Watershed hydrology and ecological resilience in the gravity-fed terraces of the Alhambra

The terraced landscape of the Alhambra retains a highly refined gravity-fed irrigation system that provides a unique setting for examining how watershed-scale hydrological processes inter-act with ecological functions in historic environments. This study investigates the hydrological dynamics, vegetative responses, and microclimatic effects associated with the Alhambra’s multi-level terraces to assess their contribution to ecological resilience under contemporary climatic pressures. Using field observations, reconstructed hydrological pathways, and microclimate pro-filing, the analysis identifies how terrace gradients influence flow distribution, enhance soil–moisture retention, and support stable vegetation performance across seasonal variability. Re-sults show that the combined effects of gravity driven water flow conduction mechanism, vegeta-tive structuring, and microtopographic shading generate localized cooling and buffer thermal ex-tremes, reinforcing the adaptive capacity of the terrace ecosystem. These findings demonstrate that historic terraced irrigation systems can operate as regenerative watershed infrastructures, linking hydrological restoration with microclimate regulation and ecological stability. The study highlights the continued relevance of traditional Mediterranean water-management practices for contemporary climate-adaptation frameworks and underscores the value of cultural landscapes as living laboratories of watershed ecological resilience.