Vlacherna, Arcadia

For their sheep and goats and their fieldwork, they need the meadows and fields that are located in the widening plain below their village.

But peculiarities of nature—too much or too little water, depending on the annual time—are a burden for them, also, because the plain is a large karst basin without surface drainage.

The photo with the sheep shows the main part of the basin, where attempts are made to avoid flooding by several ditches and subterranean drainage.

However, when there is very much winter rain, floods are possible in spite of two ponors (katavothes) and an artificial tunnel.

Existence of water even in the dry summer period makes the soil more fertile for more grassland an acres to cultivate.