What are Shelter Belts? Describe their benefits.
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Answered by
52
A shelterbelt is defined as a barrier of trees and shrubs that provides protection from wind and storm and decreases erosion. Shelterbelts may be planted for a specific purpose, and this determines how many rows of trees are planted, the species planted, and the design of the planting.
The term "field shelterbelt" is used for tree rows planted in the field to protect the soil and growing crops from erosion. Farmyard shelterbelts are planted for the protection of a yard. Livestock shelterbelts protect livestock and livestock facilities, and can provide odor control. Roadside shelterbelts may be planted for snow control along roads, and for dust reduction. Shelterbelts may also be planted to improve wildlife habitat, and to provide a buffer between agricultural land and bodies of water.
Shelterbelts provide many benefits to the environment and society as a whole. In 2003, Suren Kulshreshtha and Edward Knopf published a report that evaluated the benefits of the PFRA shelterbelt program. This study established the following benefits from the 576 million tree seedlings distributed to prairie landowners over the years.
Benefits to the environment include:
Soil
- reduced soil erosion
- shoreline protection
Air
- reduced odors from animal facilities
- reduced pesticide drift
- reduced greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere
Water
- water quality through filtering function
- floodplain management
- wastewater management
Wildlife
- improved or enhanced habitats
- wildlife based recreation
- increased biodiversity
The following direct socio-economic changes were identified:
Economic
- energy conservation
- health impacts
- transportation and traffic related impacts
- improved aesthetics
Social
- quality of life
The term "field shelterbelt" is used for tree rows planted in the field to protect the soil and growing crops from erosion. Farmyard shelterbelts are planted for the protection of a yard. Livestock shelterbelts protect livestock and livestock facilities, and can provide odor control. Roadside shelterbelts may be planted for snow control along roads, and for dust reduction. Shelterbelts may also be planted to improve wildlife habitat, and to provide a buffer between agricultural land and bodies of water.
Shelterbelts provide many benefits to the environment and society as a whole. In 2003, Suren Kulshreshtha and Edward Knopf published a report that evaluated the benefits of the PFRA shelterbelt program. This study established the following benefits from the 576 million tree seedlings distributed to prairie landowners over the years.
Benefits to the environment include:
Soil
- reduced soil erosion
- shoreline protection
Air
- reduced odors from animal facilities
- reduced pesticide drift
- reduced greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere
Water
- water quality through filtering function
- floodplain management
- wastewater management
Wildlife
- improved or enhanced habitats
- wildlife based recreation
- increased biodiversity
The following direct socio-economic changes were identified:
Economic
- energy conservation
- health impacts
- transportation and traffic related impacts
- improved aesthetics
Social
- quality of life
Answered by
48
Shelter belts are a series of trees or shrubs that are grown in a form of horizontal line adjacent to the field. A series of trees planted to grow in the edges of a field in order to protect the fields from high speed winds.
Shelter belts is a widely used method in agriculture across the world. Sometimes, shelter belts are grown in the form of multi cropping.
Farmers use this method to keep the snow in the field from drifting away which will help watering the field in spring by melting.
Some of the benefits of shelter belts are
- Soil erosion
- Protects animals and humans from clod winds, if planted perfectly.
- Decrease wind erosion.
- Increase productivity.
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