In many parts of Britain the evidence of former climates still exists. One of the more common features are terracettes or sheep walks. These are very small ridges or banks, caused by the down slope mass movement of soil. This occurs as a result of the wetting and drying of soil, the freezing and thawing of water in the soil, and the compaction of these ridges by animals, especially sheep.

Open moorland and farmland, Dartmoor, England. Farming landscapes are very different to natural ones. They have fewer species of plant, and are more ordered and regular. As a result of the reduced biodiversity, there are fewer insects, birds and mammals. In contrast, natural ecosystems have a greater variety of plant species, which support a more complex food web.

Dartmoor in Devon, England, is a high moorland area formed on a bed of granite. Stone walls characteristically separate farmland from the moor, and are a useful way of getting rid of the stones from the farmland.

Dartmoor, in southwest England. A farming landscape forms the foreground of this picture, while in the distance the moor can be seen. Human activity has several effects on the local ecosystems: farming reduces the diversity of plants, insects, birds, and animals in the area, and mining (there is a quarry on the edge of the moor) removes both natural vegetation and topsoil.

Farming near Ayvalik, on the Aegean coast of Turkey. Approximately half of Turkey's land area is used for agricultural purposes, and the most productive parts of this land lie along the Aegean coast. Here, small farmers and large landholders produce high-value crops such as cotton, olives, grapes, and raisins.

Farmers, eastern Turkey. Half of the land area in Turkey is devoted to agriculture, and most farmers cultivate fairly small plots of land of less than 25 acres/11 ha. Produce includes grapes, olives, citrus fruits, tobacco, and cotton, as well as grains such as wheat, barley, and corn.