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Introduction

Is renovation needed?

Renovation techniques

Virtual Windbreak

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Introduction

Windbreaks serve a variety of functions in rural America including protecting homes, crops and livestock from extreme winds and temperatures.  They are the primary forest resource in much of the Great Plains.  The benefits of windbreaks are many and include:

Photo courtesy of Rich Straight, National Agroforestry Center

Aerial view of a series of well-maintained field windbreaks

Ø      Increased crop yields (5-45%)

Ø      Reduced home heating costs (20-40%)

Ø      Reduced winter feed costs for livestock

Ø      Directed snowfall capture

          Increased spring moisture in fields

          Reduced plowing costs by keeping snow off roads
Declining field windbreak, with large gaps, many dead trees, and less than half live treesDeclining windbreaks are ever-present throughout the northern Great Plains.  Estimates indicate that roughly 50-90% of the windbreaks in the region have declined to the point where they are ineffective and are in need of renovation.  For example, in North Dakota alone there are approximately 55,000 miles of field windbreaks with 40,000 of those miles in need of renovation. 
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