In Imagine Earth there are 8 types of ground that can give your buildings a much higher productivity (or in some cases a much lower). This short overview will help you to decide how to place your buildings.

Soil
is the default ground type for your land buildings.

Fossils deposit
will increase the productivity of power plants that rely on energy sources. Coal and gas power plants are a good example.

Fertile
ground makes the crop yield of your farms much larger.

Desert
on the contrary, isn’t a good place for a farm. Nevertheless, a solar park will have it’s highest energy output when built into a desert.

Coast
fields are know to by windy spots and will increase the production of wind farm.

Ocean
fields will allow you to place some different kinds of buildings.

 

Oil fields
are the right place to build an oil rig.

 

fishing grounds
will let your fishery produce a lot of food.

 

Mountain Fields
They remain inaccessable the whole time.