Soil erosion control on sloping olive fields in northwest Syria

摘要: Land degradation caused by soil erosion has been an environmental problem for many regions around the world for the past millennia. Dryland ecosystems are specifically prone to land degradation. The dryland areas are found in all continents, including the Mediterranean region, and are inhabited by almost 40% of the world’s population. One of the countries were the process of land degradation in olive orchards is highly relevant is Syria, since it is already affected for large areas by soil degradation. One of the most important crops for income in Syria are olives. In the last decade, the number of olive trees in Syria has increased by 50%, now reaching 554.000 hectares. The problem with the recent expansion of olive trees in Syria, is that it expands into marginal and degraded lands. This study therefore focuses on the quantification of the amount of hill slope erosion for an olive orchard with soil conservation …