Spatiotemporal budgeting of soil erosion in the abandoned fields area of the “Rahnstätter Hof” near Michelbach (Taunus Mts., Western Germany)

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
This interdisciplinary study comprises archaeological findings as well as historical records. The “Rahnstätter Hof” manor of 82 ha of fields, meadows and forests was abandoned in 1870. The total amount of soil erosion on the former farmland has been calculated, 65% of it as sheet erosion, the remaining 27% as gully erosion, leading to the deposition of colluvium on and behind field balks and of colluvial filling in small valleys. Soil erosion mainly took place during the Early Modern Era, in response to intensified agriculture by the improved three-field crop rotation system and the overexploitation of forest lands in the pre-industrial era. A gully system studied was found to have developed since Early Medieval times. Soil erosion was found not to have caused the abandonment of the farm, but insufficient productivity in the era of incipient industrialization of farmland located on a north slope.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Erdkunde, issn : 0014-0015, 2011, vol. 65, n°. 4, p. 355-370, nombre de pages : 16, Références bibliographiques : 2 p.

Date :
2011

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Kleve, Boss