Terrain

Terrain refers to the natural features of an area of land. It is likely to stem from terrenum. It relates to the terrenous meaning of the earth or earthly and terra which means dry land.

Geological features form part of a terrain for example rugged mountain terrains or desert terrains. There are in the region of 14 different terrains on the Earth:

• Canyon terrain remains where bodies of water erode large geological features such as mountains.
• Desert terrain is a harsh, hot, often barren, sandy landscape with little vegetation and very little water.
• Forest terrain is full with vegetation, plants and trees due to a temperate climate suited to growth.
• Glacial terrain describes large areas of glacial ice covered land or sea.
• Hilly terrain has small peaks, often formed by erosion and sediment, in clusters and with vegetation.
• Marsh terrain is low lying land that becomes water logged during different seasons often with plant growth.
• Mountain terrain describes geological peaks and rock formations often with icecaps.
• Oasis terrain describes small bodies of water located in deserts that are fertile, green and usually rare.
• Oceanic terrain is the salty water surface area which covers more that 70% of the globe.
• Open terrain might describe open areas of flat often fertile land with vegetation.
• River terrain runs alongside rivers of varying shapes and sizes, normally fertile and green or eroded rocks.
• Swamp terrain is a large area of continuous shallow water often with many creatures and plant types.
• Tundra terrain is barren land often quite cold - there are 3 types, arctic, antarctic and alpine tundra.
• Valley terrain are geological land depressions between mountains or hills, sometimes with rivers between.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Ancient woodland.
• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
• Designated land.
• Eco-park.
• Ecological network.
• Geopark.
• Forests.
• Local Nature Reserve.
• National nature reserves.
• National parks.
• National Scenic Area NSA.
• Ramsar sites.
• Site of biological importance.
• Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI).
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
• Special protection areas.
• Types of land.