A landscape is the visible arrangement of land and the features on it as perceived from a particular viewpoint. It combines natural elements, living organisms and human-made features into a single visual and functional scene.
Key components
- Physical formations such as hills, valleys, rivers and other landforms.
- Plant communities and vegetation commonly referred to as flora.
- Wild and domestic animals that inhabit the area, or its fauna.
Changing conditions and scale
Light and weather are integral to how a landscape appears; the same place can look very different at different times of day or in different seasons. Landscapes can be described at many scales, from a single garden to an entire region.
Human influence
Human activities and constructions—roads, buildings, agricultural fields and managed parks—are part of many landscapes. The ways people use and modify land affect ecological function, visual character and cultural meanings associated with a place.
Perception and use
How a landscape is understood depends on cultural, ecological and economic perspectives. It can be valued for beauty, habitat, resources or recreation. In some contexts, interiors or built environments are considered landscapes when perceived as cohesive visual or functional settings.