Each soil has specific physical and chemical properties, which enable corresponding soil processes. Depending on the functional context, one process or the interaction of a set of those processes is called Soil Function.
Soil Functions and Ecosystem Services attributable to soils are often used as synonyms. More precisely, soil functions, together with other ecosystem functions, enable the provision of certain demanded Ecosystem Services.
In the example of flood mitigation, this means that soils are responsible for infiltration and therefore contribute significantly to reducing surface flow. The vegetation growing on the soil, however, also attenuates the runoff by interception and roughness, and depending on the type of floods, also by transpiration.