Steps toward soil care : ancient agricultural terraces and soils

Insights into soil care through human history can be gained by studying agricultural terraces because of the storehouse of information they hold and their widespread use in time and space among many cultures. The stepped topography created by terracing is a characteristic feature of many of the world’s cultivated sloping landscapes. Terracing constitutes some of humanity’s strongest and most enduring efforts to manage geomorphic processes in agriculture and to conserve land resources. The array of terracing strategies among past and present agricultural societies reflects the high degree of indigenous knowledge of soil and landscape processes. Although there is substantial information on aspects of ancient terracing, investigations into terraced soils are relatively few. The limited information on physical, chemical, and biological properties of terraced soils underscores the need for further pedological study. Environmental consequences of ancient and traditional terracing range from cases of successful soil care to circumstances that led to soil degradation. Due to space limitations, only a few studies are cited in this review. More complete referencing and content are planned for a subsequent publication.