The United States National Park Service uses a similar approach, with some additions. Their' Guidelines for Evaluating and
Documenting Rural Historic Landscapes list 11 landscape characteristics to be identified and documented (McClelland et al
1990:3-6). These characteristics can be used to read and interpret the natural and cultural forces that have shaped the
landscape. The first four are described as 'landscape shaping processes' that have been or remain instrumental in shaping the
land, while the remaining seven are physical components. They are: