ter·rac·ette | /¦terə¦set/
Terracettes are the oddly uniform, miniature terraces sometimes seen on the slopes of hilly pasture. They are most commonly attributed to the passage of livestock, namely sheep and cattle. In Germany, they’re called viehtreppen (cattle stairs). In France, they’re sentiers de vaches (cow trails). The theory is that, as the animals are grazing parallel to the slope or following each other in single file as sheep often do, they compress the soil. Repeated passage creates relatively level trails, particularly if the soil is wet, and once established, they are favoured as they’re easier to walk on.
However, not everyone is convinced they are created by hooves. Some terracettes extend right to the edge of precipitous drops, and animal tracks sometimes cut right across them. Soil creep is the most popular alternative explanation – the process of loose material making its way down a slope. In periglacial regions, solification is another possibility – soils saturated with melt water oozing downhill in a stepped freeze-thaw cycle. Sometimes they may simply echo the layering of the underlying sedimentary rock. Depending on the context, terracettes are most likely formed by a combination of factors.
Microtopographic* features like terracettes can play a surprisingly important role in how an ecosystem functions, On hillsides, rocky outcrops and textured surfaces can help modify water flow, retain topsoil, and encourage biodiversity. Incorporating microtopographic features such as knolls, bowls, scarps, and banks into complex environments like regenerating wetlands can be crucial to their success.
* Microtopography: loosely defined as surface features on a scale of individual plants.
Introduction Aeolian Alpenglow
Benthos Crepuscular Crispate Crown shyness
Desire lines Dreich Endragoned Edgelands
Frondescence Fumarole Gluggaveður Gossamer
Karst Komorebi Lawrence Long acre
Machair Monkey’s wedding Moonglade
Psithurism Quartz Rakuyou Roaring forties
Snag Soft estate Specular, diffuse and pellucid
Spoondrift Steam fog Swash zone Sylvan
Tellurian and thalassic Terracettes Uliginous