Wholesale Producers of Special Purpose Plants

Shelter belt design

The principles
1. Provide a structure that provides adequate habitat for birds, native mammals and predatory insects to protect crops and pasture. (all layers including ground cover and species selection)
2. To control wind flow for an optimal distance while providing a haven for sheltering stock during weather extremes.( Belt height and species selection)
3. Provide an adequate structure that is sustainable and won’t deteriorate over the longer term. eg. 20 to 30 years.( Belt width and species selection)
There are many plants used in shelter belts on farms that are not sustainable in the long term due to either narrow belts that do not have the critical mass to stand constant exposure such as plants that have evolved in a protected environment and rely on others to thrive, or there is not the diversity of low, medium and tall plants to provide the structure to support the necessary wildlife to perform the function of supporting predatory insects and birds for crop protection.

The following lists are based with these functions in mind. There are the taller trees or over-storey that are open underneath but filter the wind and provide long range shelter further into the paddock. The filter effect of the taller more open trees helps reduce the turbulence and increased wind speed that occurs in a very dense break.

The medium or mid storey trees shelter at a lower level and provide habitat for a different set of wild life while the lower storey and even ground cover provide habitat for the predatory insects and small birds that protect crops against insect pests and mites that can destroy or reduce the productivity of pasture.
This function of multiple layers can be provided in a belt as narrow as 5 meters but the sustainability or longevity of the belt is at mush greater risk of deterioration through exposure.

Multipurpose belts can also consist of commercial species that can be used for high quality timber, fire wood or even seed production at a later date.

Flowering plants that provide bee fodder are also useful for attracting the beneficial insects and so pollinating pasture species.





Shelter needs to be designed with the individual land owner’s needs in mind along with soil type and the points mentioned above.
 
 

 

 

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