Terraces are great ways to increase usefulness of steep slopes. As the demand for agricultural use of slopes increases we will likely find a need to increase our knowledge of terracing techniques. Fortunately there are cultures that have used terraces for generations. It is important that we study the use of these agricultural methods to reduce erosion and increase fertility on modern fields also. Here we present links to a selected group of web ages dealing with terraces. Some of these are designed to display the new terraces developed in the last century to work well with modern agricultural equipment, and some others are designed to show terraces that have been worked successfully for generations.

Machu-Picchu photos

The Hani people in Yuan Yang China have very large mountains and gorgeous sites to cultivate. Their endless irrigated terraces are giving a new meaning to paddy rice cultivation in Asia.

The USDA Terracing tip sheet has some pertinent comments on terracing in the back yard

Terraces 101 is an excellent web site with a lot of links to high quality sites on terraces. From this one site you can explore ancient terraces from Peru to Egypt, and see modern terraces also for home gardens.

Restoring the ancient Inca irrigaton and terraces system is a site that has info on the restoration of a number of the ancient terraces originally constructed by the ancient Incas. This is a worthwhile project indeed.

The cajetes terracing system of ancient Mexico was a highly efficient method of utilizing steep land and gradually improving the soil over the centuries. The ancient tribes used the cajetes to hold the rain reducing erosion. The system seems very well thought out, and is certain to add to the viability of the fields if maintained.

A Nigerian University report on the effects of rainfall on hillsides of varying slope and cover. Very detailed well thought out study that evaluates different farming methods and practices to each other, and natural conditions. Examines soil erosion in a very detailed way.

The terraces of Malta, useless, or the future of ag? The terraces of Malta were made hundreds of years ago, now over one half have been abandoned for decades. The resulting neglect has the soil of centuries washing away. Learn as a team of researchers walk the terraces of a chosen section, interview the farmer working one terrace, and explore the political, social and economic reasons the terraces are being abandoned.

A study of a modern Hopi terrace. The Hopis of North America cultivated their terraces for a thousand years. And now just a few decades of neglect have eroded much of the hard won soil of generations of farmers. One farmer, an Anglo married to a Hopi woman has learned the ancient techniques used by the Hopi. Read the account of an interview with him as the interviewers walk the terraces and learn the way of the soil.

Here is a University of Nebraska site detailing extensive and highly informative technical descriptions of advanced and modern terracing systems. Very detailed site to be sure. While it is specifically designed for the deep and fertile soils of Nebraska, and for the use of large scale farm machinery, it is actually highly adaptable for use in other soils around the world.

Another site from an American University, this one from the University of Missouri. Again like other American agriculture colleges it emphasizes the use of large scale equipment. But still since the emphasis is on soil conservation it is a good informative site to visit. Details of dozer applications, and costs per acre are given, as well as details on how to plan for short term and long term terrace building.

The rice terraces of the Philippines have been called one of the eight great wonders of the modern world. And the photos of them rising high into the cloudy skies seems to add credence to this claim. Here you can visit as a journalist details time spent visiting a remote village where the people are raising fish in the paddies, pigs on the banks, and rice when the season is right. All this while many of the men are away in the cities working! (yes, many of the people working these paddy terraces are often women).

Banaue island in the Philippines is often cited as the eighth wonder of the world. The terraces seem to reach into the sky and are unbelievably high on steep mountain soil in a high rainfall area. And they are used as rice paddies! Here is a link to a travelers site detailing some extraordinary photos from Southeast Asia. The link selected will take you to the fist of two photos of the terraces. Click the 'next' button on that page to go to another spectacular photo of terraces. The rest are just beautiful photos of other subjects including temples, water buffalo, and other travelers mementos.

The USDA has built a decent page outlining some of the basic requirements for small scale home style terraces. Basic illustrations would have made the text easier to understand, but the instructions are well thought out and detailed enough to give some idea of the tasks necessary before beginning a wall project for the home.

The Aztecs had an interesting and advance culture. Here we have a professor who has excavated a small Aztec village. And while the site is concerned with the living conditions of the people, part way down the page is a fine cross section detail of a 'check dam' built across a seasonal stream to trap sediments from upstream and thereby create a 'mini field' of fertile soil.

Morocco, the name conjures images of mountain passes, desert valleys, and sparkling Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. But it is also the home of the Berbers, a North African tribe that has used terraces to great advantage in the Atlas mountains. Visit this site to see a fine example of terraces.

Majorca, that tranquil oasis in the Mediterranean, now you cna see many photos of the ancient water systems and terraces on this island. Go to here to see these remarkable water systems.

The terraces of Yemen have been famous for centuries. This photo is interesting, and gives a good perspective of the desert landscape the terraces are built in.