Agriculture: Cultivation on Slopes

Csorba, Péter

doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3058-0_7

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Preti et al () showed how runoff and subsurface flow follow the same concentration patterns (as the plow pan follows the surface morphology) and accumulate behind the wall (Figure ). The presence of soil cracks and piping, common in terraced areas (Csorba, ; Romero Díaz, Alonso‐Sarria, & Sánchez Soriano, ; Romero Díaz, Marín Sanleandro, Sánchez Soriano, Belmonte Serrato, & Faulkner, ; Watts, ), implies that surface runoff and subsurface flow accumulate behind the wall almost instantaneously. On the one hand, this dynamic provides the basis for the development of rapid increases of hydrostatic pressures behind the wall due to cavities filling.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dry‐stone wall terrace monitoring and modelling

et al. 2018

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Dry‐stone wall agricultural terraces are widespread all over the world and represent an effective retaining structure for farming purposes. However, dry‐stone walls can be subjected to degradation and damages, with complex and expensive maintenance. Such high costs are the most relevant drivers of land abandonment in many agricultural areas of Europe and of other continents, resulting in a progressive loss of cultivable surface, cultural heritages, and landscape traditional elements. Therefore, a more effective and efficient management of these systems is needed. As a contribution, in the present paper, an innovative modelling approach system is proposed. The presented model is able to describe hydrological processes on a terraced slope and to analyze the destabilizing pressures acting on the retaining dry‐stone walls in the most critical portion of each terrace. The model structure is based on the results of multidisciplinary field monitoring campaigns on water circulation in terraced landscapes carried out on a terraced vineyard (Lamole, Tuscany, Italy). A monitoring station was set up on a recently reconstructed dry‐stone wall, to measure the parameters influencing the pressures acting on the retaining structure. The results show a good capability of the model to predict the distribution and intensity of stresses on the instrumented dry‐stone wall over time and space. Such stresses were related to the earth pressure and to hydrostatic pressures (water accumulation), without the occurrence of soil saturation. Detecting the most failure‐prone portions of a terraced system, this approach can support landowners and land planners in managing these complex and fragile environments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dry‐stone wall terrace monitoring and modelling

et al. 2018

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“…Watts (1991) provided two hypotheses regarding how pipes appear on farming terraces: a) through saturated areas that develop at the front of the terrace (high pore water pressures dislocate particles from the terrace wall) and b) water flowing through pre-existing small channels and macropores enlarges these. Csorba (2010) points out that, due to the high vertical permeability of loess, water remaining on the surface or assembled in the inward inclined section of the slope led to extensive dissolution (piping) with a few years.…”

Section: Piping and Gulliesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of farming terraces on hydrological and geomorphological processes. A review

Vadillo

Lana-Renault

Lasanta

et al. 2015

CATENA

268

176

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“…The construction of artificial terraces on slopes for cultivation, known as terrace farming or terracing, is considered the only anthropogenic designed landscape that has a relief-modifying impact on all landscape factors in an area, as they improve rainfall absorbency, reduce soil erosion, smooth extreme summer temperatures, but also mitigate the risk of floods and forest fires [1]. The use of terrace landscape dates back in ancient years and it is tightly linked to early human settlement and primary agricultural activities [2,3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of Abandoned Lands in Sustainable Agriculture: The Case of Terraced Landscape Re-Cultivation in Mediterranean Island Conditions

Sakellariou

Psiloglou

Giannakopoulos

et al. 2021

Land

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Agriculture terraces constitute a significant element of the Mediterranean landscape, enabling crop production on steep slopes while protecting land from desertification. Despite their ecological and historical value, terrace cultivation is threatened by climate change leading to abandonment and further marginalization of arable land imposing serious environmental and community hazards. Re-cultivation of terraced landscapes could be an alternative strategy to mitigate the climate change impacts in areas of high vulnerability encouraging a sustainable agroecosystem to ensure food security, rural development and restrain land desertification. The article presents the case study of abandoned terrace re-cultivation in the Aegean Island of Andros, using a climate smart agriculture system, which involves the establishment of an extensive meteorological network to monitor the local climate and hydrometeorological forecasting. Along with terrace site mapping and soil profiling the perfomance of cereal and legume crops was assessed in a low-input agriculture system. The implementation of a land stewardship (LS) plan was indispensable to overcome mainly land fragmentation issues and to transfer know-how. It was found that climate data are key drivers for crop cultivation and production in the island rainfed farming system. The study revealed that terrace soil quality could be improved through cultivation to support food safety and stall land degradation. In line with global studies this research suggest that cultivation of marginal terraced land is timely through a climate smart agriculture system as a holistic approach to improve land quality and serve as means to combat climate change impacts. The study also discusses land management and policy approaches to address the issue of agricultural land abandonment and the benefits gained through cultivation to the local community, economy and environment protection and sustainability.

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Agriculture: Cultivation on Slopes

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Dry‐stone wall terrace monitoring and modelling

Dry‐stone wall terrace monitoring and modelling

Effects of farming terraces on hydrological and geomorphological processes. A review

Integration of Abandoned Lands in Sustainable Agriculture: The Case of Terraced Landscape Re-Cultivation in Mediterranean Island Conditions

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