Definition of Landscape
A landscape may be defined as scenery or something in the open that may be visually appealing to the human eye (Howard 30). In order to understand what landscape is, there is the aspect of experience and factors that contribute to why people like certain landscapes over others. According to Howard (30), certain landscapes may be appealing to the eye while others may be illicit the need to protect the landscapes.
Historical landscapes relate to those areas that have either community parks, gardens, battlefields or rural communities that have a distinct physical appearance (National Park Service). Historical landscapes have a certain element of human influence that may include the construction of ancient cities and buildings. A cultural landscape mainly entails a geographical area that may include historical landscapes (National Park Service). Environmental landscape entails that aspect of human nature that influences the environment (Coles and Millman 57). Landscapes involve human experiences and experience affects the perception that individuals have of the environment. As such, the environmental landscape may be influenced by humans to ensure that it offers a certain level of appeal to the human eye.
Natural and cultural processes tend to influence our understanding of landscape (Makhzoumi and Pungetti 206). The history of interaction between humans and the environment influence how certain landscapes have come to being what they are today. The different histories of the different landscapes are critical to the understanding and differentiating of the diverse landscapes that exist.
The landscape may be perceived from the aspect of attractiveness and its suitability as a human habitat (Howard 96). Different landscapes may offer sustenance to human life. The landscape provides an area where individuals can be able to learn more about their surroundings. Humans may also perceive landscape as a form of cover where they can hide from those who hunt them (Howard 96).
Production and Destruction of Landscape
Destruction of a landscape entails the destruction of natural habitats or even man-made habitats. The main factors that contribute to the destruction of landscape include human and natural factors. Natural factors such as climate can lead to soil erosion and contribute to the destruction of the landscape. Humans in their quest for better farming land destroy natural vegetation. Production of landscape involves the construction of parks and other aspects such as gardens that are mainly intended to be appealing to the human eye. Production of the landscape may be driven by the need to restore an area that has been devastated in the past by either human or natural forces. The increasing deforestation activities across the world has resulted in the growing need to have tree planting landscapes that are meant to aid in the carbon sequestration process.
Availability of food is one factor that influences the outcome of production and destruction. Humans will tend to destroy natural landscapes that have a potential for agricultural farming. According to Foley and Lahr (1), agriculture tends to have a major effect on the environment. Population increases across the globe also contribute to the destruction and production of landscapes. The destruction and production of landscapes in most cases are related to destruction leading to the production of new landscapes. As such, the aspects of landscape destruction and production evolve with the culture. The history aspect is most covered under the cultural aspect. History becomes important as a source of evidence of what to do differently hence developing a culture where human activities play a significant role in landscape production and destruction.
Work Cited
Coles, Richard, and Zoe Millman. Landscape, Well-Being and Environment. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Foley, Robert A., and Marta Mirazón Lahr. "Lithic Landscapes: Early Human Impact from Stone Tool Production on the Central Saharan Environment." PLoS ONE 10.3 (2015): 1-15. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.
Howard, Peter. An Introduction to Landscape. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate Pub., 2011. Print.
Makhzoumi, Jala and Gloria Pungetti. "Ecological Landscape Design and Planning." New York: Taylor & Francis, 2003.
United States. National Park Service. "Preservation Brief 36: Protecting Cultural Landscapes: Planning, Treatment and Management of Historic Landscapes." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2016.
