Soils and landforms of war — Pedological investigations 75 years after World War II

Abstract

Seventy-five years after World War II, the legacy of the last war in Germany is still visible in near-natural and anthropogenically shaped urban and rural soilscapes of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Area (BMA). Shooting ranges, trenches, and artificial mountains consisting of war debris can be identified across the study area. Our study has been carried out to show how acts of war influence the pedosphere and the geomorphology in the study area. Analysis of war-related landforms and soil profiles in the BMA has been conducted to achieve morphological and pedological characteristics of “soils of war”. Emphasis was placed on geochemical investigations on shooting ranges and war debris soils as acts of war may induce elevated soil heavy metal contents.Our study displays how humankind, by relocating and reworking natural soil material and depositing war debris, substantially altered the rural and urban landscapes within the BMA. Approximately, 4% of the BMA have been used for indirect or direct military purposes. Our research revealed that “soils of war” on anthropogenic landforms show distinct soil physical and chemical characteristics as well as pedoturbations. We furthermore found out that “soils of war” often contain elevated amounts of heavy metals. On the other hand, these ruderal soils are often habitats for endangered species of the red list and can provide specific ecosystem services. As studies on “landforms and soils of war” in urban areas are still insufficient, further efforts are needed in the future to research the characteristics of these specific landforms, evaluate their ecological risk but also the potential worth of protection.