Biogeomorphology
Biogeomorphology and ecogeomorphology are the study of interactions between organisms and the development of landforms, and are thus fields of study within geomorphology and ichnology. Organisms affect geomorphic processes in a variety of ways. For example, trees can reduce landslide potential where their roots penetrate to underlying rock, plants and their litter inhibit soil erosion, biochemicals produced by plants accelerate the chemical weathering of bedrock and regolith, and marine animals cause the bioerosion of coral. The study of the interactions between marine biota and coastal landform processes is called coastal biogeomorphology.
Phytogeomorphology is an aspect of biogeomorphology that deals with the narrower subject of how terrain affects plant growth.[1] In recent years a large number of articles have appeared in the literature dealing with how terrain attributes affect crop growth and yield in farm fields, and while they don't use the term phytogeomorphology the dependencies are the same. Precision agriculture models where crop variability is at least partially defined by terrain attributes can be considered as phytogeomorphological precision agriculture.[2]
Bibliography
- Viles, Heather (1988). Biogeomorphology. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-15405-1.
- Hupp (1995). Biogeomorphology, Terrestrial and Freshwater Systems. ISBN 0-444-81867-7.
- Osterkamp, W.R.; Friedman, J.M. (1997). "Research Considerations for Biogeomorphology". Proceedings of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sediment Workshop 'Expanding Sediment Research Capabilities in Today's USGS'. Reston, VA, and Harpers Ferry, WV. Retrieved 2007-06-15.