Land
Scotland’s land is a valuable asset, which has evolved over billions of years and is constantly changing. Subsurface land provides us with valuable resources (minerals, ores, aggregates and fuel). On its surface we grow food and timber, build roads and houses, and much of our water filters through it. Land also stores carbon and supports a wide range of habitats and species.
Rocks and landforms
Scotland’s rocks and landforms provide a range of benefits and help us to understand how the Earth has evolved. They provide us with valuable economic resources and naturally regulate hazards and flooding.
Soils
Scotland’s soils are an important natural resource. They play an essential part in all our lives, providing us with a wide range of benefits. Some of these benefits are obvious, like growing food, while many are less clear, like filtering water, reducing flood risk and influencing climate.
Wetlands
Scotland's wetlands are home to a wide range of plants and animals. They also provide important environmental functions, such as storing carbon and sustaining the supply of clean water.