Abstract
Terraced areas have existed in Italy since ancient times, and they continue to be characteristic elements of the cultural identity of the country. The progressive abandonment of rural areas and farmland that began in the 1960s has led to the disintegration and disappearance of many terraces, representing one of the problems connected with the deterioration of the historic Tuscan agricultural landscape. This research aims to provide a contribution to the territorial analysis of the agricultural terraced landscapes at a regional scale. The preliminary phase of the study involved setting up a working method in Geographic Information System (GIS) for the quantitative definition of the population. Afterwards, for the territorial analysis at a more detailed scale, a method was devised to identify the areas of greater significance in terms of a terracing intensity index. The final results concerned considerations on the distribution of the terraced landscapes and analyses related to land use and the main environmental parameters of the most representative terraced systems.
Highlights
Terraces, a widespread agricultural system, has been known since Neolithic times
Following the extraction of the linear information relating to the dry stone walls from the Regional
Technical Map (CTR) vectors, the value of the extension of the terraced systems in relation to the extension of the regional territory as a whole was estimated to be around 4.5%
Summary
A widespread agricultural system, has been known since Neolithic times. The study and conservation of terraces has become an important topic for sustainable development since the United Nations (UN) conference on environment and development held in. Terraces became an important concern of the United. Nations, in programs such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List in the category of cultural landscapes; the Food and Agriculture. Organization of the UN (FAO); and the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System program. Terraces became the focus of activities run by the Convention on Biological Diversity concerning indigenous knowledge and the UNESCO-CBD Joint Program on the Linkages between
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