Table 1 Summary of ditch definitions collated from published work
From: Lines in the landscape
Type | Definition | Reference |
|---|---|---|
Agricultural | “Man-made channels created primarily for agricultural purposes, and which usually: (i) have a linear planform, (ii) follow linear field boundaries, often turning at right angles, and (iii) show little relationship with natural landscape contours.” | Williams et al.237. Brown et al.238. Davies et al.239. Davies et al.240. Clarke203. Shaw et al.241. Hill et al.187. Biggs et al.16. Bubíkova and Hrivnak242. Nakano and Morii243. Williams et al.244 |
Agricultural | “Ditches are defined as artificial, linear channels < 3 m wide which follow anthropogenic boundaries (e.g., field margins). Drains are larger features (> 5 m wide) which display otherwise similar characteristics.” | Gething and Little245 |
Agricultural | “Dutch ditches are linear water bodies typically several metres wide and up to 1 m deep.” | Verdonschot al.7 |
Agricultural | “Drainage ditches are small, stagnant, line-shaped water bodies, dug to improve rainwater run off and regulate the groundwater level of surrounding agricultural areas.” | Verdonschot et al.246 |
Agricultural | “Ditches are linear elements with a high edge ratio that are subjected to an intensive exchange of matter and organisms from the surrounding terrestrial matrix. Most of the ditches are likely to be relatively shallow with marked fluctuations in water levels and a higher probability of drying out during summer. Finally, ditches are regularly managed for efficient drainage.” | Herzon and Helenius21 |
Agricultural | “Drainage ditches are limited to those structures created to drain production acreage.” | Cooper et al.247 |
Agricultural | “Farm ditches are human-made linear elements that constitute the upstream parts of the permanent hydrographic networks in agricultural landscapes. Primarily implanted within farmed landscape to collect surface and subsurface water in order to drain excess water and/or to prevent soil erosion…” | Dollinger et al.20 |
Agricultural | “Agricultural drainage ditches are essentially headwater streams, which, like capillaries, act as direct links between agricultural fields and naturally occurring streams and rivers.” | Fu et al.248 |
Agricultural | “Ditches were defined as open field drains which flow into streams and are generally unmapped.” | Shore et al.249 |
Agricultural | ““Ditch” is used to describe systems either created or maintained by human activities in order to increase water conveyance; whereas “drainage” refers to the practice water removal, or, when used in conjunction with “network” or “system,” describes the entirety of streams and ditches modified for water conveyance.” | Pierce et al.250 |
Agricultural | “Ditches… artificial linear water bodies whose depth and flow are regulated by sluice gates and pumping stations for the purposes of water-level management.” | Watson & Ormerod208 |
Agricultural | “Artificial channels built for agriculture irrigation purposes, generally have a regular U-shape and are approximately 0.5–3 m wide and 0.5–1 m deep distributed around farmland in agricultural regions.” | Sun et al.195 |
Forest | “Headwater streams were classified as ditches if they were perfectly straight, if they made unnaturally sharp turns (e.g., 90° turns), or if they were clearly part of ditch networks (i.e., numerous parallel watercourses, geometric drainage networks).” | Peacock et al.165 |
Roadside | “Grassed roadside drainage ditches are shallow, open vegetated channels that are designed to convey stormwater runoff to storm sewers or receiving water bodies.” | Ahmed et al.251 |
General | “Drainage ditches are small, linear water bodies, usually <1.5 m deep and several metres wide, situated both in lowland and in highland zones.” | Nsenga Kumwimba et al.252 |
General | “A long, narrow excavation artificially dug in the ground; especially an open and usually unpaved waterway, channel, or trench for conveying water for drainage or irrigation, and usually smaller than a canal. Some ditches may be natural watercourses.” | European Protection Agency253 |
General | “Ditches, irrigation channels and water supply canals, are constructed linear waterways, although their physical characteristics and function may vary widely.” | Peacock et al.9 |
