Zur Bodenerosion in Lippe: Ein historischer Beitrag zur Erforschung der Bodenerosion

Abstract

Archive studies have shown that the Lippe hill country has been subjected to a remarkable degree of soil erosion. The areas affected are all situated within the marly and clayey strata of the Keuper zone. This result agrees with the findings of other studies of soil erosion in different parts of Middle Europe, as is shown in the papers concerning Thuringia (J. H. Schultze), the Luxembourg Gutland (J. Schmithüsen) and the Bitburger Land (H. Breuer and Th. Müller). The reasons why marl and clay soils act thus is firstly their impermeability, which gives rise to dissection into gullies, ravines or calanche, secondly because of the manner in which their volume varies, resulting in shrinking and cracks during dry periods, and a rise of the surface and landslips, frani, in humid periods. Excellent examples are provided by the Pliocene hill country of central Italy (cf. B. Castiglioni).