Topic
Windbreak
About: Windbreak is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1123 publications have been published within this topic receiving 13539 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
1 / 2
Papers
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on temperate zone, commercial, agricultural systems in North America, where windbreaks contribute to both producer profitability and environmental quality by increasing crop production while simultaneously reducing the level of off-farm inputs.
Abstract: Windbreaks are a major component of successful agricultural systems throughout the world. The focus of this chapter is on temperate-zone, commercial, agricultural systems in North America, where windbreaks contribute to both producer profitability and environmental quality by increasing crop production while simultaneously reducing the level of off-farm inputs. They help control erosion and blowing snow, improve animal health and survival under winter conditions, reduce energy consumption of the farmstead unit, and enhance habitat diversity, providing refuges for predatory birds and insects. On a larger landscape scale windbreaks provide habitat for various types of wildlife and have the potential to contribute significant benefits to the carbon balance equation, easing the economic burdens associated with climate change. For a windbreak to function properly, it must be designed with the needs of the landowner in mind. The ability of a windbreak to meet a specific need is determined by its structure: both external structure, width, height, shape, and orientation as well as the internal structure; the amount and arrangement of the branches, leaves, and stems of the trees or shrubs in the windbreak. In response to windbreak structure, wind flow in the vicinity of a windbreak is altered and the microclimate in sheltered areas is changed; temperatures tend to be slightly higher and evaporation is reduced. These types of changes in microclimate can be utilized to enhance agricultural sustainability and profitability. While specific mechanisms of the shelter response remain unclear and are topics for further research, the two biggest challenges we face are: developing a better understanding of why producers are reluctant to adopt windbreak technology and defining the role of woody plants in the agricultural landscape.
323 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of windbreaks on air flow has been investigated and it was shown that the magnitude of turbulent velocity fluctuations close to windbreaks is inversely proportional to porosity, with low porosity producing high maximum reductions.
308 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, field shelterbelts increase yields of field and forage crops throughout the world due to reduced wind erosion, improved microclimate, snow retention and reduced crop damage by high winds.
296 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a turbulent mixing layer initiated at the top of the wind break dominates the airflow behind a windbreak, growing at a rate determined by the turbulence in the approach flow and the windbreak's "permeability".
Abstract: The mechanisms by which a porous windbreak modifies airflow, microclimates and hence crop yields are addressed, based upon recent wind tunnel experiments, field observations and numerical modelling. This paper is thus an update to the excellent reviews in Brandle (1988). It shows how a turbulent mixing layer initiated at the top of the windbreak dominates the airflow behind a windbreak. This mixing layer spreads vertically as it moves downwind, growing at a rate determined by the turbulence in the approach flow and the windbreak's ‘permeability’. The roughness of the terrain and land-cover upwind, windbreak height and porosity are thus the main controls on the amount and extent of shelter provided by a windbreak. The changes in temperature, humidity, heat and evaporation fluxes given these changes in turbulence are then described. Based on the turbulent mixing layer model, the highly sheltered ‘quiet zone’ will be typically warmer and more humid while further downwind in the ‘wake zone’, cooler and drier conditions would be expected. The careful experimental studies needed to verify these theoretical predictions have not yet been published. Shade is also shown to modify the heating in the quiet zone and, depending on the orientation of the windbreak, can offset the warming in the quiet zone. Lastly, the mechanisms affecting plant productivity are described in light of these airflow and microclimate changes. A major effect of a windbreak is to reduce the incidence of low frequency, high magnitude damage events such as sandblasting or lodging. Microclimate effects, however, do not always improve productivity. For example, while shelter may improve water-use efficiency in irrigated crops by increasing yields and reducing water-use, this may not be the case in dryland agriculture.
252 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors developed a theory for calculating the entrapment of particles by a windbreak, with four results: the fraction of particles in the oncoming flow which pass through the wind break, or transmittance of the windbreak for particles (sigma), is related to the optical porosity (tau) and the very simple approximation sigma=tau works well for most applications involving the interception of spray droplets by windbreaks.
166 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 38 |
| 2024 | 63 |
| 2023 | 59 |
| 2022 | 113 |
| 2021 | 37 |
| 2020 | 38 |