Understanding the soil and water conservation (SWC) impact of steep-slope agricultural practices (e.g. terraces) has arguably never been more relevant than today, in the face of widespread intensifying rainfall conditions. In Italy, a diverse mosaic of terraced and non-terraced cultivation systems have historically developed from local traditions and more recently from the introduction of machinery. Previous studies suggested that each type of vineyard configuration is characterised by a specific set of soil degradation patterns. However, an extensive analysis of SWC impacts by different vineyard configurations is missing, while this is crucial for providing robust guidelines for future-proof viticulture. Here, we provide a unique extensive comparison of SWC in 50 vineyards, consisting of 10 sites of 5 distinct practices: slope-wise cultivation (SC), contour cultivation (CC), contour terracing (CT), broad-base terracing (BT) and oblique terracing (OT). A big-data analysis approach of physical erosion modelling based on high-resolution LiDAR data is performed, while four predefined SWC indicators are systematically analysed and statistically quantified. Regular contour terracing (CT) ranked best across all indicators, reflecting a good combination of flow interception and homogeneous distribution of runoff and sediment under intense rainfall conditions. The least SWC-effective practices (SC, CC, and OT) were related to vineyards optimised for trafficability by access roads or uninterrupted inter-row paths, which created high upstream-downstream connectivity and are thus prone to flow accumulation. The novel large-scale approach of this study offers a robust comparison of SWC impacts under intense rainstorms, which is becoming increasingly relevant for the sustainable future management of such landscapes.

中文翻译：

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梯田和非梯田种植的水土保持：50 个葡萄园的广泛比较

面对普遍加剧的降雨条件，了解陡坡农业实践（例如梯田）对水土保持 (SWC) 的影响可以说从未像现在这样重要。在意大利，梯田和非梯田栽培系统的多样化马赛克历史上是从当地传统发展而来的，最近是从引进机械开始的。以前的研究表明，每种类型的葡萄园配置都以一组特定的土壤退化模式为特征。然而，缺乏对不同葡萄园配置对 SWC 影响的广泛分析，而这对于为未来的葡萄栽培提供强有力的指导至关重要。在这里，我们对 50 个葡萄园的 SWC 进行了独特的广泛比较，包括 5 个不同实践的 10 个地点：坡耕（SC）、等高耕（CC）、等高梯田（CT）、宽基梯田（BT）和斜梯田（OT）。基于高分辨率LiDAR数据进行物理侵蚀建模的大数据分析方法，同时对四个预定义的SWC指标进行系统分析和统计量化。规则等高线梯田 (CT) 在所有指标中均排名最高，反映了强降雨条件下流量截留和径流和泥沙均匀分布的良好结合。SWC 效率最低的做法（SC、CC 和 OT）与通过通路或不间断的行间路径优化可通行性的葡萄园有关，这创造了高度的上游-下游连通性，因此容易积聚流量。