The terraced character of the maltese rural landscape: A case study of buskett area

Abstract

Most agricultural holdings on the Maltese Islands are situated on sloping grounds in the form of terraces, especially to the north-west of Malta. Being one of the few regions still boasting fully fledged agriculture, the Buskett woodland is an exemplary case. Steep slopes along the Luq watercourse were altered into cultivatable stepped formations. These were occupied for agriculture as a consequence of critical fertile and flat land shortage being consumed by urbanization. Most terraces are retained by traditional Maltese rubble walls, which prevent soil loss and control runoff through their distinct characteristics. With the phenomenon of agricultural decline, most terraces were abandoned. Rubble walls along the valley collapsed because of poor upkeep, where soil downslope transfer contributed to watercourse siltation which threatened endemic species. With the scheduling of Buskett as a NATURA 2000 site, various restoration projects have since been ongoing, with one of the primary objectives being the revival of the rubble wall tradition.