Syllabus Point 2

Question 1

Land cover

Answer 1

The biophysical characteristics of the land surface. Land cover includes biomes such as forest, grassland, tundra and wetland, as well as land covered by ice and water.

Question 2

Land use

Answer 2

The human use of land, how people are using the land. E.g residential, industrial mining reservoirs. Land use usually has an accent on the functional role of land for economic activities.

Question 3

Land cover change

Answer 3

Natural: When land cover has been altered by many processes such as geomorphic events, plant succession and climate change. Land cover change falls into two types: conversion and modification

Question 4

Land use change

Answer 4

Involves either a shift to a different use or an intensification of the existing one. E.g. Conversion of market gardens to houses on the outskirts on Perth, construction of a large dam that covers agricultural land with water

Question 5

Conversion

Answer 5

A change from one class of land-cover to another e.g from grassland to cropland

Question 6

Modification

Answer 6

A change of condition within a land cover category e.g thinning of a forest. People have modified land cover to produce a range of land uses to satisfy needs such as housing, resource provision communication, ect.