Rural settlement patterns involves three main types of settlements. These are: clustered, dispersed, and linear. Clustered settlements are when families live in close proximity to each other, and are surrounded by fields which surround houses and farm buildings. Dispersed settlements are when farmers live on individual farms far from other neighbors rather than alongside other farmers in clustered settlements. Linear settlements are when buildings are clustered along a road, river, or dike to facilitate communications.

     Von Thunen’s model explains rural land use by emphasizing the importance of transportation costs associated with distance from the market. Today it is simple to send something in a refrigeated truck because distances have shortened, however you may need to travel further to find more organically grown items. 

    Von Thunen’s model helps explain the contemporary distribution of agricultural regions. In his theory he stated that he had an equation that would help determine where certain crops would be grown. However, regions of specialty farming do not always conform to von Thunen’s concentric rings.
     Environmental systems are affected by land use/land cover change. These changes encompass the greatest environmental concerns of human populations today, including climate change, biodiversity loss and the pollution of water, soils and air. Humans have been modifying land to obtain food and other essentials for thousands of years. These include modifications such as irrigation, desertification, deforestation, wetland destruction, and conservation efforts.