FIGURE3 Selected world landscapes
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1 Mountains rise above the surrounding land. They have steep sides and high peaks. They form from processes deep inside the Earth. Some mountains are so high that snow is found on their peaks. 2 Deserts are areas with low rainfall. They are dry environments. Deserts can experience temperature extremes: hot by day and cold by night. Not all deserts are hot. Antarctica is the world’s largest desert. The Gobi Desert is a cold desert on a high plateau in Asia. 3 Rainforests are the most diverse landscapes on Earth. They are found in both tropical and temperate areas. The lush vegetation depends on high rainfall. Over 50 per cent of all known plant and animal species live in rainforests. Many foods and medicines come from rainforests. 4 Grasslands, or savannas, lie between forests and deserts. They contain grasses of different heights and small or widely spaced trees. Grasslands are often home to grazing animals. 5 Polar regions and tundra are found in polar and alpine areas. These regions have permafrost and are too cold for trees. Dwarf shrubs, grasses and lichens grow here. Glaciers carve landscape features as they move down mountains. 6 Karst landscapes form when mildly acidic water flows over soluble rock like limestone. Small fractures form and increase in size, leading to underground drainage systems. Common features include limestone pavements, disappearing rivers, reappearing springs, sinkholes, caves and karst mountains. Around 25 per cent of the world’s population gets water from karst aquifers. 7 Aquatic landscapes cover around three-quarters of the Earth. They can be freshwater or marine. Marine landscapes include oceans and coral reefs. Freshwater landscapes include lakes, rivers and wetlands. 8 Islands are surrounded by water. They can be continental or oceanic. Continental islands lie on a continental shelf, an extension of a continent under the sea. Oceanic islands rise from the ocean floor and are often volcanic. A group of islands is called an archipelago. 9 Human or built landscapes are created or altered by humans.
TOPIC13 Landforms and landscapes – diversity, significance and management 285
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