Land cover refers to vegetation and other materials that cover the surface of the Earth.
In many parts of the world, land cover is natural, occurring in the form of grasslands, forests, wetlands, and other undisturbed landscapes. Elsewhere, land cover is predominantly controlled by human activities. Croplands, managed pastures, and plantation forests predominate in many rural areas, while roadways, residences, and other structures cover the land surface of cities Land cover can change because of natural forces. The change in climate that followed the retreat of glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age led to successive transformation of forests in much of the U.S. and Canada. More recently, changes in drainage systems, including increases and decreases in the levels of water tables, have produced often dramatic changes in vegetation patterns.