Final answer:
Erosion is the correct answer for what is commonly found in a badland. Badlands are characterized by their eroded landscapes, with steep slopes, minimal vegetation, and often a moon-like surface, due to infrequent but intense rainfall and easily erodible soil.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer the question about what is often found in a badland, among the options given, c. Erosion is the correct choice. Badlands are characterized by their heavily eroded landscapes, which result from the combination of infrequent but intense rainfall, and soft sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils that erode easily. This creates a variety of unique landforms, including steep slopes, minimal vegetation, and a moon-like surface.
Heavy rainfall (option a) is not typically associated with badlands because these areas actually experience very little precipitation, similar to deserts. Peat (option b) and hardwood trees (option d) are also not commonly found in badlands due to the lack of water and fertile soil. Badlands form in areas where there's been significant soil erosion, which tends to remove such materials and impedes the growth of large vegetation.
The concept of erosion is deeply intertwined with the existence of badlands. Without forest cover to protect it, soil becomes much more vulnerable to being washed or blown away. In ecosystems such as deserts, where winds can carry away soil particles, vegetative cover significantly reduces erosion.
When human activities like logging, mining, and deforestation occur, this exacerbates the erosion process, and the soil structure becomes greatly compromised. Thus, in an area classified as badland, one of its defining characteristics is erosion, caused primarily by water and wind.