Soil Functions 2020

Introduction

When the Federal Soil Protection Act came into force in 1999 (BBodSchG), soil as an environmental medium was protected by its very own specific law, as was already the case for water, air and nature conservation. This law aims at ‘permanently safeguarding or restoring the functions of the soil’. For this purpose, ‘precautions must be taken against adverse effects on the soil. In case of measures which impact upon the soil, impairment of its natural functions and its function as an archive of natural and cultural history should be avoided to the extent possible’ (BBodSchG Section 1, translated from German). The Federal Soil Protection Act distinguishes the following functions of the soil:

1. Natural functions
   a) as the basis for life and habitat for people, animals, plants and soil organisms,
   b) as a component of the ecosystem, particularly with its water and nutrient cycles, and
   c) as a medium for decomposition, balance and restoration in response to material effects as a result of its filtering, buffering and substance-converting properties, in particular, too, for the protection of the groundwater.
2. Functions as an archive of natural and cultural history, as well as
3. Use functions
   a) as raw-materials storage,
   b) as land for settlement and recreation,
   c) as land for agriculture and forestry, and
   d) as land for other economic and public uses, such as transport, supply and waste disposal.

Human land use may impair or inhibit both the natural and archival functions of the soil. The main focus of sustainable soil protection (only in German) is thus on safeguarding these natural soil functions.

Targeted soil protection measures presuppose knowledge of the efficacy, protection level and sensitivity of soils and their functions. The assessment process of soil functions, i.e. the soils’ capacity to fulfil their role in the ecosystem, will identify the soils in Berlin that require primary protection.
The functions addressed in Maps 01.12.1 through 01.12.5 were selected based on Table 1 and the functions listed in the Federal Soil Protection Act:

Tab. 1: Soil functions as per the Federal Soil Protection Act (BBodSchG) and their assessment in terms of their specific functions for Berlin

Additionally, the cooling capacity (cf. Maps 1.12.7.1 through 1.12.7.4) is evaluated as another function of Berlin soils.

The assessment of the soil performance (Map 1.12.6) is an important criterion in considering preventive soil protection in urban development planning (only in German).