Characterization of selected functions of soils in the floodplain within the backdrop of flood risk areas

Floodplains are vast riverside landscapes and are considered centres of biodiversity. The various soil substrates in groundwater-affected soils in the floodplain offer a high diversity of locations and habitats for plants, animals and soil organisms. Soils in the floodplain take on important functions in the landscape budget. They are important water reservoirs and act as sediment and nutrient sinks in the landscape. They also contain more organic carbon than land or mineral soils. For these reasons, such soils in the floodplain in the state of Brandenburg are particularly worthy of protection. The following functions of soils in the floodplain have been evaluated • Carbon stocks • Typical characteristics of the site and derives from this the potential protection of the soils. The degree of protection is defined in soil protection by the degree of functional fulfilment of a soil. If a soil meets these requirements to a particular extent, it is particularly worthy of protection. This definition differs from other technical views on the merits of protection. From a soil protection point of view, areas that are very low or need little protection after classification are not per se soils that are not worthy of protection. Rather, these soils do not fulfil the soil functions to a particular extent or only to a very limited extent at the time of the assessment.