Observing a landscape
The concept of Landscape Unit : what to observe ?
Landscape description is associated with zoning. One zone is the compilation of several landscape components and can be called a landscape unit. Landscape units differ from each other on the basis of a missing, modified or new landscape component. Researchers divide the area in relatively uniform and contrasted zones accordingly to:
agro-ecological conditions: capabilities and constraints (limitations),
socio-economic conditions : infrastructures (road, irrigation system), market conditions.
Method : How to observe ?
From the center to the end, or the reverse
Forward, backward
Observe the components of rural and agrarian landscape:
what is the distribution of the different forms of vegetation (different crops and natural vegetation) ?
what are the infrastructures (houses, village, roads...) ?
