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BTU
Die hier vorgestellte Forschungsarbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Rekonstruktion der Landschafts- und Umweltgeschichte mithilfe Geographischer Informationssysteme (GIS) und historischer Karten. In einem Modell sollen die räumliche Dimension der Köhlerei, der damit verbundene Holzverbrauch, der Zustand der Wälder, die vorhandene Infrastruktur etc. errechnet und dargestellt werden. Zeitlicher Schwerpunkt ist die zweite Hälfte des 18. Jahrhunderts und die Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts.
In the apron of the active lignite opencast pit Jänschwalde (Brandenburg, Germany), three archaeological survey trenches were investigated in an area where aeolian sand deposits are widespread. The investigated sediment sequences contain evidence of aeolian morphodynamics, soil formation and agricultural land use. To study the age and the causes of sand drifting and surface stabilization, standard soil physical and chemical laboratory analyses as well as optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating (14C) were carried out. Two main sedimentological units were identified: Unit 1 consists of glacio-fluvial and Late Glacial aeolian sands representing the parent material for the native Podsol-
Braunerde, while Unit 2 represents the Late Holocene aeolian deposits. Four periods of Late Glacial and Holocene aeolian activity and three phases of geomorphological stability have been identified: (i) Aeolian sedimentation during the Late Glacial, (ii) Mesolithic reactivation of aeolian processes, (iii) soil formation until Late Roman Iron Age settlers intensified the agricultural land use, (iv) intensive drift sand formation
during the High Middle Ages due to agricultural expansion, (v) stabilization of the drift sands and weak soil formation, (vi) reactivation of aeolian processes due to the increasing wood consumption and charcoal production from the early 17th until the mid-19th century, (vii) surface stabilization and formation of Regosols since the mid-19th century due to afforestation.
Analysing the spatial distribution of anthropogenic relief structures can contribute to the understanding of past landuse systems. With automated mapping routines, small relief forms can be detected efficiently from high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs). In this study, we describe an approach for the automated mapping of charcoal kiln sites from an airborne laser-scanning DTM. The study site is located north of Cottbus, Germany, where an exceptionally large historic charcoal production field has been documented in previous archaeological surveys. The goal of this study was to implement, evaluate and improve an automated GIS-based routine for mapping these features based on the template-matching principle. In addition to the DTM, different morphometric variables were evaluated for their suitability to detect kiln sites. The mapping results were validated against a comprehensive database of kiln sites recorded from archaeological excavations and via manual digitization. The effects of irregular kiln-site geometry and DTM noise were evaluated using synthetic DTMs. The results of the synthetic DTM mapping show that the template-matching results differed depending on the morphometric variable used for the mapping process. In accordance with this observation, a validation of the mapping procedure for the field site suggests that feature mapping can be improved. In particular, the number of false detections can be reduced using a combination of morphometric variables. For the validation area, the kiln sites with diameters of at least 10m were mapped using the automated routine, with detection rates that were close to those of manual digitization. Therefore, the described method can considerably facilitate the mapping and distribution analysis of kiln sites or similar small relief forms that are prominent in a specific landscape.
Modern lignite mining in southern Brandenburg (East Germany) causes the destruction of entire landscapes. To date, research concentrated on the reclamation of areas affected by mining-related activities, but the significance of prehistoric and historic cultures on land use changes is disregarded. Recently, a joint research project was launched for interdisciplinary long-term palaeoenvironmental research and to study anthropogenic landscape change in southern Brandenburg. The project partners are geoscientists from the Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU) Cottbus and archaeologists from the Brandenburgisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologisches Museum (BLDAM), within the scope of this project pedological and geomorphological investigations are carried out to reconstruct Holocene landscape and land use change in the apron of the opencast pit Jänschwalde (Lower Lusatia), c. 100 southeast of Berlin and c. 15 km northeast of Cottbus. By law large-scale surveys and excavations have to be carried out in the forefield to document all archaeological findings. In combination with the excellent outcrop situation the archaeological investigation offers ideal conditions to study the soil geomorphology on a landscape scale.
Fieldwork includes topographical surveying by differential GPS. Soils and sediments are described along cross-sections (up to 140 m long, up to 2 m deep). Field-portable XRF analyzes (FPXRF) is used for a quick characterization of total element concentrations of the substrates. Standard analytical methods (e.g., soil texture, contents of pedogenic oxides) are carried out in the laboratory. To obtain chronological information, radiocarbon and OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) dating are applied on suitable material.
Evidence of different land use and land use change in the study area is abundant. For example, at several cross-sections agricultural soil horizons are covered with up to 150 cm thick eolian sands, proving that deforestation and agricultural use induced eolian soil erosion. In addition, remnants of charcoal piles buried under up to 150 cm thick eolian sands indicate remobilization of Quaternary sands as a consequence of clearing for charcoal production.
The ongoing investigations will concentrate on fieldwork. Preliminary results are presented.
Knowledge of the position of archaeological remains in the surface relief provides important basic information for archaeological survey design and interpretation. Geomorphological processes in (pre)history may have resulted in a modification of the local relief around archaeological sites, especially in areas that are prone to sediment erosion and relocation, such as sheet sand and dune landscapes. In this study, we reconstructed and analysed the palaeorelief of an archaeological excavation site in an inland dune area in southern Brandenburg, Germany. The remains of two Mesolithic sites were documented in the archaeological excavations and found to be associated with a buried soil horizon. To gather information on the relief of the buried soil surface, we used a combination of sedimentological and pedological profile descriptions along archaeological survey trenches and geophysical prospection with ground penetrating radar supplemented with microdrone photography and photogrammetry, global positioning system (GPS) surveys, and analysis of LiDAR-based elevation models. A digital elevation model of the buried surface was generated and analysed using a geographical information system (GIS). A comparison of the palaeosurface model with the recent surface elevation model shows that sand remobilization resulted in a considerable reshaping of the relief. Further, an analysis of the buried surface model shows that the relief position of the two archaeological sites in the study area was considerably more prominent in relation to the corresponding buried soil surface than in relation to the recent surface morphology. The results affirm the significance of Holocene sediment relocation for the local surface morphology and the importance of considering such relief modifications in archaeological surveys.
This study outlines the opportunities to reconstruct Holocene landscape dynamics in active opencast lignite mines in southern Brandenburg (Germany). Studies on extensive outcrops that address geomorphology, pedology and archaeology provide unique insights into human-induced environmental changes. Our approach uses a variety of traditional and cutting-edge techniques to characterize small-scale landforms (high-resolution DEMs by micro-drone and LiDAR), to analyze soils and substrate properties in the field (GPR, ERT, geomagnetics, Field Portable XRF and XRD) and to provide chronological information (OSL, 14C, tree-ring dating). This approach is combined with a GIS for data integration. We present the most recent results and review important findings from the last several years. Studies conducted in the opencast mines focus on soil development and Late
Quaternary geomorphodynamics and as well as past land use and the legacy of agriculture and woodland use.
Our results regarding the human-induced geomorphodynamics are similar to those in other regions in Central Europe, but we also observe regional differences caused by the local setting, e.g., intensification of soil erosion coinciding with the expansion of farming of cultivated lands in the Slavic Middle Ages. By analyzing LiDAR data the largest area of historical charcoal production in the Northern European Lowland (NEL) has been revealed. We are clearly only beginning to understand the massive dimensions of charcoal production in the region and the impact on late Holocene geomorphodynamics. The usage of new high-resolution imagery is essential to identify small-scale anthropogenic landforms hidden in the landscape. Future work will consist of developing and improving our integrative approach. However, comprehensive ground truth data provided by the archaeological prospections in the open-cast mines are an excellent basis for GIS-based analyses of high-resolution ALS data and geomorphological research.
In the forefield of the open-cast mine Jänschwalde (north of Cottbus, Germany), archaeological excavations have revealed one of the largest charcoal production fields described so far. As remains of the historic charcoal kilns, small mounds of sediment rich in charcoal fragments and ash cover the soil surface. We applied a combination of methods for mapping such kiln relicts across a range of scales, in order to analyze the spatial distribution of kiln sites and to improve the understanding of historic forest use systems. In archaeological excavations in the mine forefield, the geometry of kiln relicts could be studied in high detail. We used a microdrone to record high-resolution photographs of excavation sites for the
documentation of kiln site ground plans and other traces of historic land use. Based on airborne laser
scanning elevation models, kiln site mapping was extended to areas beyond the mine forefield. Manual
digitization from shaded relief maps was used for mapping kiln sites in further woodland areas surrounding an historic ironwork north of Cottbus. An automated mapping approach based on template matching was developed to detect charcoal production fields on a larger scale, and was applied for an area of about 1000 km2up to now.
In archaeological excavations, about 900 kiln sites have been documented on an approximately 17 km2 large area. Excavation documentations and aerial photographs show variations in the kiln site ground plans. By manual digitization from Shaded Relief Maps, more than 5000 kiln sites with diameters up to 29 m were detected in the 32 km2 area of the royal forest Jänschwalder Heide north of Cottbus. First results of mapping for larger areas indicate similar densities, but smaller diameters of kiln sites in other charcoal production fields; and show that charcoal production is a so far underestimated component of the land use history in many areas in the Northern European Lowlands.
The historic production of charcoal is an important component of the late Holocene fire history for many landscapes. Charcoal production can have numerous effects on ecosystems, e.g., through changes in forest area and structure, or through the effects of pyrolysis, charcoal and ash addition to soils. To assess such effects, it is necessary to understand the spatial extent and patterns of historic charcoal production, which has so far hardly been approached for the Northern European Lowlands. In the forefield of the open-cast mine Jänschwalde (north of Cottbus, Germany), archaeological excavations have revealed one of the largest charcoal production fields described so far. For this area, we applied and evaluated different methods for mapping the spatial distribution of charcoal kiln remains. We present methods and results of our work in this exceptionally well-described charcoal production field and of additional studies on kiln site distribution in regions of the Northern European Lowlands. The large-scale excavations in the mine forefield provide exact information on kiln site geometry. Using airborne laser scanning elevation models, the mapping of kiln sites could be extended to areas beyond the mine forefield. To detect kiln sites for larger areas, an automated GIS based mapping routine, based on a combination of morphometric parameters, was developed and evaluated. By manual digitization from Shaded Relief Maps, more than 5000 kiln sites in an area of 32 km2 were detected in the Jänschwalde mine forefield, with 1355 kiln sites that are wider than 12 m. These relatively large kiln sites could be mapped with detection rates that are close to those of manual digitization using the automated routine. First results for different study areas indicate that charcoal production is a so far underestimated component of the land use history in many parts of the Northern European Lowlands.
Relict charcoal hearths are round or elliptical earthen platforms up to 11 m in diameter and a widespread feature of historical industry that supplied charcoal used in the production of iron in furnaces or smelters. The iron industry dominated Litchfield County, Connecticut, and surrounding areas in the northeastUnited States throughout the 19th century, peaking in ∼1850. The large number of charcoal hearths in this region is a relic of >150 years of widespread iron production. In this study, we describe the architecture and soil stratigraphy of 26 charcoal hearths in Litchfield County. This contribution aims to (1) compare soils that comprise the charcoal hearths with “natural” adjacent soils, (2) measure the thickness of topsoil developed upon the hearths, and (3) characterize the stratigraphy associated with these features. Results indicate that the black topsoils overlying the charcoal hearths contain residual charcoal and are on average 2.6 times thicker than adjacentCambisols. Charcoal hearths display two ormore black, charcoal-rich strata separated by layers of reddish-brown soil low in charcoal content indicating multiple episodes of use.We also find that many charcoal hearths have been stabilized with boulders on the downslope side during construction and repeated use.Overall, the results presented here provide significant information regarding the construction, use, and associated impacts of earthen platforms for charcoal production in the northeastUnited States, with further relevance to other areas where historical charcoal production occurred.
Charcoal produced in kilns or hearths was an important source of energy in many regions of Europe and Northern America until the 19th century, and charcoal production in hearths is still common in many other regions of the world. The remains of charcoal hearths are therefore a widespread legacy of historic land use in forest areas. Soils on charcoal hearth sites are characterized by a technogenic layer rich in charcoal and ash on top of the soil profile, and by a pyrogenic modification of substrates below the former hearth.
The aims of our study are to examine how these alterations to the natural soil profiles affect the soil water regime
and other soil physical properties, and to assess the relevance of these effects on the landscape scale. We present
first results of a mapping of hearth site occurrence in forest areas in the state of Brandenburg, Germany, and of a
characterization of the infiltration behaviour on hearth sites as compared with undisturbed forest soils. Results of mapping small-scale relief features from LIDAR-based digital elevation models show that charcoal hearths occur in a high density in many large forest areas throughout Brandenburg. In the areas studied so far, up to almost 3% of the soil surface were found to be affected by the remains of historic hearths. First analyses of soil physical properties indicate differences in the infiltration characteristics of hearth site soils and undisturbed forest soils: Hood infiltrometer measurements show a very high spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity for hearth site soils, and water-drop-penetration-time tests reflect extremely high hydrophobicity of the technogenic layer on the sites. Results of dye tracer experiment show considerably strong preferential flow and therefore a higher spatial variability of soil wetness below the hearth remains. Overall, our first results therefore indicate that the legacy effects of historic charcoal production might significantly affect overall site conditions in forest areas with a high density of charcoal hearth remains.
Late Holocene biochar enrichment in soils ‐ implications of an anthropogenic legacy for ecosystems
(2017)
Pre- and early industrial charcoal production has left a striking legacy effect on today’s soil landscapes in many forests of Central Europe and the North Eastern USA. Charcoaling in upright standing hearths (also called kilns) resulted in distinct circular micro relief structures, easily identifiable today in the field and on high resolution LiDAR-based digital elevation maps. Soils on these sites are characterized by one or multiple layers of decimetre thick charcoal rich substrate, which makes them Spolic Technosols according to the WRB soil classification. The focus of research on these sites increasingly deals with the difference of their soil physical and chemical properties in relation to unaffected forest soils and the potential implications for changes in vegetation and faunal growth. The controlling factor thereby is the soils large content of charcoal in various particle sizes, ranging from fine dust to large chunks. Studies have repeatedly shown the soils significant increase in total organic- and pyrogenic carbon content. The increase in total carbon stocks is thereby not only caused by pyrogenic carbon, but also by an apparently increased accumulation of non-pyrogenic organic matter. Here we present the latest findings regarding the carbon contents of centennially old charcoal rich technogenic substrates, sampled as part of multiple research projects in Brandenburg, Germany and the Litchfield hills in North-western Connecticut, USA. A focus will be the determination of highly aromatic carbon by the molecular marker Benzene-polycarboxylic acid (BPCA) and its prediction by FTIR-MIR chemometric methods. We discuss the results on forest soil carbon stocks on a site specific to a landscape and regional scale. Furthermore, the potential to use these sites to study the long term effects of charcoal admixture to soils by wildfires or biochar application will be discussed.
Historic charcoal hearth remains provide a unique archive of the long term interaction between biochar, soil development and plant growth. Charcoal as raw material was crucial for production of iron in iron works and hence numerous charcoal hearths can be found in the forests near historic iron works in Europe as well as the Eastern United States. Charcoal hearths are round to elliptical forms often around 10 m in diameter, and consist of several decimeter thick layers that contain charcoal fragments, ash, and burnt soil. We studied the soil chemistry of 24 charcoal hearths and compared them to the surrounding ‘natural’ soils in the northern Appalachians of northwestern Connecticut. The thickness of the topsoils on the charcoal hearths and their carbon content are remarkably higher than in the surrounding topsoils. The presence of residual products from charcoal production classifies the soils as Anthropic Udorthents (US Soil Taxonomy) or Spolic Technosols (Humic) according to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources. The widespread occurrence of charcoal hearth remains and their high spatial density in different ecosystems underlines their importance for further pedological research.
Historical charcoal production can have significant effects on soil properties. We studied soils at former charcoal production sites (relict charcoal hearths, RCHs) and compared these soils with undisturbed soil next to the charcoal hearths and four typical soils on similar parent material located at distances between 10 and 70 km from the RCHs. In a landscape typical of the northern German lowland, we found Podsolige Braunerde [WRB: Brunic Arenosols (Protospodic)] outside of the RCHs and soils with a clearly different stratigraphy within the RCHs. The main feature of the soils at both of the studied RCHs is a heterogeneous, charcoal-bearing deposit that is ~30 cm thick. No indications of translocation or mineral transformation processes, which form distinct soil horizons after the deposition of anthropogenic material on the RCHs, are present. Except for the differences in color and total carbon content, the soil chemistry of the RCHs hardly differs from that of the soil outside of the charcoal hearth sites. The soil colors and magnetic susceptibility values strongly suggest that the RCH substrates and the underlying topsoil were affected by thermally induced transformation of iron (hydr-)oxides. Although the charring procedure normally requires ~2 weeks, the heating effect only reaches to a maximum depth of 8 cm into the buried soil below the charcoal hearths. The presence of reddish soil and an abrupt increase in magnetic susceptibility in the upper 2 cm of the soil below the charcoal hearths indicate the heat-induced transformation of iron (hydr-)oxides into maghemite. Brighter soil color and an increase in soil organic matter (SOM) in the lower parts of the buried topsoil demonstrate the combustion of SOM up to 5 cm depth below the RCH. According to the German Guidelines for Soil Mapping, the soils in the RCHs are classified as Regosols above Braunerde [WRB: Spolic Technosols (Arenic)]. However, because the anthropogenic features of these soil sediments are disregarded in the German Guidelines for Soil Mapping, we suggest adapting the “M” horizon to permit a jM horizon. Thus, the soils in the RCHs could be classified as Kolluviale Braunerde.
Relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) are sites of former charcoal production that are an increasingly well documented anthropogenic feature in forests of the temperate climate zone. However, the type and extent of a possible legacy effect from RCHs on soil physical and chemical properties is still largely unknown. In the Litchfield Hills in west Connecticut, RCH sites are located mainly on slopes and therefore differ in their architecture from lowland sites found in Europe. One of the striking characteristics of a RCH site regardless of its architecture is the enrichment of the soil with charcoal in varying particle sizes. In this study, we use chemical digestion coupled with a PLSR-model to quantify organic carbon and pyrogenic carbon in RCH substrate by MIR-DRIFT measurements. Furthermore, we analyse the quality of carbon compounds by MIR-DRIFT measurements on multiple grain size fractions to assess the post-burn enrichment of soil organic matter. Preliminary results show a markedly increase in organic and pyrogenic carbon in RCH substrates in relation to the natural forest soil. Also, our first results suggest that the enrichment of organic carbon is favoured on RCHsites. However, the causality between the enrichment of soil organic matter and site features remains open. Experiments using chemical extraction techniques on our samples hint at an increase of labile organic compounds and/or microbial biomass. This legacy effect of RCHs is however evident and further studies need to focus on how to address them.
Do small landforms have large effects? A review on the legacies of pre-industrial charcoal burning
(2022)
Relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) are small, anthropogenic landforms resulting from past charcoal burning and reaching significant land coverage in pre-industrial mining areas. We review three coupled legacies linked by RCH development: (i) a landscape-scale geomorphic effect, (ii) a unique soil fingerprint, and (iii) an evolving novel ecosystem. The history and technique of charcoal production are described to clarify legacy effects. Applying a recently presented morpho-genetic catalogue is useful for classified mapping of RCH findings. The RCH numbers and calculated RCH densities per study region vary greatly and impose uncertainties due to insufficient methods causing over- or underestimations. Areas with high RCH densities between 50 and 500 RCH/km2 seem reasonable. Machine learning-based remote sensing techniques are promising approaches with which to better assess the full scale of charcoal burning legacies. RCH soil properties feature dark charcoal-rich technogenic substrate layers classified as Auh horizons according to the World Reference Base with significantly increased C contents. These Auh horizons can also exhibit specific physical and chemical properties, such as relatively low bulk density, high porosity, high plant available water content, low thermal conductivity and differences in cation exchange capacity or nutrient status. However, relevant studies are rare, and thus, the effects may differ by study region. Regarding vegetation, there seem to be four main effects: changes in forest structure, species composition, recruitment pattern and productivity. The number of studies on this issue is, however, also very limited. Even fewer studies have examined the soil fauna in RCHs; thus, the reported effects cannot be used to draw general conclusions. Notably, RCH research has made considerable progress in the last five years, especially in the Light Detection and Ranging-based mapping of these small landforms and identification of RCH-specific soil properties, but ecological legacies are not well understood; thus, more interdisciplinary and integrative studies are needed.
Seit 2010 untersucht eine interdisziplinäre Forschergruppe der BTU, des BLDAM und des LBGR die Landnutzungsgeschichte sowie die natürliche und anthropogen induzierte Landschaftsentwicklung in der Niederlausitz, Brandenburg. Systematische archäologische Grabungen des BLDAM im Vorfeld der laufenden Tagebaue sind eine wichtige Grundlage für geopedologische Untersuchungen. Die Arbeiten hatten zunächst ihren räumlichen Schwerpunkt in den Braunkohletagebauen nordöstlich von Cottbus (Tgb. Cottbus Nord, Tgb. Jänschwalde) und wurden dann ausgedehnt auf weitere Forstflächen nördlich von Peitz. Wir geben einen Überblick über die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse der letzten Jahre, präsentieren aktuelle Ergebnisse und zeigen zukünftige Forschungsfelder auf.
Im Tagebau Jänschwalde sind zwischenzeitlich mehr als 1000 Relikte von Holzkohlmeilern (HKM) als Zeugen einer intensiven historischen Holznutzung archäologisch dokumentiert. Mit Stand Januar 2016 liegen Dendroalter von 64 HKM vor. Die Alter schwanken zwischen dem ausgehenden 16. Jahrhundert und der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts, was in etwa dem Betriebszeitraum des Hüttenwerks in Peitz entspricht. Die Mehrzahl der Meiler datiert auf den Beginn des 18. Jahrhunderts. Weitere Hinterlassenschaften der historischen Landnutzung sind u.a. Wölbäcker und begrabene Ackerböden. Fossile Böden und ehemalige Landoberflächen sind stellenweise mit äolischen Sedimenten überdeckt. 14C- und OSL-Datierungen an diesen Böden und Sedimenten lassen auf eine Intensivierung der äolischen Aktivität zur slawischen Zeit und im Deutschen Mittelalter schließen. Einige Relikte von HKM sind mit Sand überweht worden, und an einer Stelle konnte das Alter dieser äolischen Sedimentation mittels Dendrodatierung des begrabenen Meilers auf1850 oder jünger bestimmt werden. Allerdings stellt dies die Ausnahme dar. Der weitaus größere Teil der HKM-Relikte liegt direkt an der Oberfläche und ist nicht begraben, was auf eine sehr geringe Winderosion in der Neuzeit schließen lässt. Seit 2015 konnte im Rahmen des DFG-Projekts „Räumliche und zeitliche Dimension der historischen Köhlerei im Tauerschen Forst (Niederlausitz, Brandenburg). Ein Beitrag zur Kulturlandschaftsentwicklung des Norddeutschen Tieflands“ (Az RA 1129/3-1; RA 931/6-1) ein weiteres Gebiet mit hoher HKM-Dichte untersucht werden. Erste Auswertungen der LiDAR-Daten ergeben eine Anzahl von 4449 ehemaligen Meilerstandorten im Tauerschen Forst. 26 Meilerstellen sind beprobt, die Dendroalter hierzu sind in Bearbeitung. Ebenfalls in jüngerer Zeit fanden Untersuchungen zur Verbreitung von HKM-Relikten für das gesamte Land Brandenburg statt. Mit Hilfe eines binären Modells wurden Gebiete mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit von HKM-Standorten detektiert. Im Rahmen des im November 2016 beginnenden DFG-Projekts „Die historische Köhlerei in Brandenburg - Analyse der räumlichen Dimension und der Effekte auf bodenhydraulische Eigenschaften“ (SCHN 1349/1-1) sollen nun neben der Verbreitung der historischen Köhlerei auch bodenrelevante Auswirkungen beschrieben und bewertet werden.
Various sources provide information about land use history and landscape transformation. For a variety of reasons, the quality of information differs and is often discontinuous or incomplete. In this interdisciplinary study we take advantage of comprehensive archaeological data gathered by large-scale excavations that were necessary because of opencast lignite mining in Lusatia, Brandenburg, Germany. By using a GIS we integrate these archaeological findings with results from archival and literature studies, from historical maps, from landforms and soils as well as from analyses of shaded-relief maps derived from up-to-date LiDAR data. The long-term aim is to develop a palaeoenvironmental model and thus to reconstruct landscape changes caused by human activities. The focus of the study is the Peitz ironwork in SE Brandenburg, which was a large consumer of commodities for about 300 years. During the time it operated, extensive transformations are supposed to have affected the landscape in the vicinity because of wood consumption and especially charcoal production. Digital datasets about forested areas for different timespans reconstructed from historical maps were made available. In combination with dendrochronological dating of charred trees, the spatiotemporal dimension of charcoal kilns was determined. Also, sites of former bog iron ore mining could be identified. Moreover, the different sources contain further information about other forms of land uses such as agriculture, pastoralism and even viticulture. In conclusion we can highlight that the mosaic of past land use systems is different from the modern structure but that major changes in the forests have been retained.
The mining region of Upper Silesia has a long tradition with international significance. In 2017, the historic silver mine in Tarnowsky Gory was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With the mining of galena (PbS), the region developed into one of the most important industrial centers in Central Europe in the 16th century. In addition to the underground galleries, the historical mining has left thousands of mining shafts as small relief forms, which have not been systematically investigated so far. Partly the mining shafts are associated with Relict Charcoal Hearths (RCH), another small form which is a result of charcoal production. In the Mala Panew River valley, north of Tarnowsky Gory, several tens of thousands of these RCH are found, which could be mapped by LiDAR in recent years. More detailed pedological investigations, which would allow a systematic comparison with other known RCH sites, are missing so far.
Within the framework of a Polish-German cooperation project, we started in 2021 to investigate the mining shafts and the RCH in Tarnowsky Gory and in the Mala Panew River valley from a pedological-sedimentological point of view. At the RCH sites on the Mala Panew River, we focused on the following questions: How was the soil stratigraphy changed by the RCH construction? What are main processes of soil development before and after RCH construction? What was the role of the pits surrounding the RCH? How do the sites differ from the RCHs at Tarnowsky Gory especially with respect to soil properties and soil genesis? In Tarnowsky Gory, where a RCH was excavated directly next to a mining shaft, the following questions were in focus: How did the mining activity change soil distribution and soil properties? What are main processes of soil development on the different parts? What is the origin of the pit infill? What is the origin of the shaft rim deposits?
Our work program included the construction of excavator trenches across the mining remains, construction, description and sampling of soil profiles along the trenches, schematic drawing of the soil stratigraphy, and laboratory analyses for the determination of texture, Munsell color, pH (CaCl2, H20), CaCO3 content, Ctotal & Ntotal and total elements by FPXRF. We present the first results of the ongoing investigations.
Recent findings of several thousand relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) in the Tauer Forest (Brandenburg, Germany) raise questions about the legacy effects of historical charcoal production on soil properties. RCH sites are characterized by the admixture of charcoal fragments to the natural forest soil, constituting an anthropogenic addition of carbon. Dendrochronological dating of large charcoal pieces has identified RCH ages ranging from 1709 AD to 1823 AD for a subarea in the Tauer Forest, which allows for assessing century old effects of charcoal application on forest soils. We measured the geometry and soil organic matter (SOM) content of 20 RCH sites in a selected part of the forest. The results provide a basis for estimating RCH SOM stocks on a 40-ha forest plot with 120 RCH sites. We also assessed the accuracy of RCH mapping based on digital elevation models (DEMs) with results from a ground survey. Over 50 % of sites were not detected by the DEM-based mapping. In the range of statistical uncertainties, RCHs add between 18 % and 32 % of SOM to the stock of the natural forest soil in the study area. This equals an additional 4.9 – 8.9 Mg of carbon per hectare of forest soil. These substantial amounts of SOM are so far not recognized by any survey or forest soil SOM inventories. Considering recent studies, which uncovered tens- and hundreds- of thousands of RCHs throughout Europe and the USA, we conclude that further knowledge of RCH SOM is important for quantifying anthropogenic SOM stocks on a global scale.
Open-cast lignite mines in Lower Lusatia provide unique insights into human-induced environmental changes in the Northern European Lowland and improve our understanding of Quaternary landscape dynamics. The excursion will focus on soils and sediments of Late Pleistocene and Holocene age that have been modified by land use since the Slavic Middle Ages. In the vicinity of the open-cast mine Jänschwalde and in the Tauer forest north of Cottbus characteristic remains of historical charcoal production, a ridge-and-furrow system and late Quaternary rubification in soils are presented.
Historical charcoal production has long been an unconsidered type of forest utilization in lowland areas. The archaeological discovery of a large charcoal burning area in the forefield of the active opencast lignite mine J€anschwalde in SE Brandenburg (North German Lowlands) has highlighted the need for multidisciplinary research in the study of the dimensions of historical charcoal burning. The charcoal produced in our study area, the former royal forest district Tauer, provided energy for the nearby Peitz ironworks during its operation from the mid-16th to the mid-19th century. Here, we aimed to record the amount, size and distribution of relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) to examine their context with respect to the ironworks and to better understand the potential impacts on late Quaternary landscape change. The applied methods combined archaeological research with shaded-relief mapping of RCHs. To evaluate the detection success of RCHs in the shaded-relief maps (SRMs), we compared the results with the results from specific archaeological surveys and conventional forest site mapping. Furthermore, we analyzed our dataset with descriptive, comparable and spatial statistics. Additionally, dendrochronological dating of charcoal fragments from selected RCHs was used to investigate the temporal relationships among the RCHs. Approximately 6000 circular RCHs were manually digitally identified in the SRMs of the 109-km2 evaluable area. However, ground truthing showed that the shaded-relief maps could not completely capture all RCHs in our study area due to local conditions. At the regional scale, two focus areas with high RCH site densities were found. Statistical analysis revealed that the diameters of the RCHs range widely from 4 to 30.5 m. Spatial statistics were applied to the RCH diameters to aggregate areas with larger or smaller RCHs. At the small scale, no systematic arrangement of RCHs was obvious in the SRMs. Dendrochronological dating of selected RCHs lying close together could not detect significant spatiotemporal relationships or patterns. The dating results also showed that some areas have been preferentially used for charcoal production for over 300 years. Due to the homogeneity of the physiogeographical location factors, we assume that these factors are not superficially responsible for site selection. Instead, economic location factors and contemporary regulations are more likely responsible for the distribution of RCHs.
An initiative for a morphologic‐genetic catalog of relict charcoal hearths from Central Europe
(2020)
Human land use often leads to distinct modifications of soils within small, clearly delimited areas. Legacy effects of past land use are also abundant in recent forest areas, but are hardly considered in ecosystem assessment and soil mapping. The soils on relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) are a widespread example for such land use legacy soils in forests. Soils on RCHs differ clearly from surrounding forest soils in their stratigraphy and properties, and are most prominently characterized by a technogenic substrate layer with high contents of charcoal and thus soil organic matter (SOM). Although RCH soils can clearly contribute to the SOM stocks of forest soils, their relevance on the landscape scale has hardly been quantified. In this paper we analyze and discuss the distribution and effects of RCH soils across scales for forests in the state of Brandenburg, Germany, with a focus on SOM stocks. Our analysis is based on a large-scale mapping of RCHs from digital elevation models (DEMs), combined with a linear regression model of SOM stocks in RCH soils. The spatial distribution of RCH soils in the study region has a scale dependent heterogeneity. The large-scale variation in site densities is related to the concentration of charcoal production to specific forest areas while the small-scale variation is related to the irregular distribution of single RCHs within the charcoal production fields. Up to 1.5 % of the surface are covered by RCH soils in the forest areas within the study region. The results also show that RCHs can significantly contribute to the SOM stocks of forests, even where they cover only a small fraction of the soil surface, with up to 18 % additional SOM for forest areas. Because of the heterogeneous distribution of RCHs, the SOM stock additions depend on the scale of observation. Our results suggest that RCH SOM additions can be overestimated when sites in small areas (< 1 km²) are analyzed; and that characteristic spatial concentration patterns of RCHs are even observable when values are aggregated to large areas (25 km² and more). Aggregating effects to irregularly-sized forest administrative units resulted in maps that well represent the spatial distribution of RCH soils and SOM. The study highlights that considering land use legacy effects can be relevant for the results of soil mapping and inventories; and that prospecting and mapping land use legacies from DEMs can contribute to improving such approaches.
Charcoal-rich Technosols on century-old relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) are the subject of ongoing research regarding potential legacy effects that result from historic charcoal production and subsequent charcoal amendments on forest soil properties and forest ecosystems today. RCHs consist mostly of Auh horizons that are substantially enriched in soil organic carbon (SOC), of which the largest part seems to be of pyrogenic origin (PyC). However, the reported range of SOC and PyC contents in RCH soil also suggests that they are enriched in nonpyrogenic SOC. RCH soils are discussed as potential benchmarks for the long-term influence of biochar amendment and the post-wildfire influences on soil properties. In this study, we utilised a large soil sample dataset (n = 1245) from 52 RCH sites in north-western Connecticut, USA, to quantify SOC contents by total element analysis. The contents of condensed highly aromatic carbon as a proxy for black carbon (BC) were predicted by using a modified benzene polycarboxylated acid (BPCA) marker method in combination with diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy-based partial least square regression (r2 = 0.89). A high vertical spatial sampling resolution allowed the identification of soil organic matter (SOM) enrichment and translocation processes. The results show an average 75% and 1862% increase in TOC and BPCA-derived carbon, respectively, for technogenic Auh horizons compared to reference soils. In addition to an increase in aromatic properties, increased carboxylic properties of the RCH SOC suggest self-humification effects of degrading charcoal and thereby the continuing formation of leachable aromatic carbon compounds, which could have effects on pedogenic processes in buried soils. Indeed, we show BPCA-derived carbon concentrations in intermediate technogenic Cu horizons and buried top/subsoils that suggest vertical translocation of highly aromatic carbon originating in RCH Auh horizons. Topmost Auh horizons showed a gradual decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) contents with increasing depth, suggesting accumulation of recent, non-pyrogenic SOM. Lower aliphatic absorptions in RCH soil spectra suggest different SOM turnover dynamics compared to reference soils. Furthermore, studied RCH soils featured additional TOC enrichment, which cannot be fully explained now.
In Central Europe, Late Quaternary landscapes experienced multiple phases of geomorphologic activity. In this study,we used a combined geomorphological, pedological, sedimentological and palynological approach to characterize landscape development after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) near Lake Wygonin in Northern Poland. The pedostratigraphical findings from soil pits and drillings were extrapolated using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electric resistivity tomography (ERT). During the Pomeranian phase, glacial and fluvioglacial processes dominated the landscape near Lake Wygonin. At the end of the glacial period, periglacial processes became relevant and caused the formation of ventifacts and coversands containing coated sand grains. At approximately 15,290–14,800 cal yr BP, a small pond formed in a kettle hole (profile BWI2). The lacustrine sediments lack eolian sand components and therefore indicate the decline of eolian processes during that time. The increase of Juniperus and rock-rose (Helianthemum) in the pollen diagram is a prominent marker of the Younger Dryas. At the end of the Younger Dryas, a partial reshaping of the landscape is indicated by abundant charcoal fragments in disturbed lake sediments. No geomorphologic activity since the beginning of the Holocene is documented in the terrestrial and wetland archives. The anthropogenic impact is reflected in the pollen diagram by the occurrence of rye pollen grains (Secale cereale) and translocated soil sediments dated to 1560–1410 cal yr BP, proving agricultural use of the immediate vicinity. With the onset of land use, gully incision and the accumulation of colluvial fans reshaped the landscape locally. Since 540–460 cal yr BP, further gully incision in the steep forest tracks has been associated with the intensification of forestry. Outside of the gully catchments, the weakly podzolized Rubic Brunic Arenosols show no features of Holocene soil erosion.
Pedology and effects on vegetation at two medieval ridge and furrow sites in northeastern Germany
(2018)
The spatial variability of soil physical properties on the landscape scale is often increased by anthropogenic land occupation, not only by current land use but also through the legacies of past land use systems. The remains of historic charcoal hearts are an example for such a disturbance of the soil landscape by former forestry. Such relict charcoal hearths (RCH) exhibit a clearly altered soil stratigraphy, most prominently characterized by a technogenic substrate layer on the soil surface, and their soil physical properties can considerably differ from those of surrounding forest soils. The aim of our study is to characterize the soil water and temperature regime on RHC in a pre-industrial charcoal production area in Brandenburg, Germany, as compared with the surrounding sandy forest soils. Soil properties were analyzed in profiles on and around hearth sites and are monitored in a sensor transect equipped with soil
moisture sensors and pF-meters. Results of soil sample analyses show differences in density and porosity between the RCH soils and surrounding forest soils, not only in the technogenic layer but also in the buried soil layers on hearth sites. The soil water characteristic curves determined in the laboratory indicate a modified pore size distribution and lower plant available water contents in the RCH soils. Preliminary results of the ongoing soil water monitoring, however, show increased soil wetness in the RCH soils, along with lower soil moisture tensions. Furthermore, the measurements show higher variations of soil temperature in RCH soils. The results affirm that the legacies of historic charcoal production can increase the spatial variability of soil physical properties and therefore also of ecological site conditions in forest areas. The results of soil moisture monitoring suggest that a determination of soil physical parameters in the laboratory is not sufficient to characterize the spatio-temporal variations of the soil water regime.
Occurrence, soil parameters and genesis of Rhodic Arenosols (‘Fuchserden’) in northeastern Germany
(2018)
In the Tauer Forest, a woodland area north of the city of Peitz (Brandenburg, Germany), extensive charcoal burning was carried out from the mid-16th century to the mid-19th century resulting in numerous Relict Charcoal Hearths (RCHs). The most prominent feature of the soils on RCHs is the anthropogenically modified 20-30 cm thick RCH substrate that buries the former forest soil. The RCH substrate is a quite heterogenous mixture of mineral and organic compounds which were modified through heat during charring. It is characterized by its black color resulting from charcoal fragments (from fine dust to decimetre size pieces), lower bulk density, and higher porosity.
After their use, the charcoal production sites were abandoned and soon became overgrown. Soil formation could commence in this anthropogenically modified RCH substrate. During recently conducted field work on RCHs in the Tauer Forest we detected features of initial podzolisation (bleaching of quartz grains) within this RCH substrate. To further investigate initial processes of soil formation (acidification, podzolisation, accumulation of soil organic matter) on RCHs, two different RCH sites were selected in the Tauer Forest: one RCH site in the forest district Tannenwald and one RCH site in the forest district Kleinsee.
The Tannenwald site (RCH no. 29958) is situated in the western part of the Tauer Forest. It is an inland dune area with a coniferous forest (Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris L.) plantation. The forest soils are Podzols and the soils on the RCHs are classified as Spolic Technosols. The dense undergrowth consists of mainly blueberry (Vaccinium L.). Dendrochronological ages (determination by K-U Heußner, DAI Berlin) of charcoal pieces proof, that the charcoal hearth was used after 1655.
The Kleinsee site (RCH no. 29424) is situated in the eastern part of the Tauer Forest. The parent material is sand from glaciofluvial sediments of the Weichselian glaciation. The forest soils are Brunic Arenosols (Protospodic) and the soils on the RCHs are classified as Spolic Technosols (Arenic). The deciduous forest is dominated by sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.). The undergrowth is only scarce with some ferns (sporadic), blueberry (Vaccinium L.), some shoots of rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L.) and some moss. There is no dendrochronological age available from the RCH, but RCHs nearby were dated from the 18th to the 19th centuries.
At both sites, three soil monoliths were sampled on the RCH platform and three monoliths from the natural forest soil as reference soils. The soil monoliths were sampled continuously in 3 cm vertical spacings. Following lab analyses were carried out: pH (CaCl2), pH (H2O), total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), CECeff and total concentrations of selected elements. Analyses of pedogenic Fe are in progress. First results of these study will be presented and discussed.
Spatial heterogeneity of buried and recent soils in a drift sand area in North-Eastern Germany
(2022)
In the North European Lowland, on the sandy deposits of the Weichselian glaciation, soils developed during periods of landscape stability are often conserved under windblown sand. However, small-scale changes of sediments and other soil forming factors can result in high spatial variation of soil properties in these landscapes; and relocation of soil material by geomorphic processes further increases the spatial heterogeneity of the soil landscape. These spatial variations in soil properties and conservation need to be considered in order to correctly decipher and interpret the buried soils as records of past environmental conditions.
In the forefield of the open-cast mine Cottbus-Nord, archaeological excavations in a dune and drift sand area revealed widespread buried soils of different characteristics. The densely spaced excavation trenches give exceptionally good insights into the pedosphere, allow for reconstructing the distribution of fossil and recent soils in a high spatial resolution, and offer good opportunities to improve the understanding of spatial and temporal patterns of soil formation. Remains of postpleistocene hunter-gatherer campsites were documented in archaeological excavations and found to be associated with a buried soil horizon.
We recorded the stratigraphy of soil profiles along more than 15 trenches within an area of about 20 ha, and additionally described the position of buried soils from GPR surveys and microdrone photogrammetry. In a recently opened, 455 m long trench, all characteristic soils and sediments of the study region could be observed and stratigraphically connected. Within this trench, four profiles were identified for further research. Each profile was classified and described according to WRB and German Guidelines for Soil Mapping; and was sampled and investigated through laboratory analyses including determination of organic matter, total carbon and nitrogen contents, soil colour identification, texture analysis, magnetic susceptibility measurement, metal content analysis using X-ray fluorescence analyzer and pH measurement. The compaction and cementation of soil horizons was assessed in situ with a pocket penetrometer.
Results show a small-scale mosaic of soils developed on fluvio-aeolian, limnic and aeolian sediments, high spatial variations in pedogenesis due to varying groundwater influence and intensity of horizontal and vertical leachate transport, and high variations in the erosion or conservation of fossil soils. The soil and sediment stratigraphy reflects several phases of landscape development: i) the formation of a Late Pleistocene soil on fluvio-aeolian deposits, ii) a fossilization by aeolian sands, iii) a stability phase with intensive podsolization and peat formation, and iv) a land use-induced aeolian remobilization of the sands.
Soils on relict charcoal hearths (RCHs), i.e. aged charcoal rich Technosols, feature documented legacy effects regarding their physical and chemical soil properties. These forest soils result from the pre-/early-industrial production of charcoal in upright standing hearths. Today, RCHs are found in forested areas as circular microrelief structures with average diameters of about 10 meters that contain technogenic soil horizons of about 20 cm thickness. RCH soils are most distinctly characterized by their large content of pyrogenic soil organic matter and consequently increased total carbon contents. The resulting changes in the soils’ cation exchange capacity, soil acidity, total nitrogen contents and total element stocks are often significant. Furthermore, changes in soil physical properties like a lower bulk density and a higher porosity result in changed soil-water- and temperature regimes. Combined, these effects potentially result in unique soil microhabitats that are restricted to relatively small, clearly defined areas in many forest ecosystems.
Recent studies on RCH soils increasingly focus on potential changes in microbiological and vegetational composition and abundances and report diverse effects. Here, we study the effects of century old charcoal rich Technosols on the drought sensitivity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) on three RCH sites located in Lower Lusatia, Saxony (Germany). Through dendrochronologial analysis of increment cores and historical climate data, we study climate-growth relationships for trees on RCH soils and reference forest soils for two periods (AD 1963-1992 & AD 1990-2019). Furthermore, we determine pointer years and components of resilience to quantify the trees’ reaction to extreme weather conditions. This analysis was accompanied by soil sampling and analysis on the RCH sites and adjacent reference forest soils. Here, we present preliminary results and discuss them in the context of findings from other studies on RCH soils.
In der Niederlausitz finden sich - meist unter Kiefern- und Eichenforsten versteckt - zahlreiche Relikte der historischen Landnutzung, die bisher kaum bekannt sind. Zu den auffälligsten Formen zählen Wölbäcker und Plätze ehemaliger Kohlemeiler. In einigen Regionen der Niederlausitz ist die Verbreitung der Landnutzungsrelikte so groß bzw. ihre Dichte so hoch, dass sie prägend für die Bodenlandschaft werden. Dieser Beitrag zeigt an repräsentativen Beispielen die charakteristischen Merkmale und Eigenschaften der Böden auf Wölbäckern und Relikten von Holzkohlenmeilern (HKM).
Influence of relief and vegetation on soil properties in a disturbed chernozem soil landscape
(2017)
In central and southeastern Alberta, chernozems dominate the soil landscape and are divided into several groups
that follow the climate gradient from Northwest to Southeast: Dark Grey Chernozems, Black Chernozems, Dark
Brown Chernozems; Brown Chernozems. Principles controlling development and distribution of these chernozem
subtypes along the ecotone transect are quite well known. However, intensive land use over the last century has
affected soils that originally have formed under natural conditions during the Holocene in more than 10,000 years.
There is a lack of knowledge regarding soil development in these landscapes on the decadal to centennial time
scale. Within this time frame the most important factor of soil formation may be relief, although this has not been
properly studied.
This study aims to compare soil properties in a typical chernozem landscape where soils have been highly
disturbed and parent materials have been re-arranged by surface coal mining.We hypothesize that within 50 years,
soils develop with significant differences based on vegetation type and slope aspect. Our study site is the former
Diplomat Mine near Forestburg, Alberta where spoils form a small scale ridge and graben topography. The south
facing slopes of the piles are covered by grassland, whereas on the north exposition has trees and shrubs.
Samples were taken from six sites with differences in topography and vegetation type. Diplomate T1 is at the top
of the ridge with grassland, Diplomate S1 is on the southern slope with grassland, Diplomate N1 is on the northern
slope with trees, and Diplomate N2 is on the northern slope with shrubs. For comparison we took samples from
two sites without slope aspect. One site was an undisturbed grassland (Diplomate Z1) and the other sites were
reclaimed piles (Diplomate R1). At each site, five soil profiles were examined and volumetrically sampled (250
cm3 steel ring) in steps of five centimeters to a depth of 30 centimeters.
We present first results of basic physical and chemical soil parameters (bulk density, water content, pH, Cstock,
N-stock).
Mapping and visualizing the position of archaeological remains in the surface relief provides important basic information for archaeological survey design and interpretation. Geomorphological processes in (pre)history can have resulted in a modification of the local relief around archaeological sites, especially in areas that are prone to sediment erosion and relocation, so that models of past surfaces are necessary for a correct interpretation of
archaeological survey results. In this study, we combined terrestrial survey and remote sensing methods to reconstruct
the palaeorelief around two archaeological excavation sites in an inland dune area in southern Brandenburg, Germany. Remains from two Mesolithic hunter-gatherer camps were documented in archaeological excavations and found to be associated with a buried soil horizon. To gather information on the relief of the buried soil surface, we used a combination of sedimentological and pedological profile description of archaeological survey trenches and geophysical prospection with Ground-Penetrating Radar; supplemented by microdrone photography and photogrammetry, GPS surveys and analysis of LIDAR-based elevation models. A digital elevation model of the buried surface was created by combining point data from these sources. The buried surface morphology and the position of the archeological remains within the reconstructed landscape were analyzed in GIS. The comparison of the generated paleosurface model with the recent surface elevation model shows that sand remobilization resulted in
a considerable reshaping of the relief. Analysis of the buried surface model further shows that the relief position
of the two archaeological sites in the study area was considerably more prominent in relation to the corresponding
buried soil surface than in relation to the recent surface morphology. Results affirm the importance of considering
Holocene relief modifications in archaeological surveys.
We used a GIS analysis of environmental and historical data to identify potential areas of extensive charcoal
production in Brandenburg. The analysis was based on three assumptions (i to iii). Large charcoal kiln fields can be found in areas that i) are close to historical industrial sites, ii) are close to bog iron ore deposits, and iii) have
been continuously covered by forest during the last centuries. Information on theses parameters was gathered in an archive and literature study and from historical and recent maps. Areas with a high probability of kiln site occurrence were then determined using a simple binary additive model. In the last step, shaded-relief maps (SRMs) were visually checked for clearly visible kiln sites and soil
properties were analysed in the determined areas. In total, eight areas with a high probability of kiln site occurrence are identified for the state of Brandenburg. By visual interpretation of SRMs, high kiln site densities in these areas are confirmed. The analysis of soil maps shows that kiln fields are predominantly located on sandy soils with a low yield potential. Although further parameters and study areas need to be considered in the model in order to explain the spatial distribution patterns of charcoal production, the results indicate correlations between the location of bog iron ore deposits, historic ironworks and charcoal kiln fields.
The usage of non-reversible ploughs, mainly during the Middle Ages and until historic times, led to the formation
of ridge and furrow systems. Due to improvements of agricultural techniques, these historic agricultural sites were often abandoned and are now marginal land. The parallel ridges and furrows are usually, if not destroyed by later
conventional ploughing, preserved in present-day forests. In northeastern Germany ridge and furrow systems are normally several decameters long and up to ten meters wide. The height difference between ridge top and furrow bottom is up to 50 centimeters and is expected to cause significant contrasts of soil properties and vegetation. Furthermore, due to the abandonment of sites with ridges and furrows, soils on these sites are unique archives for studies on fertilization, soil carbon dynamics and soil development. Therefore, we are characterizing soil physics (bulk density, saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, texture) and soil chemistry (soil acidity, carbon and nitrogen content) on a type location of historic ridges and furrows about 100 km northwest of Berlin.
Charcoal hearths are a unique archive for the long term interaction between biochar, soil development and plant
growth. Charcoal as raw material was crucial for the production of iron in iron works and hence numerous charcoal
hearths can be found in the forests near historic iron works in Europe as well as the Eastern United States. Charcoal
hearths are round to elliptical forms often around 10 m in diameter, and consisting of a several decimeter thick layer containing charcoal fragments, ash, and burnt soil. We studied the soil chemistry of 24 charcoal hearths and
compared them to the surrounding ‘natural’ soils in Litchfield County, Connecticut. The thickness of the organic
rich horizons on the charcoal hearths and their carbon content is remarkably higher than in the surrounding topsoils. The wide distribution of charcoal hearths, their usually high quantity, and their occurrence in different ecosystems underlines their importance for further pedological research.
Seit dem Neolithikum wirkt sich die Nutzung der Landschaft auf unterschiedliche Weise auf Relief, Böden, Gewässer, Flora, Fauna und Klima aus. Insbesondere die Folgen land- und forstwirtschaftlicher Wirtschaftsweisen waren dafür ausschlaggebend. Grundsätzlich reagieren Ökosysteme auf anthropogene Eingriffe, wie die Umwandlung von Wald in andere Nutzungsformen, mit einer schrittweisen Degradation sowie reversiblen oder irreversiblen Veränderungen. Beispiele sind Bodenerosion und eine veränderte Artenzusammensetzung. Die Abschätzung des Ausmaßes im globalen Maßstab gestaltet sich generell schwierig. Für die Geoarchäologie bedeutsam sind daher hauptsächlich lokale Spuren früherer Bewirtschaftung und Formen im Kleinrelief, die sich im Gelände wiederfinden lassen und als Geoarchive fungieren. Denn sie geben Aufschluss über (prä-)historische Bewirtschaftungsformen. So zeugen Wölbäcker, Hochbeete, Plaggenesche und die Relikte der historischen Teichwirtschaft, Moorkultivierung und Köhlerei von früheren Formen der Land- und Forstwirtschaft.
In diesem Band sind verschiedene Beiträge zur Landnutzungsgeschichte in der Niederlausitz und im Erzgebirge zusammengefasst. Die ersten vier Beiträge befassen sich mit historischen Ackerfluren und Wölbäckern in der Niederlausitz. Archäologische Untersuchungen, in Kontext gestellt mit archivalischen Quellen und historischen Karten, geben gemeinsam mit dem Einsatz naturwissenschaftlicher Methoden und Visualisierungen hochauflösender LiDAR-Daten neue Einblicke in die ehemalige Landnutzung. Der fünfte Beitrag aus dem Erzgebirge beschreibt die Nutzung von ehemaligen Meilerplätzen als Quellengattung der Montanarchäologie.
This study outlines the opportunities for geoarchaeological research in active opencast lignite mines in southern Brandenburg (Germany). Studies on extensive outcrops that address both archaeology and soil geomorphology, combined with a geographical information system (GIS) approach, provide unique insights into human-induced environmental changes in Lower Lusatia and generally improve our understanding of landscape dynamics. We present the
most recent results from three case studies and review important findings from the last several years. Studies conducted in opencast mines of Cottbus-Nord and Jänschwalde focus on (i) Late Quaternary geomorphodynamics and soil development and (ii) past land use and the legacy of agriculture and woodland use. Our results are similar to those in other regions in Central Europe, but we also observe regional differences caused by the local setting, e.g. intensification of soil erosion coinciding with the expansion of farming of cultivated lands in the Slavic Middle Ages. Our research reveals the largest archaeologically investigated area of historical charcoal production in the Northern European Lowland (NEL). We are clearly only beginning to understand the massive dimensions of charcoal production in the region.
Geoecological legacies of pre-industrial charcoal burning – Research questions and approaches
(2019)
In the apron of three active lignite opencast pits in Lower Lusatia (Brandenburg, Germany), archaeological survey
trenches were investigated in areas where Quaternary aeolian sand deposits are widespread. The investigated
palaeoenvironmental archives in Jänschwalde, Cottbus-Nord and Welzow contain evidence of fluvial and aeolian
morphodynamics, soil formation and agricultural land use from (pre-)historic to modern times. To study the age
and the causes of sand drifting and landform stabilization, standard soil physical and chemical laboratory analyses as well as optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating (14C) were carried out. Two main sedimentological units were identified: Unit 1 consists of glacio-fluvial and Late Weichselian aeolian sands representing the parent material for the native Podsol-Braunerde and Podsol development, while Unit 2 represents the Late Holocene aeolian deposits. Four periods of Late glacial and Holocene aeolian activity and three phases of geomorphological stability have been identified: (i) Aeolian sedimentation during the Late glacial, (ii) Mesolithic reactivation of aeolian processes, (iii) soil formation until Late Roman Iron Age settlers intensified the agricultural land use, (iv) intensive drift sand formation during the High Middle Ages due to agricultural expansion, (v) stabilization
of the drift sands and weak soil formation, (vi) reactivation of aeolian processes due to the increasing wood consumption and charcoal production from the early 16th until the mid-19th century, (vii) surface stabilization and formation of Regosols since the mid-19th century due to afforestation.
In Lusatia, Northeastern Germany, the production of ironware between the 16th and 19th century left behind a
remarkable amount of charcoal kilns in the forests north of Cottbus. Remote sensing surveys, underpinned by
archaeological studies, show that charcoal was gained around Cottbus from several thousand charcoal kilns which
had internal diameters up to 20 m. For the study site with 35 km2 area, the until now prospected total ground area
below the charcoal kilns which was potentially affected by the pyrolysis is about 0,5 km2. Historic data indicates that the pyrolysis in the charcoal kiln took up to several weeks, for the kilns with a diameter of 20 m about 20 days. To characterize the depth of thermal alteration of soils below the kiln our current focus is on the differentiation of the iron hydroxides by small-scale vertical analysis of soil profiles.
Within the apron of the opencast mine Jänschwalde (SE Brandenburg, Germany) archaeological excavations on a
multiple populated small dune were complemented with soil-geomorphological investigations in the vicinity. Archaeological findings in the dune stratigraphy (especially cremation graves) are intercalated within aeolian sediments and/or buried soils and thus give a record of the Late Quaternary geomorphodynamic and soil development.
Der Einfluss von Relikten der historischen Köhlerei auf Bodentemperatur und –wärmeleitfähigkeit
(2019)
Die Beimengung von Holzkohle in Böden kann deutlichen Einfluss auf die physikalischen Bodeneigenschaften haben. Solche Effekte treten nicht nur in gezielt mit Holzkohle („biochar“) angereicherten Ackerböden auf, sondern auch auf den Standorten historischer Holzkohlemeiler (HKM), die in vielen Waldgebieten in großer Zahl vorkommen. Die prägendste Eigenschaft solcher Böden auf HKM ist eine technogene, kohlereiche Substratschicht, die über dem natürlich entwickelten Bodenprofil abgelagert ist. In jüngster Zeitwurden in mehreren Studien ein von den umliegenden Waldböden abweichendes Vegetationswachstum und eine abweichende C-Dynamik auf HKM festgestellt. Welche Bodeneigenschaften der HKM solche Unterschiede bewirken, ist aber noch unklar. Ein möglicher, bisher kaum untersuchter Einflussfaktor ist die Bodentemperatur. Ziel dieser Studie war es, den Einfluss von Holzkohlebeimengungen auf die Wärmeleitfähigkeit und das Bodentemperaturregime von HKM-Böden zu charakterisieren. Untersucht wurden HKM auf sandigem Substrat in der Lausitz (Brandenburg). An zwei Standorten wurden Profile auf HKM und benachbarten Waldböden für ein Monitoring der Bodentemperatur über jeweils ein Jahr instrumentiert, die Wärmeleitfähigkeit von HKM-Schicht, Ah-, fAh-und Bv-Horizont wurde im Labor bestimmt. In einem Laborexperiment wurde zusätzlich die Wärmeleitfähigkeit von künstlich hergestellten Proben aus sandigem Substrat und Holzkohlefragmenten in unterschiedlichen Mischungsverhältnissen untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine deutlich verringerte Wärmeleitfähigkeit des kohlereichen Substrats. Damit verbunden zeigen sich im Monitoring geringere Schwankungen der Bodentemperatur auf den HKM in tiefen Bereichen des Profils, in den obersten Dezimetern wurden hingegen stärkere Schwankungen der Bodentemperatur festgestellt. Insgesamt zeigt sich damit ein noch über die technogene Substratschicht hinaus wirksamer Einfluss der typischen Eigenschaften des kohlereichen HKM-Substrats auf die Bodentemperatur.
Aged biochar enriched substrate increases SOM stocks of forest soils in the North German Lowland
(2019)
Recentfindings of more than 4000 relict charcoal hearths (RCH) in the forest district Tauer (Brandenburg, Germany) raise the question to what extent soil properties are controlled by a legacy effect of historical charcoal burning. RCH sites are characterized bya substantial admixture of charcoal fragments of varying particle sizes constituting an anthropogenic addition of carbon to the natural forest soil. Ages of about 250 years proven by dendrochronological dating of larger charcoal pieces on RCHs allow for assessing long-term effects of biochar application on forest soils. In this study, we measured the geometry and SOM content of 20 RCH sites in a selected part of the forest district. The results are the basis for a projection of RCH SOM stocks on a 40 ha forest plot with 120 RCH sites. In the range of statistical uncertainties it is shown that RCHs add between 13 % and 32 % of SOM to the SOM stock of the natural forest soil in the studied plot. These substantial amounts of SOM are so far not recognized by any soil survey or forest soil inventories of SOM and SOC stocks. In light of an increasing amount of studies that detect RCH sites in forests of Europe and the USA in the range of tens-and even hundreds of thousands, the question has to be asked how to address this legacy effect in ongoing scientific discussions about soil carbon stocks, carbon sequestration and the long-term effects of biochar application into soils.
At the former Diplomat Mine near Forestburg, Alberta, Canada we find a diverse soil landscape which can help to conceptualize factors and processes controlling initial pedogenesis and soil distribution on very young landforms in prairie environments. Due to differing reclamation practices in the 1950s and landslides occurring after spoil dumping, four areas can be distinguished by GoogleMaps/LiDAR evaluation and onsite field survey: (i) not-mined, (ii) stock piled and unreclaimed, (iii) stock piled and reclaimed and (iv) affected by post-mining geomorphodynamics and quasi-natural redeposition. The parent material for areas (ii) to (iv) was initially dumped by spreaders but only (ii) didn’t undergo further change. Landscape (iii) has seen levelling of the piles by heavy machinery. Features of landscape (iv) are formed by reshaping the originally dumped and levelled structures. This last landscape unit marks the rim of
the former mine adjacent to the river valley. In practice, mining activities formed new valley slopes. In contrast
to the naturally developed slopes the mine slopes were less stable. Vegetation, which could have hindered slope
wash erosion, was missing after dumping the spoil slopes. Slopes were very steep (or practically undercut) and
therefore, substrates were naturally re-located by mass movements such as sliding and slumping. Characteristic
sliding and slumping structures can be identified in the close-ups of the LiDAR images. Both processes, mass movement and slope wash erosion, may have overlapped. Landscape (ii) is the most contrasting one. Dumped stock piles formed elongated, curved and steep ridges. These landforms do not have a natural analogue but clearly show their technological origin. Most interesting are differences in vegetation. South and southwest facing slopes are covered with grassland whereas north and northeast facing slopes are covered with aspen trees. Some of the ditches are filled with water and form small elongated ponds. The characteristic geomorphology of the prairie can be found in landscape (i). Distinct differences are found in properties and types of soils in these four landscapes. Natural soils and pile soils characteristically differ in parent material and soil horizons. No information is gathered yet for the reclaimed soils and the landslides soils due to prohibited access. However, based on what we find at the former Diplomat Mine we can conclude that distribution, development and properties of unreclaimed soils in historical open cast mines in Alberta are primarily controlled by parent material and topography. The geomorphological set-up is dominating the trajectory of vegetation development and post-mining geomorphodynamics. Contrasting slope aspects determine micro climatic conditions and lead to different vegetation types. This has likely had an effect on soil development and soil properties (especially carbon stocks). Further studies will be conducted to quantify these differing soil properties to refine this conceptual model of initial pedogenesis and soil distribution on very young landforms in the prairie landscapes.