Since the 1960s the development of ideas in Germany regarding certain types of slope deposits – i.e., those covering entire slopes or major parts of them (‘cover beds’) – have taken an individual path that differed from approaches elsewhere. A facies-oriented approach led to kind of sequence-stratigraphic understanding of those deposits. Meanwhile Germany has probably more scholars focusing on this particular issue than any other country, including research and application with regard to environmental consequences of cover beds. The book aims at reviewing and summarizing the current knowledge on cover beds with a strong concentration to Central Europe, but including several regional case studies from other areas, and various merely final results but ongoing discussion. For instance, this is the first time to bring members from the major schools together to write particular chapters, forcing them to come up with either a common opinion or clear alternative views.<li>Unique compilation of several decades of slope-deposit research </li><li>Facies-oriented approach </li><li>Addresses ecological consequences on soils, slope water dynamics, and slope failures <br></li>