Karpathos is very mountainous and local farmers had to invest time and labour into creating arable land and preserving the valuable soil. Terracing was a method adopted throughout the Aegean and proved very successful in managing the soil, water, crops, and the local microclimate. These terraces allowed the people of Karpathos to grow cereals, vegetables, legumes, vines, and trees (orchards, nuts, and olives). The mountain slopes of Olympos were once covered with these terraces but most of them are now abandoned and bare, increasing the risk of soil degradation and forcing local residents to rely on market products.