Biota affect hydrology, sediment transport, weathering, soil formation over variable temporal and spatial scales and thereby influence, hillslope, fluvial, coastal, and aeolian landscape form and dynamics. In turn, geomorphological processes have large impacts on ecological processes and biogeochemical fluxes by shaping topography and affecting water availability, which determines biological diversity and succession.

Understanding these feedbacks between biological and geomorphological processes is becoming increasingly important as new ‘building with nature’ projects emerge and also increasingly find its way into management (i.e. restoration projects, nature based solutions). Despite some advances, the conceptualisation and quantification of the processes, rates and feedbacks between geomorphology and ecology are still limited, particularly in systems that are sensitive to human-induced or natural environmental change (e.g. high-mountain and polar environments, deserts, hillslopes, rivers and wetlands, salt marshes and deltas). Furthermore, biogeomorphic feedbacks influence important environmental fluxes, and this connection remains poorly understood.

This session firstly seeks contributions that are investigating biogeomorphology on all spatial and temporal scales, including experimental, field and computational/numerical modelling studies. Secondly, the focus lies on studies investigating spatial and temporal variations in biogeomorphic systems controlled by complex feedbacks or heterogeneity in ecosystems which influence physical (e.g. sediment cohesion), biogeochemical (e.g. nutrient and carbon cycling) and ecological processes (e.g. biodiversity). This heterogeneity results in alterations to environmental fluxes (e.g. sediments, water, biogeochemical), the overall functioning of the systems, as well as any potential benefits from ecosystem services. By bringing together scientists from the fields of Geomorphology, Hydrology, Biogeosciences, and Soil Science, in this trans-disciplinary session we aim to stimulate discussion regarding the effects of ecosystem heterogeneity and complexity originating from biogeomorphic systems on environmental processes and feedbacks across varying spatial and temporal scales.