Human land use often results in direct and indirect modifications of surface morphology and soils. Small anthropogenic relief features and associated soils are valuable but neglected archives for the study of land use history and landscape evolution, and, moreover, affect current ecosystems through their specific ecological site conditions. Areas with a high spatial density of such land use legacies are characterized by a land use legacy soil landscape with a high spatial variability of soil stratigraphy and properties.

The main aim of this project is to characterize the spatial distribution, properties and ecological function of legacies of historic land use in forest areas with a dynamic land use history. The main work packages comprise 1) the detection and mapping of land use legacies and their interpretation in relation to natural and historic landscape structures; 2) the mapping of land use legacy soils and analyses of their properties in relation to anthropogenic relief features, and 3) an assessment of land use legacy soil and landform effects on soil moisture regimes. The work programme combines GIS-based analyses of DEM and additional spatially distributed information, sedimentological and pedological field and laboratory methods and applications of a numerical simulation model.

The study region of the project comprises the catchments of the rivers Vils and Pfreimd in Northern Bavaria and adjacent forest areas. The long and dynamic land use history and the manifold geology and geomorphology of the area offer ample opportunities for research on anthropogenic soil landscapes.

Mittelgeber                  DFG, AZ RA 931/14-1, SCHN 1349/3-1

Förderzeitraum           2021-2025

Fördersumme             414.946 €

Leitung                        Prof. Dr. T. Raab, Dr. A. Schneider