How to recognize and describe vegetation on topographic maps.

Vegetation can be natural or human-planted. Natural vegetation includes forests, thickets, woodlands, grasslands, scrubs, scattered trees, riverine trees, swamp, marshes, etc., whereas human-planted vegetation includes plantations, human-planted forests, etc. It is important to look for any sign that might indicate whether the vegetation type shown on the map is natural or not, before describing vegetation.
Only a few selected types of vegetation are usually shown on topographic maps. To recognize which types of vegetation are included in a given map, it is advised to study the map legend first.
On maps, vegetation is usually shown by conventional symbols, as shown in the figure below.

Through a thorough analysis of the vegetation types represented in the map, a map user can deduce various things about the area mapped such as the climate of the area mapped, the underlying geology (rocks and soil), the relief and human-influence.

*Tips for students* 
When required to describe vegetation in topographic maps, follow the following hints;

1. Identify the dominant type(s) of vegetation in the area mapped and state their location and distribution in the map.  You may also give any relevant geographic information regarding them such as the possible reason for their particular distribution.
2. Give a brief explanation of the location and the distribution of other vegetation types found on the map. 
3. Examine for any possible indications of human influence on the vegetation types found in the map, and give a brief description of it.

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