shelterbelts- design, site preparation and maintenance · shelterbelts- design, site preparation...
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Shelterbelts- Design, site preparation and maintenance
Toso Bozic
Bioenergy/Agroforestry Specialist
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
• Agroforestry practices
• Shelterbelt Design
• Weed control/Maintenance
• Growing trees on your own
• Shelterbelt Rejuvenation
Outline
Diversify, Diversify and Diversify
Agroforestry Definition
• A broad area of agriculture integrating trees and shrubs into
agricultural areas/practices
– Improves crop and livestock productivity
– Increases property value
– Protects buildings and roads
• Shelterbelts / Windbreaks
• Riparian Forest Buffers
• Silvopasture
• Alley Cropping
Common Agroforestry Practices
Shelterbelts
• Primary purpose is to reduce wind speed
Types of Shelterbelts
• Field
• Farmyard
• Livestock
• Wildlife Plantings
• Riparian Buffers
Field Shelterbelt
• Typically planted in 1/2 mi rows
• Can incorporate 1-5 rows
• Reducing wind erosion of crops and soil
Farmyard Shelterbelt
• Protects households and farmyards from snow and wind
Riparian Buffer
• Plantings around waterways (e.g. rivers, ditches, and lakes) providing
a buffer between agricultural and riparian areas
• Benefits include:
– Provide wildlife habitat
– Stabilize banks and shores
– Improve water quality
Riparian Buffer
• Highly impacted and degraded
• Loss of ecosystem functioning
Riparian Forest Buffers - Conservation
Woodlot values to water/ watershed
• Purify drinking water
• Absorb pesticides,fertilizers, heavy metals and other pollutants
• Recharge ground water
• Reduce excessive erosion
• “Acts like kidneys”
• Biodiversity “hotspots”
• 2/3 of Canada’s Species at Risk rely on riparian areas
• Corridors for wildlife
• Reduces flood effects
Forest as saving account for water
supply!!!
Source: www.cowsandfish.org
Photos: Tom Schultz - Iowa State University
Roadside Shelterbelt
• Single and multi-row shelterbelts planted near roads (greater than
30m/100ft)
Roadside Shelterbelt
• Benefits include:
– Increasing privacy
– Trap blowing snow
– Reducing dust
Diversify, Diversify and Diversify
Shelterbelt Basics
PLANNING YOUR SHELTERBELTS
Design considerations:
…plan to plant ONLY as many trees
as you can care for...
- species (shrub, deciduous, conifer)
- soils/landscape (texture, salinity, flooding…)
- prevailing winds (winter and summer winds)
- snow accumulation
- wildlife (fruit bearing, nesting for birds)
- drought/flood tolerance of trees
- buildings, roads, powerlines, dugouts,etc. - locations of gardens, water/sewer systems
Draw a map of:
• Roads, buildings, corals, fences, power lines, pipelines, existing
shelterbelts,
• Locate building in relationship with trees
• Keep 100 feet from buildings and 75-100 feet from road
• Future buildings, storage, parking, bins, field access
Farmyard
N
Lilac Green Ash Colorado Spruce
Checklist - MUST
• Power lines ABOVE and BELOW ground
• Cable Lines ABOVE and BELOW ground
• Water and sewer lines and outflow area
• Telephone lines
• Gas and propane lines
• Sidewalks, pathways
• Pipelines, and valves including right of ways and easements
Measure !!!!
• Know the heights, widths and depths of trees
• Fellow recommended planting-spacing – both in row and between
rows
Simple planning tools
PLANNING YOUR SHELTERBELTS, Cont.
Check out –Environmental
Conditions • Soil- clay, peat, sand, loam, dry or wet
• Light- low, shade, full sunlight
• Prevailing wind direction
• Topographic features – hills, creeks, lakes sloughs
• Drainage and ponding – how long area stay wet after spring melt or
heavy rain
Local regulations
• Visit already established shelterbelts
• Check municipal, provincial and federal by –laws
– Distance from highway, train tracks,
– Importing exotic trees or shrub
– Tree removals
– Pest management –eg Dutch Elm and MPB
Shelterbelt Basics
– Proximity to buildings, roads, power lines, dugouts,
gardens, water/sewer systems
100 ft.
roads
buildings
driveways
dugouts
Proper Distances
150 ft.
3’ 3’ 3’
8’ 8’
12’ 12’
1
5’
2
0’
Spacing Recommendations
CONIFER
colorado spruce
scots pine
DECIDUOUS
green ash
poplar
maple
Standard 5 Row Plan For Farm Yards
SHRUB
caragana
chokecherry
buffaloberry
seabuckthorn
lilac
hawthorn
DECIDUOUS
green ash
poplar
maple
CONIFER
colorado spruce
scots pine
It is impossible to “over prepare” a planting site!
SITE PREPARATION
SITE PREPARATION
Fall work:
- stake out tree rows (avoid curves if you are planning to use plastic mulch later) -spray glyphosate to terminate all plant growth and facilitate plant, root/sod break down -deep rip to increase moisture / tree root infiltration during establishment - repeatedly work up until strip is black
- remove sod, large stones, soil clumps, etc
- review your plan again (scratch your head)
• review your plan
SITE PREPARATION, Cont.
Spring work:
• repeatedly work up the soil in the rows
•area should be free of all stones, lumps,sod, residue…so it is “Garden Like” •a minimum depth of 6-8 inches is preferred
•a width of 6 feet will nicely facilitate planting
(and plastic mulch application)
Planting stock
PLANTING
- handle trees carefully
- plant at same depth as they were at the nursery or up to 1 inch deeper
- foot-pack every seedling and ensure tree is vertical - not leaning (practice = perfect) - level and smooth down ridges left by planter - water each tree promptly after planting
PLANTING Cont.
- foot packing ensures best root-to-soil contact which is critical for seedling survival. It also forces any air pockets out, so moisture can contact the roots quicker. Seedlings may die if this is avoided
Weed Control
• Survival
– 3-5 years
• Growth
• Options
– Mulches, cultivation, chemical
Brush Mat and sheep fescue grass
Good weed control
Poor weed control
Vegreville mulch trial Siberian larch data 2005
Treatments
1 - Mowed/Plastic
2 - Plastic
3 - No Weed Control
4 - Weeded
Means per plot Means per treatment
Trt Rep Ht (cm) RCD (mm) Trt Ht (cm) RCD (mm)
1 1 153.00 31.68 1 143.56 29.92
1 2 116.20 23.32
1 3 147.44 30.94
1 4 157.60 33.72
2 1 137.50 30.32 2 149.57 32.43
2 2 152.17 32.19
2 3 156.80 36.30
2 4 151.80 30.92
3 1 38.25 4.95 3 68.14 11.75
3 2 48.50 8.90
3 3 75.00 14.03
3 4 110.80 19.13
4 1 131.00 27.63 4 131.08 32.02
4 2 123.60 29.01
4 3 140.80 36.18
4 4 128.90 35.27
Siberian Larch 2008 Choke Cherry 2008
Organic Mulch
• Wood Chips • Flax Straw • Sawdust • Depth • Donut, not volcano
Summary for Shelterbelt establishment
• Do proper planning before – use airphotos, visit already established
shelterbelts, talk with local landowners
• Diversify, diversify tree species
• If you can do best if you can do proper site prep
• Any kind of weed control is crucial within first 3-5 years
• Watering after planting is recommended
• Have a plan for wildlife and insect and disease control
• Visit at least once a week your shelterbelt to see for any sign of
problems
Rejuvenation -Purpose
• To identify, remedy and maintain aging shelterbelts.
• To keep shelterbelts in good condition so their benefits can be fully
achieved on the landscape.
Soil Compaction
Gaps
• Important to fill gaps to maintain a consistent barrier
• Replanting will be required, site prep and weed control will be important as sun will be penetrating to the ground.
• Site appropriate species important as shade may be an issue
Dead trees
• Removal dead material is vital, identify the reason for the death, insect, disease, growing condition
• Replace depending on location and species an species change maybe needed. – Catching some species
when they are decline rather then dead provides more management options
Options
• Natural Regeneration
–Are the trees within
your shelterbelt
naturally regenerating
–This includes vegetative
regeneration, or from
seed
– Indicates good growing
conditions and minimal
competition
Possible additions
• Species diversity
–Or lack there of
–Depending on planting
type
• Row spacing
–Maintaining tree health
• Aesthetics
–May be important for
perceptions
Spacing
• Trees planted to close to each other compete for resources. Nutrients, light, water, space
• When planted to close together the stresses of competition can lead to disease and insect infection
Density
• Managing density effects things like wind penetration and snow deposit
• This is managed through row spacing and pruning
• Can differ for desired benefit for the shelterbelt
Tree replacement
• Removal dead trees is important to provide light but shade tolerant
species will still be required
• Growth will be slower and the opened up area will be susceptible to
grass and weeds
Conclusion
• Replacing the trees in place is the ultimate goal
– Once the trees are removed its easy to not replant
• Identifying potential problems is the first step
• As with everything planning is important
Questions ??
Thank you !!
