Basic Shelterbelt Establishment Guidelines For Prairie Livestock Facilities

Introduction

Properly planned shelterbelts around a livestock facility provide many benefits. Shelterbelts reduce the expense of snow removal by trapping snow, and reduce heating and maintenance costs of buildings by reducing wind velocities. Protected livestock are generally healthier and require less feed. Shelterbelts have the potential to effectively control odor, particularly when used in combination with other methods. Shelterbelts help blend the physical features of the facility with the landscape, and provide a more pleasant working environment.

Planning Your Shelterbelt

Proper planning of a shelterbelt involves reviewing your present requirements, assessing your future needs, estimating the quality of existing shelterbelts, and planning new shelterbelts to achieve the benefits.

Most livestock facilities would have had some scale ground plans which provide the necessary measurements and locations of existing trees, sloughs, buildings, lagoons, corrals, access roads and power lines. If not, measure and map out the area, also keeping in mind the prevailing wind directions, and areas where excessive snow accumulation may cause problems.

To eliminate problems with snow buildup, keep all shelterbelts at least 30 m (100 ft) from main buildings, lagoons and access roads (Figure 1). Mark this distance around the perimeter of the site, providing an indication of how close a shelterbelt should be planted. Also check with your rural municipality regarding shelterbelt set-back regulations.

Where applicable, Canadian railroad regulations, and regulations established by the provincial department responsible for highways, must also be followed.

At minimum, a three-row shelterbelt is recommended to achieve basic protection. Up to five or six rows of trees can be planted on sides of the property most subject to prevailing wind, or areas where greater shelter is required to reduce wind or trap snow.

The shelterbelt design should consist of a combination of dense shrubs, tall deciduous and coniferous tree material. Fast-growing trees can be planted to provide benefits sooner, but long-lived trees should also be used for lasting effect. Accomplish this by using a variety of species, each possessing at least one of the desired characteristics.

The outside row of a shelterbelt acts as a snow trap and starts deflecting the wind current up. This should be a dense shrub, such as caragana or lilac. Chokecherry, hawthorn, buffaloberry or sea buckthorn may also be used if improved wildlife habitat is desired. Depending on the livestock operation, increasing wildlife habitat may not be recommended. The second row can consist of a fast to moderate-growth species, such as willow or Manitoba maple. Long-lived species, such as green ash, bur oak or Manitoba maple, should be planted in the third row. The fourth and fifth rows, which are closest to the site, should be tall, dense and long-lived. Conifers such as Colorado spruce, white spruce and Scots pine are suitable here. In addition, they benefit from the early protection provided by the outer rows (Figure 2).

NOTE: Poplars are fast-growing but are short-lived on the prairies, especially if several years of drought occur. Therefore, to accommodate ease of removal in later years, the poplar shelterbelt should be planted outside the shrub row if conifers are planted on the inside row. Poplars can be planted on the inside row if the shelterbelt design does not include spruce or pine.

Species Selection

Selection of appropriate tree and shrub species is very important. Each species has its own characteristic height, width, density, longevity, growth, invasiveness potential and resistance to insects and disease (Table 2). With most livestock facilities, ventilation fans are used. Avoid selecting tree species which produce seed fluff, such as Walker poplar and acute willow, which may pose problems. Refer to the PFRA Shelterbelt Centre brochure titled Trees and Shrubs for Prairie Shelterbelts for more information on species characteristics.

The quantity of tree and shrub material needed can be determined once you have selected the appropriate species and know the distance of the planting site, by dividing the recommended spacing of each species (Table 1) into the length of the planting. It is always a good idea to order a few extra seedlings to be planted in a nursery to keep for replacements.

Shelterbelt Spacing

The spacing recommendations within and between rows is very important (Figure 3 and Table 1). Seedlings will eventually develop into mature trees, reaching heights of up to 18 metres (60 ft) and widths up to 12 metres (40 ft). Allowing sufficient space between shelterbelt seedlings and rows permits the passage of maintenance equipment and allows for tree-to-tree competition for adequate light, moisture and nutrients needed for maximum growth and survival.

Side View of a Five Row Shelterbelt
Recommended Minimum Spacing Between Rows
5 m (16 ft) between adjacent deciduous rows
6 m (20 ft) between adjacent deciduous and coniferous rows
5 m (16 ft) between adjacent coniferous rows

(Figure 3)

Site Preparation and Care

The success of a prairie shelterbelt planting is dependent upon many variables, some of which can be controlled or influenced. The importance of a properly prepared site prior to planting cannot be overemphasized. A clean summerfallowed, weed-free site makes planting easier and provides better soil moisture and nutrients for seedlings to get a good start. Controlling competitive weeds after planting by hand, cultivation, chemicals or mulches is a must. Refer to brochures titled Herbicides for Shelterbelt Weed Control and Non Chemical Weed Control Methods for Tree Plantings, available from the PFRA Shelterbelt Centre.

Watering the trees after planting and during extended periods of hot, dry weather will ensure better survival. Fence trees from livestock to prevent trampling and breakage. Always keep a watchful eye out for insects and diseases, and replace seedlings that do not survive.

The shelterbelt recommendations provided are based on tree material and research conducted by the PFRA Shelterbelt Centre. This shelterbelt design is best suited to provide maximum wind and snow protection. Further research will have to be conducted before any solid recommendations can be presented on the role of shelterbelts with respect to odor control.

Check with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association on other tree and shrub material which may be used to provide similar benefits.

¹ Life Span: Short = 20-30 years, Moderate = 30-50 years, Long > 50 years.
²Moisture Requirements: Low = <300 mm, Medium = 300-400 mm, High = >400 mm.
³ Growth Rate: S - Slow, M - Moderate, F - Fast, VF - Very fast.
⁴ Salt Tolerance: L - Low, M-L - Medium-Low, M - Medium, H - High.

NOTE: Some species have the potential to spread and become invasive beyond the planting site. For more detailed descriptions of tree species, refer to the PFRA Shelterbelt Centre brochure titled Trees and Shrubs for Prairie Shelterbelts.

Information compiled from: www.unl.edu/nac/reports/Final.Report.pdf "Air quality and shelterbelts: Odor Mitigation and Livestock Production (a Literature review)" by John Tyndall & Joe Colletti (2000)

www.gov.mb.ca "Farm Practices Guidelines for Hog Producers in Manitoba" by Manitoba Agriculture, 1994