Landscape Development

LANDSCAPE REFERS TO

THE GENERAL SHAPE OF A

REGION

THE SHAPE OF A LANDSCAPE

IS ALSO KNOWN AS IT’S

We describe landscape regions in terms of the:

•Heights of hills•Shapes of hills•Stream patterns•Soil type (rock composition)

Landscape regions can be classified

as one of the following:

MOUNTAINPLATEAUPLAIN

folds

tiltsfaults

1. HIGH PEAKS AND DEEP VALLEYS2. IGNEOUS AND METAMORPHIC ROCK3. STEEP STREAM GRADIENTS4. STEEP SLOPES5. FOLDED, FAULTS, TILTED ROCK LAYERS

1. FLAT OR ROLLING HILLS2. DEEP CUT STREAM VALLEYS3. HORIZONTAL LAYERS OF SEDIMENTARY ROCK4. LOW ELEVATIONS ARE FLAT

1. MOSTLY FLAT- FEW HILLS2. HORIZONTAL SEDIMENTARY LAYERS3. MEANDERING STREAMS

Topography Depends on Several

Factors:•Climate Moisture,temperature,latitude

Composition of rocks

Mountains,Valleys

roads,cities, dams,agricultureMining

•Local bedrock •Geologic structures: • Human Activities

INTERFACES * THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN REGIONS

ARE DISTINCT

Landscapes of New York State:

A) New York State can be divided into several distinct landscape areas

B) See pages 2 and 3 in your ESRT!!!

New Jersey

Connecticut

Massachusetts

Vermont

Canada

Pennsylvania

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Atlantic Ocean

L.I. Sound

ERIE-ONTARIO LOWLANDS (plains)

Allegheny Plateau

AdirondackMountainsTug

HillPlateau NEW

ENGLAND P

ROVINCE

HIGHLANDS

TA

CO

NIC

MO

UN

TA

INS

MANHATTAN

PRONG

NEWARK

LOWLANDSATLANTIC

COASTAL

PLAIN

ST.LAWRENCE LOWLANDS

CH

AM

PLA

IN

LO

WLA

ND

S

INTERIOR LOWLANDS

GRENVILLE PROVINCE

(HIGHLANDS)

THECATSKILLS

Hudso

n-M

ohaw

k L

ow

lands

HUDSON

HIGHLANDS

APPALACHIAN PLATEAU

(UPLANDS)

N

Most of New York State soils are not residual, they are

TRANSPORTED BY

GLACIERS

LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT:

A LANDSCAPE RESULTS FROM THE OPPOSING FORCES OF

UPLIFT AND

EROSION (LEVELING)

UPLIFT IS OFTEN CAUSED BY:

THE RESULTING GEOLOGIC EVENTS

INCLUDE:EARTHQUAKESVOLCANOESFAULTING &FOLDING which create…

THE MOST IMPORTANT

LEVELING AGENT TODAY IS

EROSION BY RUNNING WATER

Notice how the rock types

weather differently

Which rock is least resistant?

shale

Differences in rock resistance creates varied

and interesting landscapes.

Folding is part of the mountain building process

OTHER LEVELING AGENTS INCLUDE:

WIND & GLACIERS driven by the force of GRAVITY

IF UPLIFTING FORCES HAVE BEEN DOMINANT THE LANDSCAPE WILL

BE

IF LEVELING FORCES (EROSION) HAS BEEN

DOMINANT THE LANDSCAPE WILL BE:

IF UPLIFTING AND LEVELING FORCES ARE IN

BALANCE, THE LANDSCAPE IS IN:

THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON LANDSCAPE:

Humid (moist) Arrid (dry)Slope

Soil

Type ofWeathering

gentleFertileThick A layerChemical due to

Increased amount Of moisture

steep

rockyPhysical due to

abrasion

SOIL HORIZONS(LAYERS)

A (TOP SOIL) rich in organic materialB little organic material

rich in minerals leeched from horizon A

C partly weathered broken up bedrock sits on top of solid bedrock

Complete the landscapeComplete the landscapeActivity worksheetActivity worksheet

A CHANGE IN A CHANGE IN CLIMATE CAN ALSO CLIMATE CAN ALSO

CREATE ANCREATE AN

WHICH LEADS TO GLACIERS AND

GLACIAL LANDSCAPES

drumlins

outwash plain

GLACIERS DEPOSIT_______________

SEDIMENTS.

UNSORTED

BEDROCK ACTED UPON BY GLACIERS IS

GENERALLY POLISHED AND

SCRATCHED(STRIATED)By sediment in the ice

Glacial valleys aregenerally

U- SHAPED

escarpment

U-shaped valley

WHILE RIVER VALLEYS ARE:

V- SHAPED

COASTAL LANDSCAPES:

ARE PRIMARILY AFFECTED BY THE ACTION OF

WAVES AND OCEAN CURRENTS

THE BEDROCK OF IN AN AREA WILL CAUSE STREAMS TO DRAIN IN A

PATTERN

THAT CAN BE SEEN FROMOVER-HEAD.THESE ARE CALLED

Mississippi River Delta

Match the geologic structures below

To the drainage patterns they would create.

THIS OCCURS WHEN: Rock resistance is all similar

THIS OCCURS WHEN:

WATER FLOWS IN THE PATH OFLEAST RESISTANCE

Rock resistances are different

WATER FLOWS DOWN HILLFOLLOWING THE PATH OF

LEAST RESISTANCE

FOLLOWING THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE

STAGES IN LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT:

THE MATURITY OF A LANDSCAPE DEPENDS UPON THE PORTION OF THE LAND THAT HAS BEEN WORN DOWN TO OR NEAR

BASE LEVEL (NOT SEA LEVEL)

THE 3 STAGES OF LANDSCAPE MATURITY:

1.MUCH OF THE LAND AT HIGH ELEVATIONS2. STEEP HILL SLOPES3. FAST STREAMS4. DEEP V-SHAPED VALLEYS

1. ROUNDED HILL SLOPES (IF MOIST CLIMATE)

2. STREAM VALLEYS ARE BROAD3. STREAMS BEGIN TO MEANDER

1. MOSTLY ERODED TO BASE LEVEL2. STREAMS HAVE LOW SLOPE (GRADIENT)

3. STREAMS MOVE SLOW & MEANDER4. FERTILE AND THICK SOIL HORIZON A

CAN CAUSE OLD LANDSCAPES TO

BEREJUVINATED

BACK TOYOUNG AGAIN

UPLIFT

THE INFLUENCE OF HUMANS:

THROUGH THE USE OF

HUMANS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ALTER THE SHAPE OF THE LAND

TECHNOLOGY

WE CAN MAKE CHANGES IN THE LANDSCAPE IN A

FEW MONTHSTHAT WOULD TAKE

NATURE HUNDREDS OF YEARS

TO ACHIEVE

It could also take hundreds of years

toremedy the

effects of technology.

negative

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND CONSERVATION CAN HELP TO PRESERVE OUR

SOIL,WATER,AND AIR

THE END