This book, first published in 1973, focuses on non-urban terrain, and presents a uniquely balanced historical treatment of both the land degradation induced by man and his efforts at conservation, preservation and reclamation.

Geomorphology is the study of the Earth's diverse physical land-surface features and the dynamic processes that shape these features. Examining natural and anthropogenic processes, The SAGE Handbook of Geomorphology is a comprehensive exposition of the fundamentals of geomorphology that examines form, process, and applications of the discipline. Organized into five substantive sections, the Handbook is an overview of: * Foundations and Relevance: including the nature and scope of geomorphology; the origins and development of geomorphology; the role and character of theory in geomorphology; geomorphology and environmental management; and geomorphology and society * Techniques and Approaches: including observations and experiments; geomorphological mapping; the significance of models; process and form; dating surfaces and sediment; remote sensing in geomorphology; GIS in geomorphology; biogeomorphology; human activity * Process and Environment: including the evolution of regolith; weathering; fluids, flows and fluxes; sediment transport and deposition; hill slopes; riverine environments; glacial geomorphology; periglacial environments; coastal environments; aeolian environments; tropical environments; karst and karst processes * Environmental Change: including landscape evolution and tectonics; interpreting quaternary environments; environmental change; disturbance and responses to geomorphic systems * Conclusion: including challenges and perspectives; and a concluding review The Handbook has contributions from 48 international authors and was initially organized by the International Association of Geomorphologists. This will be a much-used and much-cited reference for researchers in Geomorphology, Physical Geography and the Environmental Sciences.

The last decade has seen a remarkable increase in the application of geomorphology for numerous projects and investigations. Geomor phology is now viewed as an indispensable partner of engineering and geology in the world of applied science. For a discipline with few independent theories of its own, geomorphology has become a cosmopolitan science, drawing on many topics from allied sciences. To compile a list of successful and viable applications and contribu tions would be an arduous chore, if not an impossible task. Instead we have compiled a set of invited papers that represent some of the practical developments and uses of geomorphology over the past de cade. Such a compilation of papers will reflect our own back grounds, biases, associations, and personal and professional expe riences. We make no apologies for the topics omitted, but recognize that this volume could be prohibitively large if all the subdivisions of geomorphology were equally and fully covered. Our goal in assembling the papers for this volume was to empha size the concepts, principles, and applications of geomorphology. While techniques, procedures and practical applications are stressed, the reason for each investigation is as important as the method em ployed. This book, therefore, represents the methods used and reasons for applying geomorphology. Where case studies are used, they serve as examples that can be applied in related situations, similar settings and other locations. The authors have successfully addressed this goal in a broad selection of chapter topics.