Terracing

Terracing is an ancient technology allowing the farming and building on steep and indented terrain. Farmland terraces consist of terrace platforms and terrace slopes or walls. In rural settings, the measure can reduce erosion and surface runoff by slowing rainwater to a non-erosive velocity. The measure is recommended for farmland with slopes >15°. However, terraces pose a significant impact. The can, therefore, violate the landscape’s ecological mechanisms. For this reason, they should be considered as an ultimate solution for the utilisation of land as farmland or building area and only if other land uses (e.g. afforestation) are impossible.