LAND RECLAMATION IN HILLY REGIONS IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL

Dr. Zvi Ron

Course given in the Department of Geography and Human Environment

Tel-Aviv University

Aim of the Course:

Studying the factors leading to settlement in hilly regions in the Land of Israel , at different periods and of different cultures. Recognition of the condition of slopes and soil development and conservation in the hilly regions of the Land of Israel and the physical processes that form them.

Settlements and landuse in the hilly regions of the Land of Israel and the reciprocal relations between man and the hilly landscape. Emphasis will be placed on creation of agricultural terraces as a basis for agriculture and development in those hilly regions, in the past in ancient and traditional agriculture as well as in the renewed Jewish settlement of recent generations.

The course will include field trips dealing with topics such as terrace agriculture and the development of springs for irrigated agriculture in the hills of Jerusalem .

Main Topics of Study:

1.        Hilly regions in the Land of Israel as marginal areas for human settlement and the factors leading to the beginning of human settlement in these regions.

2.        The inception of hilly region settlement in the forest hills- deforestation for purposes of agricultural development and its impact on soil erosion.

3.        The beginning of agricultural terracing: turning the hilly slopes into terraces as an efficient solution to the prevention of soil erosion and the creation of conditions enabling the existence of stable agriculture on hilly slopes.

4.        The rate of soil formation and the extent of its erosion on hilly slopes in the Land of Israel . The source of soil forming the agricultural terraces.

5.        Types of agricultural terraces and the methods of their creation: dry-type terraces and irrigated terraces. Built terraces and hewn terraces: the structures of the agricultural terraces, their various types, parts and functions.

6.        Techniques of land reclamation, ancient, traditional and modern.

Development of mechanization for land reclamation and for agricultural cultivation in modern agriculture and its impact.

7.        Development of springs for irrigated agriculture in ancient times and in traditional agriculture.

8.        Renewing of Jewish agricultural settlement and land reclamation in the hills towards the end of Turkish rule and during the period of the British Mandate.

9.        The agricultural settlement and the development of vast land reclamation and agriculture in the hilly regions: In the Jerusalem hills and in the Galilee since 1948. Planning agricultural landuse in hilly region settlements.

10.    The distribution of agricultural terraces in the hills of the Land of Israel . The physical and cultural factors influencing the layout, the density and the disposition of the agricultural terraces. The relation of placement between the settlements and the agricultural areas in the hilly regions.

11.    The waning of agriculture and agricultural landuse in the hilly regions since the 1970's. The abandonment of most of the agricultural areas. The changeover from agricultural settlement to suburban settlement.