Soil Rating - Water Retention Capacity (FKWe), rated nationwide

The soil function "part of the water balance" is a sub-function of the natural soil function "part of the natural balance, in particular with its water and nutrient cycles" (BBodSchG, § 2, Para. 2, Item 1.b). An evaluation criterion for this are the general water balance conditions with the parameter "field capacity", which characterizes the amount of water that can be retained in the soil against gravity. The higher the water retention capacity or the field capacity, the more and longer the water is withdrawn from the atmosphere-soil-water cycle and is subject to soil-related processes such as e.g. B. the supply of plants with water and nutrients or decomposition of organic matter. The concrete values ​​for the water retention capacity or the field capacity are classified in five levels from very low to very high. The higher the water retention capacity, the higher the fulfillment of the soil function "part of the water balance". Especially in the case of large-scale planning or planning that goes beyond the boundaries of the natural area, an overview based on (country-wide) uniform classifications that are not differentiated by natural area often represents a technically appropriate basis. In order to reach as many users as possible and to be able to cover different purposes, the LLUR provides the Map series available in five different scale levels: 1 : 2,000 for concrete land management or construction on site or for high-resolution planning, 1 : 25,000 for planning at community level, 1 : 100,000 for planning in larger regions, 1 : 250,000 for differentiated planning nationwide, 1:1000,000 for statewide to federal planning.