Badlands Working Group

Pleta de la Vila, Saldes, upper Llobregat basin, Catalan Pyrenees, NE Spain (courtesy of Francesc Gallart).

WG Chairs:

Dr. Milica Kašanin-Grubin (milica.kasanin@ihtm.bg.ac.rs)
University of Belgrade (Serbia)

Dr. Estela Nadal Romero (estelanr@ipe.csic.es)
Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (Spain)


Introduction to WG activity

Badlands can be defined by different criteria, such as lithological conditions, weathering processes, landform features, agriculture potentiality and even by their difficulty of being crossed by humans. Generally, the term ‘badlands’ refers to regions that have soft and poorly consolidated material outcrops, limited vegetation, reduced or no human activity and a wide range of geomorphic processes, such as weathering, erosion, landslides and piping. These features interact at different spatial and temporal scales to shape these distinct landforms.

Based on some of the definitions of badlands, they may be considered as undervalued lands because they are useless for cultivation or grazing due to low or no vegetation cover. However, there are many important research questions regarding badlands that make them scientifically valuable. For example, badlands are natural laboratories that allow the study of many different pedological, biological and geomorphic processes, and the results of these studies have on-site and off-site implications. Thus, badlands have important implications for land management, especially from the water and soil resources point of view, in the current context of global change. Although much progress has been made in the understanding of the physical processes that control the flows of matter through the landscape, applying this understanding across a range of scales has long hampered progress.

The topic and the purpose of the Badlands working group are in correlation with other IAG WG’s, with overlapping interests, but still having unique goals. Common research interest is found with the working group Denudation and Environmental Changes in Different Morphoclimatic Zones (DENUCHANGE) which is contributing to a better understanding of the possible effects of global environmental changes on contemporary Earth surface systems. The Badlands WG is similarly exploring environmental changes but in very active badland sites with a high range of geomorphological processes present. If possible, we would suggest organizing mutual roundtables and conference sessions to advance our knowledge.

We also plan to collaborate with the Red beds and Danxia geomorphology WG, since high number of landscapes in red beds is badlands. We would like to include these sites in the world badland database, which is planned to be one of the outcomes of this WG.

The overall scope of the Badlands Working Group is to provide new insights and to develop an integrated assessment of badland origins and evolution, field and laboratory investigation, modeling, using new technologies and exploring the possibility of using these areas as geotourism sites.

The main objective of this WG is to form an international network of badland scientists, to share expertise and organize international meetings, training and field courses on badland evolution and processes, at minimum one per year.

Outline of the plan

  • Formation of an interdisciplinary forum for a wide range scientist interested in analyzing badland areas
  • Developing of methodology (measurement, indices, GIS/remote sensing, modelling etc.);
  • Developing a model for sustainable land and water management in badland areas;
  • Encouraging students in geomorphology to develop skills and knowledge in badlands research.

Detailed plan:

  • Online workshops will be organized two times per year. So far, the First Badlands workshop was held on Feb. 19th 2021, the Second Badlands workshop will be held on May 12th 2021, the Third Badlands workshop on November 29th 2021, and subsequent workshops will be an activity of the Badlands IAG working group.
  • The WG plans to submit a Special Issue which would summarize the current knowledge on the badlands.
  • The WG plans to collect a database of known badland sites, with photographs, geographical, geological, climate information, and list of references
  • The WG will organize meetings with its members regularly to discuss the possible projects and other collaboration opportunities. The WG will also organize roundtables with other IAG WG such as DENUCHANGE
  • Sessions at the international meetings such as EGU will be organized annually.

Annual report 2023