Abstract
Coupled human–environment systems and traditional agricultural landscapes can be a key element in the conservation of biodiversity, ecological functionality, and cultural heritage. Terraced landscapes are a relevant example of traditional landscapes within the Mediterranean area, but they are now threatened due to the abandonment of agricultural activities. In order to identify factors that can affect the conservation strategies needed to maintain terraced landscapes in the Mediterranean area, we performed a literature review on studies about terraces and their management, soil erosion and vegetation dynamics after abandonment, etc. We collated a total of 285 scientific papers reporting 293 case studies in 19 countries. The majority of these studies analyze dry stone terraces and their influence on soil erosion and water runoff, either in cultivated or abandoned terrace systems. Only a minority of papers suggest maintenance or conservation strategies or involve farmers, exploring their decision-making. The conservation of terraced landscapes is in the hands of local farmers, and thus they should be actively involved in decision-making to find the most suitable strategies for assuring the continuity in farming and preserve cultural landscapes in the Mediterranean area.
Highlights
Alejandro ResciaMost natural environments have been replaced by coupled human–environment systems or social-ecological systems (SESs) [1]
In this review we aim to present the management activities that farmers use to maintain the stability of terraces; we identify the conservation strategies that could promote the preservation of this cultural landscape around the Mediterranean area
The periodical management of terraces entails inexpensive and simple, possibly labor-intensive, actions that require the active presence of farmers
Summary
Alejandro ResciaMost natural environments have been replaced by coupled human–environment systems or social-ecological systems (SESs) [1]. Cultivated terraces are considered one of the most typical and ancient traditional farming systems and are created to obtain arable land on steep slopes [4,5,6,7], contributing to reducing water runoff and soil loss [8,9] and simultaneously boosting biomass accumulation and soil water recharge [6,10,11,12] These terraces are widespread across continents, from MesoSouth America to Eastern Africa, South-East Asia, and Mediterranean Europe [12,13]. In Europe, terraced landscapes are protected through the Common Agricultural
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