Ancient desert agriculture in the Negev and climate-zone boundary changes during average, wet and drought years

Bruins, Hendrik J.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.01.015

Cited by 90 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Since terraces reduce slope steepness by dividing them into short gentle sections (Morgan and Condon, 1986;Van Dijk and Bruijnzeel, 2004;Li et al, 2014), they strongly affect soil hydrology, vegetation growth and biogeochemical cycles (Moser et al, 2009). Terracing has been used to conserve water, alleviate flooding risks, reduce erosion, expand high-quality croplands and restore degraded habitats (Van Dijk and Bruijnzeel, 2004;Bruins, 2012). More recently, this practice has been found to improve other ecosystem services (ESs), such as carbon sequestration, food security as well as recreation (Ore and Bruins, 2012;Garcia-Franco et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global synthesis of the classifications, distributions, benefits and issues of terracing

Wei

Chen

Wang

et al. 2016

Earth-Science Reviews

230

135

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For thousands of years, humans have created different types of terraces in different sloping conditions, meant to mitigate flood risks, reduce soil erosion and conserve water. These anthropogenic landscapes can be found in tropical and subtropical rainforests, deserts, and arid and semiarid mountains across the globe. Despite the long history, the roles of and the mechanisms by which terracing improves ecosystem services (ESs) remain poorly understood. Using literature synthesis and quantitative analysis, the worldwide types, distributions, major benefits and issues of terracing are presented in this review. A key terracing indicator, defined as the ratio of different ESs under terraced and non-terraced slopes (δ), was used to quantify the role of terracing in providing ESs. Our results indicated that ESs provided by terracing was generally positive because the mean values of δ were mostly greater than one. The most prominent role of terracing was found in erosion control (11.46 ± 2.34), followed by runoff reduction (2.60 ± 1.79), biomass accumulation (1.94 ± 0.59), soil water recharge (1.20 ± 0.23), and nutrient enhancement (1.20 ± 0.48). Terracing, to a lesser extent, could also enhance the survival rates of plant seedlings, promote ecosystem restoration, and increase crop yields. While slopes experiencing severe human disturbance (e.g., overgrazing and deforestation) can generally become more stable after terracing, negative effects of terracing may occur in poorly-designed or poorly-managed terraces. Among the reasons are the lack of environmental legislation, changes in traditional concepts and lifestyles of local people, as well as price decreases for agricultural products. All of these can accelerate terrace abandonment and degradation. In light of these findings, possible solutions regarding socio-economic changes and techniques to improve already degraded terraces are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global synthesis of the classifications, distributions, benefits and issues of terracing

Wei

Chen

Wang

et al. 2016

Earth-Science Reviews

230

135

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…All experts agree that the Byzantine Period witnessed the culmination of agricultural activity and terrace wall construction in the region, which is also mentioned by Bruins (2012) in a comprehensive study of ancient agriculture in the region. The architecture of terrace walls in the Roman-Byzantine and Early Islamic periods display a sophisticated level of construction with very neat and ordered rows of stones.…”

Section: Terrace Wall Architecturementioning

confidence: 72%

“…Such a farming system is not feasible in the Negev Highlands where the average annual rainfall is only about 75-100 mm per year. Though climatic fluctuations occurred during the past millennia, it has been shown by Bruins (2012) that even very wet annual fluctuations, such as the year 1991-92, hardly penetrate into the central Negev Highlands. On the other hand, drought years often affect the entire country of Israel.…”

Section: Dry Farming In the Negev Highlands?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dating of Iron Age Agriculture in the Negev Highlands: A Response to Shahack-Gross and Finkelstein

Bruins

Plicht

2017

Radiocarbon

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ABSTRACT. In this response to the reply by Shahack-Gross and Finkelstein (2017), we present additional data of our research at Horvat Haluqim. This includes phytolith percentages and multicellular phytolith stomata in a thin section of a layer in Terraced Field 12, dated by radiocarbon ( 14 C) to the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age. We also show thin-section evidence of aggrading sediment laminations in this terraced field. A new 14 C date is given of the Early Islamic Period in Terraced Field 7, as differences in terrace wall architecture are highlighted. We revisit the interpretation by Shahack-Gross and Finkelstein in relation to herd management. Our 14 C dates attest that terrace agriculture based on runoff/floodwater irrigation occurred in the Negev Highlands during several periods, including the Iron Age.

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“…The north-western part of the Negev is semi-arid, the central Negev is arid, and the eastern and southern parts are hyperarid (Stern et al 1986), yet borders tend to fluctuate significantly by year and actual rainfall (with a high annual rainfall variability index, estimated between 6 and 7), often exacerbating conditions within a given area (Bruins 2012). Climate changes in recent decades have also made the desert extremes more pronounced, primarily through a gradual rise in temperatures, alongside a decline in rainfall relative to the distance from the Mediterranean coast (Kafle and Brunis 2009), and dust and sand storms growth in both number and intensity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constraints to assets, waste to resources: integrating green technologies in a novel pilot project for drylands

Meir

2013

International Journal of Sustainable Energy

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The semi-nomadic Bedouin of the Israeli desert have been undergoing sedentarisation which has affected both their lifestyles and their livelihoods. A multi-disciplinary team has been working on the planning and design of a sustainable farming project for a Bedouin community. A site of 40 ha located in the semi-arid Negev desert serves as a pilot project integrating green principles, practices and technologies, aimed at improving production process and economic potential through soil improvement, recycling of wastewater, solar energy and co-generation, composting of solid waste, biogas production, green buildings, and the re-introduction of indigenous species of vegetables, medicinal plants, herbs and spices that have been marginalised. With integration in mind as the main guideline, the design team aims at utilising each activity's waste as the resource for another activity, preferably onsite, through rigorous scientific evaluation and economic cost-benefit analysis. The project is already under construction.

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Ancient desert agriculture in the Negev and climate-zone boundary changes during average, wet and drought years

Cited by 90 publications

References 44 publications

Global synthesis of the classifications, distributions, benefits and issues of terracing

Global synthesis of the classifications, distributions, benefits and issues of terracing

Dating of Iron Age Agriculture in the Negev Highlands: A Response to Shahack-Gross and Finkelstein

Constraints to assets, waste to resources: integrating green technologies in a novel pilot project for drylands

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