Abiotic, residual and functional components of landforms

Abstract

The concept of functional ecogeomorphology developed originally from the study of fluvial systems represents an insightful framework for describing landforms as structures adjusting to external physical forces, and also as functional components contributing to the complex play of interactions and reciprocal adjustments between biotic and abiotic elements of ecosystems. In this commentary we propose to extend the model of functional ecogeomorphology by classifying landforms in three fundamental components: abiotic, residual and functional. The various possible combinations of these three components are presented and discussed in the scope of evolutionary geomorphology. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.