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Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) brought a big step forward in the research of landform processes. TLS enables detailed, precise and accurate representation of terrain and all other natural or manmade structures. For this study, the badlands with earth figures of Đavolja Varoš geosite were scanned and modelled with the help of TLS, areal photogrammetry and GNSS receiver. This geosite was chosen due to rapid morphological changes occurring on a seasonal level. The scanning of the Đavolja Varoš geosite was conducted in October 2021 at 198 scanning locations, resulting in a point cloud of 1,281,664,716 points. By classifying and analyzing the obtained data, an ultra-high resolution digital elevation model (DEM) was obtained, on the basis of which surface and hydrology analysis were performed using ArcGIS Pro software. This research represents the first complete and thorough documentation of the number, structure and dimensions of earth figures. The geosite consists of 2 hidromorphological units - Đavolja and Paklena gully. Based on the processed data, Paklena gully has a larger number of earth figures, their number reaches 124, while Đavolja gully has 77 earth figures. In total, 131 earth figures have an andesite caprock and 70 are without a caprock. The average height of the figures in Đavolja Gully is 5.64 m, while the average height in Paklena gully is 4.2 m. The highest earth figure in Đavolja Varoš is 15.5 m, and the lowest is 0.8 m. Gully erosion is more intense in Đavolja gully and thus the figures are much higher. This paper laid the foundations for further investigation of site erosion, where future studies will compare the time series of processed LiDAR point cloud data, therefore, our understanding of how earth figures change will be greatly enriched by results of further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop the concept of "second displacement" to symbolise the renewed forms of uprooting that refugees undergo in arrival cities in the name of urban regeneration. Focusing on the eviction of 2,000 refugees from a self‐organised settlement in Belgrade's old train station in order to redevelop the site as a luxurious "Waterfront" project, we show how the refugees' commoning practices and claims for living space in city centres often come into direct conflict with public and private interests over urban regeneration and with imaginaries over who has the right to the city. Whilst most displacement literature focuses on state policies, we call attention to how the uprooting of refugees is often entangled with urban renewal plans and private investors' interests. In Belgrade, the depiction of the refugees' living spaces as "badlands" by the state, catalysed the formation of the rent gap that facilitated re‐allocation of rights to the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badlands National Park has been implementing an experimental "open door" concept to their fossil preparation lab, where visitors are allowed into the workspace to experience paleontological work behind the scenes. The combined effort of Resource Education and Resource Management divisions have addressed safety and security issues to optimize the maximum benefits towards resource stewardship as well as public education and enjoyment. These efforts have manifested through various interpretive opportunities combined with strategies towards visitor inclusion into the scientific realm, through encouraging citizen science. The efforts supporting the "open door" lab concept has provided significant, measurable impacts towards inspiring public engagement and stewardship. Since the lab's opening, there has been a 400% increase in Visitor Site Reports, the parks fossil reporting citizen science program. The past decade of having an "open door" lab has led to the revelation that if the park ever changed their lab setting to the classic "fishbowl" lab, seen in several museums, the significant gains that have been made would be lost. Paleontology prep labs that facilitate wider public engagement can be a major boon towards resource management strategies for paleontological resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleontological monitoring at Badlands National Park is extremely complex. The monitoring program has steadily evolved from its formalization in 1994 with the hiring of the first park paleontologist. Changing regulations, increases in protections for paleontological resources, positive interdivisional communication, sympathetic leadership, and the hiring of a full-time monitor have allowed staff to move from being purely reactive to taking an active role in planning park projects. This entails commenting on compliance through the National Park Service's Planning, Environment & Public Comment portal, conducting pre-construction surveys, attending pre-construction meetings, providing resource training for construction personnel, consulting with the Federal Highway Administration as subject-matter experts, and acting as the contracting officer's representative on select projects. The monitoring program strives to hire qualified personnel according to best practice guidelines and provides additional training in documentation, fossil identification, field methods, and effective communication prior to allowing monitors to be onsite. The monitoring program works to add value to projects such as GIS database management for park utilities, assisting with project planning, and acting as additional spotters for issues on the ground during construction. Additionally, monitors are frequently tasked with assisting in law enforcement cases and any other situation in which their skill sets can be brought to bear. The future of paleontological monitoring at Badlands National Park will continue to see the integration of technology, expertise, and communication to ensure that all projects are completed successfully, and resources are handled with the care and respect the public expects of the National Park Service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To complete the syntaxonomic conspectus of the vegetation of Tajikistan, hot semi-deserts and ruderal vegetation, mainly of the lowlands and montane belt, were surveyed with some remarks on their environmental predictors. Location: Tajikistan. Methods: A total of 143 relevés were sampled in 2022 using the seven degree cover-abundance scale of Braun-Blanquet. All these samples were classified by unsupervised k-means analysis with cut-offs of 0%, 5%, 25% and Hellinger transformation. Diagnostic species were identified using the phi coefficient as a measure of fidelity. Non-metric multidimentional scaling analysis was used to show the relationship between groups in the dataset with passively plotted environmental variables, to identify the influence of key environmental factors. Results: Four new associations - Artemisio annuae-Dittrichietum graveolens, Eminio albertii-Haloxyletum persici, Leptalaeo filifolii-Calligonetum grisei and Clematidi songaricae-Ephedretum intermediae were coined. In addition, two vegetation types already known from Eastern Europe were found: Sagino procumbentis-Bryetum argentei and Amarantho blitoidis-Tribuletum terrestris. Three plant communities were additionally identified: Alhagi kirghizorum-Chrozophora tinctoria, Halimocnemis hispida-Microcephala lamellata and Salsola montana-Halogeton glomeratus. A new alliance (Carici physodes-Haloxylion persici) was proposed for the hot semi-desert shrublands of the Irano-Turanian region, and for the vegetation of large rocky outcrops, screes and badlands in the subhumid zone of Pamir-Alai, the alliance of Ephedro intermediae-Spiraeion baldschuanicae was proposed. The main factors responsible for the species composition of the studied vegetation are altitude, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation. Conclusions: The dryland and ruderal vegetation of Tajikistan as in the whole arid Middle Asia is species rich and diverse, and deserves further detailed studies. Our research provides a first insight into this anthropogenic and natural vegetation of lowland, warm and often deserted areas, which are undergoing strong changes due to climate warming, grazing and urbanisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion is a formidable land degradation process globally. It is omnipresent across India, wherein two of the largest badlands regions in the world also exist. However, despite being affected by widespread gullying, gully erosion research in India has been rather limited, with key aspects of gully formation, morphologies and dynamics remaining unknown. Through this comprehensive systematic review, we synthesise previous studies on gully erosion in India and in turn highlight pivotal knowledge gaps. The review starts with a discussion of the causal factors of gullying in India, which underlines how gully initiation in several regions was an aftermath of deforestation and overgrazing. Contrastingly, the badlands of Central and Western India have mainly developed in response to natural triggers like neotectonics and Holocene climate change. The section on mapping highlights how mapping methodologies have not only been dictated by the availability of imagery and/or means of data processing, but also the mapping purpose—that is, individual gully channels or entire badlands. Although a few studies applying concepts of fractal geometry to characterise badlands' geomorphology are innovative and unique, the most striking research gaps we have identified also pertain to understanding and quantification of gully geomorphology and erosion dynamics in different regions of India. Our review reveals that gullies of peninsular India have been the least studied, followed by those of the Himalayan and Sub‐Himalayan region. Although the literature provides interesting examples of linkages between badlands development and the wider geomorphic evolution of the landscape, better chronological understanding is required to disentangle the relative importance of natural and anthropogenic drivers of landscape change in India's badlands. Large‐scale mapping of gully characteristics, quantification of gully morphologies, gully erosion rates and its share in catchment sediment budget across various physiographic regions or river basins of the country also constitute important areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary algorithms provide gradient-free optimisation which is beneficial for models that have difficulty in obtaining gradients; for instance, geoscientific landscape evolution models. However, such models are at times computationally expensive and even distributed swarm-based optimisation with parallel computing struggle. We can incorporate efficient strategies such as surrogate-assisted optimisation to address the challenges; however, implementing inter-process communication for surrogate-based model training is difficult. In this paper, we implement surrogate-based estimation of fitness evaluation in distributed swarm optimisation over a parallel computing architecture. We first test the framework on a set of benchmark optimisation problems and then apply to a geoscientifc model that features landscape evolution model. Our results demonstrate very promising results for benchmark functions and the Badlands landscape evolution model. We obtain a reduction in computationally time while retaining optimisation solution accuracy through the use of surrogates in a parallel computing environment. The major contribution of the paper is in the application of surrogate-based optimisation for geoscientific models which can in the future help in better understanding of paleoclimate and geomorphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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ABSTRACTSediment discharge events in the lower basin of the Chubut River (Patagonia, Argentina) associated with rainfall events generate serious problems for drinking water purification of more than 250,000 inhabitants and the support of livestock farming activity of about 42,000 ha in the region. Identifying the areas of potential sediment contribution to the Chubut River and the conditions necessary for erosion and sediment transfer is of vital importance to mitigate the negative impact of sediment discharge into the river and to establish water management plans.We conducted a detailed geomorphological study in a 110 km2 tributary watershed of the Chubut River (Sagmata pilot Basin), and identify potential sediment production zones. We based our analyzes on concomitant studies that indicate that the sediment remobilization is linked to the location of the drainage networks, especially in regions associated with badlands and erosional scarps formed on Paleogene continental deposits.

The White River Badlands (WRB) of South Dakota record eolian activity spanning the late Pleistocene through the latest Holocene (21 ka to modern), reflecting the effects of the last glacial period and Holocene climate fluctuations (Holocene Thermal Maximum, Medieval Climate Anomaly, and Little Ice Age). The WRB dune fields are important paleoclimate indicators in an area of the Great Plains with few climate proxies. The goal of this study is to use 1 m/pixel-resolution digital elevation models from drone imagery to distinguish Early to Middle Holocene parabolic dunes from Late Holocene parabolic dunes. Results indicate that relative ages of dunes are distinguished by slope and roughness (terrain ruggedness index). Morphological differences are attributed to postdepositional wind erosion, soil formation, and mass wasting. Early to Middle Holocene and Late Holocene paleowind directions, 324°± 13.1° (N = 7) and 323° ± 3.0° (N = 19), respectively, are similar to the modern wind regime. Results suggest significant landscape resilience to wind erosion, which resulted in preservation of a mosaic of Early and Late Holocene parabolic dunes. Quantification of dune characteristics will help refine the chronology of eolian activity in the WRB, provide insight into drought-driven landscape evolution, and integrate WRB eolian activity in a regional paleoenvironmental context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sparsely vegetated badlands are loci of intense erosion that is sufficiently rapid to have observable effects on human timescales. Characterizing and understanding the physical weathering processes in these settings are key to predicting the temporal variability of regolith production and sediment flux, as well as their evolution under changing climate conditions. Here, we study intra‐annual changes of hillslope properties and explore the relationship between sediment production and transport in steep marly badland catchments of the Draix–Bléone Critical Zone Observatory (SE France), where decades‐long monitoring records show rapid morphological changes. There is evidence for seasonal dynamics of these badlands, but characterization and quantification of physical weathering processes have been lacking up to now. We explore this gap by monitoring key regolith parameters including grain‐size distribution (characterized by D50), surface resistance and water content in the regolith layer (surface to ∼10 cm depth) at different locations, through repeated field surveys over a 2.5‐year period. While water content appears to be directly controlled by the last previous rainfall event, the cyclic annual pattern in observed D50 suggests that loose and finely fragmented regolith is mainly produced and accumulates during the winter season, whereas sediment transport is dominant during spring–summer. This dynamic reduces regolith thickness and induces coarsening of hillslope surface material between early spring and autumn. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlights the strong correlation between resistance and D50. We therefore suggest that D50 provides the best proxy of regolith weathering in these marls. The spatial variability of the regolith was analysed through a geophysical profile, highlighting distinct behaviour depending on slope aspect. However, the distribution of slope angles is independent of aspect at the catchment scale. These results corroborate the strong annual dynamics of these catchments, where hillslopes and gullies are drained during spring and early summer high‐intensity precipitation events, inducing high sediment yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chambal River is one of the spectacular rivers in India due to its geomorphological variability. The important proposed landforms for geomorphosites from the Chambal River are (a) Badland topography (GSB): Chambal Badlands are severely dissected, difficult to transverse, and unsuitable for agriculture; (b) Canyons of Chambal (GSC): Canyons of Chambal River are one of the largest in India; and (c) Waterfalls and rapids: The middle reaches of the Chambal River consist of waterfalls, known as Chulia, and contain large boulders, potholes, and step-pool sections. For the present study, the M-GAM method was applied for geomorphosite assessment of the selected sites in order to establish their potential to become geomorphological sites. Canyons, waterfalls, and badlands are all highly rated geomorphosites. Badlands receive the highest ranking because they are excellent examples of geomorphological processes. Canyons and waterfalls are the most accessible. However, The badlands are the most difficult to access. For each geosite, additional functional values are very low. Canyons and waterfalls are popular tourist destinations. Tour guide service is one of the most highly valued aspects for tourists. This is essential during the current COVID-19 pandemic, when international travel is restricted, resulting in a surge in domestic tourists to nature destinations. Major improvements to the low-rated elements, coupled with better promotional activities, would offer more domestic and international tourists to these geosites, benefiting the local population and economy through higher income and new jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a 4-year study carried out on the so-called Vaches Noires cliffs (VNCs), in Normandy, France, between April 2016 and January 2019. The VNCs are badlands facing the Channel sea, with Cretaceous to Jurassic formations. They are subject to strong erosion processes already described by former works. This study aims to gain greater insight into the erosion phenomena with the help of aerial surveys supported by geophysical imaging. For this purpose, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) were established using photogrammetry applied to dozens of photos taken by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) was implemented according to profiles that were both transverse and parallel to the coastline, (i) from the top to bottom of the cliffs, (ii) as well as at the toe of the crests and on the beach. The main outcome is a global methodology to properly perform these methods and to combine all the results in a 3D environment using free software. This methodology was validated according to a 1-year experiment based on the comparison of two DEMs, then extended to a 4-year diachronic approach. Moreover, volumes of eroded and deposited materials were assessed in specific, morphodynamic areas of the cliffs. The ERI results were used to carry out thickness assessments of the layers involved in the erosion process, and served to clarify the local geology; however, their interpretation remains limited by the lack of a priori information, and underlines the need to carry out inversion processes via a 3D approach in a particularly complex topography. In conclusion, this work provides effective tools to anticipate the risks that threaten coastal habitats and infrastructures, and represents a solid basis for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical weathering driven by physical erosion is a natural process that strongly affects chemical and solid matter budgets at the Earth's surface. However, the influence of extreme climatic erosion on chemical weathering dynamics is poorly understood. Badland landscapes formed in highly erodible substrates have the potential to respond to individual events on scales that are rapid enough for direct observation. Here, we assess the geochemical and grain-size composition of suspended sediment and riverine chemistry measurements collected from two catchments during the 2017 Nesat and Haitang typhoons in southwestern (SW) Taiwan. During the typhoons, the Na + concentration covaried with suspended sediment concentration (SSC), which we attributed to sodium-induced deflocculation. Evaporite weathering at peak rainfall is succeeded by peak silicate weathering at maximum discharge. Overall, our observations suggest that initial weathering of near-surface evaporite enhances the physical erosion of silicate rock during extreme rainfall events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amynodontidae Scott & Osborn, 1883 are an extinct family of Rhinocerotoidea Owen, 1845 known from the middle Eocene to the latest Oligocene of Asia, North America, and Europe. We report here two unpublished specimens of Amynodontidae, a skull and a mandible of Zaisanamynodon borisovi Belyaeva, 1971 from the late Eocene of the Zaysan Basin (Kazakhstan) and a skull of Metamynodon planifrons Scott & Osborn, 1887, from the early Oligocene of the Big Badlands (United States). This new material has been incorporated into a morpho-anatomical character matrix. It was completed with the coding of the recently described species of Amynodontopsis jiyuanensis Wang X.-Y., Wang Y.-Q., Zhang R., Zhang Z.-H., Liu & Ren, 2020 and the revised coding of Cadurcotherium cayluxi Gervais, 1873 and Cadurcotherium minum Filhol, 1880. We computed a cladistic analysis based on this matrix, including 31 Rhinocerotoidea terminal taxa. The new phylogenetic hypothesis proposed allows to discuss the relationships of the referred specimens within Amynodontidae and those of Amynodontidae within Rhinocerotoidea. Our cladistic analysis clarifies the generic and specific composition of the tribes Metamynodontini Kretzoi, 1942 and Cadurcodontini Wall, 1982 and supports the monophyly of the genus Zaisanamynodon Belyaeva, 1971. The dichotomy between the two tribes is notably expressed by the presence of several cranial features such as "the deep nasal notch" or "the well-developed preorbital fossa" in Cadurcodontini. These cranial specializations attest to an adaptation of the peri-nasal region to the presence of a proboscis with a feeding function. Our study also opens a discussion on the biogeography of Amynodontidae, their emergence and dispersal in Asia and their subsequent migration to North America, and Eastern Europe. Their presence in Western Europe remains restricted to the Oligocene, after a dispersal related to the "Grande Coupure" event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tectono-sedimentary history of Gippsland Basin from the Early Cretaceous to present was modelled using Badlands landscape software constrained by a 3D structural and stratigraphic Petrel model. The aim is to assess the theoretical sedimentary models using empirical data to better understand the sedimentary history for this rift basin. The models measure the relative effects and most significant variables for basin evolution, including climate, deposition and erosion with extension, subsidence, uplift and eustacy. They show how the detailed basin landscapes evolved and provide new insights to understand facies development in the basin. Early Cretaceous paleotopography ca 137 Ma had extensive highland areas to north, east and south of a rapidly subsiding intracratonic rift with sediment transport east to west. The simulated paleoenvironments are alluvial and fluvial with floodplain lakes developing into extensive lake systems further west. The mid-Cretaceous uplift changed basin architecture, initiating the Strzelecki Ranges and regional erosion. Tasman Sea rifting in early Late Cretaceous formed the Central Deep further east and flipped the paleodrainage eastwards. Latrobe Group sediments filled this smaller depocentre to the east starting with rapidly deposited very thick intracratonic fluvial and lacustrine sediments becoming more coastal plain and shallow marine up section, with Emperor, Golden Beach and Halibut subgroups containing reservoirs and potential source rocks for petroleum. Rising sea-levels in the Late Cretaceous transgressed most of the Latrobe Group by the Oligocene. Simulations from Oligocene to Holocene show less extensive non-marine deposition onshore with incised valleys and very thick coals, while a widespread carbonate shelf built and prograded offshore, periodically cut by submarine canyons. Scenario analysis for 13 variables shows that no single factor is the main control on rift basin evolution; rather basin history is shaped by interactions between climate, uplift, erosion, subsidence and deposition. These controls usually balance sea-level except where it changes rapidly. Numerical tectono-sedimentary basin history reconstruction constrained by empirical data requires a balance of uplift, sediment supply and subsidence. Paleolandscape simulation in the Gippsland Basin from Early Cretaceous to present-day shows how the detailed facies distribution changed with time. New potential reservoirs and source rocks are recognised within the Cretaceous Strzelecki Group, Emperor and Golden Beach subgroups. Organic-rich Turonian source rocks were deposited in restricted lacustrine intra-rift settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badlands are dynamic landforms that cause soil loss over extensive areas. In this study, we analyze recent sediment mobilization in a badland area by using a novel approach that integrates fallout 137Cs and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). We assess how erosion and sediment storage operate over the Tepezalá volcano, a tephra cone located in central Mexico. We analyzed a set of sediment samples extracted from the surface of an altitudinal sequence with different land uses to explore how landscape management practices relate to erosion and, depth profiles from local sinks, to detect patterns of sediment mobilization and sedimentation. We compared 137Cs and OSL results with reference values to evaluate whether erosion or deposition is predominant and to assess how deep the erosive processes in the landscape are. Results from fallout 137Cs values indicate that in those badlands with implemented actions to mitigate erosion, sediment is retained. The high luminescence values show that the edaphic soil has been flushed away, and subsoil crops out in some of the sampled sites. For the case of depth profiles, maximum values of 137Cs coincide with high luminescence values, suggesting that in such sites, the sediment was mobilized during rapid incision episodes that caused widespread erosion of the landscape. We detected at least three episodes of rapid incision in 10 years of sediment record. We propose that using 137Cs and OSL together can provide valuable information of the sediment transport in settings dominated by fast erosion as do occur for the case of badlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most dryland ecosystems are characterised by a low ecosystem services (ES) provision, being socially perceived as lacking in cultural and regulating ES. This is the case of the badlands, highly eroded arid ecosystems without vegetation, which have been extensively analysed from a physical point of view, but hardly studied from the point of view of the benefits they provide to society. This paper aimed to determine the social preferences for and the relative importance of the ES provided by badlands. To achieve this objective, a representative sample of the population was taken from the Region of Murcia (Spain), a semiarid Mediterranean area with an abundant presence of these ecosystems. This study area is of additional interest for the provision of ES derived from agroecosystems. The contingent ranking method was used to identify aspects such as the utility provided by the different types of ES and the social well‐being derived from different management policies to be implemented. The results show a preference of the population for cultural ES and biodiversity in the badlands. Given that the implementation of badlands ES protection and a management policy based on the maintenance of agricultural ES are the two strategies that yield the highest social well‐being, the provisioning and regulating ES derived from agroecosystems in the area should be evaluated simultaneously, given the trade‐off that can occur between the two ecosystems. These results provide dryland ecosystem managers with a view of soil erosion management that is different from the traditional one, since it promotes not only its control, but also a greater presence of educational and recreational activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badlands are specific landforms characterized by intense denudation processes. Their occurrence is mainly associated with clay-like materials and semi-arid and Mediterranean climates. This study presents the badland inventory for the Paleogene Pazin Basin located on the Istrian peninsula in Croatia. A total of 5,381 badland polygons, with a total area of 10.25 km², were manually outlined, based on the visual interpretation of orthophotos at a scale of 1:5,000. The badlands in Istria are represented as small and isolated landforms and are exclusively associated with flysch and flysch-like materials, which cover a significant part of the study area (46%). The analysis of badland inventory shows that badlands are spatially not equally distributed but that their abundance is increasing from NW to SE part of the analyzed area. Additionally, the results of the spatial analysis indicate the positive relationship between badland occurrence and relative relief, which is presented via the relief-badland index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A geological, geomorphological and geo-touristic map, at 1:5000 scale, has been produced for the most representative area of the regional ‘Special Nature Reserve of Montalbano Jonico Badlands’, with the aim to represent the scientific and landscape features which allowed the establishment of the Reserve. The area is located in the Province of Matera (Basilicata), on the southwestern sector of the Apennines Quaternary foredeep, in Southern Italy. The map highlights stratigraphic signatures of international interest and badland landscapes, imprinted on a clayey marine succession straddling the Early-Middle Pleistocene boundary. This stratigraphic interval can be considered as an international reference section for global paleoclimatic signatures during Marine Oxygen Isotopic Stages 20–18 and for the base of the Middle Pleistocene Subseries/Subepoch. With the goal to disseminate these knowledges, to improve future research and to promote sustainable geo-tourism, the map allows visitors to enjoy the scientific features and scenery of the Reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment discharge events in the lower basin of the Chubut River (Patagonia, Argentina) associated with rainfall events generate serious problems for drinking water purification of more than 250,000 inhabitants and the support of livestock farming activity of about 42,000 ha in the region. Identifying the areas of potential sediment contribution to the Chubut River and the conditions necessary for erosion and sediment transfer is of vital importance to mitigate the negative impact of sediment discharge into the river and to establish water management plans. We conducted a detailed geomorphological study in a 110 km² tributary watershed of the Chubut River (Sagmata pilot Basin), and identify potential sediment production zones. We based our analyzes on concomitant studies that indicate that the sediment remobilization is linked to the location of the drainage networks, especially in regions associated with badlands and erosional scarps formed on Paleogene continental deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion is an environmental problem recognized as one of the worst land degradation processes worldwide. Insight into regional gully perturbations is required to combat the serious on‐ and off‐site impacts of gullying on a catchment management scale. In response, we intersect different perspectives on gully erosion‐specific views in South Africa (SA), a country that exhibits various physiographic properties and spans 1.22 million km2. While the debate surrounding gully origin continues, there is consensus that anthropogenic activities are a major contemporary driver. The anthropogenic impact caused gullying to transcend climatic, geomorphic, and land‐use boundaries, although it becomes more prominent in central to eastern SA. Soil erodibility plays a crucial role in what extent of gully erosion severity is attained from human impact, contributing to the east–west imbalance of erosion in SA. Soil erosion rates from gullying and badlands are limited but suggest that it ranges between 30 and 123 t ha−1 yr−1 in the more prominent areas. These soil loss rates are comparable to global rates where gullying is concerned; moreover, they are up to four orders of magnitude higher than the estimated baseline erosion rate. On a national scale, the complexity of gullying is evident from the different temporal timings of (re)activation or stabilizing and different evolution rates. Continued efforts are required to understand the intricate interplay of human activities, climate, and preconditions determining soil erodibility. In SA, more medium‐ to long‐term studies are required to understand better how changing control factors affect gully evolution. More research is needed to implement and appraise mitigation measures, especially using indigenous knowledge. Establishing (semi)‐automated mapping procedures would aid in gully monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of implemented mitigation measures. More urgently, the expected changes in climate and land‐use necessitate further research on how environmental change affects short‐term gully erosion dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bimodal grain size distribution increases sediments erodiblity. • Mineralogical composition and weathering processes are making unique badland site. • Volcaniclastic material are "bad" enough to make badlands. • Volcaniclastic material open a possibility for new badland classification. In the past few decades, terrains of accentuated roughness with variety of topographical features and, due to the diversity of lithology and colors, known as badlands attract great attention not only from the scientist, but from people in general and contribute to the touristic popularization of geosites. Badlands materials are mainly silty clays and clayey silts. However, they can be formed in volcaniclastics material too and one of the most prominent badlands developed in pyroclastic sediments is Cappadocia, Turkey. Less known are Kazar badlands, Hungary, developed in rhyolitic poorly-consolidated highly porous tuffs and Djavolja varos, Serbia developed in dacito-andesitic poorly-consolidated, poorly-sorted tuffs. Volcaniclastic rock samples from Kazar badlands, Hungary and Djavolja varos, Serbia were analyzed with the purpose to broaden existing knowledge on materials in which badlands can form. Through analysis of eight unweathered volcaniclastic sediment samples that included petrographic characterization, content of macroelements, pH, electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio and immersion test an attempt was made to answer the question whether volcaniclastics are "bad" enough to make badlands. After all the analysis conducted, Kazar badlands and Djavolja varos materials have different properties, unique for each site, but are still more similar to each other than to, already known badlands materials. Similar bimodal grain size distribution of Kazar badlands and Djavolja varos reflects sediments erodibility and is making them similar to other badlands generally, while mineralogical composition and weathering processes are the main factors making these two sites a unique badlands group. Conclusions brought in this study are opening new scientific topic and they imply that volcaniclastic material, even though site-specific, make unique badlands and that, through future research, could bring the possibility of a new badlands classification that will include only volcaniclastics and will bring up small sites like these to the existent geotouristic map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the morphology and land use/land cover of palaeochannels along the Chambal River and it explores the prospects of their revival. A total of 104 palaeochannels were identified covering a distance of 465 km. Further, the study has identified that palaeochannels have a natural valley structure that facilitates limited and seasonal water inundation at irregular places, forming pond-like structures. The ponds are a direct consequence of blockages of natural drainage, mainly, by human construction activities. It has been found that the palaeochannels, despite having a valley structure, have private ownership and have been under cultivation. Further, this paper explores revival prospects of the palaeochannels and ponds, including their inclusion in the Amrit Sarovar Scheme (a Government Scheme). These results are significant in understanding of the geomorphological evolution of the Chambal River and in the possibility of using the areas (palaeochannels and ponds) in a more meaningful way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present geomorphic study analyzes the morphometric anomalies of the lateritic badlands (West Bengal, India) to understand the erosion intensity, triggering factors and landscape evolution using the ALOS AW3D30 DEM and quantitative techniques of various hydro-geomorphic processes (viz., basin morphometry, rainfall-runoff simulation, geomorphic threshold, erosion indices, sediment yield, SPI, and STI etc.). The GIS-based analysis reflects that there is the requitement of minimum drainage area (i.e. 55.71-349.01 m²) to maintain one metre of gully channel in the basins which have the network density of 2.86-13.76 km km-2. The critical slope (i.e. geomorphic threshold) of badland terrain varies from 0.0222 to 0.0407 metre metre-1, having dominance of overland flow erosion to initiate gully heads. The basin-wise SCS-CN and USLE coupling estimates that within the daily rainfall range of 11.41-66.41 mm day-1, the potential sediment yield of gully basins varies from 2.15 to 9.10 t ha-1. The SL index (i.e. 0.81-47.32 m) diagram reflects the beats of gully energy profile due to stream erosion enhancement, slope steepness, resistance of underlying lithologies and active tectonics. Hypsometric integral values of the gully basins, ranging from 0.4 to 0.6, emphasize a low entropy-based fluvial system and development of mature-youthful landform stage. The evolutionary stages of badlands are explained here by the connectivity model and hillslope -- gully -- river coupling system, showing a quasi-equilibrium to complex stage of landscape development at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion is a particularly damaging process which is not yet sufficiently understood and parameterized. Gully head topographic threshold relative to Hortonian runoff have been studied in cropland, rangeland and forest. This study extends such modelling approach to badlands. Different badlands (eight sites) have been studied in the Mediterranean environment in Italy and Spain, characterized by diversified climatic, lithological, and geological settings under different anthropogenic conditioning. Many badlands have been characterized by their specific human history in addition to their geomorphological properties. Land use, as part of the human history, strongly affected many badland formation and development, through extremely impacting land exploitation (usually overgrazing). The effect of geological and geomorphological processes are usually particularly well visible. While the weakening effect of joints is confirmed, the different geological layer bedding orientation with respect to the slope aspect generates a different development of badland morphologies and different values of gully head thresholds values (as shown in two badlands sites on the same geological material and climate. The selection of Curve Number values, at the base of the introduction of land use into the gully head thresholds, has been more objectively defined in order to reduce arbitrariness in threshold application. The study additionally revises some of the physical basics behind the gully head threshold concept, requiring a description of the soil resistance in terms of frictional and cohesive components. This implies the explicit inclusion of rock fragment into the grain size distribution, which cannot be limited to fine grains. It results into an enriched threshold formulation that allows to describe the condition for gully head initiation and retreat as the result of the tradeoff between the frictional and cohesive components of the soil resistance forces. Eventually, the gully head threshold concept is confirmed and extended to include badlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the theme of isolation and confrontation with wilderness versus the comforts of community in American literature and film. It explores how characters like James Sallis's "Driver," Sergio Leone's "Harmonica", and others; embracing a life of drama, resolution and unique skills; contrast between the wilderness and civilization; and highlights the central tension in the Western genre, where characters often embody "lawless openness" and a refusal to conform to societal norms.

Badlands are extensively eroded landscapes consisting of weakly consolidated deposits within highly dense drainage systems. Their controlling and shaping factors can differ in relation to various internal and external conditions and processes that are not always well understood. This study focuses on the development of a badland landscape affecting Miocene and Quaternary sand-clay sediments in the extensional tectonic regime of Western Turkey with a multidisciplinary approach. The area between Kula and Selendi towns exhibits a badland topography with extensively eroded surface features, deepened gullies within poorly consolidated, sand clay-sized sediments. The results of structural field mapping and morphometric analyses using a 5 m resolution DEM to study the role of structural control in the development of badlands are presented in this study. Field data analysis supported by the quantitative assessment of longitudinal gully profiles illustrates the role of pre-existing structures as faults, their orientation and geometry in net erosion-sedimentation and the development of deepened gully networks. Representative illustrations, field photographs and block diagrams are presented to show the relationship between the rock structure and badland landscape. The connection between the extensional tectonics, erosional dynamics and geomorphology point to a structurally-controlled landscape in the Kula badlands in Western Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the thousands of artifacts recovered in 1891–1892 from Mound 25 of the Middle Woodland Hopewell Mound Group in Ross County, Ohio, is a Cretaceous scaphitid ammonite fossil. We have identified the ammonite as Hoploscaphites brevis, a well-known and well-studied index fossil used to subdivide the Upper Cretaceous deposits of the western interior of North America into biostratigraphic zones. The North American extent of this species is limited to parts of the Northern Great Plains, with the probable source of the Hopewell Mound Group specimen being the Sage Creek area in Pennington County, South Dakota. This probable source area for the fossil is consistent with that proposed by Charles Willoughby in the late 1800s. Both ethnological information and archaeological data, including from sites contemporaneous with Mound 25, indicate that ammonite fossils were highly prized among the people of the Northern Great Plains for curing the sick and bringing success in hunting, war, and other endeavors. Conversely, both ethnological information and archaeological data from Eastern Woodland cultures indicate ammonite fossils did not have the same allure among Eastern Woodland people. This and other information suggest that the Hopewell Mound Group ammonite fossil was indirectly procured through interaction with people living in the area where it originated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we aimed to identify important plant areas (IPAs) in the Fergana Valley, one of the most densely human-populated regions in Central Asia with a diverse array of endemic and endangered species. The IPA programme in FV aims to identify and protect a global network of plant conservation sites. We conducted a field survey from 2018 to 2021 to re-identify specimens collected from Fergana Valley and stored at the National Herbarium of Uzbekistan (TASH). An analysis of the floristic, geobotanical and collected data allowed for the identification of the badlands in the northern foothills (Chap tract and surrounding areas) as an IPA site. We modified the interpretation of criterion A for IPAs to suit the circumstances of Mountainous Central Asia and documented the distribution of 29 species in the IPAs under these subcriteria. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify an IPA in Uzbekistan and provide geographic coordinates with locations for the herbarium specimens used to create the IPA set for Central Asia. Our study provides a foundation for applying future IPAs in this region, addressing specific conservation challenges, such as conserving rare and endangered species that grow outside protected areas and GIS mapping of endemic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variables including temperature, rainfall intensity, rainfall acidity, and lithological properties are among the most important factors affecting rock weathering. However, the relative contribution of these four factors on rock weathering, especially on chemical weathering, is still unclear. In this study, we carried out a series of weathering-leaching rainfall simulations on four types of badland sediments under controlled conditions of two levels of temperature, rainfall intensity, and rainfall acidity based on the real field data from representative weather scenarios. The main objectives are 1) to explore the progressive change of sample surface and leachate characteristics and 2) to reveal the independent effects of temperature, rainfall intensity, rainfall acidity, and lithology and their relative contribution as well, on both mechanical and chemical weathering. Qualitative analysis on crack development and fragmentation of sample surface and quantitative analysis on the leachate volume, pH, electrical conductivity, and total cation and anion releases of sample leachate together demonstrated that for the investigated sediments, under the conditions of temperature, intensity, and acidity of rain that can be achieved in nature, high drying temperature obviously increases mechanical disintegration by promoting the rate and magnitude of moisture variations (wetting–drying alterations), while high rainfall intensity and acid rain have no obvious effect. Impact and importance of the drying process caused by high temperature between wetting events need more attention, rather than high rainfall intensity. Low temperature, high rainfall intensity, and acid rain contributing more hydrogen ions required for cation exchanges, rock type with more soluble minerals, all promote chemical weathering, and the influence of climatic and lithological factors on chemical weathering decreases in the following order: mineral composition> rainfall intensity > temperature > rainfall acidity. Climatic variations on temperature can modify weathering processes and in that way conditioned hydro-geomorphological processes in badland areas. Such changes should be considered for direct and indirect implications on badland dynamics.

• Seasonal impacts of precipitation and temperature have been demonstrated on weathering processes in badland landscapes. • Study unveils cyclic weathering rebounds, with pH, ion concentrations, and surficial changes as indicators, revealing distinct trends in various parent materials. • This study elucidates how the seasonality of precipitation and temperature regulate chemical and physical weathering dynamics in Mediterranean badland landscapes by revealing the dominance of certain ions like Na+ in seasonal dispersion patterns and elevated Ca2+ levels during winter. An intricate association between weathering and erosional processes is largely controlled by climate disparities. Weathering as a predisposing process for natural hazards, landform evolution, and sediment mobility, hosts key uncertainties in our understanding of how climate controls differential weathering types and rates. Here, we investigate how weathering is influenced by seasonal changes in precipitation and temperature in badland landscapes. Previous studies have commonly adopted rainfall simulation approach in the field or laboratory, but have simulated only steady climate conditions to understand weathering dynamics. Taking these studies further, we simulated seasonal changes in precipitation and temperature in the laboratory. To understand their weathering response, we exposed samples collected from four different climates over twelve sequential seasons, reflecting a 3-year period. We used pH, electrical conductivity (EC), ion concentrations, and surficial changes as chemical and physical proxies, respectively, to infer types and trends of weathering. Based on the influence of sediment physicochemical properties (especially high sodium absorption ratio (SAR)) on weathering processes, our findings reveal that sinusoidal trends attaining their peak level in spring in Na+ concentration, which overcomes other ions, contribute to an accelerated dispersion degree with concurrently decreasing pH in marly sediments in the Arid region. Moreover, the recurrent pattern of increased Ca2+ levels, especially during winter seasons, can enhance the extent of sediment aggregations within Mediterranean sandy mudstones. In conclusion, consistent with previous studies, wetting–drying cycles are crucial in physical weathering and regolith behavior, which resulted in cyclic deep crust formations in the spring and summer seasons due to the high swelling capacity of samples. Overall, this study demonstrates how seasonal changes in climate regulate the degree of chemical and physical weathering processes in badland landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equations estimating body mass were used to depict a near 5-million-year history of size change in pocket gophers and cotton rats from the Meade Basin of southwestern Kansas. Although phyletic size decrease was noted in Sigmodon minor and Geomys minor and size increase in Geomys quinni, no long-term intra-basin size trends were observed. Immediately following the Huckleberry Ridge ash-fall at 2.11 Ma, the small Pliocene cotton rat S. minor became extinct, a large cotton rat entered the basin, two gophers became extinct, and two new ones entered the basin. Assuming the same rodent contingent at the Short Haul locality as at the Aries A site, between deposition of the Borchers and Short Haul assemblages, minimally about 0.12 million years, 40% of the Meade Basin rodent fauna turned over and Microtus dispersed into North America across Beringia. Geochemical environmental proxy data did not identify significant climatic events in the Borchers Badlands Pleistocene sequence; consequently it is possible that a super-eruption from the Yellowstone caldera was at least partly responsible for size shifts in cotton rats and pocket gophers and significant modifications to the Meade Basin rodent community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badlands are areas that cannot be used for agricultural and animal husbandry purposes. It is even impossible to walk on some parts of them. However, they can be used for tourism and educational purposes. In the world, there are badlands used for tourism and educational purposes and visited by thousands of people every year. It is also possible to see badlands, which cover a large area, almost in any region of Turkey. Turkey has badlands that can compete with other badlands in the world in terms of geosite potential. Indeed, certain badlands such as Rhododendron Ridge, Küpyar Badland, Nallıhan Badland, Devil City Badland, Rainbow Hills (Erzurum) and Rainbow Hills (Iğdır) have succeeded in attracting people's attention with their interesting features. However, no holistic assessment has been carried out regarding the geosite potential of the badlands in Turkey. The main purpose of this research is to determine the educational and touristic value of certain badlands in Turkey as a geosite and to compare these areas with their examples in the world. Accordingly, quantitative geosite assessment methods were used in the research. The results of the assessment revealed that Nallıhan Badland, which is one of the badlands subjected to assessment in the research, is the badland that has the highest geosite potential of Turkey with its main (educational and scientific) and additional (touristic and functional) values. Also, this area has high geotouristic value among other examples in the world. It was concluded that Turkey, which has important badlands in terms of geosite potential, does not evaluate these badlands for tourism and especially educational purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐resolution multi‐temporal digital elevation model (DEM) are key to accurate mapping of gully erosion volume change studies. Owing to the lack of multi‐temporal DEM at a high spatial resolution, gully development rate, and gully erosion‐fill volume change estimates in the Indian badlands are poorly studied. Our study explored the use of multi‐temporal TerraSAR‐X add‐on for digital elevation measurement (TanDEM‐X) derived elevation models to quantify the erosion volume and gully susceptibility mapping in the Chambal badlands, Central India. The average volume of gully erosion based on the DEM subtraction method in the study area was found to be 135 × 105 m3, and the estimated annual rate of soil erosion was ~284 t hr−1 yr−1. Using machine learning models, we trained these data for gully erosion susceptibilities and volume prediction for a larger study region; and validated the results with independent samples. The accuracy of the model in terms of area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) values has reached 0.85 for training and 0.87 for validation, indicating satisfactory model performance. After validation, the best fit model was implemented onto a testing site (no multi‐temporal DEM available) in order to predict erosion zones and erosion volume estimation. The model predicted that about 40% of the area is highly affected by gully erosion, with the maximum gullying process in the north‐Central and lowest in the southwest parts of the testing area. The research framework presented in this study can be useful in estimating the erosion rate in the badlands of the Chambal Valley and can be used effectively in ravine reclamation projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badlands are unique soil erosion landforms distributed in numerous geological, geomorphological, and climate contexts in several Mediterranean countries. The aim of this study was to map, classify, and analyze the temporal evolution of the badlands that crop out between the Tesino and Tronto Rivers in the Marche region, Central Apennines (Italy). In this study, 328 badlands landforms were mapped through Google Earth, orthophoto analysis (year 2016), and field surveys. Moreover, badlands were classified from a morphological point of view based on the active processes detected in the field. Additionally, badlands were studied from a lithological point of view, meaning they were strictly related to the soft sedimentary formations of the study area. Subsequently, through the analysis of a 10 × 10 m DEM, the most significant morphometric indices were extrapolated and badlands were classified. Finally, through the orthophotos from 1988, another badlands dataset was created and the area of each landform was compared with respect to the orthophotos from 2016. The multi-temporal air photo analysis, combined with the NDVI results, identified a general reduction trend in badlands areas, with increases in green cover and dense vegetation and changes in badlands morphotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cedar Pass Landslide Complex is located in Badlands National Park, South Dakota, and has created the need for regular maintenance and repair of Badlands Loop Road (South Dakota State Highway 240), the main highway traversing the park. Although there have been previous studies done in small portions of the complex, there has not been a comprehensive study to evaluate the interactions between smaller landslides and the sensitivity of the landslides within the complex to changing conditions. This study used extensive field mapping and slope stability modeling to delineate the boundaries of landslides within the complex, assess the stability, and investigate the sensitivity to fluctuations in groundwater, reduction in material strength, and erosion within the landslide mass. Results show that highway surface damage in the complex is related to the interaction of movement in both smaller and larger landslides. For instance, damage to the Cliff Shelf parking lot is related to small, destabilized blocks above the head scarp of the larger Prairie Island Landslide located to the southeast. In the Upper and Lower Wedge areas, previously mapped landslides were not confirmed, but highway damage may relate to settlement and erosion of an embankment fill and continued deformation of the massive Cliff Shelf paleo-landslide, which was thought to be dormant until the late 1990s. The overall slow and episodic movement of the landslides observed over the past 30 years may be attributed to dilatant strengthening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In southern Taiwan, mudstone badland accounts for over 1000 km2 of the upstream region of watersheds. Rainstorms often induce interrill and surface erosion on the mudstone slopes. Furthermore, the large quantity of soils detached by surface runoff result in severe sedimentation in reservoirs. Thus, soil erosion control of mudstone badlands represents one of the most pressing problems in reservoir watershed management. Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (Bermuda grass) and Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack. (Centipedegrass) are two native predominant C4 grass species appearing on mudstone badlands. They play a key role in erosion control and the revegetation of mudstone slopes. Nevertheless, their root functional traits and water erosion-reducing potential have not been investigated. In this study, the root traits were examined. Vertical pullout and tensile tests were conducted to measure root pullout resistance and root tensile strength. Hydraulic flume tests were also performed to evaluate their water erosion-reducing potentials. The results demonstrated that the root systems of C. dactylon and E. ophiuroides grasses all belonged to the fibrous M-type. C. dactylon had remarkably better root traits compared to those of E. ophiuroides. Furthermore, the root tensile resistance of C. dactylon was remarkably higher than that of E. ophiuroides. In addition, hydraulic flume tests showed that C. dactylon has remarkably smaller soil detachment rates than that of E. ophiuroides. Altogether, our data clearly show that C. dactylon has better root traits, root pullout resistance, root tensile resistance and water erosion-reducing potential than E. ophiuroides and is more suitable for erosion control of mudstone badland. Further studies on large-scale implementation techniques of these species for efficient vegetation restoration are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female and male bees forage for different reasons: females provision nests with pollen appropriate for larval development and consume nectar for energy while males need only fuel their own energetic requirements. The expectation, therefore, is that females should visit fewer floral resource species than males, due to females' focus on host plant species and their tie to the nest location. We used pollen collected from bees' bodies and the flowers they were collected on to infer floral resource use in 2010–2012 at Badlands National Park, SD, USA. We collected bees on 24 1-ha plots centered on particular plant species. We compared number of floral species and families (1) associated with individual female and male bees (via generalized linear mixed models) and (2) accumulated by each sex (using rarefaction); and (3) effect of variation between sexes in plant-bee interactions via modularity analyses. Analyses were restricted to bee species with ≥ 5 individuals per sex. Contrary to expectation, female and male bees differed infrequently in the number of floral resources they had visited, both on single foraging bouts and collectively when accumulated across all males and females of a species. When males and females did differ, males visited fewer floral species than females. Generalist and specialist bee species did not differ markedly in floral resource use by females and males. When separated by sex, seven of eleven species occupied different modules than they did when analyzed as a species; most of the bee species were connectors, thus important for stability of the network during perturbations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an analysis of a large facial formation known as the Badlands Guardian, set within a glacial moraine along the southeast corner of Alberta, Canada. The formation is presented here in one aerial and three satellite images acquired over the past 70 years by the Alberta Department of Lands & Forests and Google Earth. The images reveal a profiled portrait of a human head wearing a feathered headdress. The facial features include an eye, nose, mouth, chin, neck, and jawline. The headdress consists of a headband containing a staggered set of feather-shaped extensions. When taken together these aesthetic features create the visual impression of a left-facing portrait of an indigenous tribesman wearing a feathered headdress. A claim of intelligent shaping is offered, and a geologist and geoscientist examine natural mechanisms that could contribute to the formation of these aesthetic features. A comparison of the iconographic tribal motifs of both North and South America is presented and a request for an extensive ground exploration and additional satellite images of this formation is encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco‐restoration attempts in badlands are generally not fully successful because physical solutions such as reshaping and leveling of gullies and ravines to check erosion and soil losses prove to be temporary in nature. In this context, it leads to conceptualization that the cause of badland formation is not merely topographical but should be related to changes in the intrinsic properties of soils. There is a lack of understanding as to the formative role of physico‐chemical characteristics of soils in the formation of badlands. The objective of our study is to determine such critical physico‐chemical characteristics of soils that are responsible for the onset of a self‐aggravating erosive network of badlands by undertaking a case‐study of part of the Mandakini River watershed, Chitrakoot, India. Standard IS codes were followed in determining these properties. These soils have a silt‐loam texture with high bulk density. Depletion of clays lowered Atterberg limits which consequently rendered the soils unstable even at low values of moisture content. The overlay analysis of these properties and drainage frequency shows perfect superimposition in categorizing badlands into zones of the severity of degradation. The chemistry of these soils has low sodium, high calcium with the presence of calcretes, low organic matter, and a low amount of illites and are mostly alkaline. The outcome of the study is helpful in understanding mutual interdependence between soil characteristics and processes of badlands that led to the intensification of rills‐gullies‐channels network. The findings would be useful in land management planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic controls on the proportions of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) in the environment is important for water resource management. In this study, the dynamics of uranium (U) and thorium (Th), two of the most prominent NORM elements, were investigated in the Red Deer River basin using monitoring data collected from 2015 to 2018. More than twofold increases in median proportions of total U (from 0.73 to 1.53 µg/L) and Th (from 0.008 to 0.104 µg/L) were observed for sites located downstream of the Steveville badlands, an area of highly erodible bedrock that a ~ 300 km section of the river flows through. Input is highly variable, coinciding mainly with increases in total suspended solids during intense rainstorms in the late summer. In-depth examination of monitoring data through factor analysis, multiple linear regression, mass balance calculations, and land use analysis highlights the importance of erosion and subsequent particle transport along river banks in the badlands area on the distribution of total U and Th, while also revealing that groundwater-surface water interaction affects proportions of dissolved U throughout the river. No significant influence from industry or land use on U and Th export was found, and proportions of U and Th in water and suspended sediment are within the natural ranges expected for surface waters and sediments/soils. Methodology employed in this study provides a basic framework for analysis of environmental monitoring datasets, which can be employed in the absence of radiochemical data to study the fate, transport, and sources of NORMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation due to soil erosion presents a major challenge for sustainable development. We investigated run‐off and sediment yield (SY) dynamics in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. The study area included 14 zero‐order catchments with a surface area ranging from 324 to 1715 m2. V‐notch weirs produced from plastic jars were introduced as measuring alternatives that met local constraints. Run‐off (RO) depth at the weir was registered manually at 5‐min intervals during two rainy seasons in 2018 and 2019, and a total of 618 events were monitored. Rainfall was measured using tipping‐bucket rain gauges. RO samples were collected in 1‐L bottles, and suspended sediment concentration was determined. The mean event RO coefficient ranged from 3% for forests to 56% for badlands. Similarly, the mean annual SY was lowest for forests (0.8 Mg ha−1 yr−1) and highest for badlands (43.4 Mg ha−1 yr−1), with significant differences among land‐use types (14.8 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in cropland, 5.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in grazing land, and 2.9 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in plantations). Soil organic matter (SOM) reduced RO and SY, necessitating the consideration of agronomic and land management practices that enhance SOM. Annual SY decreased exponentially with the rock fragment cover (RFC). In fields where RFC was less than 20%, collecting rock fragments for installing stone bunds resulted in a net increase in SY. Rehabilitating badlands and enhancing SOM content in croplands can substantially reduce catchment SY and hence contribute to the sustainability of land uses in the subhumid highlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment core studies from Saipan suggest that fires did not play a prominent role in the disturbance regime of the Mariana Islands and have increased in frequency since human settlement around 4,000 years ago. On Saipan fires are understood to interrupt the pattern of succession leading to the degradation of native limestone forests, the proliferation of grasslands and the eventual creation of badlands. Little baseline data regarding the spatial and temporal patterns of fire on Saipan exist to create effective Fire Management Plans. This project uses Landsat 8 images from April 2013 to July 2020 and the Normalized Burn Ratio to identify historic fires to evaluate patterns that will inform on effective fire management policies. Over the study period we detected 1,608 ha of burnt land, in four specific hotspots. Of the area burned, 40% were in grasslands, 31% in evergreen forests, and 21% in scrub-shrub. 41% of all hectares that burned more than once throughout the study period were grasslands, indicating that this was the landcover type most vulnerable to repeat burn events. We also found a strong seasonal trend, with the average amount of burnt land detected in the dry season 280% higher than the average amount of burnt land detected in the wet season. Finally, both total precipitation and the absence of precipitation were highly correlated to the amount of burn area identified (P <.05). The information elucidated through this study will be used by local agencies to implement management plans geared toward controlling wildfires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Agent-based models (ABMs) and state-and-transition simulation models (STSMs) have proven useful for understanding processes underlying social-ecological systems and evaluating practical questions about how systems might respond to different scenarios. ABMs can simulate a variety of agents (autonomous units, such as wildlife or people); agent characteristics, decision-making, adaptive behavior, and mobility; and agent-environment interactions. STSMs are flexible and intuitive stochastic landscape models that can track scenarios and integrate diverse data. Both can be run spatially and track metrics of management success. Objectives: Due to the complementarity of these approaches, we sought to couple them through a dynamic linkage and demonstrate the relevance of this advancement for modeling landscape processes and patterns. Methods: We developed analytical techniques and software tools to couple these modeling approaches using NetLogo, R, and the ST-Sim package for SyncroSim. We demonstrated the capabilities and value of this coupled approach through a proof-of-concept case study of bison-vegetation interactions in Badlands National Park. Results: The coupled ABM-STSM: (1) streamlined handling of model inputs and outputs; (2) allowed representation of processes at multiple temporal scales; (3) minimized assumptions; and (4) generated spatial and temporal patterns that better reflected agent-environment interactions. Conclusions: These developments constitute a new approach for representing agent-environment feedbacks; modelers can now use output from an ABM to dictate landscape changes within an STSM that in turn influence agents. This facilitates experimentation across domains (agent and environment) and creation of more realistic and management-relevant projections, and opens new opportunities for communicating models and linking to other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badlands are landforms that occur all over the World. In the Mediterranean region, badlands are found in both dry (arid and semi‐arid) and wet (subhumid and humid) environments, and are characterized by complex hydro‐geomorphological dynamics, high intense erosion processes and extreme sediment yield. Understanding the impact of Global Change is key to predict the on‐site and off‐site effects on badland dynamics, particularly its consequences on bedrock weathering, on sediment yield and delivery and on plant colonization. Here, conducting a systematic literature review, we analyzed an extensive database and identified the main climate‐drivers affecting the hydro‐geomorphological dynamics in Mediterranean badlands (based on non‐metric multidimensional scaling and structural equation modeling analysis). Later, we examined the main impacts expected from climate change forecasting in the near future, and we explored the interactions between badlands response to climate variation. In Mediterranean badlands, weathering processes are mainly related to wetting–drying cycles and freeze–thaw cycles in dry and wet badlands, respectively. In both environments, rainfall amount appears as the main driver for runoff response, and rainfall amount and rainfall intensity for erosion dynamics. Future climate scenarios forecast a decrease in annual rainfall, number of rainfall events and frost days, and in soil moisture, and an increase in rainfall intensity. These changes will have direct hydro‐geomorphological implications with direct and indirect effects on badland dynamics. This may result in a decrease in annual runoff in dry badlands, but the occurrence of more frequent extreme events would increase soil erosion and could negatively affect biological soil crust. In wet badlands, weathering and erosion processes may decrease, and a stabilization of the slopes, with consequently improved vegetation growth, may be expected. In addition, the forecasted changes must be taken into account, especially considering the possible off‐site effects of these extreme environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the geomorphology of the Anversa degli Abruzzi badlands (also called calanchi, a typical italian landform) area, located in the Abruzzo Region (Central Apennines, Italy). The map is the result of morphometric and geomorphological analyses, performed at the badland scale, and incorporates three main sections including orography and hydrography, main geomorphological map, and multi-temporal photogeological analysis. The aim of this work is to provide the basis for the recognition of geomorphological features linked to the fluvial environment. Specifically, the study is focused on the Anversa degli Abruzzi calanchi system and it contributes to improving the understanding of this landscape evaluating the geomorphological processes that control its morphometric features and its spatial and temporal evolution.

This paper deal with study of the butterfly fauna of three mountainous badlands in Kyrgyzstan (Naryn Adyr, Red Canyon and Kyrk-Kechik Canyon). The studied badlands fauna comprises of 47 species, namely: 42 species in Naryn Adyr, 33 species in Kyrk-Kechik Canyon, 30 species in Red Canyon. Most of the butterflies within these badlands feed on droughtresistant plants. About two thirds of the studied fauna is represented by species with wide ranges, a bit less than one third – by Central Asiatic species. The local and regional endemism which is highly characteristic for Central Asia, in the studied badlands is not present.

The development of gullies is intrinsically linked with the growth of their principal channels. Analysis of the longitudinal form of these channels can provide insight into both the extent of badland formation within that catchment and the nature of the substrate. In this study, we examine the longitudinal profiles of the major gullies formed within the Gangani Badlands in Paschim Medinipur district of Eastern India, which is often referred to as the "Grand Canyon" of Bengal. These are examined using a very high‐resolution digital elevation model to extract the respective main gully catchments, map the stream network and derive the required information for statistical analysis of the gully longitudinal profile forms. Stream segment gradient indices were subsequently computed and related to the hardness of the substrate that was derived using a RockSchmidt rebound hammer. The effect of the ambient lateritic hardpan is seen to markedly influence the gully channel character, with most having steeper segments in the middle portion of their course, where the initial rills and minor gullies debouch over the high duricrust escarpment present here. Since gully development within lateritic terrain is a relatively less examined phenomenon worldwide, such investigations add to the relevant knowledge base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]