Lines in the landscape

Chelsea Clifford; Magdalena Bieroza; Stewart J Clarke; Amy Pickard; Michael Stratigos; Matthew J Hill; Nejem Raheem; Corianne Tatariw; Paul J Wood; Ivan Arismendi; Joachim  Audet; Daniel Aviles; Jordanna N Bergman; Anthony G Brown; Rachel Eleanor Burns; John  Connolly; Sarah Cook; Julie Crabot; Wyatt F Cross; Joshua F Dean; Chris D Evans; Owen Fenton; Laurie Friday; Kieran J Gething; Guillermo Giannico; Wahaj Habib; Eliza Maher Hasselquist; Nathaniel M Heili; Judith van der Knaap; Sarian Kosten; Alan Law; Gea H  van der Lee; Kate  Mathers; John E Morgan; Hamidreza Rahimi; Carl D Sayer; Mans Schepers; Rosalind F Shaw; Peter C  Smiley Jr; Shannon L Speir; Jeffrey S Strock; Quinten Struik; Jennifer L Tank; Hao Wang; Jackie R Webb; Alex J Webster; Zhifeng Yan; Peta Zivec; Mike Peacock

doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02699-y

Lines in the landscape

Chelsea Clifford^* (Corresponding Author)
, Magdalena Bieroza
, Stewart J Clarke
, Amy Pickard
, Michael Stratigos
, Matthew J Hill
, Nejem Raheem
, Corianne Tatariw
, Paul J Wood
, Ivan Arismendi
, Joachim Audet
, Daniel Aviles
, Jordanna N Bergman
, Anthony G Brown
, Rachel Eleanor Burns
, John Connolly
, Sarah Cook
, Julie Crabot
, Wyatt F Cross
, Joshua F Dean

Chris D Evans, Owen Fenton, Laurie Friday, Kieran J Gething, Guillermo Giannico, Wahaj Habib, Eliza Maher Hasselquist, Nathaniel M Heili, Judith van der Knaap, Sarian Kosten, Alan Law, Gea H van der Lee, Kate Mathers, John E Morgan, Hamidreza Rahimi, Carl D Sayer, Mans Schepers, Rosalind F Shaw, Peter C Smiley Jr, Shannon L Speir, Jeffrey S Strock, Quinten Struik, Jennifer L Tank, Hao Wang, Jackie R Webb, Alex J Webster, Zhifeng Yan, Peta Zivec, Mike Peacock^* (Corresponding Author)

^*Corresponding author for this work

Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Ditches (linear constructions which store and/or move water where humans prefer it to go), via irrigation, drainage, and power, have helped drive the development of human societies. Now, ditches and other linear channels, typically carrying water, are numerous and found on every continent. Their form varies widely with use, which includes land drainage, irrigation, transportation, and boundary marking. Ditches support and shape biogeochemical cycles, biotic communities, and human societies, at multiple spatiotemporal scales. However, ditches are frequently overlooked by researchers in many disciplines. Here, we review the largely unrecognized role that ditches play in environmental processes and human societies. The effects of ditches can be both positive (e.g., biodiversity refuges, water for food production, nutrient retention) and negative (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, dispersal of pollutants). We call for future management to consider and enhance the multifunctional role that ditches can deliver at the landscape-scale.

Original language	English
Article number	693
Number of pages	16
Journal	Communications Earth & Environment
Volume	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02699-y
Publication status	Published - 22 Aug 2025

Funding

Mike Peacock: Natural Environment Research Council [NE/X018423/1], Formas projects LEAF-PAD [2020-00950] and PUDDLE-JUMP [2022-02138], Naturvårdsverket project WetKit Hydro-ES [802-0083-19]. Joachim Audet: Independent Research Fund Denmark project DrivNOS grant nr. 0217-00021B. Laurie Friday and Hamidreza Rahimi: Natural Environment Research Council Changing the Environment Programme [NE/W00495X/1]. Ivan Arismendi and Guillermo Giannico received support from the House Bill 2437, Chapter 699, Oregon Legislative Assembly, 2019. Open access funding provided by Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

Funders	Funder number
Natural Environment Research Council	NE/W00495X/1, NE/X018423/1
Formas	2020-00950, 2022-02138
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency	802-0083-19
Independent Research Fund Denmark	0217-00021B
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

Clifford, C., Bieroza, M., Clarke, S. J., Pickard, A., Stratigos, M., Hill, M. J., Raheem, N., Tatariw, C., Wood, P. J., Arismendi, I., Audet, J., Aviles, D., Bergman, J. N., Brown, A. G., Burns, R. E., Connolly, J., Cook, S., Crabot, J., Cross, W. F., ... Peacock, M. (2025). Lines in the landscape. Communications Earth & Environment, 6, Article 693. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02699-y

Clifford, C, Bieroza, M, Clarke, SJ, Pickard, A, Stratigos, M, Hill, MJ, Raheem, N, Tatariw, C, Wood, PJ, Arismendi, I, Audet, J, Aviles, D, Bergman, JN, Brown, AG, Burns, RE, Connolly, J, Cook, S, Crabot, J, Cross, WF, Dean, JF, Evans, CD, Fenton, O, Friday, L, Gething, KJ, Giannico, G, Habib, W, Hasselquist, EM, Heili, NM, van der Knaap, J, Kosten, S, Law, A, van der Lee, GH, Mathers, K, Morgan, JE, Rahimi, H, Sayer, CD, Schepers, M, Shaw, RF, Smiley Jr, PC, Speir, SL, Strock, JS, Struik, Q, Tank, JL, Wang, H, Webb, JR, Webster, AJ, Yan, Z, Zivec, P & Peacock, M 2025, 'Lines in the landscape', Communications Earth & Environment, vol. 6, 693. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02699-y

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title = "Lines in the landscape",

abstract = "Ditches (linear constructions which store and/or move water where humans prefer it to go), via irrigation, drainage, and power, have helped drive the development of human societies. Now, ditches and other linear channels, typically carrying water, are numerous and found on every continent. Their form varies widely with use, which includes land drainage, irrigation, transportation, and boundary marking. Ditches support and shape biogeochemical cycles, biotic communities, and human societies, at multiple spatiotemporal scales. However, ditches are frequently overlooked by researchers in many disciplines. Here, we review the largely unrecognized role that ditches play in environmental processes and human societies. The effects of ditches can be both positive (e.g., biodiversity refuges, water for food production, nutrient retention) and negative (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, dispersal of pollutants). We call for future management to consider and enhance the multifunctional role that ditches can deliver at the landscape-scale.",

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AU - Clarke, Stewart J

AU - Pickard, Amy

AU - Stratigos, Michael

AU - Hill, Matthew J

AU - Raheem, Nejem

AU - Tatariw, Corianne

AU - Wood, Paul J

AU - Arismendi, Ivan

AU - Audet, Joachim

AU - Aviles, Daniel

AU - Bergman, Jordanna N

AU - Brown, Anthony G

AU - Burns, Rachel Eleanor

AU - Connolly, John

AU - Cook, Sarah

AU - Crabot, Julie

AU - Cross, Wyatt F

AU - Dean, Joshua F

AU - Evans, Chris D

AU - Fenton, Owen

AU - Friday, Laurie

AU - Gething, Kieran J

AU - Giannico, Guillermo

AU - Habib, Wahaj

AU - Hasselquist, Eliza Maher

AU - Heili, Nathaniel M

AU - van der Knaap, Judith

AU - Kosten, Sarian

AU - Law, Alan

AU - van der Lee, Gea H

AU - Mathers, Kate

AU - Morgan, John E

AU - Rahimi, Hamidreza

AU - Sayer, Carl D

AU - Schepers, Mans

AU - Shaw, Rosalind F

AU - Smiley Jr, Peter C

AU - Speir, Shannon L

AU - Strock, Jeffrey S

AU - Struik, Quinten

AU - Tank, Jennifer L

AU - Wang, Hao

AU - Webb, Jackie R

AU - Webster, Alex J

AU - Yan, Zhifeng

AU - Zivec, Peta

AU - Peacock, Mike

PY - 2025/8/22

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N2 - Ditches (linear constructions which store and/or move water where humans prefer it to go), via irrigation, drainage, and power, have helped drive the development of human societies. Now, ditches and other linear channels, typically carrying water, are numerous and found on every continent. Their form varies widely with use, which includes land drainage, irrigation, transportation, and boundary marking. Ditches support and shape biogeochemical cycles, biotic communities, and human societies, at multiple spatiotemporal scales. However, ditches are frequently overlooked by researchers in many disciplines. Here, we review the largely unrecognized role that ditches play in environmental processes and human societies. The effects of ditches can be both positive (e.g., biodiversity refuges, water for food production, nutrient retention) and negative (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, dispersal of pollutants). We call for future management to consider and enhance the multifunctional role that ditches can deliver at the landscape-scale.

AB - Ditches (linear constructions which store and/or move water where humans prefer it to go), via irrigation, drainage, and power, have helped drive the development of human societies. Now, ditches and other linear channels, typically carrying water, are numerous and found on every continent. Their form varies widely with use, which includes land drainage, irrigation, transportation, and boundary marking. Ditches support and shape biogeochemical cycles, biotic communities, and human societies, at multiple spatiotemporal scales. However, ditches are frequently overlooked by researchers in many disciplines. Here, we review the largely unrecognized role that ditches play in environmental processes and human societies. The effects of ditches can be both positive (e.g., biodiversity refuges, water for food production, nutrient retention) and negative (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, dispersal of pollutants). We call for future management to consider and enhance the multifunctional role that ditches can deliver at the landscape-scale.

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DO - 10.1038/s43247-025-02699-y

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SN - 2662-4435

VL - 6

JO - Communications Earth & Environment

JF - Communications Earth & Environment

M1 - 693

ER -

Lines in the landscape

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

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