Quote Originally Posted by hohum View Post
Look at arsheesh's forest tutorial here

Try adding a layer above the highlands filled with a green color and play with layer modes Hue, Hard Light etc. and the opacity.

Try using a desert image as a texture/pattern. Also try adding a bump map to roughen it up a bit.

As for the other two, sounds good. You may also want to try blurring and or feathering the masks on your mountains and forests. The edges are too hard.
Thanks for the tips, looking into them now