Badlands Badlands are regions of small, steep hills and deep gullies formed primarily by water erosion.
Flash floods produce the most erosion in badland regions and commonly wear away large areas.
In many cases, the bedrock in badlands consists of thick, weakly cemented layers of rock. Soils in badland regions are usually weakly developed or are lacking altogether. As a result, most badlands are used only as grazing lands, wildlife habitats, or scenic areas. Badlands often form naturally in arid or semiarid climates where flash floods from thunderstorms are common. Few plants grow in these regions, and the weak, bare bedrock is easily affected by rapid erosion and gullying.