AEGEAN TERRACE CULTIVATIONS - LIVING AND VALUABLE AGROFOREST LANDSCAPES

Tasos Dimalexis

Biologist PhD

NCC - Nature Conservation Consultants ltd Gythiou 04, GR15231 Chalandri, Athens, Greece adimalexis@n2c.gr, website: www.n2c.gr

© Pafilis, 2014 Ι Rough-tailed Agama (Stellagama stellio) taking advantage of the light gradient (from shadow to full lighting), at a drystone wall of Naxos island (Figure 1)

Terraces cultivations, the common drystone terraces, or “aimasies”, constitute the most important large-scale human intervention in the inhabited island ecosystems for millennia, contributing to the formation of the island landscapes in the Aegean Sea and the wider Mediterranean (Figure 1). Shaped by the hard work of generations of islanders, terraces allowed the cultivation on steep slopes, in poor and particularly arid soils, supporting local activities, agriculture, animal husbandry, beekeeping and essentially the sustainable human presence and self-sufficiency (Petanidou 2015). At the same time, terrace cultivations constitute important habitats for many animal species, thus contributing to the biodiversity values of the islands (Figure 2).

Especially in recent years, during which the impacts of climate change are increasingly affecting the Mediterranean basin, the historical presence and use of terrace cultivations may provide a critical green infrastructure for island ecosystems, with multiple benefits for their adaptation to climate change (Figure 3).

During 2017-2022, to exploit the values of Aegean terrace cultivations as key green infrastructure elements, the University of the Aegean, together with the Municipality of Andros, the Green Fund, the National Observatory of Athens, the University of Athens and Hellenic Agricultural Organization "DEMETER", implemented the LIFE TERRACESCAPE project (www.lifeterracescape.aegean.gr). The project aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of large-scale restoration and re-cultivation of Aegean terraces, and produce biodiversity friendly, climate-smart added-value local products, economically viable under the present socio-economic conditions, as part of a sustainable tourism model, investing in the natural and cultural assets of each island.

In addition to the pilot restoration of drystone walls and re-cultivation of terraces with local crop varieties, the project developed guidelines and a Good Practice Guide, measured the effect of the interventions on local biodiversity, soils and microclimate and organized “Drystone Wall restoration Schools” to provide practical training in traditional stone restoration techniques.

Fortunately, the National Environment and Climate Change Agency is presently exploring the project’s legacy and experience, to implement an ambitious new program to support actions for the restoration and re-cultivation of Aegean terraces with local plant varieties, with a total budget of 10 million euros, through the Recovery Fund, for the following years.

©Tasos Dimalexis Ι Drystone wall terraces, the ancient “aimasies, as a predominant element of the Aegean island landscapes (Figure 2)