Variety Of Landforms Research Articles

Failed tableland: geomorphological map of the Sarmiento Basin (extra-Andean Patagonia, Argentina)

ABSTRACT We present a 1:120,000 landslide-focused geomorphological map of the Sarmiento Basin (Chubut Province, Argentina) and the adjacent landscape. The study area covers about 8000 km2 and can be schematically described as an endorheic basin enclosed by tableland. However, the landscape shows a high diversity of landforms and features. The mapping was mostly conducted manually, based on high-resolution satellite images and a digital elevation model, and supported by field observations. We divided the mapped landforms and features into six categories based on their prevailing origin: structural and volcanic, mass movement, hillslope erosional, fluvial, lacustrine and aeolian. We highlight the abundance of landslides (23% of the study area) in the context of volcanic plateaus and (paleo)lake level evolution. The presented map is unique due to the overall scarcity of detailed geomorphological maps of tablelands worldwide and the insufficient documentation of landslides in the extra-Andean Patagonia.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Soil of Different Villages of District Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India

The research was conducted to assess the physical and chemical properties of soils from twenty-one villages of Solan district, Himachal Pradesh within its geographical coordinates ranging from the latitude 30°44’53” to 31°22’01” N and longitude 76°36’10” to 77°15’14” E, during 2023-2024, India. The villages represent diverse landforms, including contour farming, plains, and slopes. Soil samples were collected from two depths, 0-15 and 15-30 cm, and analysed them using standard laboratory protocols. The predominant soil texture was sandy loam, bulk density ranges from 1.22 to 1.39 Mg m-3, particle density from 2.42 to 2.67 Mg m-3, and percent pore space varied between 40.50% and 46.68%, while the percent water holding capacity ranges from 37.65% to 45.53%. Soil pH ranged from 6.61 to 7.47. Electrical conductivity was measured between 0.18 and 0.34 dS m-1, indicating non-saline conditions. Organic carbon content was medium 0.30% to high 0.61%. The available nitrogen content ranged from 232.68 to 279.64 Kg ha-1, available phosphorus from 37.23 to 64.54 Kg ha-1, and available potassium from 262.14 to 365.34 Kg ha-1. These findings provide valuable insights into the soil health of the region, with implications for agricultural practices and land management.

A non-critical hillslope model: Evidence and topographic implications

Hillslopes constitute the majority of a drainage basin space, and they, together with channelized streams and mountain glaciations, form the most representative exogenic agents sculpting the diverse landforms of the Earth's surface. It is well acknowledged that the hillslope evolution is dominated by a diffusion mechanism. A prominent progress in the last two decades is the proposed non-linearity in hillslope process, suggesting a non-linear relationship between the hillslope transport flux and the hillslope gradient. Existing non-linear hillslope models, by introducing a critical hillslope gradient, are successful in accounting for catastrophic processes, e.g., landslides. However, the present analytical descriptions of hillslope morphology remain complex in mathematical forms, hindering straightforward practical implementation. In this study, we develop a non-critical hillslope model based on the generic hillslope transport equation, which has the advantages of a simple mathematical form and easy practical application. The new hillslope model is compatible with the existing linear and non-linear hillslope models and is capable of emulating topographic evolution under arbitrary hillslope gradients. Using the non-critical hillslope model, we explore the characteristics of steady-state hillslope morphology, its identification, and the general transient response to tectonic uplift by numerical modeling. The proposed non-critical hillslope model is validated and supported by high-resolution topography in southern Tibet and wide basin erosional data compiled from published studies, supporting that the non-linear behavior of hillslopes is universal and might not be unique to steep hillslopes. The non-critical hillslope model provides a new prospective framework for modeling hillslope and landform evolution.

Hydrological Simulation Study in Gansu Province of China Based on Flash Flood Analysis

The calibration and validation of hydrological model simulation performance and model applicability evaluation in Gansu Province is the foundation of the application of the flash flood early warning and forecasting platform in Gansu Province. It is difficult to perform the simulation for Gansu Province due to the fact that it covers a wide range, from north to south, with multiple climate types and diverse landforms. The China Flash Flood Hydrological Model (CNFF) was implemented in this study. A total of 11 model clusters and 289 distributed hydrological models were divided based on hydrology, climate, and land-use factors, among others. A spatiotemporally mixed runoff method and the Event-Specific Geomorphological Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph (GIUH) were applied based on large-scale fast parallel computation. To improve model calibration and validation efficiency, the RSA method (Regionalized Sensitivity Analysis) was used for CNFF model parameter sensitivity analysis, which could reduce the number of model parameters that need to be adjusted during the calibration period. Based on the model sensitivity analysis results, the CNFF was established in Gansu Province to simulate flood events in eight representative watersheds. The average NSE, REQ, and ET were 0.76 and 0.73, 9.1% and 12.6%, and 1.2 h and 1.7 h, respectively, in the calibration and validation period. In general, the CNFF model shows a good performance in multiple temporal and spatial scales, thus providing a scientific basis for flash flood early warning and analysis in Gansu Province.

The Effect of Using a Geopedological Approach in Determining Land Quality Indicators, Land Degradation, and Development (Case Study: Caspian Sea Coast)

This study addresses the escalating global concern surrounding land degradation (LD) and its far-reaching implications on water and nutrient availability, as well as on human health and well-being. Focused on the southeastern Caspian Sea region, this research employs a novel remote sensing geo-pedological methodology to comprehensively assess soil and land quality dynamics, particularly influenced by salts, and investigates the intricate relationship between LD and soil development. The study area, marked by a susceptibility to seawater level fluctuations and diverse landforms (lagoons, barriers, and coastal plains) offers a unique opportunity for geopedologic analysis. Utilizing particle size distribution data, six distinct landforms are identified, providing insights into the region’s complex sedimentary history. A soil quality assessment is conducted remotely through the calculation of two indexes—the Integrated Quality Index (IQI) and the Nemoro Quality Index (NQI)—employing both Total Data Set (TDS) and Minimum Data Set (MDS) methodologies. The investigation highlights the role of soluble salts in shaping soil quality, thereby influencing LD and development dynamics. The differentiation of landforms significantly enhances classification accuracy, providing a more nuanced understanding of the multifaceted factors governing LD. The study’s implications extend beyond the southeastern Caspian Sea region, and demonstrate that the potential for incorporating a geopedologic approach when assessing soil and land quality dynamics in arid regions globally. Our analytic approach can inform policymakers and land managers when making decisions to combat LD and foster sustainable land development. This research also contributes towards advancing knowledge in geopedology by providing a robust foundation for future studies aimed at enhancing land management practices in the face of ongoing environmental challenges.

Morpho-structural signatures of neotectonic activity along the HFT bound Himalayan mountain front in Kathgodam-Chorgallia sector of NW Himalaya, India

Thrusting supports the development of diverse landforms and deformational structures in the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) region between Kathgodam and the Chorgallia sector, according to this study. The influence of the active tectonic condition in the area was analyzed using seven geomorphic indices, which also underlined the importance of morpho-structural study utilizing remote sensing, geomorphic indices, tectono-geomorphic landforms, field evidence, and luminescence dating. The investigation of sub-basins surrounding the HFT reveals moderate to high tectonic activity, with tectonic activity concentrating in the eastern half and decreasing toward the west. A topographic discontinuity was also observed in the region as indirect active tectonic evidence. Hanging wall rocks have well-preserved features that govern tectonic transport direction, and the HFT in this region is emergent. Shear sense indications point to southerly tectonic migration, with a few modest northward shear senses indicating northward movement, which might be attributable to reverse thrusting along the HFT at some time during the Outer Himalaya's tectonic history. Petrographic investigations reveal sustained frontal deformation at various intervals, with well-preserved thrust-induced deformation fingerprints in deformed rocks throughout the Jam Raula and Sukhi nadi sections. Micro thrust duplexes, or micro-scale asymmetrical drag folds, are shown in thin section investigations as a result of HFT-related brittle-ductile deformation at moderate temperature and pressure. The sandy unit from the Quaternary sediments yields 10 ± 0.8 ka, 11.8 ± 0.7 ka, 17 ± 1 ka, and 56 ± 3 ka quartz OSL dates, demonstrating the migration of hanging wall rocks on footwall post-Siwalik fluvial deposits along the HFT plane and reactivation of the HFT in the study area.

Insights into landslide susceptibility in different karst erosion landforms based on interpretable machine learning

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to assess differences in the conditioning factors and the performance of landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM), employing the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) model to gain profound insights into the intrinsic decision‐making mechanism of LSM in diverse landforms. Two typical karst erosion landforms were selected as the research areas. Based on 15 conditioning factors, LSMs for the two areas were developed using the Bayesian optimization random forest (RF) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). The SHAP model was used to explore the landslide formation mechanisms from both global and local perspectives. The results show that the area under the curve (AUC) values of the XGBoost models were 0.791 and 0.761, and the AUC values of the RF models were 0.844 and 0.817, in the two different landform areas, respectively. The RF model's accuracy was higher than that of the XGBoost model in both regions. In the low‐elevation hills area, the primary three conditioning factors were identified as slope, topographic relief and distance from the river. Conversely, in the microrelief and mesorelief low mountain area, the predominant conditioning factors were elevation, distance from the river and distance from the road. Both karst landform areas exhibited a high sensitivity to the distance from the river, indicating its significant interaction with other factors contributing to landslide occurrences. Notably, the RF model demonstrated superior performance compared to the XGBoost model, rendering it a more suitable choice for conducting landslide susceptibility mapping research in karst erosion landform areas. In the present study, a comprehensive explanatory framework based on the RF‐SHAP model was proposed, which enables both global and local interpretation of landslides in various karst landscapes. Such an approach explores the intrinsic decision‐making mechanism of the model, enhancing the transparency and realism of landslide susceptibility prediction results.

Assessing Burned Areas in Sikkim, India through Satellite Mapping

Aim of study: Fire impacts biodiversity and ecosystems, and is crucial for understanding fire causes. This paper aimed to assess burned areas and severity levels in Sikkim's forest fire incidence data from 2004-2019. 
 Area of the study: The study area for the work is the state of Sikkim, situated in the Himalayan Mountain's North-eastern region. 
 Material and methods: Landsat 8 and Landsat 5 satellite image were used for the study and Standard vegetation indices like Delta Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) and Relativized Burn Ratio (RBR) are computed. Also, a linear regression analysis was performed between weather parameters like temperature (℃), wind (Km/h), rainfall (mm) on burn severity (dNBR classes) of forest fires in Sikkim between the year 2009-2019.
 Main results: According to the findings, out of 557 numbers forest fire incidents in Sikkim between 2004 and 2019, 250 numbers were classified as Unburned (46.21 %), 199 numbers as Enhanced Regrowth, Low (35.72 %), and 43 numbers as Enhanced Regrowth, High (7.94 %), while 32 numbers were classified as Low Severity (5.92 %), 9 numbers as Moderate-Low Severity (1.66 %), 5 numbers as Moderate-High Severity (0.92 %), and 2 numbers as High Severity (0.36 %). It was found that the wind (r=0.80, Slope=0.57, SD=0.70) and rainfall (r=0.77, Slope=-0.18, SD=7.00) showed a strong positive and strong negative linear relationships respectively in influencing the burn severity (dNBR). While, temperature (r=0.69, Slope=0.74, SD=0.01) plays a moderate positive role in influencing the burn severity (dNBR).
 Highlights: The study has shown the effectiveness of burn area mapping and remote sensing data products in analyzing forest fire regions with limited resources and diverse landforms and vegetation. Researchers will be able to identify the regions affected by forest fires and those that have not recovered since the fire. Goal of this research is to improve forest fire planning and management by fostering aid to the responsible authorities to evaluate the pattern of vegetation degradation in burn regions and estimate the impact of forest fires

Limits on polygonal organization of boulders in the Martian northern lowlands

Polygonal terrain on Mars can form via thermal contraction and subsequent fracturing of the permafrost layer and covers much of the surface poleward of ∼60°. In similar terrains on Earth, seasonal freeze-thaw processes create a range of diverse landforms, including several in which clasts on the surface congregate into sorted circles and polygons. In the Martian northern lowlands, several investigations into boulder patterns have come to differing conclusions on whether analogous organization of clasts is present on Mars, whether there is an association between boulders and polygonal fracture margins, and what periglacial process may cause such organization in the modern environment that does not support seasonal melt. To address this discrepancy, we identify and measure boulders in the Martian northern lowlands with the Martian Boulder Automatic Recognition System (MBARS) and assess boulder spatial patterns to determine if boulders are organized into the margins of underlying fracture polygons. Sixty (60) Images from the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) with priorly identified and measured polygons make up our survey, in which MBARS characterized 20 million boulders. We find that boulder patterns are not random across the northern lowlands and tend to be clustered with varying intensity. However, analysis of boulder pairwise distances shows that boulders are not generally organized into the 5–10 m polygonal patterns expected from an alignment of boulders to fracture margins. The lack of widespread polygonal organization of boulders indicates that processes responsible for the modern fracture polygons cannot organize meter-scale boulders towards their margins. This greatly reduces the likelihood of any terrestrial-like freeze-thaw organization occurring since the formation of the modern polygonal terrain in the Martian northern lowlands. Isolated instances of boulder patterns consistent with polygonal organization are found at the northern end of our survey. These instances could indicate a restriction of boulder-organizing processes only to the near-polar terrains but are better explained as selective preservation of paleo-organization. Plain language summaryWe have abundant evidence that the near-polar terrains on Mars have water ice buried at or very near the surface, much like on Earth. As this ice-rich surface cools in the winter, regularly spaced, roughly hexagonal cracks appear forming so-called “polygonal terrain”. In similar permafrost-dominated terrains on Earth, the presence of liquid water near the surface can cause rocks on the surface to be pushed outward during freezing. This eventually leads to the formation of stone circles or stone piles outlining the polygons, often forming large networks of sorted polygons. Using high-resolution images of Mars, we can see boulders as small as 1 m across, and it has been suggested that these boulders might also be organized into the edges of polygons on Mars. This raised the question: did these patterns form through Earth-like, wet processes? Or is there a way to make these patterns without liquid water? To answer this question, we surveyed sixty (60) images of Mars and used the Martian Boulder Automatic Recognition System (MBARS) to identify and measure the boulders in each image, totaling 20 million boulders. We determined that the boulders are not organized into a polygonal pattern, except in a few rare cases. Because the boulders are not organized, it is unlikely that any Earth-like wet processes or an unknown dry process is pushing boulders towards the edges of the fracture polygons. In the few places we do see this organization, it might be a pattern formed sometime in Mars' past when liquid water could exist at or near the surface.

Large-scale Terrain Authoring through Interactive Erosion Simulation

Large-scale terrains are essential in the definition of virtual worlds. Given the diversity of landforms and the geomorphological complexity, there is a need for authoring techniques offering hydrological consistency without sacrificing user control. In this article, we bridge the gap between large-scale erosion simulation and authoring into an efficient framework. We set aside modeling in the elevation domain in favour of the uplift domain and compute emerging reliefs by simulating the stream power erosion. Our simulation relies on a fast yet accurate approximation of drainage area and flow routing to compute the erosion interactively, which allows for incremental authoring. Our model provides landscape artists with tools for shaping mountain ranges and valleys, such as copy-and-paste operations; warping for imitating folds and faults; and point and curve elevation constraints to precisely sculpt ridges or carve river networks. It also lends itself to inverse procedural modeling by reconstructing the uplift from an input digital elevation model and allows hydrologically consistent blending between terrain patches.

Recognizing the Wadi Fluvial Structure and Stream Network in the Qena Bend of the Nile River, Egypt, on Landsat 8-9 OLI Images

With methods for processing remote sensing data becoming widely available, the ability to quantify changes in spatial data and to evaluate the distribution of diverse landforms across target areas in datasets becomes increasingly important. One way to approach this problem is through satellite image processing. In this paper, we primarily focus on the methods of the unsupervised classification of the Landsat OLI/TIRS images covering the region of the Qena governorate in Upper Egypt. The Qena Bend of the Nile River presents a remarkable morphological feature in Upper Egypt, including a dense drainage network of wadi aquifer systems and plateaus largely dissected by numerous valleys of dry rivers. To identify the fluvial structure and stream network of the Wadi Qena region, this study addresses the problem of interpreting the relevant space-borne data using R, with an aim to visualize the land surface structures corresponding to various land cover types. To this effect, high-resolution 2D and 3D topographic and geologic maps were used for the analysis of the geomorphological setting of the Qena region. The information was extracted from the space-borne data for the comparative analysis of the distribution of wadi streams in the Qena Bend area over several years: 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2023. Six images were processed using computer vision methods made available by R libraries. The results of the k-means clustering of each scene retrieved from the multi-temporal images covering the Qena Bend of the Nile River were thus compared to visualize changes in landforms caused by the cumulative effects of geomorphological disasters and climate–environmental processes. The proposed method, tied together through the use of R scripts, runs effectively and performs favorably in computer vision tasks aimed at geospatial image processing and the analysis of remote sensing data.

High Soil pH and Plastic-Shed Lead to Iron Deficiency and Chlorosis of Citrus in Coastal Saline–Alkali Lands: A Field Study in Xiangshan County

Citrus are one of the most important fruit crops in the world, and the citrus hybrid cv. Beni-Madonna (BM) is widely cultivated in Xiangshan County in China because of its profitability. However, due to the lack of technical guidance and management, nutritional unbalances of trees occur frequently and are a major constraint for fruit quality and yield. In this study, the soil and fruit nutritional status of 62 citrus orchards in three diverse landforms (mountain, flat, and coastal saline–alkali land) located in Xiangshan County has been investigated. Higher pH, calcium, and magnesium content but lower soil organic matter, nitrogen, iron, and boron content were observed in orchards of the coastal saline–alkali land compared with the mountain and flat lands. Compared to Citrus x unshiu, another major hybrid citrus cultivar in Xiangshan county, the Fe deficiency in fruits of BM in coastal saline–alkali lands was more severe, leading to chlorosis symptoms. In addition, long-term cultivation under plastic housing increased soil salinization and affected the absorption of Fe and other nutrients by BM. In conclusion, organic fertilizers, acidic fertilizers, and micronutrient fertilizers should be applied in citrus orchards located in coastal saline–alkali lands. Especially, BM orchards should be supplemented with iron fertilizer and not rely excessively on protection with plastic films.

Landform Diversity Supporting the Geotourism Attractiveness of Mt. Kumgang

Landform Diversity Supporting the Geotourism Attractiveness of Mt. Kumgang

Identifying geomorphological diversity hotspots for conservation purposes: Application to a coastal protected area in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

The last decades are witnessing a growing concern about environmental impacts due to human activities. Within this context, studies are being developed to understand the impacts on the diversity of natural elements. This article presents a method to identify geomorphological diversity hotspots at a detailed scale through a quantitative approach, which was applied to a protected coastal area in Rio de Janeiro State, SE Brazil. These hotspots are understood as areas that present significant diversity of landforms and, at the same time, risks of degradation, which justifies the definition of priorities for the territorial management aiming at nature conservation purposes. The results allowed the identification of five hotspots, showing that, even though the area is legally protected, it still faces problems related to threats caused by human activities. Therefore, specific problems of territorial management in a protected area were identified through the creation of a product that indicates the priority areas for conservation in a different way and can be easily applied as a tool to support managers. Furthermore, several subproducts were created in the process, which also can be used for other purposes.

Effects of Landform Diversity on Surface Water: A Case Study of Ranga Reddy

Effects of Landform Diversity on Surface Water: A Case Study of Ranga Reddy

Geomorphology of a recently deglaciated high mountain area in Eastern Anatolia (Turkey)

ABSTRACT We present a geomorphological map of the Cilo Mountain range located in southeast Turkey that illustrates the recent evolution of the second-most glacierized area of Turkey. The map was produced by the manual delineating of landforms from highresolution satellite imagery (Pleiades and Google EarthTM images). Cilo Mountain glaciation played a crucial role in the evolution of the local physical landscape and even today glaciers are significant features. After the termination of Little Ice Age, deglaciation promoted the onset of multiple and intense surface processes; widespread slope instabilities, due to permafrost melting and frost weathering processes, are still the most active processes. Such processes are further promoted by the scarcity of vegetation. The occurrence of several proglacial lakes significantly contributes to the reduction of sediment output from glaciated watersheds, influencing the evolution of proglacial plains and resulting in a variety of landforms that we identified and described in this work.

New approaches to geoconservation in desert environments

Deserts are areas of great landform diversity and distinctiveness. In the past there was a shortage of desert World Heritage nominations. This situation persists, though shows some improvement. However, there are also desert landform complexes associated with mixed World Heritage sites and sites on various national World Heritage tentative lists. There are also two desert UNESCO Global Geoparks, both of which are in China. In recent years there has been the development of geotourism in arid regions and this has led to a greater interest in the economic value of geoconservation. However, there are various landscape threats that need consideration and management, including off-road driving, military activity, urbanization, river diversions, quarrying and mining, development associated with energy industries, and anthropogenic climate changes. In this paper, the concentration is on warm desert landscapes, and on conservation of geomorphological features, rather than, for instance, sites of particular stratigraphic or paleontological value.

Towards Better Visualisation of Alpine Quaternary Landform Features on High-Resolution Digital Elevation Models

Alpine topography is formed by a complex series of geomorphological processes that result in a vast number of different landforms. The youngest and most diverse landforms are various Quaternary sedimentary bodies, each characterised by its unique landform features. The formation of Quaternary sedimentary bodies and their features derive from the dominant building sedimentary processes. In recent years, studies of Quaternary sedimentary bodies and processes have been greatly aided by the use of digital elevation models (DEMs) derived by airborne laser scanning (ALS). High-resolution DEMs allow detailed mapping of sedimentary bodies, detection of surface changes, and recognition of the building sedimentary processes. DEMs are often displayed as hillshaded reliefs, the most common visualisation technique, which suffers from the limitation of a single illumination source. As a result, features can be barely visible or even invisible to the viewer if they are parallel to the light source or hidden in the shadow. These limitations become challenging when representing landforms and subtle landscape features in a diverse alpine topography. In this study, we focus on eleven visualisations of Quaternary sedimentary bodies and their sedimentary and morphological features on a 0.5 m resolution DEM. We qualitatively compare analytical hillshading with a set of visualisation techniques contained in the Raster Visualisation Toolbox software, primarily hillshading from multiple directions RGB, 8-bit sky view factor and 8-bit slope. The aim is to determine which visualisation technique is best suited for visual recognition of sedimentary bodies and sedimentation processes in complex alpine landscapes. Detailed visual examination of previously documented Pleistocene moraine and lacustrine deposits, Holocene alluvial fans, scree deposits, debris flow and fluvial deposits on the created visualisations revealed several small-scale morphological and sedimentary features that were previously difficult or impossible to detect on analytical hillshading and aerial photographs. Hillshading from multiple directions resulted in a visualisation that could be universally applied across the mountainous and hilly terrains. In contrast, 8-bit sky view factor and 8-bit slope visualisations created better visibility and facilitated interpretation of subtle and small-scale (less than ten metres) sedimentary and morphological features.

THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF INDIA: AN OVERVIEW

Physiography is a field of geography that studies the physical patterns and processes of the Earth, such as geomorphology, hydrology, soil, rocks, biogeography, and the effects of tectonic forces on landscapes. This paper aimed to discuss the physiographic characteristics of India due to its diverse geographical features by using a systematic search and collection of publications and secondary data. The characteristics of India's physiography were discussed descriptively and visually. This study highlights the fundamental physiographic divisions, sub-divisions, and socioeconomic functions of each type of terrain in India, including the northern mountain range, northern plains, peninsular plateau, coastal plains, and islands (the eastern and western coastal plains, Andaman and Nicobar islands). This overview concluded that the physiography of India is complex, heterogeneous and could be categorized into four divisions with distinct characteristics. In detail, the Himalayan Range is a mountainous region in the northern part of the country which produced by the fold mountain processes. Meanwhile, the Indo-Gangetic Plain was well recognised for its extensive agricultural activities contributed by the Ganges River. India's diverse landforms had a profound impact on the country's cultural and economical development. On the other hand, this study also demonstrated that the plateau region in the country's southern and central regions was geographically diversified. The different landscapes of India influenced the socioeconomic characteristics of the Indian society and consequently supported national development of India.

Characterization and Land Suitability Evaluation for Cocoyam in Southern Nigeria

The soils on diverse landforms in Ikot Esidem, Southern Nigeria were characterized and their suitability evaluated for three varieties of cocoyam. The study area was stratified into flood plains, inland valleys, gentle slopes and crest. The results indicate that sand (30-78%) dominated pedons of gentle slopes and crest while silt (25-55%) and clay (19-51%) dominated the pedons of flood plains and inland valleys. The soils of flood plains and inland valleys were moderately acid (pH 5.0-5.7), medium to high in organic carbon (6.3-20.5 g/kg) and medium to high in base saturation (BS) (46-90%). The gentle slopes and crest units were strongly acid (pH 4.0-5.1), low in organic carbon (4.0-11.3 g/kg) and base saturation (20.5-34.7%). The land suitability evaluated the flood plains and inland valleys as moderately suitable and the gentle slopes and crest as not suitable for Dasheen Type Taro. The flood plains and inland valleys were also evaluated moderately suitable, whereas gentle slopes and crest were marginally suitable for Eddoe Type Taro. Efficient water control drainage and erosion control will enhance cocoyam cultivation depending on terrain type.