rivers is fertile land.
This land is called flood plain. The most important plains in Spain are the Andalusia Plain and the coastal
plains. Farmers cultivate grapes and cereals on the Andalusian Plain. They cultivate rice, fruit and
vegetables on the coastal plains.

A plateau is a large area of high, flat land. The biggest plateau in Spain is the Inner Plateau. It is in the
center of the country. Farmers cultivate wheat and barley here.

COASTAL LANDSCAPES: Coastal landscapes are areas of land near the sea. The land can be low or high.
Coastal plains are areas of low land on the coast. The land is flat. There are beaches with sand or rocks.
Cliffs are areas of high land near the sea. The land is high and rocky. Waves crash against the cliffs.

Coastal landscapes have different natural elements: An archipelago is a group of islands. The
Canary Islands are an archipelago. A gulf is a large area of sea that bites into the land. A bay is a small
gulf. An island is an area of land completely surrounded by water. A cape is a large piece of land that
sticks out into the sea. A peninsula is a narrow piece of land surrounded by water on three sides. It is
connected to the mainland by a strip of land called isthmus.

PROTECTING COASTAL LANDSCAPES

Beaches, cliffs, rocks pools and the sea are home to many different plants and animals. It is very
important to respect them when we visit the coast.

Don´t drop litter on the beach or throw it into the sea. It can harm animals. Put it in the bin.

Don´t pick wild plants. They may not grow back.

Don´t climb the cliffs. You may disturb an animal´s home. They also very dangerous places.
Don´t take dogs onto the beach if it is prohibited. They can disturb an animal´s habitat.

WHY DO LANDSCAPES CHANGE? Natural changes

A landscape can change naturally for many reasons.

Changes in the seasons. In autumn, deciduous trees lose their leaves. In winter, trees and land can be
covered by snow. In spring, flowers grow.

Rain and wind wear down soil and rocks over a long period of time, changing their shape. This is called
erosion.

Natural disasters such as droughts, floods and volcanoes change the landscape.

Man-made changes

Humans also change the landscape.

Farming. People cut down trees to make space to cultivate crops.

Transport networks. We build airports, roads, railways and ports to connect towns, cities and countries.

Construction. We build offices, flats, schools and factories.