Land Use and Soil Erosion in northern Bavaria during the last 5000 Years

Abstract

To reconstruct past environmental conditions and feedback mechanisms between human activities and the environment, geoarchives are an important scientific source of information. Especially colluvial sediments originating from soil erosion can be used to explain environmental effects of land use. Here, results of two case studies from adjacent sites in northern Bavaria are presented. The influence of weather and land use effects on accelerated soil erosion and the feedback on socio-economic and demographic effects are discussed. At ”Catena Friesen”, an 80 m long slope, the effects of land use changes and their consequences on soil erosion and soil fertility are demonstrated. Several phases of activity and stability from the Latest Neolithic to Modern times were distinguished and soil erosion quantified. The highest amount of soil loss took place in the Medieval Times by two single erosion events. With the second example ”Hainbach” the development of a 400 m long and up to 6.4 m deep gully system is described. The main phases of gully erosion took place in the 10th century and between the 14th and 18th centuries. During this time, 15 % of the catchment area was gullied. At both locations, intensive land use led to soil erosion. The extreme soil erosion in the medieval period, however, was caused by extraordinary weather phenomena. Additionally, land use patterns were responsible for the development of a gully system at Hainbach.