Soil Protection in Floodplains—A Review

Abstract

Soils in floodplains and riparian zones provide important ecosystem functions and services. These ecosystems belong to the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. Therefore, the management of floodplains has changed from river control to the restoration of rivers and floodplains. However, restoration activities can also negatively impact soils in these areas. Thus, a detailed knowledge of the soils is needed to prevent detrimental soil changes. The aim of this review is therefore to assess the kind and extent of soil information used in research on floodplains and riparian zones. This article is based on a quantitative literature search. Soil information of 100 research articles was collected. Soil properties were divided into physical, chemical, biological, and detailed soil classification. Some kind of soil information like classification is used in 97 articles, but often there is no complete description of the soils and only single parameters are described. Physical soil properties are mentioned in 76 articles, chemical soil properties in 56 articles, biological soil properties in 21 articles, and a detailed soil classification is provided in 32 articles. It is recommended to integrate at least a minimum data set on soil information in all research conducted in floodplains and riparian zones. This minimum data set comprises soil types, coarse fragments, texture and structure of the soil, bulk density, pH, soil organic matter, water content, rooting depth, and calcium carbonate content. Additionally, the nutrient and/or pollution status might be a useful parameter.