CLASSICAL LANDSCAPE PROFILES

The Humid Landscape: The humid landscape can be found in both tropical and
temperate climates, it is a gently rounded landscape due to the forces of water
on substrate. This classical profile decides our whole strategy in the placement
of water and structures. It is very important to know what landscape we are
designing in. (diagram from curriculum page 5)
igh !oint
"ists and humid air
#ollection area for precipitation
$ide bald ridges may be gra%ed, but narrow
ridges should be forested
#ollection of water as ridge, plateau, saddle
dams
&pper 'lopes
(orests as warming systems for cold air flow
(there are no frosts in forests)
(orests as a stabili%ing mechanism
Instability of soils greater than )*+ (about
,.5:)) slope- less in fragile soils or slump
country. These should be forested.
#ollection of water as plateau or contour
dams, or as a power source (hydro
electricity)
.ey !oint is where the landscape changes from conve/ to concave. It0s in the
valley at the highest point with a concave profile. (drawing) it0s the highest point
in the valley where a dam can be constructed. The water floods back to the key
point.

1iversion drains in to key point to
accumulate water here because it0s
impossible to swale above this point on
conve/ surface
#ritical water control point for lower slope
irrigation. $ater can be directed from this
point and organically enriched. 2ecause
from here is where we enrich the living
system.
Irrigation canals out from keypoint as key
points tend to line up from one valley to the
ne/t. !assing through flat points on ridges,
which often make good sites for ridge point
dams. This path is the keyline. 1ams pages
()5* and )53 in manual)
#ultivation below keypoint because we can
aim water and nutrient from this point down.
!lus the land is more stable for cultivation.
4inks from keypoint to keypoint along
keyline
ousing suited to this area or 5ust below,
with forest above
#lean water above, soiled water below
4ower 'lopes
Terracing and mini6terrace, gardens and
small crop areas. If it0s really flat we
probably don0t need to terrace.
"i/ed cultivation area, crops
.eyline 'ystems of ( page 7)*6778 manual)
$ater #ontrol
1ams at saddles or skyline
#ontour, ridgepoint, and plateau edge dams.
The latter is a contour dam on the edge of a
plateau.
9ach dam may have up to , channels in or out: These can be swales or
diversion drains. (!age ):3 to );) in manual)
'pillways the way in which we spill water i.e. spillways of dams, swales, and
irrigation canals. There are many creative ways to use a spillway, which is a
release point for the water we design into landscape.
Irrigation: drip irrigation is the most effective use of water because it reduces
evaporation.


'election of keypoint in ma5or landscape plan
4aying out of the keyline system: multiple
dams and channels ( page ):7 manual) 'oil
conditioning as re<uired.
1iversion to keypoint
Irrigation from keypoint
#hisel plough or soil conditioner in keyline
principle of soil reconditioning deep ripping
to relieve compaction.
the soil as the main water storage system.
'wales and dams
effects of conditioning on soil
- =eration of soil
- $ater infiltration
- Temperature increase
- 4ife in soil increases
(worms, bacteria)
- p normali%es
- "ineral availability
increase
- !lant growth increases
Treatment of individual slopes
'teep and stony slopes: net and pan
structures. (ish scale pattern (page ,35
manual)
'teep and grassy: create shelves for
houses, livestock.
>ery steep: classical intensive terrace
(low6down and kick6down systems i.e. use
gravity to advantage.
&se the ideal species. =s slopes descend to
deep soils, high <uality trees.
?idge top plantings for free nutrient run off.
!lant photosynthesis.
(ire control on slopes. 'wales, fire
resistant plants. ?elease points for
spillways.
"ini6catchments: small terraces, bunds,
footpaths.
(latland
Irrigation layouts and techni<ues i.e.
windmills, open drains and canals.
'wale interception of run6off the run hits the
swale and soaks in e.g. village homes,
1avis, #alifornia. 'wales in forest to bring
the forest nutrition into our system.
especially off6garden. (or run off of e/tra
garden water.
'piral earth bank designs and use of earth
banks use soil from e/cavation to create
features in the landscape and more vertical
edge.
(latland check dams. (!age ):8 manual)
9arthbanks and earthworks.
The Arid Landscape. 'ee 1rylands section.
Minor Landscapes: >olcanic, high and low islands, coasts, wetlands, estuaries
>olcanic Islands
rich soil- range of crops almost unlimited
!ahoehoe (rock lava only good for run6off)
&0u (pumice like lava with lots of holes. #an
be planted in).
igh Islands
=re either granite or basalt
umid to arid aspects
.eyline, ridge dams, terrace
?ock wall and cave shelters
?ich flora and fauna
Importance of winds and rainfall
4agoon catchments and shorelines
'pecial problem: cyclone and tsunami-
earth<uake- mudflow, lava flow, cinder flow,
volcanisms.
4ow Islands
are usually arid islands
need essential foreshore plantings
need essential windbreaks
bi6model and bi6directional winds
caliche or platin6removal techni<ues
necessary (mulch pits)
gley for tanks (species of plants
atoll structures in lagoons
#oasts
need frontline vegetation so that beach is
not undermined
'alt6resistant frontline species, e.g.
#asurina, coprosma have wa/y or needle
leaves.
9stablishing plants in sand: sawdust and
paper lowers ph. =nd holds moisture-
#hinese plant in woven baskets to hold in
moisture
'and6blast resistant thick bark or very
fibrous barked trees (pines and palms,
casuarinas)
The alkaline sand needs humus- soluble
sulphates and o/ides offset alkalinity
1eficiencies in %inc, copper, iron (non
soluble in alkaline)
$etlands
#hinampa system @ world0s most productive
agriculture, using banks ne/t to water,
ma/imises productive edge. 'wampy or
marshy land is ideal for its development.
'ystem of water6land nutrient e/change in
harmonic effect. "e/ico and Thailand
1ucks are the main livestock they cycle
nutrients and return potash to water and
land
(ish are marginal feeders
=%olla is a fern which contains =nabeana
(nitrogen fi/ing bacteria)- can be scooped up
and used as a mulch on land
Trellis crop over water saves space- can be
harvested by small boat
Accasionally streams are drained and
nitrogen6rich mud scooped onto the banks
"arshes and wetlands support rich yields of
wild rice (%i%ania a<uatica) fresh water
mussels, fish, and honey production species
(marsh marigold)
9stuaries
?ich species area (oysters, fish, sea6grass,
molluscs, fowl, geese)
'ea6grass (Bostera) good insulation
#an make traps and high6tide ponds for
catching or rearing fish, molluscs.
'partina: mulch catches silt from land. Cood
fodder, returns nutrient from sea to land (see
ch )7 a<uaculture and "ariculture)