Terrace Area Research Articles

Protection against the harmful effects of water on the left bank terrace of the Lower Dnipro River

Relevance of research. In the area of ​​irrigated agriculture, one of the most difficult as to developing flooding processes is the area of ​​terrace drift within the ancient delta of the Lower Dnieper in Kherson region. The terrace area is located on a flat area within a large drainless bowl about 40 km long and up to 5-10 km wide. On the surface of the bowl there are large drainless depressions (Chornyanske, Novomayatske, Podokalynivske, Tarasivske) and many small ones.
 The purpose of the work is to establish the patterns of developing flooding processes and substantiate a system of reliable protection of the territory against that in difficult natural and water conditions.
 Methods and objects of research. The research was conducted at the research and production site located near Tarasivka village, Oleshkiv district, Kherson region. The results of the research were based on the data of reconnaissance surveys, long-term observations on the depths of the groundwater table (GWT), precipitation, space images, etc. In addition, it was assumed that the area is considered to be flooded if the depth of the GWT exceeds the critical limit, which for the study region is defined as 2 m.
 Research results and main conclusions. In modern conditions, part of the village and adjacent lands are subject to constant groundwater flooding and periodically surface water flooding. In the central part of the village, groundwater depths exceed the critically acceptable depth, which for the study region is defined as 2 m. The water and ecological situation in the village is significantly exacerbated in wet periods. Current development of flooding within the terrace requires the development and implementation of a more effective protection system. One of the important options for protecting the village territory is the construction of a horizontal drainage system, which is set up in the village and its surroundings. The depth of drainage is 3.0-3.2 m. The runoff is discharged into the North-Crimean Canal by means of a pressure pipeline. The surface drainage system should be represented by a network of trays and ditches arranged in the streets of the village and a collector, which provides self-flowing of excess water into an artificial reservoir - pond. Options for the reconstruction of the NCC, which provide for using the drainage capacity of the canal and the construction of a regional self-flowing reservoir, were addressed. The modernization of irrigation and drainage systems and implementation of the developed proposals will significantly increase the protection level of the ancient terrace of the Dnieper River against the harmful effects of water. The decision on a proposal is made on the basis of feasibility study.

UAV-SfM 4D mapping of landslides activated in a steep terraced agricultural area

The presence of roads is closely linked with the activation of land degradative phenomena such as landslides. Factors such as ineffective road management and design, local rainfall regimes, and specific geomorphological elements actively influence landslide occurrence. In this context, recent developments in digital photogrammetry (e.g., Structure from Motion; SfM) paired with Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) systems increase our possibilities to realize low-cost and recurrent topographic surveys. This can lead to the development of multi-temporal (hereafter: 4D) and high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), which are fundamental to analyse geomorphological features and quantify processes at the fine spatial and temporal resolutions at which they occur. This research proposes a multi-temporal comparison of the main geomorphometric indicators describing a landslide-prone terraced vineyard to assess the observed high-steep slope failures. The possibility to investigate the evolution of landslide geomorphic features in steep agricultural systems through a high-resolution and 4D comparison of such indicators is still a challenge to be explored. In this article, we considered a case study located in the central Italian Alps, where two landslides were activated below a rural road within a terraced agricultural system. The dynamics of the landslides were monitored by comparing repeated DEMs (DEM of difference), which reported erosion values of above 20 m3 and 10 m3 for the two landslide zones and deposition values of more than 15 m3 and 9 m3, respectively. The road network’s role in the alteration of superficial water flows was proved by the elaboration of the relative path impact index. Altered water flows were expressed by values between 2σ and 4σ close to the collapsed surfaces. The increase in profile curvature and roughness index described the landslides evolution over time. Finally, the multi-temporal comparison of feature extraction underlined the geomorphological changes affecting the study area. The accuracy of features extraction was analysed through the quality index computation, expressed in a range between 0 (low accuracy) and 1 (high accuracy), and proved to be equal to 0.22 m (L1-pre), 0.63 m (L1-post), and 0.69 m (L2). Results confirmed the usefulness of high-resolution and 4D UAV-based SfM surveys to investigate landslides triggering due to the presence of roads at hillslope scale in agricultural systems. This work could be a useful starting point for further studies of landslide- susceptible zones on a wider scale to preserve the quality and the productivity of affected agricultural areas.

Forest Area Changes in Cinque Terre National Park in the Last 80 Years. Consequences on Landslides and Forest Fire Risks

Cinque Terre, one of the most important Italian cultural landscapes, has not been spared from depopulation and agricultural abandonment processes, that involved many rural areas in Europe, as a consequence of socio-economic transformations that occurred after WWII. Depopulation of rural areas, especially in mountains or in terraced areas, caused significant environmental consequences, such as the decrease of biodiversity, the landscape homogenization, the increase of hydrogeological and forest fires risks. Cinque Terre National Park (5TNP) was established in 1999, and, differently from other Italian National Parks, not just for protecting natural habitats, but mainly to preserve, restore and valorize the historical terraced landscape. Moreover, the area is a UNESCO cultural landscape site and it is partly protected by three Sites of Community Importance. The research intended to investigate the transformations that have affected forested areas inside the 5TNP in the period 1936–2018, also highlighting the connections with hydrogeological and forest fires risks, as a support for the Park planning strategies and the conservation of the UNESCO site. Results highlighted that 37% of the current forests are the consequence of dry stones terraces abandonment that occurred in the twentieth century, with negative effects on the stability of steep slopes, hydrogeological risk, forest fires and on the conservation of a unique cultural landscape. This confirms the current national trend showing no deforestation occurring, but rather a continuous increase of forests on abandoned land. While 5TNP policies and actions are effectively aimed at pursuing an equilibrium between cultivated areas and forests, the Sites of Community Importance located inside the Park mainly focuses on the conservation of “natural habitats”, even if the current vegetation is also the result of secondary successions on former cultivated land. The research highlighted the need to valorize “cultural values” in forest planning as well as the importance of forest history for an accurate planning of forest resources in protected areas.

Geochemical characteristics, origin, and mechanism of differential accumulation of natural gas in the carboniferous kelameili gas field in Junggar basin, China

Since the discovery of the Kelameili gas field, the exploration of volcanic gas reservoirs in the Junggar Basin has attracted considerable attention. However, owing to the limitations involved in studying the characteristics of the origin and distribution of the volcanic gas reservoirs in this area, the study of gas reservoirs in the South fault terrace area of the Kelameili gas field as a typical peripheral area is greatly restricted, and the exploration process is relatively slow. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse and compare the differences in the geochemical characteristics of the natural gas between the Kelameili gas field and the fault terrace area of the south belt by analysing the natural gas geochemistry, hydrocarbon generation evolution, and structural evolution. In addition, geochemical experiments involving the natural gas components, carbon isotopes, light hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon generation, and evolutionary history of the source rocks and the interpretation of seismic profiles reflecting the structural evolution, help clarifying the genetic type of the volcanic gas reservoirs and the source of the natural gas in this area. The results indicate the following. (1) The natural gas in the study area has undergone thermal genesis and is generated by kerogen cracking. It is a typical humic gas with high maturity. (2) The origin of the natural gas is the Carboniferous source rock in the depression, which is significantly different from the natural gas from the typical Permian and Jurassic. (3) The primary reason for the difference in natural gas accumulation is that the Carboniferous source rock entered the high-maturity stage in the Early Jurassic. The formation time of the trap is earlier than that of the high-maturity stage of the source rock evolution, which can capture multi-stage source rock products. (4) Based on the hydrocarbon source conditions that the hydrocarbon supply horizon of the Kelameili gas field has a high maturity of organic matter, and insufficient hydrocarbon supply, it is considered that traps capturing the multi-stage source rock products represent a larger scale of natural gas accumulation. The results of this study can deepen the understanding of volcanic gas reservoirs in the Junggar Basin and guidethe exploration and development of global volcanic gas reservoirs and the surrounding large-scale gas fields.

The state of agricultural landscapes in the Mediterranean: smallholder agriculture and land abandonment in terraced landscapes of the Ricote Valley, southeast Spain

The fast and broad adoption of mechanization and chemical inputs in Mediterranean terraced agriculture, combined with warming climate trends, has led to the progressive degradation of environmental and social conditions. These factors have concurred with the increasing abandonment of smallholder agriculture. We aimed to detect and quantify the progression of cultivated and abandoned terraced fields in the Ricote Valley between 2016 and 2019 while also exploring reasons for land abandonment over the past decades. To quantify cultivated and abandoned agricultural terraces, we conducted (1) a terrace detection based on Lidar and cadaster data, (2) a land use classification based on Sentinel imagery, and (3) an investigation of the reasons for land abandonment based on participant observation and an expert survey. Our results show high rates of abandonment compared to the total available agricultural terraced area in the Ricote Valley. In 2016, 56% of the detected terraced area was classified as not cultivated. In 2019, the percentage decreased to 40%. Small parcels are cultivated to a higher percentage than large or medium-sized parcels. We identified five main reasons underlying land abandonment: (1) low income of farmers; (2) land fragmentation resulting in higher transaction costs; (3) lack of interest in agricultural activities among young generations; (4) lack of modernization; and (5) emotional bonds preventing the sale of abandoned parcels. We stressed the importance of a place-based mixed method approach to gain a comprehensive understanding of the specificities of a given research area.

Innovative method for linking anthropisation process to vulnerability

Coastal areas have been gradually modified by humans to face emerging social needs. This phenomenon can be traced in the Amalfi Coast (Southern Italy) through the presence of terraces, constructed to make its steep slope habitable and arable. The current research is aimed to investigate the anthropisation process in Minori, and to identify the most vulnerable areas where debris flows. Two photogrammetric datasets, acquired in 1956 and 2017, respectively, were processed to generate two fine resolution digital elevation models and orthophotos, applied to calculate the normalised remaining vegetation index, the digital elevation model of differences, the new vulnerability expeditious index. The two orthophotos were also classified by applying the OBIA approach for extracting terraced areas. An increment of 800% of man-made infrastructures was detected, while the extension and the location of terraces was not subjected to any transformation. This implies a strong increment of vulnerability in the Minori municipality.

THE DONETSK NEOLITHIC CULTURE SITE OF BONDARIKHА II

The Neolithic site Bondarikha ІІ was explored 70 years ago by D. Ya. Telegin. The materials of the site were not processed utilizing modern methods. The authors of the paper re-examined and analyzed the site’s materials using current methodologies.
 The Bondarikha II site is set along a natural boundary on what is now the south-eastern outskirts of the modern city of Izium, Kharkiv region. The location of the site is a section of an over-flooded terrace that stretches along the left bank of the River Siversky Donets, and a section of an older river bed named the Willow Pit. In the north, sections of the terrace were crossed by an unnamed stream, and its southern boundary defined by floodplains. The lowlands nearest the terrace are primarily comprised of wetlands.
 It is quite clear that the Willow Pit was once an active river and seasonally may have transformed into a lake during times of flooding. The site is located approximately 7 m above the current floodplain. The general site position is typical for the Neolithic sites of Donetsk Culture, with the vast majority of which are located on terraces above the floodplain lakes of Siversky Donets, with the habitational remains occupying the highest areas of terraces, or the periphery / edges of such terraces.
 The interpretation of Bondarikha material culture was quite simple. The presence of pencil-like blade cores, oblique truncated points of the Abuzova Balka and Donetsk types, a series of blades displaying abrupt retouch on edges, along with bilateral burins, scrapers on flakes, and ovate axes are attestation that the assemblage and complex are connected with the advanced stages of Donetsk Culture.
 The estimation of the site’s age is possible only by the principles of relative chronology. The Mariupolian origin of the trapeze projectiles allows us to establish the earliest age range of the complex within the beginning of the VI millennium BC. However, the utilization of trapeze projectiles with flat dorsal retouch that spread in the basin of Siversky Donets in the third quarter of VI millennium BC is not present. Accordingly, we can safely place the age of the site within the first half of VI millennium BC.

Acid wet-deposition modeling sensitivity to WRF-CMAQ planetary boundary layer schemes and exceedance of critical loads over an industrializing coastal valley in northwestern British Columbia, Canada

Computational tools used to implement the critical-load approach of atmospheric deposition impact often do not elucidate modeling uncertainty making it difficult for environmental policy-makers to know how much confidence to put in its results, also hampering aspects that may need improving. This study evaluated acid deposition modeling for various parameterizations of the planetary boundary-layer (PBL) over the Terrace-Kitimat valley, a physiographically complex region of northwestern British Columbia. Of five schemes, simulations with the Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino Level 3 and Mellor-Yamada-Janjic PBL schemes best captured weekly wet deposition fluxes of acidifying ions (SO42−, NO3−, NH4+) within a factor of 2 of observations at an industrial fence line station. Alongside the Yonsei University PBL scheme, these two schemes slightly overestimated the chemical species at a station that was distant from major anthropogenic precursor sources in the valley, hence useful for worst-scenario projections of atmospheric deposition on the natural environment. Forest soils in the vicinity of a large aluminum smelter in Kitimat was estimated to be in exceedance of critical load of acidity by 30.1–53.5 kg S ha−1 yr−1. Exceedance of critical load of nutrient nitrogen restricted to the Terrace area (≤ 7 km2), ranged between none and 0.71 kg ha−1 yr−1. This work provides guidance for using PBL schemes in the Weather Research and Forecasting model that is coupled to a deposition model when calculating critical-load exceedance over temperate, rugged, coastal geographies.

Analysis of Defects in Residential Buildings Reported during the Warranty Period

The aim of the article is to present the results of preliminary research of the defects in residential buildings occurring during the warranty period. Due to the small amount of data, the research results cannot be generalized but allow for the formulation of research hypotheses that will be verified in future studies. The data collected included reports of defects in three multifamily residential buildings constructed by the developer in one of the big cities in Poland, which were then examined. For the examination of defects, statistical analysis was used, which revealed that more than half of the reports contained reasonable defects. The results of the preliminary research also indicate that, on the one hand, owners are very active in making warranty claims in the first three months from the date of commissioning, and, on the other hand, with time, the percentage of reasonable defects increases. In terms of the significance of defects, the largest percentage was significant defects. The results showed little activity on the part of property managers in the initial phase of the operation of the buildings, which is the opposite of that of apartment owners. Reports of faults in windows and door joinery, moisture, scratches on walls, and in the area of balconies and terraces are characterized by a relatively low number of cases reported in the first half of the year after the building is commissioned and a gradual increase in the subsequent warranty period. On the other hand, reports related to electrical installation defects are most frequent in the initial period of the warranty, but, with time, their number decreases.

Viticultura en terrazas del Valle de Cembra en Italia: hacia la inclusión de la gestión sostenible del paisaje en las acciones de desarrollo orientadas a la calidad

Las terrazas representan la solución más extendida para el cultivo en pendientes escarpadas. El número elevado de servicios ecosistémicos positivos producidos por paisajes con terrazas cuando están bien mantenidos se ve amenazado por el abandono continuo de la tierra y la transformación agrícola que no tiene en cuenta el paisaje. En este artículo, hemos analizado el estado actual de la zona de terrazas de Val di Cembra (Trentino-Italia). Nuestro objetivo fue analizar las causas detrás de la alta tasa de mantenimiento activo de la viticultura en terrazas, examinar los principales riesgos relacionados con la introducción de la gestión intensiva de la tierra y proponer posibles soluciones para garantizar un desarrollo sostenible a largo plazo de la zona. Hemos identificado los principales factores que determinan la elevada tasa de mantenimiento activo del paisaje en terrazas: el desarrollo de la viticultura orientado a la calidad del vino, la realización de infraestructuras importantes para garantizar la movilidad y el riego, y el fuerte sentido de pertenencia todavía presente también entre las generaciones jóvenes. Además del riesgo de obsolescencia que afecta a las zonas de terrazas más marginales del Valle, otros riesgos están asociados con la posible difusión de la transformación del territorio indiferente al paisaje y a la adopción de sistemas de cultivo que no son tradicionales, que pueden afectar negativamente el valor del paisaje. Las perspectivas futuras deben ampliar el proceso orientado a la calidad en la producción de vino en todo el territorio. La inclusión del paisaje en la planificación del manejo de la tierra garantizará una sostenibilidad duradera de la viticultura, respondiendo a la creciente demanda de servicios medioambientales por parte de la comunidad y de los consumidores. Proyectos en curso en el Valle, en los que participan tanto actores privados como autoridades locales, están indicando la intención de la comunidad de avanzar en esta dirección.

Quantifying the contributions of soil surface microtopography and sediment concentration to rill erosion

Soil surface microtopography plays a significant role in rill erosion. In addition, upslope inflow has a large effect on downslope soil erosion processes. Experiments including four different upslope filling areas (0 m2, 0.15 m2, 0.30 m2, and 0.45 m2) with a upslope inflow rate (6 L min−1) were conducted in two 1 m × 2 m boxes on a 15° slope to examine the effects of microtopography and sediment concentration on rill erosion processes. The upslope filling areas were used to simulate different areas of earthen dike terraces. The results showed that the minimum values of soil surface elevation increased from −120 mm to −110 mm as the upslope filling area increased. The values of the simple fractal dimension (f(α)max), the singular index span (Δα) and the difference of multifractal spectrum (Δf(α)) reached minimum values in the 0.45 m2 upslope filling area. With the development of rill erosion, the soil surface microtopography tended to sharpen, and the relative elevation changed greatly. The runoff and soil loss associated with rill erosion gradually decreased as the upslope filling area increased. We identified the temporal evolution of rill erosion using Morlet wavelet analysis. The main period of temporal fluctuation of rill erosion was 28 min under different upslope filling areas. Multi-scale periods of temporal fluctuation of rill erosion emerged with the increase in upslope filling area. The Δα significantly affected the runoff and soil loss. The proportional contributions of Δα to the runoff and sediment yield were 80.95% and 77.34%, respectively. While the contributions of sediment concentration to runoff and sediment yield were 17.05% and 20.66%, respectively. The findings are important significance for better understanding rill erosion mechanisms of purple soil.

Espacialização de áreas inundáveis no baixo curso do Rio Tibagi – PR

Esse artigo teve como objetivo espacializar as áreas inundáveis no sítio urbano de Jataizinho – PR, que fica no baixo curso do Rio Tibagi e é considerada uma das cidades mais afetadas pelas inundações desse rio. O mapeamento foi realizado por meio do uso de geotecnologias, como GNSS, estereoscopia digital e geoprocessamento. Os resultados apontam que as inundações estão concentradas em dois grupos principais, quais sejam, grupo A: inundações nas áreas de planície fluvial e na transição destas com áreas de terraço, compreendidas entre as cotas altimétricas 339,346 m e 340,520 m; e grupo B: inundações nas áreas de terraço e na transição destas com algumas colinas, ou seja, entre as cotas altimétricas 340,521 m e 341,59 m. As inundações do Rio Tibagi apresentam período de retorno a partir de 5 anos, já os episódios mais bruscos de inundações denotam período de retorno a partir de 25 anos. Observa-se que, parte significativa das áreas inundáveis é ocupada por habitantes da cidade. Os resultados obtidos mostraram-se satisfatórios, de modo que o mapeamento realizado poderá ser utilizado como ferramenta de apoio ao ordenamento territorial e ambiental da cidade de Jataizinho.

Multiplatform-SfM and TLS Data Fusion for Monitoring Agricultural Terraces in Complex Topographic and Landcover Conditions

Agricultural terraced landscapes, which are important historical heritage sites (e.g., UNESCO or Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) sites) are under threat from increased soil degradation due to climate change and land abandonment. Remote sensing can assist in the assessment and monitoring of such cultural ecosystem services. However, due to the limitations imposed by rugged topography and the occurrence of vegetation, the application of a single high-resolution topography (HRT) technique is challenging in these particular agricultural environments. Therefore, data fusion of HRT techniques (terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and aerial/terrestrial structure from motion (SfM)) was tested for the first time in this context (terraces), to the best of our knowledge, to overcome specific detection problems such as the complex topographic and landcover conditions of the terrace systems. SfM–TLS data fusion methodology was trialed in order to produce very high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) of two agricultural terrace areas, both characterized by the presence of vegetation that covers parts of the subvertical surfaces, complex morphology, and inaccessible areas. In the unreachable areas, it was necessary to find effective solutions to carry out HRT surveys; therefore, we tested the direct georeferencing (DG) method, exploiting onboard multifrequency GNSS receivers for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and postprocessing kinematic (PPK) data. The results showed that the fusion of data based on different methods and acquisition platforms is required to obtain accurate DTMs that reflect the real surface roughness of terrace systems without gaps in data. Moreover, in inaccessible or hazardous terrains, a combination of direct and indirect georeferencing was a useful solution to reduce the substantial inconvenience and cost of ground control point (GCP) placement. We show that in order to obtain a precise data fusion in these complex conditions, it is essential to utilize a complete and specific workflow. This workflow must incorporate all data merging issues and landcover condition problems, encompassing the survey planning step, the coregistration process, and the error analysis of the outputs. The high-resolution DTMs realized can provide a starting point for land degradation process assessment of these agriculture environments and supplies useful information to stakeholders for better management and protection of such important heritage landscapes.

Numerical simulation of CO2 leakage in a shallow subsurface layer from a CO2 geological storage site

In an effort to detect and quantify potential CO2 leakage from geologic storage sites, this work investigates the migration process of CO2 leaked in a shallow subsurface associated with the CO2 sequestration project at Shaanxi, China. A shallow subsurface model with aquifer and soil layers was established, and the sensitivities of leakage rate and geological conditions were analysed. The results show that the distribution morphology of the CO2 plume is generally mushroom-shaped when the leaked CO2 enters the formation as a point source. Maximum leakage occurs at the soil surface due to the comprehensive effects of pressure, concentration, and density differences between CO2 and soil gas. The mass fraction of CO2 in gas is approximately 0.38–0.48 near the surface leak point, and leaked CO2 moves laterally along the bottom of the soil vadose zone. The leakage rate of CO2 significantly affects the pressure build-up as observed for an increase in the CO2 leakage rate from 0.0002 to 0.02 kg/s. In addition to the loess beam area, the migration process of CO2 leakage in the valley terrace area was also studied. The results show that the CO2 concentration in the leakage centre area of the valley terrace is not much different from that in the loess beam. Moreover, the surface leakage range in the valley terrace is much smaller than that in the loess beam, which is because of the differences in the formation composition and thickness. Heterogeneity has limited effect on leakage.

Transformation of function, form, zoning, circulation and material of Rumoh Aceh “Study of Aceh traditional architecture in Montasik sub-district, Aceh Besar”

Along with the time running, traditional architecture starts to be limited by time. While traditional architecture is a self-identity of a region. The location of research is Province of Aceh, namely in Sub-district of Montasik, District of Aceh Besar. The objects of study are traditional house buildings called as Rumoh Aceh. Because, principally, all buildings have similarity; thus, samples were taken randomly from each village. The formulation of questions is to identify transformation of function, form, zoning, circulation and materials of Rumoh Aceh found in the Sub-district of Montasik. The objectives of this study are to understand transformation occurring in Rumoh Aceh in the Sub-district of Montasik over time in order to know causal factors; moreover, it is expected to be reference to the Rumoh Aceh itself. This study used descriptive-qualitative method to adopt phenomena directly (what, who, and where the research location is). This method can interpret and associate data, important situation, attitude, point of view, conflict, and others. Because this study is direct, the techniques of observation and survey (primary data) keep to be choice, such as, interview and documentation. Relevant references to data can be analyzed and developed (secondary data). The results of study indicate that Rumoh Aceh found in Sub-district of Montasik, in terms of functional transformation, is still ideal, but there are changes in function in lower parts of building, that previously functioned as animal breeding area, rice storage and rest area, now it changes into permanent space functioning as room, storage area, bathroom, and cloth drying area. Moreover, we seldom find terrace and gate areas in front of building. While form transformation in Rumoh Aceh tend to be unchanged. Rectangular and triangular form keep to be choice. Transformation of zoning and circulation only occur in lower parts of building because there are additional rooms and functional change of rooms so that automatically circulation system also changes according to needs. Along with time running, transformations of building materials are found in roofs. Before, Rumoh Aceh used local materials, such as, rumbiah leaf plait; now, iron sheets dominate the Rumoh Aceh. Moreover, use of brick materials is widely found in lower parts of building. Current materials, such as, plywood and acrylic, are found in nearly each Rumoh Aceh, especially in door and window blades.

Parametric Terracing as Optimization of Controlled Slope Intervention

With the introduction of mechanization in agriculture, the area of terraced slopes has increased. However, in most cases, the planning of terracing in practice remains experience-based, which is no longer effective from an agricultural, geological, and hydrological point of view. The usual method of building terraces, especially terraces with earth risers, is therefore outdated, and a new method must be found for planning and building terraced areas. In addition to geographical information system (GIS) tools, parametric design tools for planning terraced landscapes are now available. Based on the design approaches for a selected plot in the Gorizia Hills in Slovenia, where we used a trial-and-error method, we improved previous results by defining a model using a computer algorithm that generates a terraced landscape on a selected slope depending on various input parameters such as the height of the terrace slope, the inclination of the terrace slope, the width of the terrace platform, and the number of terraces. For the definition of the algorithm we used the visual program tool Grasshopper. By changing the values of the input data parameters, the algorithm was able to present combinatorial simulations through a variety of different solutions with all the corresponding statistics. With such results it is much easier to make a conscious decision on which combination of parameters is optimal to prevent landslides, plan adequate drainage, and control soil movements when building terraces. The controlled slope intervention is further optimized by the introduction of a usage index (Tx), defined as the quotient of the sum of all flat areas (terrace platforms) and the total area of the plot.

Land-cover changes and distribution of wetland species in small valley habitats that developed in a Late Pleistocene middle terrace region

Small valley topology on terraced uplands is a unique groundwater-dependent ecosystem in East Asia. Traditionally, this characteristic valley topology has been used for rice paddies because of the sustained availability of spring water. It also provided a unique habitat for wildlife with moderate agricultural disturbance. Due to recent changes in the land use of terraced terrain, these semi-natural wetlands are disappearing rapidly without an accurate assessment of its conservation value. We examined the distribution of small valley habitats in the Shimousa Upland in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan, and analyzed temporal changes in land cover from the 1970s to 2010s. We also compared the habitat affiliation of endangered wetland species in the small valley topology and the temporal change of their habitat suitability. We found that the relative percentage of urban area has increased rapidly in upland (from 18.6 to 37.9%) and valley (from 13.1 to 28.6%) areas. The abandonment of rice paddies in the valleys has also increased. Of the endangered wetland species, Geothelphusa dehaani, Lefua echigonia, and Lethenteron reissneri were more common in small valley wetland habitats. However, remained habitat for these species has been decreased due to the on-going urbanization in a terrace area.

Research of holocene soils in the territory of the National historical and cultural reserve "Hetman's capital" in Baturyn, Chernihiv region

Nowadays, cultural monuments deserve increasing attention. A comprehensive study of archeological complexes enables us to more accurately reproduce the conditions of formation and evolution of ancient society. In recent decades, archaeological sites have been investigated using archeology and paleogeography methods to reconstruct the character of landscape changes in the study area. Among such historical and archeological complexes is the famous city of Baturin, which holds a special place for deep and comprehensive study. Less than half a century later, having traveled from a small outpost on the northeastern border of the Commonwealth to the hetman's capital, Baturin died in the flames of the Northern War in the same short period of time. Tragedy of 1708 made Baturin not only a national shrine, but also a reference archaeological monument of the Cossack era, a cultural layer whose level of saturation and informativeness is unmatched. The inter-river basin of the Desna and the Seimas, which is geographically included in the Baturin Family, is one of the most important watersheds of the Dnieper North Left Bank, and the Seim River itself is a kind of natural border between the forest-steppe and forest zones. The territory where Baturin originated had a number of significant advantages. Baturin is located on the edge of the high terrace of the Diet. It is the only such elevated area of the left bank terrace of the Diet in its lower stream, which allowed to control virtually all of its basin. ancient times, which, combined with the wide floodplain of the Seimas with its opportunities for the development of livestock, fishing, hunting, created optimal conditions for economic activity of the population. During paleopedological research it was established that in the territory of the study in the catenary of soils with artifacts of the Bronze Age developed soils of meadow and forest-meadow genesis with well-formed humus horizons close to meadow-sod and alluvial-sod zones of temperate, but temperate climate. In the clearing of the shaft, the findings of the early Iron Age are confined to the surface of the humus horizon of the sod of slightly podzolic soils, formed in the conditions of meadow-steppe landscapes of temperate climate, less humid than the modern (background) soil. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. In the Polissya conditions, meadow-forest landscapes became widespread. In the soils on the high grass meadows there were conditions for the accumulation of organic matter, which made it possible to form well-defined humus horizons and the processes of sod genesis were quite pronounced. Turf-slightly podzolic ash-sandy sandy loamy and sandy soils of the XVII-XVIII centuries had well-defined humus horizons, and often were deeply humus, which provided for their agricultural use with ease of machining. The proximity of a fairly powerful river, as well as the spread of forests (as timber for business purposes), increased the possibility of comfortable living conditions in this area. In the XVIII-XX centuries. Opportunities for cultivation of soils with fertilizers have emerged and soils of clearing № 5,7,8 are characterized by high and deep (almost all over the profile) humus. They are an example of human influence on the cultivation of land and landscapes. In the floodplains, alluvial-marsh silt soils, enriched with the content of Fe and Mn hydroxides, often formed the basis for the development of iron-smelting production in the territories close to Baturin. In the low and high floodplains of the Diet, the formation of sediments was associated with alluvial processes (floods, alluvial sands) and aerial ones (sands, dunes). Among modern Baturin soils (background), typical sod-medium- and highly podzolic, as opposed to the predominance of slightly podzolic sod, aszed alluvial-meadow and alluvial-sod soils are identified. The terraces are characterized by the development of sod, sod-alluvial and sod-swamp soils (the latter on floodplains).

Evaluation of Marsh Terraces for Wetland Restoration: A Remote Sensing Approach

Marsh terracing is a wetland restoration technique that is being implemented in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Marsh terraces are segmented berms of soil built within shallow coastal ponds, designed to increase marsh area and reduce wave energy. Approximately 980 linear km of marsh terraces have been constructed over almost 30 years in Louisiana and Texas to combat subsidence and sea-level rise; however little research has been conducted to determine their effectiveness. The objective of this study was to assess marsh terrace performance. The change in marsh terrace areas was measured over time through remote sensing. This analysis was conducted using one-meter resolution imagery from the National Agriculture Imagery program (NAIP) from 2003 until 2017 from five Louisiana coastal parishes. Twenty terrace fields of study between 10 and 14 years old were randomly selected within each parish. Results show more predominant deposition (55%) than erosion (45%) in marsh terraces. Terrace fields with high channel density and thereby an external sediment supply show more deposition compared to low channel density fields. This is the first study assessing multiple marsh terrace fields performance. Results are promising, especially considering the current rate of sea level rise and subsidence in Louisiana.

Tailored Palladium-Platinum Nanoconcave Cubes as High Performance Catalysts for the Direct Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide.

To obtain high catalytic properties, finely modulating the electronic structure and active sites of catalysts is important. Herein, we report the design and economical synthesis of Pd@Pt core-shell nanoparticles for high productivity in the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide. Pd@Pt core-shell nanoparticles with a partially covered Pt shell on a Pd cube were synthesized using a simple direct seed-mediated growth method. The synthesized Pd@Pt core-shell nanoparticles were composed of high index faceted Pt on the corners and edges, while the Pd-Pt alloy was located on the terrace area of the Pd cubes. Because of the high-indexed Pt and Pd-Pt alloy sites, the synthesized concave Pd@Pt7 nanoparticles exhibited both high H2 conversion and H2O2 selectivity compared with Pd cubes.