About this Research Topic
There are many surface processes and morphodynamics related to soil degradation due to different forming factors. For example, non-sustainable agricultural, forestry or urban management shape the landscape by tillage practices, exploitation of natural resources, wildfires, mining, urbanization, road construction, sediment and water mobilization or terracing. These changes are also affected by climate variations (precipitation, wind, snow, etc.) and are different among hillslopes, catchments and regions. Due to the rapid increase in human activities and an imminent climate change, the scientific community is seeking new models, field measurements and control measures to estimate, quantify and reduce the negative impacts, respectively. The research conducted about surface processes and morphodynamics not only affects the soils, it may also generate impacts on the biodiversity and human services among others. Depending on how fast it progresses, it can affect land productivity, soil fertility, degrade water quality, and damage water drainage.
The concept of land degradation processes shaping the Earth´s surface refers to the environmental processes that modify the structure of the soil and, even, modify the water balance. Raising awareness of the factors, causes, consequences and preventive measures of soil processes with negative impacts on natural and anthropogenic ecosystems is crucial for stakeholders, practitioners and policymakers around the world.
The increasing awareness of the critical role of climate change on rainfall and wind characteristics has strongly increased recent research activity. Advances in observational techniques and more comprehensive lab and field monitoring programs and application of new models that honor the close links between soil, water and geomorphology provide new unique opportunities for the integrative analysis of functioning. We want to assemble the ongoing activities in this Research Topic (i) to enhance the visibility of the new wealth of multi-site, multi-timescale, and multi-sensor observations, (ii) to showcase the impact of these observations in empirical and process-based modeling studies, and (iii) to advance the understanding of processes in natural and human-impacted settings.
We are interested in Methods and Original Research Articles, but also welcome Hypothesis and Theory, Perspective and Review articles that can boost the exploitation of the information present in observations and give us new insights in the functioning of morphology systems and Earth surface processes.
Therefore, it will be very welcome all the manuscripts that fall in the scope of this Research Topic, presented as follows:
• Studies in soil erosion and morphodynamics;
• Interdisciplinary aspects of soil science, hydrology and geomorphology;
• New knowledge about erosion and its relation with climatic change and characterization of rainfall;
• Better understanding of the physical environment and human interventions;
• New methodologies developed to study the erosion: models, sensors, photogrammetry, field research, in situ observations, qualitative assessments, etc.;
• Determination of natural processes that are likely to determine the fate of our terrestrial environment.
The concept of land degradation processes shaping the Earth´s surface refers to the environmental processes that modify the structure of the soil and, even, modify the water balance. Raising awareness of the factors, causes, consequences and preventive measures of soil processes with negative impacts on natural and anthropogenic ecosystems is crucial for stakeholders, practitioners and policymakers around the world.
The increasing awareness of the critical role of climate change on rainfall and wind characteristics has strongly increased recent research activity. Advances in observational techniques and more comprehensive lab and field monitoring programs and application of new models that honor the close links between soil, water and geomorphology provide new unique opportunities for the integrative analysis of functioning. We want to assemble the ongoing activities in this Research Topic (i) to enhance the visibility of the new wealth of multi-site, multi-timescale, and multi-sensor observations, (ii) to showcase the impact of these observations in empirical and process-based modeling studies, and (iii) to advance the understanding of processes in natural and human-impacted settings.
We are interested in Methods and Original Research Articles, but also welcome Hypothesis and Theory, Perspective and Review articles that can boost the exploitation of the information present in observations and give us new insights in the functioning of morphology systems and Earth surface processes.
Therefore, it will be very welcome all the manuscripts that fall in the scope of this Research Topic, presented as follows:
• Studies in soil erosion and morphodynamics;
• Interdisciplinary aspects of soil science, hydrology and geomorphology;
• New knowledge about erosion and its relation with climatic change and characterization of rainfall;
• Better understanding of the physical environment and human interventions;
• New methodologies developed to study the erosion: models, sensors, photogrammetry, field research, in situ observations, qualitative assessments, etc.;
• Determination of natural processes that are likely to determine the fate of our terrestrial environment.
Keywords: soil erosion, climate change, morphodynamics, land degradation, meteorological impacts on soil
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
