lavjordbaner

Lavjordbaner is a Norwegian term that translates roughly to “low-soil bands” or “low-lying soil strips.” The expression is not widely standardized in international literature and may be used regionally in Norwegian soil science or land-use studies to describe elongated zones with relatively shallow or less-developed soil compared with surrounding areas.

These zones commonly occur in landscapes shaped by differential sedimentation, drainage, or erosion, such as floodplains, river terraces, coastal lowlands, or reclaimed land. Lavjordbaner are typically marked by reduced soil depth, higher groundwater levels, and distinctive moisture regimes that can limit agricultural suitability and influence drainage requirements. In some settings, they may experience salinity issues or episodic waterlogging, depending on local hydrology.

In practice, lavjordbaner are identified through field soil profiles and soil mapping, using indicators such as maximum soil depth, texture contrasts, moisture regime, and drainage class. They have implications for land management, including drainage planning, crop choice adapted to shallow soils, and erosion or subsidence control. The concept is largely regional and may vary in definition and measurement across studies, reflecting local geomorphology, hydrology, and land-use history.

See also: soil depth, drainage, floodplain ecology, erosion control.