From badland to bushland? Analysis of geomorphic process dynamics and vegetation development in a sub-humid calanchi area based on high-resolution UAS data (2014–2024)

A decade-long study of the Val d'Orcia badlands reveals a transition toward landscape stabilization, driven by intrinsic geomorphic dynamics rather than climatic shifts. High-resolution UAS data (2014–2024) showed a 50% reduction in water erosion despite stable erosion rates, indicating a shift from high-frequency to high-magnitude, event-driven processes. The research also documented an unprecedented subsurface deformation process—gravitational bulging—caused by water infiltration and clay swelling. Vegetation establishment in depositional areas further contributed to stabilization, suggesting the system operates near a geomorphic threshold under normal precipitation conditions.

Stark, M., Sannino, A., Trappe, M., Rom, J., Forster, J., Kahlenberg, G., Haas, F., & Vergari, F. (2026). From badland to bushland? Analysis of geomorphic process dynamics and vegetation development in a sub-humid calanchi area based on high-resolution UAS data (2014–2024). Catena, 272, 110360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.110360