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Degradation of Field Terraces in the Maltese Islands – Reasons, Processes, and Effects
Bernd Cyffka,Michael Bock +1 more
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TLDR
In this article, a Digital Elevation Model was used to assess the possible erosion tracks on an island which has no perennial streams, and the results are a forerunner to a solution to the problem in the entire Maltese Islands as well as, probably, other Mediterranean Islands with a dry climate.Abstract:
CYFFKA B. & BOCK M., Degradation of Field Terraces in the Maltese Islands Reasons, Processes, and Effects. (IT ISSN 0391-9838, 2008). There are several reasons for severe land and terrace degradation in the Maltese Islands. The main reason is the land abandonment which took place from the 1960s. Cultivated fields have constant protection against soil erosion by the crops and the farmer’s care for both the field itself and the field terraces, as well as the rubble walls which are part of the cultural heritage in the Maltese Islands. Once a rubble wall is broken down, intensive soil erosion starts because then the tracks for the erosion processes are predetermined. Usually the natural vegetation is able to reclaim abandoned land in a short period, but the dry, hot, and windy climate in the Maltese Islands creates unfavourable conditions. (*) University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Ostenstrasse 18 D-85072 Eichstaett, Germany. (**) Scilands GmBH Scientific Landscapes, Goetheallee 11 D-37073 Goettingen, Germany. Meanwhile it is proven that global climate change is producing heavier rainfall than in previous decades. Starting in autumn every year rainstorms occur and cover the mainly unprotected land with flash floods. With the help of old aerial photographs (1957) and high resolution satellite images (Ikonos, 2004) the percentage of abandoned land in the Gnejna Valley in Malta was determined. A Digital Elevation Model gave, via relief analysis, the possibility to assess the possible erosion tracks on an island which has no perennial streams. Field research gave major insight to the composition of the vegetation cover on the abandoned field terraces and other parts of the valley. The results are a forerunner to a solution to the problem in the entire Maltese Islands as well as, probably, other Mediterranean Islands with a dry climate.read more
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References
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RESEARCH: Managing Mountainous Degraded Landscapes After Farmland Abandonment in the Central Spanish Pyrenees
TL;DR: From the results obtained, the possibility of abandoned field reclamation by means of selective clearing of scrub is discussed, and under a dense shrub cover both runoff and sediment yield are strongly controlled.
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Book ChapterDOI
Mediterranean-type ecosystems: opportunities and constraints for studying the function of biodiversity.
TL;DR: The Mediterranean Basin has played a prominent role in humanity's biological and cultural evolution as mentioned in this paper, from archaeological sites scattered throughout the region, and from the rich written records of historical times, we can trace our development from hunters and gatherers to a species able to reap the benefits of pastoralism, agriculture and finally sophisticated technology.
Journal ArticleDOI
Land-use conflicts as a result of land-use change in the central spanish pyrenees: a review1
TL;DR: In this article, the authors studied the relationship between availability of local winter fodder and numbers of livestock in the Spanish Pyrenees and showed the importance of the meadows and also the relationship with the number of livestock.
Journal ArticleDOI
The Maltese Islands : climate, vegetation and landscape
TL;DR: The Maltese islands are composed mainly of limestones, the soils are young and are very similar to the parent rocks, and there are no mountains, streams or lakes, but only minor springs; the main geomorphological features are karstic limestone plateaux, hillsides covered with clay taluses, gently rolling limestone plains, valleys which drain runoff during the wet season, steep sea cliff on the south-western coasts, and gently sloping rocky shores to the Northeast as discussed by the authors.