Zur Deutung und Bedeutung von Paläoböden im (süddeutschen) Löß

Abstract. Prerequisite for the estimation of age and paleoecological interpretation of paleosols in loess is the cognizance of relief and landscape position. Examples from Southern Germany show that already by this properties (like hydromorphy or a change of soil depth and humus contents) can be explained that, in ignoring the situation, were used as criteria for character and length of climatic influences. For the comparison of loess/pa-leosol sequences, the quantitative determination of intensity and extent of soil formation (in kg per m²) concerning suitable fossil and recent soils of the same landscape is reasonable. This requires the limitation on completely preserved soils in plateau position, but does not necessarily imply the imagination of a monotypically developed soil-landscape. These soils, too, have been alternated by periglacial features. The different importance of soil horizons for the reconstruction of the paleoclimate is put out finally.