This special issue of Geomorphology grew out of the international conference Shifting lands: new insights into periglacial geomorphology, held at University of Clermont-Ferrand, France, from January 20th to January 22nd 2005. This conference was the Second Scientific Meeting of the European Science Foundation Network SEDIFLUX (Sedimentary Source-to-sink fluxes in cold environments), network directed by Achim Beylich. 95 participants from 15 countries were registered during the Conference which consisted of 2 days and a half of scientific communications. 5 invited keynote papers were given by Prof. Colin Thorn, Prof. Colin Ballantyne, Prof. Kevin Hall, Prof. Hugh French and Prof. John Dixon. 5 thematic sessions (paraglacial dynamics, weathering, permafrost dynamics, periglacial dynamics, nival and snow-related processes) of oral and poster papers have been given (31 talks and 23 posters). Accepted abstracts of workshop contributions have been published in a special volume of publications edited by the local Science Meeting organizer (Etienne, 2005). Papers presented here were given during the Paraglacial geomorphology session.