This project will support a research conference on "Geomorphology and Vegetation: Interactions, Dependencies, and Feedback Loops" to be held in October 2009, at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. The goal is to advance basic and applied thinking across the discipline of biogeomorphology. The symposium has the following specific objectives: 1) stimulate cross-disciplinary discussion; 2) synthesize new ideas; 3) enable future interdisciplinary collaborations; and 4) foster student and young researcher participation. The organizers have invited a range of speakers who conduct research on the interactions of vegetation over a wide array of geomorphic settings, including arid lands, uplands, floodplains, and along and within channel boundaries.
Landform change resulting from linkages among flowing water, sediment, and vegetation is a highly complex natural process, due to feedbacks among the interacting components operating over a range of spatial and temporal scales. True understanding of landscape development requires knowledge of the particular role of vegetation in influencing physical processes, especially in efforts to predict the effects of climate change. This research symposium will bring together a diverse group of scientists who will discover avenues for future collaborations across the realm of this topic.
