Contribution towards understanding the categorisation of landforms.

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies.

Categorisation in the geographic domain, including landform categorisation, is more subject to influence by cultural, linguistic, environmental and individual factors, than other domains. The study presented in this dissertation investigates the influence of landscape variation on the landform categories used by non-experts. Video-elicitation methods were used in interviews with inhabitants of two distinct landscape types, in Portugal. One study site was mountainous and topographically varied, while the other consisted of more homogenous, gently undulating terrain. Interview responses indicated that participants used more landform terms in descriptions of familiar landscapes. Specific place recognition was another stimulant for an increase in landform categorisation detail. Additionally, the participant group from the more homogeneous landscape had a smaller landform vocabulary, and primarily used variations on a core set of landform terms to describe topographic eminences. The other group had a much larger and more varied vocabulary.(...)