Biogeomorphology

Abstract

Abstract Biogeomorphological research blossomed during the second half of the twentieth century, partly in response to some big, unanswered questions about the role of vegetation in fluvial geomorphology, but also as technical advances allowed more detailed study of the complex interactions between biota and Earth surface processes. Formal recognition of biogeomorphology (also known as ecogeomorphology) as a subfield of geomorphology came in the late 1980s, building on several foundational pieces of research. Key foci of interest for biogeomorphological research up until the end of the twentieth century were quantifying the impact of vegetation on erosion and the geomorphological roles of individual animal species, as well as understanding the human influences on biogeomorphic systems.