This session examines the morphosedimentary, ecological and dating evidence for the way in which different physical environments respond to external forcing by rapid climate changes of the past and present. Physical environments whose landform, sediment and ecological assemblages exist at their climatic limits are particularly sensitive to rapid climate changes, and where their integrity is compromised by human activity. Such physical environments include mountains, deserts and coasts in both high and low latitude settings. Understanding the climatic drivers of land surface instability and morphosedimentary and ecological change is critical to models of future landscape response to climatic forcing.