108-579: Countrywide is one of the UK's largest integrated property services group including residential property surveying , a collaboration of estate agents , and corporate services . It employs circa 8,500 personnel nationwide, working across 650+ estate agency or lettings offices operating under 50+ brands. Countrywide is a wholly owned subsidiary of Connells Group . In 1986, financial services company Hambros plc , having de-merged its banking arm, acquired two estate agents, Bairstow Eves and Mann & Co, to form
216-465: A cave . They have been important to humans as a place of shelter since the dawn of humanity. Craters are depressions in the ground, but unlike caves, they do not provide shelter or extend underground . There are many kinds of craters, such as impact craters , volcanic calderas , and isostatic depressions . Karst processes can create both solution caves , the most frequent cave type, and craters, as seen in karst sinkholes . The pedosphere
324-434: A habitat refers to the environment where a given species or population of organisms lives. Biomes may span more than one continent, and contain a variety of ecosystems and habitats. Land plants evolved from green algae , and are called embryophytes . They include trees , shrubs , ferns , grass , moss , and flowers . Most plants are vascular plants , meaning that their tissues distribute water and minerals throughout
432-570: A coalition to develop the International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS). It also produces cost information and professional guidance on valuation and other activities. In September 2021, an independent review exposed poor governance practices at the highest levels of the RICS organisation, prompting the resignations of the president, chief executive, interim chair of the governing council, and chair of
540-623: A coastline may be impacted by the tides , caused by changes in gravitational forces on larger bodies of water. Coasts are important zones in natural ecosystems, often home to a wide range of biodiversity . On land, they harbour important ecosystems such as freshwater or estuarine wetlands , which are important for bird populations and other terrestrial animals. In wave-protected areas they harbor saltmarshes , mangroves or seagrasses , all of which can provide nursery habitat for finfish, shellfish , and other aquatic species. Rocky shores are usually found along exposed coasts and provide habitat for
648-420: A code of practice for commercial leases first developed in 1995, with updates issued in 2002 and 2007. The initial code was seen as an attempt to balance relationships between landlords and premises renters, especially in the small business sector. The code adopted in 2020 reflected a perception that "the lettings market became more evenly balanced between landlords and tenants" by this time. The code operates as
756-534: A crisis of confidence in the 130,000-member institution" with a defensive management facing a small but powerful group of disaffected members. After the August departure of RICS managing director Matthew Howell, RICS CEO Sean Tompkins resigned on 9 September 2021, when the full Levitt Review was published; Tompkins also forfeited a £190,000 bonus payment. In light of the Review findings, RICS president Kathleen Fontana,
864-592: A habitat for soil organisms , a recycling system for nutrients and organic wastes , a regulator of water quality , a modifier of atmospheric composition , and a medium for plant growth , making it a critically important provider of ecosystem services . Since soil has a tremendous range of available niches and habitats , it contains a prominent part of the Earth's genetic diversity . A gram of soil can contain billions of organisms, belonging to thousands of species, mostly microbial and largely still unexplored. Soil
972-447: A higher technical bar to entry and there is an academic prerequisite which does not exist for AssocRICS. MRICS applications are also subject to an Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) interview, held by a panel of Chartered Surveyors where the candidate's experience, knowledge and technical skill is assessed during the interview. FRICS is the highest accolade awarded and demonstrates the professional achievements of an individual. It
1080-455: A large area, it can influence climate and weather patterns. The terrain of a region largely determines its suitability for human settlement: flatter alluvial plains tend to have better farming soils than steeper, rockier uplands. Elevation is defined as the vertical distance between an object and sea level, while altitude is defined as the vertical distance from an object to Earth's surface. The elevation of Earth's land surface varies from
1188-491: A large elevation difference between the highest and lowest points would be deemed "high relief". Most land has relatively low relief. The change in elevation between two points of the terrain is called a slope or gradient. A topographic map is a form of terrain cartography which depicts terrain in terms of its elevation, slope, and the orientation of its landforms. It has prominent contour lines , which connect points of similar elevation, while perpendicular slope lines point in
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#17327803485971296-539: A long time to cause noticeable changes in the landscape—for example, the Grand Canyon was created over the past 70 million years by the Colorado River , which scientists estimate continues to erode the canyon at a rate of 0.3 meters (1 foot) every 200 years. However, humans have caused erosion to be 10–40 times faster than normal, causing half the topsoil of the surface of Earth's land to be lost within
1404-471: A new CEO is found. In August 2018, the share price fell by 60% after an emergency cash call (in the form of a rights issue ), and after having downgrading profit forecasts four times in eight months. In December 2020 Connells Group agree to buy the company at a valuation of circa £82 million. On 8 March 2021 Connells Group acquired Countrywide Plc. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ( RICS )
1512-538: A new company called Hambro Countrywide plc, which was listed on the London Stock Exchange . In 1988, the company created Hambro Assured, then the UK's largest life insurance broker. The group then grew through acquisition, buying Nationwide estate agents and surveyors from Nationwide Building Society in 1994, Spencers from National and Provincial Building Society in 1995 and London firms Faron Sutaria, PKL and John D Wood & Co. in 1997. In 1998
1620-399: A new sense of purpose and direction so that RICS can once more stand tall as an exemplar professional institution, capable of tackling the challenges which will shape the way we all live our lives in the years to come. Issues such as climate change and sustainability, improving the built environment and building safety all sit within the remit of RICS and will benefit from the contribution which
1728-483: A professional statement with mandatory obligations applicable to RICS members and regulated firms, and separately as a "good practice" document without the mandatory requirements, for use outside a professional context. Lionheart is the benevolent fund for past and present RICS members and their families. The charity was established in 1899 and provides financial support, health and well-being packages, and work-related counselling and befriending support. RICS also supports
1836-442: A revitalised RICS could make." Nick Maclean, interim chair of RICS's governing council, said: "The Bichard RICS Review represents a watershed moment for the institution, and a key point in time which sets out a path for permanent improvement. Implementation of the recommendations will provide a solid accountable structure to effectively support our professionals and work in the public interest. RICS governing council strongly endorses
1944-518: A role in the regional and global climate. Densely populated cities are warmer and create urban heat islands that have effects on the precipitation, cloud cover , and temperature of the region. A landform is a natural or manmade land feature. Landforms together make up a given terrain, and their arrangement in the landscape is known as topography . Landforms include hills , mountains , canyons , and valleys , as well as shoreline features such as bays , capes , and peninsulas . The shoreline
2052-535: A royal charter in 1881, and in 1947 became the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. With a London HQ and regional offices across the United Kingdom, plus international offices, it serves a 134,000-strong membership distributed over nearly 150 countries. The RICS is linked to other national surveying institutions, collaborates with other professional bodies, and, in 2013, was a founder member of
2160-421: A set of practices called sustainable land management . A biome is an area "characterized by its vegetation, soil, climate, and wildlife ." There are five major types of biomes on land: grasslands, forests, deserts, tundras, and freshwater. Other types of biomes include shrublands, wetlands, and polar ice caps . An ecosystem refers to the interaction between organisms within a particular environment, and
2268-746: A solid phase of minerals and organic matter (the soil matrix), as well as a porous phase that holds gases (the soil atmosphere) and water (the soil solution). Accordingly, soil is a three- state system of solids, liquids, and gases. Soil is a product of several factors: the influence of climate , relief (elevation, orientation, and slope of terrain), organisms, and the soil's parent materials (original minerals) interacting over time. It continually undergoes development by way of numerous physical, chemical and biological processes, which include weathering and erosion . Given its complexity and strong internal connectedness , soil ecologists regard soil as an ecosystem . Soil acts as an engineering medium,
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#17327803485972376-455: A steady growth to the present-day forms or, more likely, a rapid growth early in Earth history followed by a long-term steady continental area. Continents are formed by plate tectonics , a process ultimately driven by the continuous loss of heat from the Earth's interior. On time scales lasting hundreds of millions of years, the supercontinents have formed and broken apart three times. Roughly 750 mya (million years ago), one of
2484-693: A uniform basis for measuring building works. It was first published in 1922, superseding a Scottish Standard Method of Measurement which had been published in 1915. Its seventh edition (SMM7) was first published in 1988 and revised in 1998. SMM7 was replaced by the New Rules of Measurement , volume 2 (NRM2), which were published in April 2012 by the RICS Quantity Surveying and Construction Professional Group and became operational on 1 January 2013. NRM2 has been in general use since July 2013. SMM7
2592-433: A wide range of sessile animals (e.g. mussels , starfish , barnacles ) and various kinds of seaweeds . Along tropical coasts with clear, nutrient-poor water, coral reefs can often be found between depths of 1–50 meters (3.3–164.0 feet). According to a United Nations atlas, 44% of all people live within 150 km (93 mi) of the sea. Because of their importance in society and high concentration of population,
2700-503: Is a founder member of the International Valuation Standards Committee . In 2018, there were RICS-qualified professionals in nearly 150 countries. RICS accredits 134,000 (as of September 2021) qualified and trainee professionals worldwide. The majority of accredited individuals were still based in the United Kingdom, but with large numbers also in mainland Europe, Australia and Hong Kong. There
2808-521: Is a founding member association of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG). Within RICS the primary areas of practice represented at FIG are geomatics (land and hydrographic survey), environment, planning, construction and valuation. RICS works in close collaboration with other professional bodies, central banks and international organisations such as The United Nations , World Bank and The European Union . In 2013, RICS
2916-616: Is a global professional body for those working in the Built Environment, Construction, Land, Property and Real Estate. The RICS was founded in London in 1868. It works at a cross-governmental level, and aims to promote and enforce the highest international standards in the valuation, management and development of land , real estate , construction and infrastructure. Founded as the Institution of Surveyors, it received
3024-442: Is a major component of the Earth's ecosystem. The world's ecosystems are impacted in far-reaching ways by the processes carried out in the soil, with effects ranging from ozone depletion and global warming to rainforest destruction and water pollution . With respect to Earth's carbon cycle , soil acts as an important carbon reservoir , and it is potentially one of the most reactive to human disturbance and climate change. As
3132-470: Is a reasonably sharp contrast between the more felsic upper continental crust and the lower continental crust, which is more mafic in character. The composition of land is not uniform across the Earth, varying between locations and between strata within the same location. The most prominent components of upper continental crust include silicon dioxide , aluminium oxide , and magnesium . The continental crust consists of lower density material such as
3240-789: Is also strong growth in membership globally, particularly in China, India and the Americas. Entry to membership of RICS is via four main routes: academic; graduate; technical; and senior professional. RICS has links with universities worldwide, with whom they have accredited approved courses which satisfy part of the qualification requirements to become trainee surveyors. RICS also offers expedited routes to membership for qualified professional members of some partner associations. RICS requires members to update their knowledge and competence during their working life through Continuing Professional Development . Professionals holding RICS qualifications may use
3348-442: Is also used in wetland ecology, where "upland" plants indicate an area that is not a wetland. In addition, the term moorland refers to upland shrubland biomes with acidic soils, while heathlands are lowland shrublands with acidic soils. Geomorphology refers to the study of the natural processes that shape land's surface, creating landforms. Erosion and tectonics , volcanic eruptions , flooding , weathering , glaciation ,
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3456-529: Is also used more generally, as in Persian rigestân ( ریگستان ) "place of sand, desert", golestân ( گلستان ) "place of flowers, garden", gurestân ( گورستان ) "graveyard, cemetery", and Hindustân ( هندوستان ) "land of the Indo people". The study of land and its history in general is called geography . Mineralogy is the study of minerals, and petrology is the study of rocks. Soil science
3564-488: Is an island , and a chain of islands is an archipelago . The smaller the island, the larger the percentage of its land area will be adjacent to the water, and subsequently will be coast or beach. Islands can be formed by a variety of processes. The Hawaiian islands , for example, even though they are not near a plate boundary, formed from isolated volcanic activity . Atolls are ring-shaped islands made of coral , created when subsidence causes an island to sink beneath
3672-646: Is an honoured class of membership awarded and an international measure of excellence. Only those who hold the MRICS designation are eligible to apply for FRICS and they must meet the required number of professional characteristics. RICS specifies areas of specialism, each with its own professional group, clustered into Land, Property and Construction. Within each professional group there may be further specialisms. RICS aims to cover, among its practising members, property and construction related expertise generally. Specialised areas of practice expertise for which accreditation
3780-474: Is available include: The junior branch of RICS, known as Matrics (pronounced "matrix"), provides educational support, charitable and networking activities for surveying students, trainee surveyors (of any age) and Chartered Surveyors with ten years or less post-qualification experience. It comprises some 40 local groups across the United Kingdom. Established in 1889 as the Junior Committee, it became
3888-644: Is called the shoreline . The word land is derived from Old English , from the Proto-Germanic word * landą , "untilled land", and then the Proto-Indo-European * lendʰ- , especially in northern regions that were home to languages like Proto-Celtic and Proto-Slavic . Examples include Old Irish land , "land, plot, church building" and Old Irish ithlann , "threshing floor", and Old East Slavic ljadina "wasteland, weeds". A country or nation may be referred to as
3996-468: Is covered at VPGA 4 Valuation. It provides practical assistance to valuers dealing with public houses which are valued and assessed in a completely different way other commercial businesses. Public houses are valued by the profits method of valuation, often referred to as Fair Maintainable Trade Or Turnover (FMT). The FMT method applies to tens of thousands of commercial properties in England and Wales and
4104-467: Is divided into two major categories: Mountain ranges and relatively flat interiors called cratons . Both form over millions of years through plate tectonics . Streams – a major part of Earth's water cycle – shape the landscape , carve rocks, transport sediments, and replenish groundwater. At high elevations or latitudes , snow is compacted and recrystallized over hundreds or thousands of years to form glaciers, which can be so heavy that they warp
4212-418: Is often defined as the solid, dry surface of Earth. The word land may also collectively refer the collective natural resources of Earth, including its land cover , rivers , shallow lakes , its biosphere , the lowest layer of the atmosphere ( troposphere ), groundwater reserves, and the physical results of human activity on land, such as architecture and agriculture. The boundary between land and sea
4320-459: Is pushed upwards, or subductional events, where Earth's crust is pushed into the mantle, causing the crust to melt, rise due to its low density, and solidify into hardened rock, thickening the crust. A plateau , also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side, creating steep cliffs or escarpments . Both volcanic activity such as
4428-554: Is the basis of rateable valuation by the Valuation Office Agency, who also follow this method. RICS guidance ('The Red Book') emphasises that a valuer specialising in such valuations are regularly involved in the market, as practical knowledge of the factors affecting the market is essential to analysis of comparable transactions. The Standard Method of Measurement (SMM) published by the RICS consisted of classification tables and rules of measurement, allowing use of
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4536-448: Is the interface between the land and the ocean . It migrates each day as tides rise and fall, and moves over long periods of time as sea levels change. The shore extends from the low tide line to the highest elevation that can be reached by storm waves, and the coast stretches out inland until the point where ocean-related features are no longer found. When land is in contact with bodies of water, it can be eroded. The weathering of
4644-399: Is the outermost layer of Earth's continental surface and is composed of soil and subject to soil formation processes . Below it, the lithosphere encompasses both Earth's crust and the uppermost layer of the mantle . The lithosphere rests, or "floats", on top of the mantle below it via isostasy . Above the solid ground, the troposphere and humans' use of land can be considered layers of
4752-405: Is the solid terrestrial surface of Earth not submerged by the ocean or another body of water . It makes up 29.2% of Earth's surface and includes all continents and islands . Earth's land surface is almost entirely covered by regolith , a layer of rock , soil , and minerals that forms the outer part of the crust . Land plays an important role in Earth's climate system , being involved in
4860-467: Is the study of soils, encompassing the sub-disciplines of pedology , which focuses on soil formation, and edaphology , which focuses on the relationship between soil and life. The earliest material found in the Solar System is dated to 4.5672 ± 0.0006 bya (billion years ago); therefore, the Earth itself must have been formed by accretion around this time. The formation and evolution of
4968-465: Is thicker than oceanic crust , and it is far more varied in terms of composition. About 31% of this continental crust is submerged in shallow water, forming continental shelves. Land provides many ecosystem services , such as mitigating climate change, regulating water supply through drainage basins and river systems, and supporting food production. Land resources are finite, which has led to regulations intended to safeguard these ecosystem services, and
5076-689: The Earth's magnetic field was established, which helped prevent the atmosphere from being stripped away by the solar wind . The atmosphere and oceans of the Earth continuously shape the land by eroding and transporting solids on the surface. Earth's crust formed when the molten outer layer of the planet Earth cooled to form a solid mass as the accumulated water vapour began to act in the atmosphere. Once land became capable of supporting life, biodiversity evolved over hundreds of millions of years, expanding continually except when punctuated by mass extinctions. The two models that explain land mass propose either
5184-523: The biosphere . Human manipulation of the land, including agriculture and architecture , can also be considered part of land. Land is formed from the continental crust , the layer of rock on which soil . groundwater , and human and animal activity sits. Though modern terrestrial plants and animals evolved from aquatic creatures, Earth's first cellular life likely originated on land. Survival on land relies on fresh water from rivers, streams, lakes, and glaciers, which constitute only three percent of
5292-406: The carbon cycle , nitrogen cycle , and water cycle . One-third of land is covered in trees, another third is used for agriculture , and one-tenth is covered in permanent snow and glaciers . The remainder consists of desert , savannah , and prairie . Land terrain varies greatly, consisting of mountains, deserts, plains, plateaus, glaciers, and other landforms . In physical geology, the land
5400-515: The motherland , fatherland , or homeland of its people. Many countries and other places have names incorporating the suffix -land (e.g. England , Greenland , and New Zealand ). The equivalent suffix -stan from Indo-Iranian , ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian * sthāna- , is also present in many country and location names, such as Pakistan , Afghanistan , and others throughout Central Asia . The suffix
5508-434: The upwelling of magma and extrusion of lava, or erosion of mountains caused from water, glaciers, or aeolian processes, can create plateaus. Plateaus are classified according to their surrounding environment as intermontane , piedmont , or continental . A few plateaus may have a small flat top while others are wider. Buttes are smaller, with less extrusive and more intrusive igneous rock, while plateaus or highlands are
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#17327803485975616-654: The whale , that evolved from terrestrial mammals back to an aquatic lifestyle. Many megafauna of the past, such as non-avian dinosaurs , have become extinct due to extinction events, e.g. the Quaternary extinction event . Land is "deeply intertwined with human development." It is a crucial resource for human survival, humans depend on land for subsistence, and can develop strong symbolic attachments to it. Access to land can determine "survival and wealth," particularly in developing countries, giving rise to complex power relationships in production and consumption. Most of
5724-538: The "Junior Organisation" ("JO") in 1928 and was re-branded as "RICS Matrics" in 2003. It also has links with the Young Chartered Surveyors in the Republic of Ireland. The RICS is governed by a governing council, to which report a management board, a standards and regulation board, and an audit committee. In January 2021, the RICS reversed a decision to suppress a 2019 BDO report critical of
5832-553: The Chartered Surveyors Training Trust, which helps young people enter the profession through apprenticeships; Charity Property Help, which provides property advice to charities and voluntary organisations, and The Chartered Surveyors' Voluntary Service (CSVS), a registered charity providing free property advice to people who would otherwise struggle to access professional assistance. Land Land , also known as dry land , ground , or earth ,
5940-432: The Earth's crust. About 30 percent of land has a dry climate, due to losing more water through evaporation than it gains from precipitation . Since warm air rises, this generates winds, though Earth's rotation and uneven sun distribution also play a part. Land is commonly defined as the solid, dry surface of Earth. It can also refer to the collective natural resources that the land holds, including rivers , lakes , and
6048-587: The RICS announced the establishment of a new board to oversee day-to-day operations and deliver the governing council's strategic plan. It is to be chaired by former CBRE Group director Martin Samworth. He will also review proposed changes to constitutional documents, including the RICS's Royal Charter, recommended in Bichard's review. In January 2022, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
6156-436: The RICS had plummeted by nearly a third, while satisfaction with membership had fallen to a historic low of 43%. Levitt's governance review was delivered to the RICS in early August but not immediately made public, prompting calls for its full publication; the report was first reviewed by a five-strong subgroup of RICS's 26-member governing council. Property Week columnist Peter Bill said "a private tiff has ballooned into
6264-498: The RICS membership. In October 2021, the RICS refused a request by 40 former and current employees to launch an investigation into how the institution selected staff to be furloughed during the COVID-19 pandemic . The employees group alleged that some staff were furloughed as RICS had considered them too supportive of the institution's membership, and sought a review of RICS's human resource procedures , but RICS refused, considering
6372-628: The Solar System bodies occurred in tandem with the Sun. In theory, a solar nebula partitions a volume out of a molecular cloud by gravitational collapse, which begins to spin and flatten into a circumstellar disc , out of which the planets then grow (in tandem with the star). A nebula contains gas, ice grains and dust (including primordial nuclides ). In nebular theory , planetesimals begin to form as particulate matter accumulates by cohesive clumping and then by gravity. The primordial Earth's assembly took 10– 20 myr . By 4.54 ± 0.04 bya ,
6480-764: The South of England, trading as: Fulfords, Chappell & Matthews, Palmer Snell and Carson & Company and had been acquired by Friends Provident as an 80-strong chain in 1998 as part of their takeover of London and Manchester Group plc. The life assurance business was demerged as Chesnara plc in May 2004. In 2004 it acquired Freeman Foreman group as well as the estate agency business of Bradford and Bingley Building Society . This business had been originally formed as Black Horse Agencies Group by Lloyds Bank in 1982, and purchased as 370 strong chain (including TSB Property Services and Slater Hogg & Howison) by Bradford and Bingley from
6588-564: The benchmarking, measuring, and reporting of construction project costs, International Construction Measurement Standards were published in July 2017. The coalition for International Land Measurement Standards – aiding consistency of interpretation and documentation of tenure – launched in June 2016. In each case, coalition member bodies are committed to implementing the new standards through training and guidance for professional practitioners. The RICS
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#17327803485976696-480: The business was renamed Countrywide Assured plc and demerged from Hambros plc. After creating a franchise opportunity under the Bairstow Eves brand, the group then restarted its acquisition trail acquiring Friends Provident estate agents and surveyors (in return for a long term licence to resell Friends Provident financial products) in August 2002. Friends Provident Estate Agencies operated 104 offices across
6804-528: The chair of the independent review of RICS's governance resigned "for professional reasons", to be replaced by Alison Levitt QC with completion delayed to June 2021 – later pushed back to mid-August 2021. On 4 June 2021, Building reported the "surprise" resignation and immediate departure of RICS' chief operating officer Violetta Parylo amid "a storm of calls" from members for reform. The RICS review of its purpose and relevance had been published in May 2021. Based on 9,000 responses, it reported members' trust in
6912-506: The climate change impacts on habitats and biodiversity, as well as natural resources, in the target areas. Land cover change detection and mapping is a key component of interdisciplinary land change science , which uses it to determine the consequences of land change on climate. Land change modeling is used to predict and analyze changes in land cover and use. Soil is a mixture of organic matter , minerals , gases , liquids , and organisms that together support life . Soil consists of
7020-636: The coast is important for major parts of the global food and economic system, and they provide many ecosystem services to humankind. For example, important human activities happen in port cities . Coastal fisheries for commercial, recreational, and subsistence purposes, and aquaculture are major economic activities and provide jobs, livelihoods, and protein for the majority of coastal human populations. Other coastal spaces like beaches and seaside resorts generate economic activity through tourism . Marine coastal ecosystems can also provide protection against sea level rise and tsunamis . In many countries,
7128-419: The coastal mangrove is the primary source of wood for fuel (e.g. charcoal) and building materials. Coastal ecosystems have a much higher capacity for carbon sequestration than many terrestrial ecosystems , and as such can play a critical role in the near future to help mitigate climate change effects by uptake of atmospheric anthropogenic carbon dioxide . A subcontinental area of land surrounded by water
7236-580: The direction of the steepest slope. Hypsometric tints are colors placed between contour lines to indicate elevation relative to sea level . A difference between uplands, or highlands , and lowlands is drawn in several earth science fields. In river ecology, " upland " rivers are fast-moving and colder than "lowland" rivers, encouraging different species of fish and other aquatic wildlife to live in these habitats. For example, nutrients are more present in slow-moving lowland rivers, encouraging different species of macrophytes to grow there. The term "upland"
7344-403: The dismissed non-executive directors, and to implement all the report's recommendations. On 30 September 2021, Building reported on a "grovelling public apology" from the RICS to the wrongfully dismissed non-executive directors, and said an external review of the institution's future purpose was set to start within weeks. The ousted non-executive directors welcomed the formal apology but said it
7452-981: The earliest known supercontinents, Rodinia , began to break apart. The continents later recombined to form Pannotia , 600– 540 mya , then finally Pangaea , which also broke apart 180 mya . A continuous area of land surrounded by an ocean is called a landmass. Although it is most often written as one word to distinguish it from the usage "land mass"—the measure of land area—it may also be written as two words. There are four major continuous landmasses on Earth: Afro-Eurasia , America (landmass) , Antarctica , and Australia (landmass) , which are subdivided into continents. Up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from greatest to least land area, these continents are Asia , Africa , North America , South America , Antarctica , Europe , and Australia . Terrain refers to an area of land and its features. Terrain affects travel, mapmaking, ecosystems, and surface water flow and distribution. Over
7560-558: The following designations after their name: Those with the designation MRICS or FRICS are also known as Chartered Surveyors and variations such as "Chartered Building Surveyor", "Chartered Valuation Surveyor" or "Chartered Quantity Surveyor", depending on their chosen specialist qualifications and field of expertise. Both AssocRICS and MRICS require the collation of a candidate's training and work experience to be assessed by RICS trained assessors, although some may be eligible for direct entry based on international qualifications. MRICS has
7668-527: The four non-executive board members had been wrongly dismissed and that sound governance principles were not followed. The CEO and COO thus operated with little effective scrutiny and become resistant to challenge amid "a power struggle". Levitt recommended "a wide-ranging external review of purpose, governance and strategy, led by an independent reviewer", plus interim recommendations relating to governance, executive remuneration, whistle-blowing and legal advice. The RICS governing council committed to apologise to
7776-490: The geological continents and the areas of shallow seabed close to their shores, known as continental shelves . This layer is sometimes called sial because its bulk composition is richer in aluminium silicate and has a lower density compared to the oceanic crust , called sima which is richer in magnesium silicate . Changes in seismic wave velocities have shown that at a certain depth (the Conrad discontinuity ), there
7884-409: The growth of coral reefs , and meteorite impacts are among the processes that constantly reshape Earth's surface over geological time . Erosion transports one part of land to another via natural processes, such as wind , water, ice , and gravity . In contrast, weathering wears away rock and other solid land without transporting the land somewhere else. Natural erosional processes usually take
7992-402: The harvest of crops. Floodplains provided agricultural land for some of the earliest civilizations . Erosion is often a main driver for the creation of plains and valleys, with rift valleys being a noticeable exception. Fjords are glacial valleys that can be thousands of meters deep, opening out to the sea. Any natural void in the ground which can be entered by a human can be considered
8100-623: The igneous rocks granite and andesite . Less common is basalt , a denser volcanic rock that is the primary constituent of the ocean floors . Sedimentary rock is formed from the accumulation of sediment that becomes buried and compacted together . Nearly 75% of the continental surfaces are covered by sedimentary rocks, although they form about 5% of the crust. The most abundant silicate minerals on Earth's surface include quartz , feldspars , amphibole , mica , pyroxene and olivine . Common carbonate minerals include calcite (found in limestone ) and dolomite . The rock that makes up land
8208-427: The independent review into the audit report, the governing council was agreeing a strategic review into the institution's governance and member engagement. Building reported member views that expensive membership fees did not reflect the benefits they receive, and that RICS' international expansion had been "at the expense of its core UK membership, which feels disengaged and neglected". In April 2021, Peter Oldham,
8316-519: The interim chair of the governing council Chris Brooke, and management board chair Paul Marcuse also resigned, and RICS terminated its relationship with London law firm Fieldfisher , criticised by Levitt for being "demonstrably and inappropriately partisan." Levitt said the RICS had made it "as difficult as possible" for people to contact the review; "RICS management and others on occasion" gave an "impression of reluctant acquiescence" during her investigations, she said. Her 467-page report concluded that
8424-413: The issue, and on 22 January 2021 announced it would initiate an independent inquiry into the affair. In 2019, RICS finances were reported to have been in a difficult position, the organisation having made a pre-tax loss of £4.7m on £91.3m of income from fees and commercial activities. It subsequently made 140 people redundant. In February 2021, the RICS president Kathleen Fontana said that, in addition to
8532-489: The land will influence how much solar radiation reaches its surface. High latitudes receive less solar radiation than low latitudes. The land's topography is important in creating and transforming airflow and precipitation . Large landforms, such as mountain ranges, can divert wind energy and make air parcels less dense and therefore able to hold less heat. As air rises, this cooling effect causes condensation and precipitation. Different types of land cover will influence
8640-425: The land's albedo , a measure of the solar radiation that is reflected, rather than absorbed and transferred to Earth. Vegetation has a relatively low albedo, meaning that vegetated surfaces are good absorbers of the sun's energy. Forests have an albedo of 10–15 percent while grasslands have an albedo of 15–20 percent. In comparison, sandy deserts have an albedo of 25–40 percent. Land use by humans also plays
8748-705: The land. Land cover refers to the material physically present on the land surface, for example, woody crops, herbaceous crops, barren land, and shrub-covered areas. Artificial surfaces (including cities) account for about a third of a percent of all land. Land use refers to human allocation of land for various purposes, including farming, ranching, and recreation (e.g. national parks); worldwide, there are an estimated 16.7 million km (6.4 million sq mi) of cropland, and 33.5 million km (12.9 million sq mi) of pastureland. Land cover change detection using remote sensing and geospatial data provides baseline information for assessing
8856-465: The low point of −418 m (−1,371 ft) at the Dead Sea , to a maximum altitude of 8,848 m (29,029 ft) at the top of Mount Everest. The mean height of land above sea level is about 797 m (2,615 ft), with 98.9% of dry land situated above sea level. Relief refers to the difference in elevation within a landscape; for example, flat terrain would have "low relief", while terrain with
8964-656: The management board, in addition to the earlier resignation of the chief operating officer. The report was labelled an "appalling advert for our profession on the world stage". A subsequent review published in June 2022 demanded a "transformation of the institution carried out at pace". RICS was founded in London , England, as the Institution of Surveyors after a meeting of 49 surveyors at the Westminster Palace Hotel on 15 June 1868. The inaugural president
9072-404: The matter closed. The Cabinet Office provided advice on suitable individuals to lead the review of the RICS's future purpose. In December 2021, the RICS announced former senior civil servant Michael Bichard would lead a six-month review into its governance and future purpose, with three objectives set by the RICS's governing council: to "create clarity" about the RICS' purpose, to propose how
9180-713: The need for change was "urgent" and "unarguable". Bichard's recommendations included: a renewed and increased focus on the public interest remit of RICS, including amending the Royal Charter and creating a public interest panel to advise the RICS's Governing Council; maintaining self-regulation, through greater independence for regulatory functions; increased focus on diversity and inclusion; empowering and enabling members through greater support for regional boards, alongside increased member engagement, with renewed focus on younger members; an independent review of RICS's governance and effectiveness at delivering against its Charter for
9288-441: The ocean surface and leaves a ring of reefs around it. Mountains are features that usually rise at least 300 metres (980 ft) higher than the surrounding terrain. The formation of mountain belts is called orogenesis, and results from plate tectonics . For example, where a plate at a convergent plate boundary pushes one plate above the other, mountains could be formed by either collisional events, such that Earth's crust
9396-420: The organisation could be a "beacon for best practice" in governance, transparency and accountability, and to ensure that governance is "fit for today" and could remain relevant in future. The 68-page Bichard review, recommending sweeping reforms, was published on 21 June 2022. It said the future success of the organisation would "require nothing less than a transformation of the institution carried out at pace";
9504-542: The organisation's financial governance . According to the Sunday Times , four non-executive directors had expressed concerns about the report's findings, but were dismissed in November 2019 by then president Chris Brooke. Following a letter from four past presidents, the RICS initially rejected an independent review, but, after the ousted directors also wrote a letter, then said its governing council would "revisit"
9612-650: The owners included Apollo Management, Oaktree Capital Management and Alchemy Partners . In March 2013, Countrywide plc was re-listed on the London Stock Exchange. In November 2013, Countrywide acquired national commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH). Countrywide acquired the southwest Wales estate agency John Francis in 2015. In January 2018, an unscheduled profits warning sent Countrywide's share price plummeting by nearly 19 per cent, and CEO Alison Platt stepped down, to be replaced by Peter Long , appointed executive chairman until
9720-405: The past 150 years. Plate tectonics refers to the theory that Earth's lithosphere is divided into "tectonic plates" that move over the mantle. This results in continental drift , with continents moving relative to each other. The scientist Alfred Wegener first hypothesized the theory of continental drift in 1912. More researchers gradually developed his idea throughout the 20th century into
9828-408: The planet warms, it has been predicted that soils will add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere due to increased biological activity at higher temperatures, a positive feedback (amplification). This prediction has, however, been questioned on consideration of more recent knowledge on soil carbon turnover. Continental crust is the layer of igneous , sedimentary , and metamorphic rocks that forms
9936-433: The plant. Through photosynthesis , most plants nourish themselves from sunlight and water, breathing in carbon dioxide and breathing out oxygen. Between 20 and 50% of oxygen is produced by land vegetation. Unlike plants, terrestrial animals are not a monophyletic group —that is, a group including all terrestrial animals does not encompass all lineages from a common ancestor . This is because there are organisms, such as
10044-441: The primordial Earth had formed. Earth's atmosphere and oceans were formed by volcanic activity and outgassing that included water vapour . The origin of the world's oceans was condensation augmented by water and ice delivered by asteroids , protoplanets , and comets . In this model , atmospheric " greenhouse gases " kept the oceans from freezing while the newly formed Sun was only at 70% luminosity . By 3.5 bya ,
10152-408: The public advantage once every five years; a new simplified, clear, accountable governance structure; and greater leadership on major society issues such as sustainability and climate change. Bichard also said the RICS should seek to continue to increase its influence overseas - a policy that was "very contentious" among the institution's 140,000 members. Bichard said: "My aim has been to help create
10260-460: The recommendations, and will implement these proposals." McLean was set to stand down on 5 October 2022, his role being abolished as part of Bichard's recommendations; the chief executive role would also be replaced by a new director general. In August 2022, Bichard was appointed as interim senior independent governor through to 31 December 2023, responsible for scrutinising the actions of the RICS' governing council and committees. In December 2022,
10368-467: The then owners Lloyds TSB in April 1998. Slater Hogg & Howison had been acquired by TSB Scotland in 1988 having been established in 1975 by Roy Slater, Iain Hogg and Geoff Howison. The Black Horse name was dropped by Bradford and Bingley in 1999. In 2007, Countrywide was 100% acquired by Apollo Management for a sum over £1bn, and de-listed from the London Stock Exchange. Following debt restructuring ,
10476-446: The water on Earth. The vast majority of human activity throughout history has occurred in habitable land areas supporting agriculture and various natural resources . In recent decades, scientists and policymakers have emphasized the need to manage land and its biosphere more sustainably, through measures such as restoring degraded soil , preserving biodiversity , protecting endangered species , and addressing climate change . Land
10584-701: The widely accepted theory of plate tectonics of today. Several key characteristics define modern understanding of plate tectonics. The place where two tectonic plates meet is called a plate boundary , with different geological phenomena occurring across different kinds of boundaries. For example, at divergent plate boundaries , seafloor spreading is usually seen, in contrast with the subduction zones of convergent or transform plate boundaries . Earthquakes and volcanic activity are common in all types of boundaries. Volcanic activity refers to any rupture in Earth's surface where magma escapes, therefore becoming lava . The Ring of Fire , containing two-thirds of
10692-512: The widest, and mesas are a general-sized plateau with horizontal bedrock strata . Wide, flat areas of land are called plains , which cover more than one-third of Earth's land area. When they occur as lowered areas between mountains, they can create valleys , canyons or gorges, and ravines . A plateau can be thought of as an elevated plain. Plains are known to have fertile soils and be important for agriculture due to their flatness supporting grasses suitable for livestock and facilitating
10800-466: The world's volcanos, and over 70% of Earth's seismological activity , comprises plate boundaries surrounding the Pacific Ocean . Earth's land interacts with and influences its climate heavily, since the land's surface heats up and cools down faster than air or water. Latitude , elevation , topography , reflectivity , and land use all have varying effects on climate. The latitude of
10908-821: The world." The Surveyors' Institution became the Chartered Surveyors' Institution in 1930. In 1946, George VI granted the title "Royal" and in 1947 the professional body became the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors . The RICS (with the CIOB , CIBSE , IstructE and RIBA ) was a founder member of the Building Industry Council, today the Construction Industry Council , in 1988. RICS has close links with many national surveying institutions and
11016-433: Was "difficult to accept it as a statement of genuine contrition". Gleeds chairman and Building columnist Richard Steer called the governance scandal an "appalling advert for our profession on the world stage" and said RICS needed to undergo a "complete restructuring". Paul Roberts, MD of global law firm Secretariat, said all 21 members of the RICS's governing council should be removed and replaced with new blood elected by
11124-412: Was John Clutton (who founded Cluttons , a property firm still in business today). The organisation has occupied headquarters on the corner of Great George Street and Little George Street since then. It received a Royal charter as The Surveyors' Institution on 26 August 1881, The charter required RICS to "promote the usefulness of the profession for the public advantage in the UK and in other parts of
11232-626: Was John Clutton, who was elected in 1868. The first female president was Louise Brooke-Smith, who was elected in 2014. RICS headquarters is in London, with its main support functions in Birmingham . There are regional offices in the United Kingdom, across mainland Europe, in China, Singapore, Australia, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, North America and Brazil. BCIS, the Building Cost Information Service,
11340-648: Was a founder member of the coalition to develop International Property Measurement Standards , which launched its first standard – for measuring office space – in November 2014. It launched its second standard, for measuring residential buildings, in September 2016. In 2014 RICS was a founder member of the coalition to develop International Ethics Standards, standards designed to add greater consistency to developing and reinforcing professional ethics globally – these launched in December 2016. To add greater consistency to
11448-828: Was accompanied by the Code of Procedure for the Measurement of Building Works (the SMM7 Measurement Code). Whilst SMM7 could have a contractual status within a project, for example in the JCT Standard form of Building Contract), the Measurement Code was not mandatory. NRM2 Is the second of three component parts within the NRM suite: A commercial lease code was published in 2020 as part of an RICS professional statement to promote best practice, replacing
11556-525: Was established in 1962 and provides independent cost and price information to the construction industry and others needing comprehensive, accurate and independent data. It was spun out of RICS in 2022, becoming an independent company. Isurv is an online information service for expertise in natural and built environments. Launched by the RICS in September 2003, it provides insight from verified legal experts and industry practitioners relating to construction. The primary RICS professional guidance on this subject
11664-418: Was reporting to be planning legislation to enable regular reviews of the RICS's governance. Ministers were said to be frustrated by a RICS decision in December 2021 to maintain its valuation advice requiring External Wall System forms (EWS1s) on blocks under 18m high. Richard Collins, the RICS's interim CEO, publicly questioned the need for the proposed new law to monitor RICS's governance. The first president
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