So the answer is no, these are not part of clearly-defined ranges in any absolute sense: there is no way to vary a forest into a desert or a desert into the deepest pit of an ocean. This is instead an idiom which introduces a lot of examples to help you feel the wide diversity of possibilities. More @Wikipedia
Hover over any link to get a description of the article. Please note that search keywords are sometimes hidden within the full article and don't appear in the description or title.