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The interactions between vegetation and erosion: new directions for research at the interface of ecology and geomorphology

  1. W. R. Osterkamp1,*,
  2. C. R. Hupp2,
  3. Markus Stoffel3,4

Article first published online: 18 JUL 2011

DOI: 10.1002/esp.2173

Issue

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

Volume 37, Issue 1, pages 23–36, January 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Osterkamp, W. R., Hupp, C. R. and Stoffel, M. (2012), The interactions between vegetation and erosion: new directions for research at the interface of ecology and geomorphology. Earth Surf. Process. Landforms, 37: 23–36. doi: 10.1002/esp.2173

Author Information

  1. 1

    US Geological Survey, Tucson, AZ, USA

  2. 2

    US Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA

  3. 3

    Laboratory of Dendrogeomorphology (dendrolab.ch), Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

  4. 4

    Climate Change and Climate Impacts Research Chair, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Carouge-Geneva, Switzerland

*W. R. Osterkamp, US Geological Survey, Tucson, AZ, USA. E-mail: wroster@usgs.gov

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 4 JAN 2012
  2. Article first published online: 18 JUL 2011
  3. Accepted manuscript online: 12 MAY 2011 11:16PM EST
  4. Manuscript Accepted: 19 APR 2011
  5. Manuscript Revised: 14 APR 2011
  6. Manuscript Received: 24 NOV 2010

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Keywords:

  • vegetation;
  • erosion;
  • biogeomorphology;
  • ecosystems and the services they provide;
  • carbon sequestration

ABSTRACT

Vegetation and processes of erosion and deposition are interactive. An objective of this paper is to review selected studies that emphasize the interdependencies. The reviews suggest new directions for research uniting ecology and geomorphology – the sub-discipline of biogeomorphology. The research, which recently has become vigorous, includes the sources, movement, and fates of fluvial loads of sediment, organic carbon, nutrients, contaminants, and woody debris to low-energy storage sites; the function of biota in causing soil evolution, stability, and sequestration of carbon; the development of new methods to characterize watersheds based on edaphic conditions; and the refinement of current empirical and conceptual models and dendrochronological techniques to measure landscape change. These well acknowledged topics and others less well anticipated ensure that biogeomorphology will remain vibrant. Published in 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the publish domain in the USA.

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