The contribution of landslides to landscape evolution in Europe

After a review of some analytical and conceptual models of slope evolution with the intervention of mass movements, a proposal is made of a series of indicators for the quantitative description of landscape evolution in relation to mass movements. The ratio between landslide mobilisation rate and downwearing rate is proposed as a quantitative measure of the significance of mass movements in landscape evolution. A subdivision of European regions with respect to their susceptibility to landsliding as a process of landscape evolution is proposed. The role of landsliding for the evolution of landscape in some regions is described. The data presented show that landsliding may in some cases be the main contributor to landscape change.