Regular landfill surface covers often result, among others, in drying out of the landfill body. This causes anaerobic processes to come to a standstill. The experience of the past few years showed that a none-regular but still legal alternative landfill cover prooved to be the better solution for the aftercare and afteruse of the site. Taking the landfill Allerheiligen as an example, the current Master Thesis evaluated if a water balance layer with a short rotation plantation as an alternative landfill cover was a reasonable solution. Short rotation plantations were investigated in general with emphasis on possible plant species, preparation, maintenance, harvesting of the wood and re-cultivation of the landfill surface. Also the storage of the rods and woodchips was studied. Furthermore, according to the Austrian Landfill Ordinance 2008, a verification of the functioning of the alternative cover of the landfill Allerheiligen in form of lysimeter tests was compiled. The focus lay on the technical possibilities and requirements of lysimeters regarding a short rotation plantation at the landfill surface. The accumulation of heavy metals and salts in the plants could have negative effects (e.g. corrosion) when the fire wood is burnt in thermal power stations. Additionally, the legal threshold values and relevant parameters for the further use of the ash either for composting or landfilling were studied. In the last chapter of this Thesis, an application of the Hydrus-1D software was shown. Specific questions regarding the suitability of the program for modelling of seeping water-transport in the water balance layer and the landfill were answered.