Function and structure of the farmland shelterbelts in northern area of Shanxi Province

From the 1950s to 1960s, large area ofPopulus simonii shelterbelts system was established in northern area of Shanxi Province. For reconstructing the old shelterbelts, more attentions should be paid to selecting suitable tree species and design of logical shelterbelts structure. In order to provide a profound basis for the efficient establishment of shelterbelts, the study on function and structure of the farmland shelterbelts was conducted in Shuozhou and Datong areas, both are semi-arid areas in Northern Shanxi Province during 1996–2001. The wind-control effects of shelterbelts with different structures (close-spaced, wider-spaced, and widest-spaced) were investigated by portable wind vane and anemometer, wet and dry bulb thermometer, ground thermometer, glass service instrument. The results showed that the wind-control capacity of the shelterbelts during the leafing period should be thought as the criteria index in shelterbelts established. The wider-spaced shelterbelt that was made of 4–6 rows of trees, with a spacing of 2.0 m×3.0 m, had the best wind-control result.