Water and Land Restoration
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| Fasilides Bath, Gondar, Ethiopia. 📸: From Wikimedia Commons. |
Water and Land Restoration
It may seem impossible with the need for all these technical possibilities to recreate a lost native Highland Nature with its water supply. Therefore, if possible, a careful combination of well-being, pleasure and relaxation should be carried out, where real Nature becomes essential to create this pleasant environment for people. A possible example of a union between these human interests and Nature as the necessary support can be seen, for example, in beautiful manufactured ponds with surrounding gardens and arboretums where the abundant spring water provides Nature with irrigation to saplings and the creation of groundwater.
A Classic Castle with a Surrounding Spring Source
Therefore, the commonly occurring check dams represent an opportunity to recreate an environment that fits almost idealistically for both people and Nature. For example, at the magnificent high plateau or even on its dramatic panhandles, placing a building like Fasilides Bath slightly downhill from a stream joined with a traditional levada path (see the image and info below) would provide a comprehensive landscape of Nature with a fantastic water supply. However, in contrast to the water technology of check dams in ordinary, historic buildings, like Fasilides Bath in the picture above, would join as a water contribution to the surrounding landscape but also with the attraction's capacity as the most beautiful location for facilities. With dramatically classic architecture, this magnificent castle lodge with a restaurant among the water entices fantasies and dreams in the cosiest and most hiking-friendly surroundings within and for Nature of the wilderness.
Indeed, it's not easy to trace the water's paths
to these Highland dams. Watch videos.
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Often, it seems impossible to stimulate private finance for investments that prioritize the health of the population and the country. Videos: The Castle of Highland Water Madeira's levadas originated from the necessity of bringing large amounts of water from the west and north of the island to the drier areas. |
Highland Streams with Hiking Trails
However, these irrigation methods, shown as a classic levada here to the right, most often require a more extensive and high-lying reservoir or natural aquifer source for reliable water flow. This method then allows a combination of pleasant hiking trails with delightful canals on the mountain. Hence, the nearly diminutive leaning of levadas enables both people's most pleasant promenade and the water's gentle flow. Such levada canals with a water castle would distribute the water over a high plateau with great beauty and assist in nature restoration.The historical records contain several practical and aesthetic possibilities for restoration. These options for aesthetic restoration include water management, ground stability, and the most attractively pleasurable recreation paths. Another way of describing these methods for natural conservation is the effectiveness of the irrigation method when combined with very gentle and beautiful hiking trails above dizzying precipices.
Enchanting Promenade
Along the Mountainside
Thus, a well-tuned gradient deviation from the landscape's contour line allows people to promenade along the mountainside while enjoying amazing Nature views, well stimulated by the silent purging of the water's gentle flow in these canals. Thanks to the prioritization of the strength and reliability of these paths with their integrated levada canals, these reinforced waterways coincide with the suitability of dramatically beautiful, safe and very gentle hiking trails. Furthermore, these levada canals, with their outer reinforced walkways, prevent the torrential deluges from undermining the otherwise tender mountainside soil.
The reinforcement from these traditional levada paths controls, redirects and subdues the water's dangerous torrential ability, where it otherwise would mercilessly tear up the slopes' fragile ground in deep furrows, including landslides and lahars. Finally, with the precarious case of the tender saplings of the indigenous vegetation, these levadas complete their purpose as the pure and potent source of protection and irrigation while also delivering the water to be filtered, absorbed and transported into deep-lying mountain chambers - natural water reservoirs with their underground rock branches and deep aquifers of the mountain massif.
Water Creation with Natural Beauty
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| Due to these options, human assistance and technology to Heal Nature with classical irrigation reinforces the ground with Indigenous trees and provide the environment with increased spring water in streams and brooks during the long seasonal periods of sunshine. Spring Water with Bath |
Thanks to the remote geological evolution of plants' and ground-living organisms' development, they obtained the primary tool to open the Earth's surface layers' permeability. Thus, the roots of the native ancient plants liberated the otherwise water-repellent surface of the soil and gave the ground its water-absorbing properties; hence, with their intricately stabilizing fibrous root system, these plants in ancient times made a symbiosis with surrounding microorganisms.
The Ancient's Water and Strength
The roots of prehistoric plants thereby counteracted the water resistance of the densely packed ground and opened the soil's ability to stabilize porous permeability. This basic phenomenon between plants and soils allowed water to pass to deeper soil layers and aquifer regions. In this way, the origins of the naive vegetation and microorganisms in symbiosis interfered with their evolutionary optimization by cultivating the ground.
Ethiopia's Nature with Water Harbouring Functions
The native Ethiopian vegetation served as a highly effective physical barrier, blocking the country's water masses from rushing in turmoil down its slopes toward Egypt. Due to Nature's natural ground pipes of native vegetation, the seasonal deluges had sophisticated water receivers into Ethiopia's thick soil layers. The deeper groundwater reservoirs thus had the properties to harbour the downpours. Hence, this original vegetation functioned as countless efficient water collectors with an intricate network of stems and a deeply anchored network of roots, further stabilizing the landscape and giving tremendous strength against erosion and deterioration.Wasted and Lost Groundwater
Naturally, in prehistory, the soil layers, with the reinforcing assistance of roots in the dense forest and its undergrowth, would block the water's possibility to speed downhill and, thus, harmonically gather the flow into slow motion and mountain-absorbing units. Unconditionally, this past harvest of native forest exposes and lays bare the soft soil layers, allowing the water forces to speed up and form devastating torrential powers. With efficiency, these mighty water masses tear up the slopes in deep furrows and simply drill many meters into the river's inflows. Finally, the indigenous vegetation completes its purpose as the pure and potent source of synergy with the natural soil layer by filtering and absorbing these water masses and passing them on to deep-lying mountain chambers. These are the naturally geological water reservoirs with their underground rock branches and natural aquifers of the mountain massif.
Ethiopia's Highland Nature
The Country's Precious Water
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| This image forms the basis for understanding nature's water-bearing body. The water is kept Here, in the totality of this image, where both Vegetation, soil and rock make up this vital water-bearing body to create this highly valuable water-harbouring landscape. Study of the water's complexity |
Ethiopia's Natural Water Production
Furthermore, history's misdeeds against Ethiopia's natural forest and Nature severely wounded the prehistoric ecological and geological heritage by interrupting the natural and critical processes of original soil creation derived from the endemic decomposing leaves and twigs. This genetically optimized process, resulting from the downfall of indigenous trees in the leaves and twigs of the Ethiopian forest, had the vital ability to hinder the erosive torrents' initiation. This ground composting leaves and twigs built the trees' ground and gave the soil's structure the required time to absorb deluges in this mountainous highland landscape.
The Natural Water Bodies of the Highland
Aquifers and their Importance for Civilizations
The Knowledge of these natural aquifers within the mountain massifs and their synergies with water harbouring technologies is a highly valued historical legacy of antiquity. In their context, they are a well-known concept that helps to understand that a mighty mountain massif that receives abundant and regular precipitation with chilly temperatures also provides the conditions for harbouring this water. These historically and very early developed technical and geological-based methods for managing and saving enormous amounts of water that are often technically complex and aesthetically superb. The methods of this water technology vary significantly between different cultures and continents. Still, in the legacy of history, they are the basis of ancient civilizations' most essential and original technological achievements. However, the quality and quantity of water depend on a well-covered landscape of healthy native vegetation.
Nature's Mighty Rain Receiving Sponge
Amidst the inviting beauty of the natural landscape lies a hidden complex synergy between the mountain massifs' aquifers and the endemic primaeval forest. This evolutionary heritage showcases the indigenous forest's optimized evolution as water guardians, a testament to its overwhelming strength. The indigenous forest plays a crucial role in saturating the aquifers, with its potent water accumulation effect within the actual depth of the mountain massif's total configuration. Therefore, the body of naturally contained water retained in the mountains' native upland vegetation, primaeval forest, and aquifers can obtain assistance due to its similarities to established advanced science within hydrology. Thus, understanding the phenomenon of preserving Nature's highland water obtains assistance by scientifically analyzing it with considerable help from advanced dam and reservoir structures.
The Importance of Domestic Trees
Reinforcement of Native Roots Against Erosion
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| The composite image series above invites a more comprehensive study with explanatory images of the water's flow and ground infiltration. The Torrential Rains and Erosion |
Erosion: The soil-holding capacity of Eucalyptus is very moderate compared with the original Ethiopian ground cover and trees, initially covering the slopes of Entoto. Because there is no ground cover in the foreign-implanted Eucalyptus forest, the only thing to hold the soil is the sporadic web of roots of the trees. This lack of soil stabilizing undergrowth causes severe erosion, which is easily observed in the water running through Addis in connection with the rainy seasons. For every rain period, torrential forces eradicate valuable nutrition while the layer of fertile soil gets thinner. Without due care and preservation within a few years, no fertile ground will remain for new vegetation, and the erosion will be irreversible.
Flooding: On Entoto, every leaf and branch that has fallen to the ground is collected by people, whereas in a natural forest with endemic vegetation, organic material from leaves, wood, roots, etc., is left to be decomposed in the soil. The organic composting matter from endemic vegetation improves the soil structure, leading to a higher infiltration rate and a much better water storage capacity and, of course, provides the fragile saplings with a primary ground for growth. The picture on the right simplifies the connection between land and water, which can be seen by the vertical connection in the study of the infiltrating movements of the water in pictures (5 ) and (7).
Ethiopia's Historical Work for Water
Nature's Armoured and Guardian Shield
The toxicity within the tactical defence mechanisms of the Australian foreign trees causes dramatic wastes of precious water in Ethiopia due to destructive downpours in seasonal violent rapid flash floods from the slopes, creating destructive forces of soil milling properties. This dangerous environmental erosive phenomenon is visually evident in the artificial eucalyptus plantings with its ground of brittle clay crust. Hence, regrettably, an apparent phenomenon with the loss of Natur's armoured shield of native undergrowth is evident in the Highland's mountainous slopes. Thus, Ethiopia's groundwater loss derives from the decreased size of the water harbouring bodies within the Highland's totality of organic structure, sediment and the mountains' underground aquifers. Therefore, the foreign Australian eucalyptus tree's toxin eradicates the native remaining protective ground cover and thereby significantly causes the loss of valuable water by torrential freshwater rejections in short-lived sudden bursting flash floods of soil-milling erosion.
Ethiopia's Grande Nature History
With the guardian and a profoundly anchored network of roots and stems, a complex picture of evolution's optimization of Ethiopia's original vegetation emerges. The endemic vegetation in the past of Ethiopia's highlands had a primaeval forest with an intricate network of stems and a deeply anchored network of roots functioning as countless efficient water collectors. Therefore, in ancient times, Ethiopia's considerable rainwater resources were not so contradictory, and the reason was mainly the abundant natural and original vegetation of Ethiopia's highlands.
Ethiopia's Historic Waterways
The Waterfall: Blue Nile, towards the Capital
The Highlands and their Historical Waters
Entoto Natural Park and its Historical Water
The topographical configuration of Entoto Natural Park's mountain crest has the curious result that two raindrops that simultaneously moist the soil of Entoto's mountain crest, only a centimetre apart, will have quite different destinies. After a long journey through the River Nile, one waterway will reach the Mediterranean Sea. In contrast, the other watershed will pass through Addis Ababa, eventually evaporating in the Danakil Desert, as the Awash River never reaches the sea.
The Ethiopian Highland is the Legendary Water ProviderHowever, this primary Ethiopian source of the Nile River is only one of several Ethiopian rivers that contribute to the total water in the Nile. Consequently, the total amount of water delivered from the Ethiopian Highland to the Nile is enriched by further waterways than only the water from the Blue Nile: this main contributor and fundamental historical source of the legendary Nile River.
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| The Waterfall: Blue Nile, towards the Capital The Highlands and their Historical Waters |
The topographical configuration of Entoto Natural Park's mountain crest has the curious result that two raindrops that simultaneously moist the soil of Entoto's mountain crest, only a centimetre apart, will have quite different destinies. After a long journey through the River Nile, one waterway will reach the Mediterranean Sea. In contrast, the other watershed will pass through Addis Ababa, eventually evaporating in the Danakil Desert, as the Awash River never reaches the sea.
Humankind's High-Tech Together
With the Creation Of Nature's Foundation
What seems too complicated to describe in standard terms can sometimes be given a simple parable opportunity. In short, a few stones do not hinder a flowing torrent but very well by a firmly anchored uniform stone construction. Consequently, the few randomly placed rocks are lost in futile hardships, crunching the labourer by sweat and thirst in toil's despair and poverty. In contrast, the opposite is usually the case with the anchored unit and its amounts of valuable dammed water at hand to use when the drought occurs. Of course, the natural forest consists of many complex biological phenomena with countless plants and organisms in a symbiotic relationship with a highly ancient evolutionary origin as water protectors for the environment.
Historical Water Conservation
Analysis of Nature with High Technology
Therefore, the water-retaining properties of the mountain massifs' Highland's soils and cliffs are in synergy with endemic vegetation and trees. Indeed, they are very similar in function to advanced science in technology and, therefore, scientifically analyzed with considerable help from the methods used for highly complex dam constructions. Hence, the body of naturally harboured water retained in the mountains' native highland vegetation's primaeval forests and aquifers constitutes a natural phenomenon preferably considered and scientifically analyzed with help from the methods used for today's highly advanced dams and reservoirs. In short, a few stones do not hinder a flowing torrent but very well by a firmly anchored uniform stone construction. Consequently, in sweat and thirst, the few rocks are lost in toil and poverty, while the opposite is usually the case with the anchored unit and its amounts of valuable dammed water at hand to use when the drought occurs.
It's a well-known fact that the natural Highland aquifers
are not sufficient to supply the large metropolitan areas
total needs, but complex constructions are required.
However, the endemic vegetation and soil remain
vital in the Earth's ecological process before
storing the water for the country's future.
Water To the Capital
Historic-Tech to the Native HighlandPicnic and Play for the Young FamilyAn excellent and cosy invitation to gain an initial practical view of these water harbouring technologies and a comfortable little walk by a lovely promenade to the right after the bridge crossing, shown within the map square [A] at Entoto Kidane Mehret (1). This place also offers an ideal little excursion for the young family on picnics or seeking sporty games. An open grass pitch here provides a breathtaking place just beneath the start of the mountain and an embracing enclosure of a sculptural curved river. However, the picture above does not show the Italian (19) construction at the site but a historical reservoir previously lost and forgotten in a bygone era. Although the water harbouring technology at Entoto Kidane Mehret (1) prevails mostly concealed underground, it is still at the same time alluring for exploration. Nevertheless, this underground construction at Entoto Kidane Mehret is certainly also today intriguing for analyzing its potential for today's civilization.
Ethiopia's Inherited Indigenous Vegetation  |
| It's a well-known fact that the natural Highland aquifers are not sufficient to supply the large metropolitan areas total needs, but complex constructions are required. However, the endemic vegetation and soil remain vital in the Earth's ecological process before storing the water for the country's future. Water To the Capital |
An excellent and cosy invitation to gain an initial practical view of these water harbouring technologies and a comfortable little walk by a lovely promenade to the right after the bridge crossing, shown within the map square [A] at Entoto Kidane Mehret (1). This place also offers an ideal little excursion for the young family on picnics or seeking sporty games. An open grass pitch here provides a breathtaking place just beneath the start of the mountain and an embracing enclosure of a sculptural curved river. However, the picture above does not show the Italian (19) construction at the site but a historical reservoir previously lost and forgotten in a bygone era. Although the water harbouring technology at Entoto Kidane Mehret (1) prevails mostly concealed underground, it is still at the same time alluring for exploration. Nevertheless, this underground construction at Entoto Kidane Mehret is certainly also today intriguing for analyzing its potential for today's civilization.
Prevents the Torrential Forces of the Water
Due to the contact between the precipitation and the tree crowns, the water path slows down enormously, damping and blocking the battering impact's eroding capacity from the relentless rainfall. Thereby, the endemic trees highlight the importance of their greenery's colossal surface in preventing the initiation of flash floods with their following erosive turmoil. Thus, the native vegetation creates multiple vertical and lateral barriers that prevent hazardous torrents from building up high velocities with their devastating forces. These barriers propagating walls of native vegetation are thus clearly both above ground in the physical constitution of plants and underground in roots with their interacting organisms.
The Water-catching Capacity of the Native Plants
The totality of the rain-catching surface of the trees' canopy is thus much more extensive than the ground without trees. Thanks to the tree roof slowing down in speed and force of the water that finally gently drips down from the tree roof, this phenomenon substantially extends the required time in which the undergrowth carefully receives the water. This vegetation's water-catching phenomenon expresses its importance in its blocking properties due to the hindrance of the water's destructive torrential force initiations. Furthermore, this phenomenon reinforces its importance further when the green roof of native trees receives rainfall and drastically reduces the sudden torrential forces under vegetation, thereby creating one more block against torrential deluges.
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| Climate: Precautions During Rainy Seasons |
Water Loss and Erosion
These torrential floods produce life-threatening situations since the rock massif is regularly deprived of the native vegetation and, therefore, unable to slow down the water masses' acceleration over the slopes. Furthermore, these torrential rainwater quantities entail difficulties with powerful impact during rainy periods since the profoundly erosive forces along the waterways entail an imminent risk of undermining the Capital's settlements.
A Grandiose Landscape Built by the Trees'
Requirements for Nourishment and Water
Furthermore, last year's ground-decomposing dry plant parts, combined with the native undergrowth, constituted countless soil-protecting, repeating, moist-preserving puddles, capturing the water and leading it into the soil with astonishing efficiency. This evolutionary optimization of the previous seasons' composting downfall and the armouring network effect from the undergrowth constitute the final obstacle to the water's ability to obtain speed and gain destructive force. This phenomenon results in the trees' roots getting their precious water and requiring time to feed it into underground sources. The consequence of this diversity in vertical water-capturing greenery and its composting downfall is that it constitutes a much more effective groundwater provider than a flat or slightly sloping slippery crust of brittle and fragile soil.
The Healing Capacity of the Native Forest
The Park's Undergrowth with Native Trees
The natural health and fertile beauty in this Indigenous Juniper forest (16) and (40) and the Indigenous Podocarpus trees (B) illuminate with precision the healing ability of a native forest (see location on the map below). The natural health of this landscape with native trees gives insight and a natural stimulus to prevent and heal the severe erosion and habitat loss that occurred at the introduction of the Eucalyptus tree. The importance of careful research regarding knowledge in natural science is given as an insightful and evident example before any foreign species is regarded as possible for an introduction into an unfamiliar and vulnerable habitat. It can be stimulating to combine a wonderful mountain hike with a field study of the unique green hue with lushness in the undergrowth and its following effect on the ground stability beneath the native trees.
The Maps' Assistance to Ancient Trees
Magnificent Furrowed Trees
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| The Mother Tree (Podocarpus) |
When using map circle (B) as an intended pointer, restrict to 60% of its total length at four o'clock, and it becomes possible to find a magnificent native Podocarpus tree to the left of the hiking trail (link below). The intended direction indicator in the maps allows a method to be used here with a limited length in the intended dial. This method assists in distinguishing objects farther but also more centrally located on the map loop (B)'s intended clockwork. This undulated hillside includes a magnificent meadow (39) - (B) with an irresistibly picturesque farmhouse next to the path (see the map below).
The intended pointer clockwork gives direction, and when its outermost tip reaches its full extent at 4:30, it points to a concealed and dense forest area just south of the field (39)-(B). To see several other indigenous Podocarpus trees requires looking just below this field (39) and to the right side in the lower part of this circle (B). The easiest way to reach these trees is to use the crossroad, just outside the lower part of the circle (B), where these trees just above appear to hide deeply from a forgotten past. This rather wild and wavy slope, with several native Podocarpus falcatus trees, appears in veneration.
The Wild and Fertile Forest from the Ancient Era
The original and compact Juniper trees (16) shown in the picture just below and the forest (40) on the eastern hillside, just to the right of (16), are captivatingly wild and consist of more than 50-year-old indigenous Juniperus procera trees. These native trees provide a unique contact to this dramatic but gentle Nature with its inviting and refreshing touch of high mountainous altitude. Yet this landscape and its native forests, surprises with nearly magical furrowed proportions of primaeval lushness, reveal a natural and incredible Highland scenery beyond what a visitor would usually expect in proximity to the Capital. This native Juniper woodland (40) is massive in appearance and stunning in vitality, with a perfect, lush and dense undergrowth.
The Importance Of Ethiopia's Indigenous Trees
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| Very remote vaguely appears, the Capital and civilization's settlements here from the elevated location on the outer rim of the high plateau (16). The Dreams of Pure Nature are offered by almost every view, also in the mighty abyss and Canyon's uphill adventure The Indigenous Trees |
The Guardian protection of the Indigenous trees
These native trees' diverse and widespread network of soil-reinforcing roots thus provide a stabilizing and, for aeons, welcoming ground for a dense reinforcing network of native vegetation. Hence, Ethiopia's ancient and evolutionary optimized Nature confirmed its ability to absorb water to the ground, thus harmonically harbouring and distributing the torrential deluges' otherwise destructive forces.
The Heritage Of Ethiopia's Endemic Trees
The historical disregard for the mentioned importance of native vegetation caused immense and dangerous environmental phenomena against Ethiopian Nature in the past. The devastating result of severe erosion, water shortage and famine elucidates the significance of an endemic foundation for lush and soil-shielding undergrowth.
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| Viewpoint (16) is just at the outer rim of the high plateau and an excellent place for family picnics. Bees' Cliff 14 requires caution in the Canyon but assists by the wide map loop surrounding the fascinating points 36 and 41-42 Direction Maps & Routes |
Still magnificently beautiful, but the panorama picture above towards the dim-capped Capital hides something unique from an almost forgotten era of beauty and splendour. Hence, turning some steps upwards from point (16) while just passing over the outer threshold of the high plateau reveals both a mighty and cosy treasure of lost aeons. Thus, after just the cosiest promenade to the rim of the high plateau while going uphill, the veiled scene behind the camera's view from point (16). Hiding high above the dim-capped Capital appears from the mountain's history group of endemic and Juniperus procera trees, with their captivating picnic site with great views.
Such inviting beauty appears here that any visitor is profoundly attracted to stay for many activities with the well-equipped family picnic or only admiring furrowed highland relics from a time beyond memories. These indigenous Juniper trees appear mighty with their furrowed pillars, configured uniquely and appear to have an origin from a past culture of noble ancestry of magnificent and enchantingly furrowed Juniperus procera trees. The site of impressive Juniperus procera trees is near, just some steps uphill of point (16).
Natural and Clean Water with Native Nature
The native trees' diverse and widespread network of soil-reinforcing roots thus provides a stabilizing and, for the future, welcoming ground for an advancing culture where native vegetation enlightens the importance of original Nature for human health. The consequence of ignoring natural sciences within Nature is grave because this groundwater phenomenon is of fundamental importance for any population to create their future health or prosperity. The accumulating effect of vegetation and soil layers is crucial as both a water purifying filter and the only source distributor of purified water to natural underground reservoirs. Regrettably, humankind's misdeeds against Nature have caused harmful interference against this purifying and protective synergy effect from vegetation and soil layers throughout history. Hence, the combined mismanagement from early cultures' misdeeds frequently caused its ruin with a fragile and feeble base and acute poverty from early civilizations up to modern times.
The Valuable Knowledge Of Antiquity
Caution: Despite modern technologies' convenient applicability, the majestic rock reservoir
of antiquity (the Ancient Roman cistern Piscina Mirabilis) shown in the image to the left highlights the apparent brilliance of stability and safety that humiliatingly defies and challenges the beliefs in modern technologies' horrific inclinations to deceits of shortcuts; all these doubts due to the last century's dam catastrophes. However, constructing artificial dams to meet the water needs of a larger population has, in modern times, proven to be a hazardous solution in connection with nearby settlements. In ancient times, a technology was developed for hidden, huge mountain halls to prevent a fatal breakthrough collapse of man-made dams.
Underground Reservoirs
Historical and early developed technical and geological-based methods for managing and saving enormous amounts of water are often technically complex and aesthetically exquisite. The historical constructions to securely harbour water appear in the picture to the left. The methods of this water technology vary significantly between different cultures and continents. Still, in history's legacy, they are the basis of ancient civilizations' most decisive and original technological achievements and their ability to progress in today's high-tech development.
Nature's Production Of Clean Water
The vertical connection in the study below demonstrates how mechanically disturbed soil - such as that affected by ploughing for cultivation - struggles to absorb and infiltrate precipitation. As a result, a significant amount of water is lost to runoff (RO) picture (9) at its right side (B), which is evident by the murky collected flows down into collection vessels with its arrow sign (RW). The primary reason for this modern issue of reduced water infiltration is that the soil lacks the evolutionary traits necessary for this artificial tillage and does not have the appropriate particle configuration to effectively absorb or deeply infiltrate water. Although this image study does not include laboratory evaluations of water absorption in the original vegetation of a native forest with undergrowth, it indicates that the natural environment depicted on the far left of the image (8) shows enhanced water infiltration values downwards the plants roots and further towards the groundwater at the bottom of the image (8) - FW1. This observation is further supported by the linked videos below.
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| The Problem With Foreign and Incompatible Trees and their Devastating Effect on the Water. The Torrential Rains and Erosion |
The Importance of Undisturbed Soil
The No-till ground on the left side in images (8) - (9) points (A) shows the familiar surroundings or the seasonal field at rest. Compared to the tillage field, the No-till ground provides significantly better resistance against decay and increases water distribution to the groundwater reservoirs. Pictures (9) show this resistance to the decay phenomenon (A) by increased resistance to soil loss and its ability to store water. This filtered water can transform into purified water within the hidden cliff chambers (aquifers). This filtered water in the study (8) - FW1 accumulates during the rainy season, seeping in a continuous flow to the deeper underground. Therefore, cities below the mountain massif depend significantly on the Highland's native vegetation, including agriculture, through these significant-high altitudes' properties of geologically storing mountain water, hence conveniently extracted by traditional or advanced methods during drought seasons the following year.
The Ground's Importance for the Water
Here, picture (9) clearly shows how the tillage field example (B) to the right in the photo means about twice the amount lost in the runoff in comparison with the No-till soil on the left (A). Also, the left No-till soil (A) with its water tray displays considerably less erosive sediment in the water tray in comparison to the tillage field on the right in images (9) - (10) - (B). The vertical connection of the (FW) arrows 1 and 2 in embodiment (8) appears very clearly as an effect in the study of example (9). Models (8) and (9) confirm an apparent relationship following the waterways of FW1 and FW2, shown in the lower part of the picture (8). A practical solution to its problems with water loss and erosion on sloping land is well established, and here is a link for an exciting introduction.
Wikipedia: Regenerative Agriculture
The Advanced Natural Sciences Of Environmental Restoration
Careful analysis is precarious in the case of trees and plants since their determination of the influence on water supply mustn't immediately offer an explanation model of the sudden and modern solutions and circumstances with similar industries. Instead, this phenomenon is highly complex in biology through evolutionary time and environment, which requires an investigation that closely follows the very creation of the soil and its way of creating a reliable ground for vegetation. In the background of these lengthy and often prehistoric time cycles, the highly complex protection appears for today's stable drinking water supply creation.
[ The Eucalyptus Tree ]
The Implantation of a Foreign Life Form
The Eucalyptus Tree and its Tactical ToxicityA chemical component with an intricate competition-oriented toxic defence system in the leaves and roots of Eucalyptus trees prevents the growth of other trees and herbs. This chemical component leads to a monoculture with Eucalyptus as the only tree species and eventually no ground cover. This chemical component causes severe erosion, a phenomenon which is easily observed in the water running through the vertically interpreted picture series (8) - (9) analysis just above, in connection with the rainy seasons.
The Environmental Danger Of the Eucalyptus Tree Due to these shortcomings in the water-preserving capacity of the Eucalyptus plantation, it cannot counterbalance the uneven distribution of rain. The result is often torrential flooding in the down-slope areas, in this case, the northern district of Addis Ababa. In August 1994, it created a fatal danger because of overwhelming and sudden flooding.
The Eucalyptus Tree and its Tactical Toxicity
A chemical component with an intricate competition-oriented toxic defence system in the leaves and roots of Eucalyptus trees prevents the growth of other trees and herbs. This chemical component leads to a monoculture with Eucalyptus as the only tree species and eventually no ground cover. This chemical component causes severe erosion, a phenomenon which is easily observed in the water running through the vertically interpreted picture series (8) - (9) analysis just above, in connection with the rainy seasons.
The Environmental Danger Of the Eucalyptus Tree
Due to these shortcomings in the water-preserving capacity of the Eucalyptus plantation, it cannot counterbalance the uneven distribution of rain. The result is often torrential flooding in the down-slope areas, in this case, the northern district of Addis Ababa. In August 1994, it created a fatal danger because of overwhelming and sudden flooding.
CAUTION: The Slopes' Restoration
Sudden influxes of water in the mountains can lead to instability and damage to the vacuum-anchoring suction effect, which is a result of gravity pressure built up over time in the layers of the hillside. Furthermore, a previous reduction of trees removes the reinforcement from roots, causing the slopes to become even more saturated and fragile due to the loss of strength from the tree roots and increased lubrication from the water masses. Furthermore, except for their capacity to prevent the dangerous lubrication effect in the slopes' clay layers with their risk for landslides, the native vegetation and trees' roots also prevent the water forces from speeding up and forming devastating torrential powers where water masses tear up the ground of buildings and simply drill deeply into the riverbanks of the settlements.
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| The vacuum-anchoring suction effect results from gravity pressure built up over time in the layers of the hillside, where the evolution is a candidate for suspecting large trees as essential for gravity anchoring suction on the mountainside. However, reducing trees removes the stability of roots while adding water from swales, causing the slopes to become saturated and fragile. Due to the loss of strength from ancient trees and their roots, difficulties arise when restoring the slopes with swales due to their dangerous impact of lubricating the slopes by deluges. Keyline Design Permaculture Terraced Micro-Basins Planting Technology Check Dam Swales Planting Saplings |
Landscape Restoration
There are profound contradictions in judgment in the use of berms versus swales. Hence, the core of this evaluation is a comparison regarding small surrounding ridges (berms) downhill of the saplings, which prevent water loss downhill the slope vs. the quite contrary appearance of uphill water absorbing trenches (swales) just above saplings following traditional contour lines of the landscape's slopes. Since channels or swales filled with water constitute a dangerous lubrication with a low friction effect on the slopes, an imminent risk for landslides prevails. Thereby, swales are an option on the planes, while separate berms win as an option for slopes. Of course, the more irrigation-effective method for sapling combines berms with keylines and even with swales, but then due to the risk of landslides only when the landscape gradient is very gentle.Planting Saplings on Slopes
The previously mentioned half-circular small backfillings (berms) appear suitable on a hillside to protect the growth of individually placed saplings. In addition, where Keyline technology is available, it often seems to be a more desirable option over swales since they are less obstructive despite their similarity to the methods of swales. Where careful irrigation is crucial, keyline design permaculture appears here as a desirable option because since they appear similar to the practices of swales, they are more gentle in the landscape and, therefore, an attractive choice on hillsides where swales instead would cause an overwhelming risk for landslides or lahars. Thus, while berms fit individual saplings, adding keyline design permaculture along contour lines often seems like an option since they heal themselves within the landscape while providing a slightly invisible gradient deviation from the landscape's contour lines. At the same time, even swales are an option on a pleasant leaning plane.
Videos: Planting Saplings. Videos: Planting Technology
Berms and Swales VS
Terraces & Micro-Basins
With a minimal gradient in the landscape, swales are an option but are not recommended on a mountainside. Therefore, caution prevails regarding this environmental swales restoration method due to the risk of landslides caused by swales creating too much lubricating water weight. Hence, a danger persists since these swales initiate landslides by the sudden water infiltration in an unstable soil configuration, especially on a mountainside. When the slopes are too steep for any modest restoration of the ground's stability, the classical option with terracing is often a secure choice. Here, with attention to keyline design permaculture deviation from the contour line, classical terracing obtains historical reliability. However, excluding terracing in a more gentle terrain, the keyline design permaculture remains a careful restoration option, where the ploughed grooves deviate slightly downwards from the mountain's contour lines. Thus, keyline design permaculture often remains the appropriate way to create a stable water supply and ground for the saplings. Therefore, mountainsides exposed to drought frequently benefit and require a keyline design gradient to optimize the water flow over the terraces. These methods and even terraced micro-basins often remain the only suitable option to obtain a sound foundation for the saplings on a steeper hillside.Terraced Micro-Basins
A possibility of merged methods appears here where small supporting ridges in downhill surroundings (berms) help individual saplings, while integrated secluded swales contribute to abundant water supply. While there seem to be profound contradictions between berms and swales, these two offer combinations such as terraced micro basins where this solution merges from the advantages of both berms and swales. Therefore, a picture appears where the terraced micro basins contribute to the more careful solution by their basic than swales. Hence, these micro basins give the plants individual protection and water but also receive a root-feeding water supply from the above terraced micro basins in a less hazardous solution to the water contribution than traditional swales. Therefore, the water masses within swales on a steeper slope could pose a direct danger of water breaking through followed by violent erosion, while berms do not pose these risks. Thus, these terraced micro basins constitute a careful but very effective balancing of the two mentioned berms and swales.
The Importance of Seed's Evolutionary Heritage
A Noble Heritage of Health and Beauty
An Ancient Time of Natural Wealth
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| Podocarpus falcatus (P. gracilior) Location and Maps for these Ancient and Furrowed Trees |
A Beautiful Memory that Attracts
Modern Science and Art
With glowing passion and warmth, it is still spoken among the residents of Entoto about when the water level a reasonable time after the rainy season still stood one metre higher in Entoto's deep streams and enchanting nature rock baths. It is thus quite close to the time when Entoto's mountain massif and its canyons could carry significantly higher water quantity and, therefore, supply the population in the Capital with fresh water to a much greater extent.
Conclusion and Wonderful Solution
This small Podocarpus tree carries a unique heritage that can be very important for the Park's legacy. This tree's seed was picked from the mother tree in the circle (B), west of the path, left of the area (39) and clearly above (38). The stalk to the seed of this tree is considerably more significant in height than the equivalent of the Juniper tree seed. With this uniqueness of raising their brittle stems, an excellent and traditional solution arises where Rosa abyssinica guards the seedlings thanks to the sharpness of its defending thorns.
Landslides and Erosion:
Demands for International Research
The internationally commonly occurring and historically merciless vigorous depletion of native trees on the mountains' slopes naturally raises complex problems of restoring the lost strength of enormous roots and their multiplying positive effects in stabilizing the mountains' slopes. The loss of stability from the missing anchoring suction effect and the lack of reinforcing roots here appear to constitute almost insurmountable obstacles to restoring Nature on a mountainside. It often appears here that progressive international research is necessary regarding how these lost strong soil layers from the distant past are to be reconstructed in the best way. Using Nature's evolutionary advanced methods here would entail an ancient, slowly building anchoring of sediments with their suction properties and the assistance from the vacuum pressure by the ancient water-absorbing tree roots.
Nature Restoration Using Underground Modern Technology
Thus, from Nature's ancient past, mechanical compression of moraine and clay towards the mountainside gave Nature the required strength for an evolutionary and mechanical suction base for the continued prehistoric build-up of the ancient soil layer. All these evolutionary aspects of Nature and their prehistorical reinforcement of the ground seem, however, altogether too costly and complicated, as an intervention with an artificial rebuilding of millions of years of built-up ground stability in synergy with the evolution of organisms seems impossible to recreate today. However, some modern methods can often replace these ancient stabilizing sediments and the crucial strength from the ancient reinforcing tree roots. Gabion technology and rock anchors are current techniques that can regain safety with new ground for plants to grow on a slope. By backfilling and imitating ancient sediments supported by gabions and rock anchors, Nature gives the necessary time to heal the damage from dangerous landslides and the previous erosion.
Gabion Technology | Retaining Walls | Erosion Prevention
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The Science of Indigenous Ancient Trees
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| DNA Selections of Seeds (Oxford Academic) |
Choosing the Right Mother Tree for Seed
The distant location but within the same country, developed fauna and flora have undergone an extremely long evolutionary optimization to best adapt to the unique condition of its geological and surrounding genetic characteristics. The unique habitat in a particular region within a country imprinted the native indigenous to receive their distinctive property of plant and wildlife depending on the remoteness of the unique climate.
Hence, due to this isolated location on a country's mountainside or within its secluded gorge, the endemic tree created the specificity of their genetic heritage and the soil's uniqueness. Therefore, the trees' evolutionary connection to a country's landscape makes a precious legacy for their seeds, which inherit well-adapted genetic characteristics to the location's biological uniqueness.
Assessing Seeds Based on the Climate Zones of the Country
Hence, the genetic legacy's impact from Ethiopia's various climates and altitudes creates trees that, although belonging to the same species, developed a difference in genetic heritage to deal with these different climate zones. Thus, the mistake of using the seed from a tree with its genetic origin from a moist and shady gorge as seedlings on a dry southern slope undermines these trees' ability to survive and other organisms, including humans.
The Science of Ancient Trees
The Sciences of Ancient Trees
The Scientific Importance of Old and Ancient Trees
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Historical High-Tech for Water
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| The Forgotten Sciences from Antiquity |
The Grandiose Technology Of the History
The gradient of the Pont du Gard is only 34 cm per km, descending only 17 m vertically in its entire length of 50 km (31 mi): it could transport up to 20,000 cubic metres a day. The gradients of temporary aqueducts used for hydraulic mining could be considerably more significant, as at Dolaucothi in Wales (with a maximum angle of about 1:700) and Las Medulas in northern Spain. Where sharp gradients were unavoidable in permanent conduits, the channel could be stepped downwards, widened or discharged into a receiving tank to disperse the water flow and reduce its abrasive force.[32] Using stepped cascades and drops also helped re-oxygenate and thus "freshen" the water.[33]" Roman Aqueduct - Wikipedia
The Roman Legacy to Today Levadas
"In the sixteenth century, the Portuguese started building levadas to carry water to the agricultural regions. The most recent was made in the 1940s. Madeira is very mountainous, and building the levadas was often difficult. Many are cut into the sides of mountains, and it was also necessary to dig 25 kilometres (16 mi) of tunnels. Today, the levadas not only supply water to the southern parts of the island, but they also provide hydroelectric power. There are more than 2,170 kilometres (1,350 mi) of levadas, and they provide a great network of walking paths. Some provide easy and relaxing walks through the beautiful countryside", Wikipedia
A Wonderful Excursion to Search
The Lost Knowledge from Antiquity
Although this Italian ruin was built in today's decaying concrete, the renovation of this mountain fortress (38) - (B) can stimulate an excellent foundation for a historical discovery of the lost recipe for Roman concrete. Although this historical concrete's millennia-old secrets still prevail as a crucial investigation of international laboratories, its deepest secrets persist. This potential rediscovery of ancient concrete with this lost high technology and historical treasure from antiquity would offer a scientific study of Roman technology within an educational project. The Lost Secrets of Antiquity
Restoring Nature with Concealed Technology
It can be very complicated to restore a severely eroded landscape by reintroducing native vegetation. Because the soil layers built up over millions of years have lost their original strength since the tremendous stability from the roots of the trees has disappeared. It is, therefore, a colossal project to remedy these prehistorically created soil layers tested by aeons of hardship in severe rain storms, flash floods or drought and thus evolved an optimization for their environment along with the design of the underlying mountain slope. Therefore, when considering a natural mountain slope in terms of health, the conclusion follows with the significant probability that the most resistant soil layers remain; however, the caveat is that they only exist depending on the vegetation and organisms that created this soil quality. Thus, the trees' roots have, from prehistoric times, provided the mountain slopes with a solid reinforcing biological construction whose strength and toughness can surpass much in everyday civilization.
Regarding a mountainside through severe trials over millions of years, the result is a moraine with soil layers and vegetation that are incredibly hard tested and often evolutionarily optimized to survive in the specific conditions of their environment of varying rainfall, drought, landslides or lahars. After these lengthy trials by the aeons of Nature's try and error, what remains is thus a highly optimized habitat and, therefore, very difficult to surpass. These are such insurmountable circumstances that trying to succeed by replicating Nature's creation risks is overwhelming, resulting in frustrating failure when restoring a steep hillside. If human civilization is to overcome these difficulties, a great effort of human resources and technological stabilization measures is often required.
Where, for example, erosion has ravaged deep into soil layers and moraine, restoring the natural habitat of a steep slope is directly inappropriate by instantly replicating Nature's unique habitat. Recreating what Nature has done over millions of years may require more civilizational technical measures, such as gabions anchored in the underlying rock or retaining walls and terracing where wildlife and humans coexist close to civilization's immediate needs. These anchored gabions can form an underground stabilizing foundation against landslides and further erosion while simultaneously providing the opportunity to rebuild the soil layers required for the native vegetation. Thus, these underground anchored gabions in the landscape represent a possible replacement in reliability and strength that aims to recreate the original landscape and Nature.
Topographic Contour Lines VS
Keyline Design Permaculture
A keyline can be applied using topographic maps where the contour lines show an increasing distance between each other. This selected part of the keyline landscape depends on the contour lines and appears with a diminutive slight leaning within the mountainside. Thus, water-carrying keylines always come with the necessary support of the contour lines. The chosen place for the origin of keyline permaculture aligns in the direction towards the hillsides' valleys where natural springs usually appear. Still, the ploughed grooves of these keylines deviate slightly by almost imperceptibly away from the commonly known topographical contour lines. The deviation in the angle and curves of the keylines' ploughed grooves compared to the contour lines makes them appear diminutively different from the topographical contour lines, which are always shown horizontally on typographic maps. Thus, these keylines' ploughed grooves follow the slope with a slight deviation downward, thereby using gravity to allow the water to carefully and automatically irrigate just above the saplings. This water's gradually falling line within and off the keylines then constitutes the prerequisite for the harmonious and calm flow of the water.
In this context, it is essential to understand that the maps' contour lines constitute an artificially simplified explanation of the landscape's complex three-dimensional topography. Thus, it is necessary to know that the terrain slopes usually lean slightly downward, even between two sparse contour lines in the map's landscape. Therefore, despite the confusing appearance of topographical map lines, when these contour lines provide wider distances between each other, they also represent less-leaning ledges in the surrounding more sloping terrain. Thus, the contour lines' two broadly separated sections appear as a less downward inclination landscape, where this more gentle slope gradient permits the dampening of the water's force, thereby inviting the application of these keylines' capacity of harbouring and distributing the water over a wide area. Hence, these keylines fulfil their function as harmonious water distributors in hilly terrain even though they are far from the water source.
In any case, since the source's flow towards and within the slowly feeding water in the ploughed grooves becomes subjected to mechanical resistance by irregularities and soil particles, it should consequently lead to the water flow finally draining and ceasing its flow towards these more distant extensions of keylines, especially in the outcropping formations of the ridges. Therefore, these remote ridges risk receiving too-small leftover water due to the already infiltrated water loss into the slopes' soil and the aquifers of the mountainside. Hence, the explanation follows here why the keylines' following ploughed grooves appear to deviate more and more from the topographical contour lines, as the keyline-designed ploughed furrows require help from gravity to bring a water flow even to the slopes of distant ridges.
Thus, a visual inspection of these ploughed grooves from keyline design indicates that they rightly appear to seek further down and deviate more from these contour lines near their origin at the mountain valley's source but also as they reach lower and lower towards the terminating shoulders of the ridges. The purpose of this slightly descending appearance of the keylines' ploughed furrows ensures that even the farthest from the mountain springs and reservoirs, yet distant and lower elevated peaks, receive water in the landscape far beyond. However, although these longer-term keylines provide benefits and water to the mountain massif, direct irrigation only exists below the water's source. Therefore, these keyline designs extract the water from the mountain's remote valleys with their naturally occurring rich springs and enhanced pond reservoirs.
Although this Italian ruin was built in today's decaying concrete, the renovation of this mountain fortress (38) - (B) can stimulate an excellent foundation for a historical discovery of the lost recipe for Roman concrete. Although this historical concrete's millennia-old secrets still prevail as a crucial investigation of international laboratories, its deepest secrets persist. This potential rediscovery of ancient concrete with this lost high technology and historical treasure from antiquity would offer a scientific study of Roman technology within an educational project. The Lost Secrets of Antiquity
Restoring Nature with Concealed Technology
It can be very complicated to restore a severely eroded landscape by reintroducing native vegetation. Because the soil layers built up over millions of years have lost their original strength since the tremendous stability from the roots of the trees has disappeared. It is, therefore, a colossal project to remedy these prehistorically created soil layers tested by aeons of hardship in severe rain storms, flash floods or drought and thus evolved an optimization for their environment along with the design of the underlying mountain slope. Therefore, when considering a natural mountain slope in terms of health, the conclusion follows with the significant probability that the most resistant soil layers remain; however, the caveat is that they only exist depending on the vegetation and organisms that created this soil quality. Thus, the trees' roots have, from prehistoric times, provided the mountain slopes with a solid reinforcing biological construction whose strength and toughness can surpass much in everyday civilization.
Regarding a mountainside through severe trials over millions of years, the result is a moraine with soil layers and vegetation that are incredibly hard tested and often evolutionarily optimized to survive in the specific conditions of their environment of varying rainfall, drought, landslides or lahars. After these lengthy trials by the aeons of Nature's try and error, what remains is thus a highly optimized habitat and, therefore, very difficult to surpass. These are such insurmountable circumstances that trying to succeed by replicating Nature's creation risks is overwhelming, resulting in frustrating failure when restoring a steep hillside. If human civilization is to overcome these difficulties, a great effort of human resources and technological stabilization measures is often required.
Where, for example, erosion has ravaged deep into soil layers and moraine, restoring the natural habitat of a steep slope is directly inappropriate by instantly replicating Nature's unique habitat. Recreating what Nature has done over millions of years may require more civilizational technical measures, such as gabions anchored in the underlying rock or retaining walls and terracing where wildlife and humans coexist close to civilization's immediate needs. These anchored gabions can form an underground stabilizing foundation against landslides and further erosion while simultaneously providing the opportunity to rebuild the soil layers required for the native vegetation. Thus, these underground anchored gabions in the landscape represent a possible replacement in reliability and strength that aims to recreate the original landscape and Nature.
Topographic Contour Lines VS
Keyline Design Permaculture
A keyline can be applied using topographic maps where the contour lines show an increasing distance between each other. This selected part of the keyline landscape depends on the contour lines and appears with a diminutive slight leaning within the mountainside. Thus, water-carrying keylines always come with the necessary support of the contour lines. The chosen place for the origin of keyline permaculture aligns in the direction towards the hillsides' valleys where natural springs usually appear. Still, the ploughed grooves of these keylines deviate slightly by almost imperceptibly away from the commonly known topographical contour lines. The deviation in the angle and curves of the keylines' ploughed grooves compared to the contour lines makes them appear diminutively different from the topographical contour lines, which are always shown horizontally on typographic maps. Thus, these keylines' ploughed grooves follow the slope with a slight deviation downward, thereby using gravity to allow the water to carefully and automatically irrigate just above the saplings. This water's gradually falling line within and off the keylines then constitutes the prerequisite for the harmonious and calm flow of the water.
In this context, it is essential to understand that the maps' contour lines constitute an artificially simplified explanation of the landscape's complex three-dimensional topography. Thus, it is necessary to know that the terrain slopes usually lean slightly downward, even between two sparse contour lines in the map's landscape. Therefore, despite the confusing appearance of topographical map lines, when these contour lines provide wider distances between each other, they also represent less-leaning ledges in the surrounding more sloping terrain. Thus, the contour lines' two broadly separated sections appear as a less downward inclination landscape, where this more gentle slope gradient permits the dampening of the water's force, thereby inviting the application of these keylines' capacity of harbouring and distributing the water over a wide area. Hence, these keylines fulfil their function as harmonious water distributors in hilly terrain even though they are far from the water source.
In any case, since the source's flow towards and within the slowly feeding water in the ploughed grooves becomes subjected to mechanical resistance by irregularities and soil particles, it should consequently lead to the water flow finally draining and ceasing its flow towards these more distant extensions of keylines, especially in the outcropping formations of the ridges. Therefore, these remote ridges risk receiving too-small leftover water due to the already infiltrated water loss into the slopes' soil and the aquifers of the mountainside. Hence, the explanation follows here why the keylines' following ploughed grooves appear to deviate more and more from the topographical contour lines, as the keyline-designed ploughed furrows require help from gravity to bring a water flow even to the slopes of distant ridges.
Thus, a visual inspection of these ploughed grooves from keyline design indicates that they rightly appear to seek further down and deviate more from these contour lines near their origin at the mountain valley's source but also as they reach lower and lower towards the terminating shoulders of the ridges. The purpose of this slightly descending appearance of the keylines' ploughed furrows ensures that even the farthest from the mountain springs and reservoirs, yet distant and lower elevated peaks, receive water in the landscape far beyond. However, although these longer-term keylines provide benefits and water to the mountain massif, direct irrigation only exists below the water's source. Therefore, these keyline designs extract the water from the mountain's remote valleys with their naturally occurring rich springs and enhanced pond reservoirs.
Pinterest: Keyline Design Permaculture
Wikipedia: Keyline Design
Videos: Keyline Dam Construction
Videos: Contour Lines & Keylines
Permaculture Research Institute:"Before Permaculture: Keyline Planning and Cultivation"
Videos: Contour Lines & Keylines
Permaculture Research Institute:
"Before Permaculture: Keyline Planning and Cultivation"
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