Failure and Collapse of Ancient Agricultural Stone Terraces: On-Site Effects on Soil and Vegetation

Abstract

Ancient agricultural stone terraces, dated to the Roman and Byzantine ages, are prevalent across the Negev drylands of Southern Israel. The goal of these structures was to reduce hydrological connectivity by harvesting water runoff and controlling soil erosion, thus allowing cultivation of cereals. Land abandonment and the lack of maintenance have led to the failure and collapse of many of these stone terraces. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of failure and collapse of terraces on the on-site (on-field) geo-ecosystem functioning, as determined by vegetation cover and soil quality parameters. This was achieved by studying vegetal and soil properties in shrubby vegetation patches and inter-shrub spaces of intact-terrace plots and collapsed-terrace plots, as well as in the surrounding ‘natural’ lands. Mean cover of both shrubby and herbaceous vegetation was highest in intact terraces, intermediate in ‘natural’ lands, and lowest in collapsed terraces. The overall soil quality followed the same trend as the vegetation cover. Additionally, this study shows that the anthropogenic impact on geo-ecosystem functioning can be either beneficial or detrimental. While well maintained stone terraces benefit the soil and vegetation, abandoned and unmaintained terraces may result in accelerated soil erosion and land degradation.

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

“…Abandonment of terrace landscape can have serious implications on the environment and cause structural damages, when triggered by severe rainfall, as happened in the case of Liguria region (Italy) in 2014 [42]. Studies have shown that soil erosion and land degradation process is accelerated in terraces that lack maintenance and vegetation cover, compared to well-maintained ones with crop cultivation or dense wild vegetation [43][44][45]. Dry stone walls are paramount to reduce slope length, trap erosion sendiments and reduce soil run-off.…”

Spatiotemporal Degradation of Abandoned Farmland and Associated Eco-Environmental Risks in the High Mountains of the Nepalese Himalayas

“…Likewise, as the hill slope becomes steeper, the terrace becomes narrower, and the height of the terrace wall increases. A taller terrace wall has a greater chance of collapse and requires more maintenance, which is more difficult where the terrace is narrow [68]. In addition, a narrow terrace prevents the use of machinery or animal power and farmers have to use locally made hand-held agricultural tools appropriate to the narrow terraces, which sometimes are as narrow as 1 m wide.…”

Ancient to recent-past runoff harvesting agriculture in the hyper-arid Arava Valley: OSL dating and insights

“…The simple terraces revealed in this study are structurally different from those that are prevalent across the northern and central Negev region. These terraces, characterized by multilayer staircase-shaped constructions that strengthen the structure and allow excess water to gradually cascade down (Stavi et al, 2018b, 2019), have been predominantly dated to the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods (e.g. Ashkenazi, 2007, 2013; Avni et al, 2013; Bruins, 2012; Evenari et al, 1971; Haiman, 2012; Haiman et al, 2020).…”