Shelterbelts

China

left: Birds-eye view of the rectangular grid of shelterbelts established over wide expanses of cropland to reduce natural hazards and protect crop. (Liingqin Meng) right: Detailed view of a shelterbelt established in the early 1960s. A road and an irrigation channel run in between the tree rows. (Anonymous)

Belts of trees, planted in a rectangular grid pattern within areas of farmland, to act as windbreaks.
Strips of tall growing varieties of poplar (Populus spp.) or willow (Salix spp.) were originally planted in a 400 by 400 m rectangular grid pattern within extensive areas of cropland. Strips are of variable width, consisting of 2-5 tree lines (1-2 m apart) with trees planted every 1-2 m within the lines. Established under collective action through the Forestry Departments Three Northern Shelterbelts Project from 1960 onwards, shelterbelts protect a large area approximately 22 million hectares - of vulnerable cropland in this part of China. The shelterbelts reduce wind velocity and consequent loss of topsoil during winter and spring when the soils are dry and bare. In early summer, the crop is protected from damaging winds, and soil moisture loss is reduced along with excessive wind-induced transpiration. Where there is irrigation, the shelterbelts protect the infrastructure from silting up with wind-borne sediment. In the 1960s, all land ownership and land use rights in China were communal and cropland was farmed collectively by village communes. After reform and open policy was put into practice in 1978, land use rights were transferred to the villages, to groups and individuals. Land, itself and the shelterbelts however still belonged to the state. Nowadays the rights to cultivate specific parcels of land, within protected blocks, are generally granted to individual farm households. In some cases, in recent years, the shelterbelts too have been redistributed to individuals to look after. Inevitably maintenance has become an issue. But most of the shelterbelts are managed well. While originally not permitted under Chinese forestry law, the local forestry department now allows some felling of mature trees, on a rotational and selective basis, for timber and fuelwood. Single lines of mature trees are cut. The remaining lines ensure that the effectiveness of the shelterbelts to reduce wind speed is not affected. After felling, lines are replanted through organisations led by the local forestry department. Replanting is increasingly done with pine (Pinus sylvestris, P. mongolica and P. tabulaeformis), which command a higher value for construction. Apart from the windbreak effect of the shelterbelts, the farmers benefit from timber sales, fuelwood, and fodder for their animals. All in all the benefits of the shelterbelts outweigh the loss of cropland occupied by the trees.

Location: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Peoples Republic of China Technology area: 500 km Conservation measure: vegetative Stage of intervention: reduction of land degradation Origin: Externally introduced through projects, under collective action, Since 1960 Land use: cropland (before), mixed: agroforestry (after) Climate: semi-arid, temperate* WOCAT database reference: QT CHN48 Related approach: not documented Compiled by: Hai Chunxing, Hohhot, China Date: May 2002, updated July 2004

SLM Technology: Shelterbelts for farmland in sandy areas, China

WOCAT Overview Book 2007

Classification
Land use problems: strong wins in the winter and spring result in serious natural hazards including sand storms, sand encroachment and wind erosion, while dry and hot winds in the summer increase transpiration leading to plant stress and reduced crop yield. Land use Climate Degradation Conservation measure

annual crops: maize/wheat, suppl. irrig. (before) agroforestry (after)

semi-arid temperate*

wind erosion: loss of topsoil, deflation/ deposition

water: reduced soil moisture

vegetative: aligned trees (windbreaks)

Stage of intervention Prevention Mitigation/reduction Rehabilitation

Origin

Land users initiative: Experiments/research: Externally introduced: 50 years ago Others (specify):

Level of technical knowledge Low: land user* Medium: agricultural advisor* High:

Main causes of land degradation: wind storms/dust storms, over-exploitation of vegetation for natural use* Main technical functions: - reduction in wind speed - protection from wind erosion - protects crop from mechanical damage - reduction in evaporation loss - soil moisture conservation Secondary technical functions: - prevention of sand storms - preventing siltation of irrigation canals - maintenance of organic matter

Environment
Natural Environment Average annual rainfall (mm) Altitude (m a.s.l.)
>4000 3000-4000 2500-3000 2000-2500 1500-2000 1000-1500 500-1000 100-500 <100

Landform
ridges mountain slopes ridges hill slopes footslopes valley floors

Slope (%)
very steep (>60) steep (30-60) hilly (16-30) rolling (8-16) moderate (5-8) gentle (2-5) flat (0-2)

>4000 3000-4000 2000-3000 1500-2000 1000-1500 750-1000 500-750 250-500 <250

Soil depth (cm)

0-20 20-50 50-80 80-120 <120

Growing season(s): 150 days (May to September) Soil texture: coarse (sandy) Soil fertility: medium to low Topsoil organic matter: medium (1-3%) Soil drainage/infiltration: medium

Soil water storage capacity: medium Ground water table: 5-50m* Availability of surface water: medium* Water quality: good drinking water* Biodiversity: medium*

Tolerant of climatic extremes: temperature increase, windstorm/dust storms* Sensitive to climatic extremes: heavy rainfall events, floods, droughts* If sensitive, what modifications were made / are possible: no data available Human environment Mixed land per household (ha)
<0.5 0.5-1 1-2 2-5 5-15 15-50 50-100 100-500 500-1000 1000-10000 >10000

Land user: groups, small-scale, common, mainly men* Population density: 10-50 persons/km 2 Annual population growth: 1-2% Land ownership: communal/state Land/water use rights: individual (for cropland though not usually the land directly under shelterbelts) Relative level of wealth: average, 80% of land users

Importance of off-farm income: 10-50% of all income: farmers benefit from the shelterbelts as a source of off-farm income, through timber and firewood Access to service/ infrastructure: low: financial services, market; high: education, health* Market orientation: mixed (subsistence/ commercial) Mechanization: land cultivation is performed mechanized

SLM Technology: Shelterbelts for Farmland in sandy areas, China

WOCAT Overview Book 2007

Technical drawing Overview of the shelterbelt layout. Insert 1: Planting schemes: shelterbelts comprise 2-5 tress lines forming the windbreak about 5-15 m wide and 15-25 m high. Insert 2: Rectangle grid layout of shelterbelts. Spacing of the rows is denser against the prevailing wind. (Hai Chunxing)

Implementation activities, inputs and costs

Establishment activities 1. Planning/designing of shelterbelt. 2. Selection and collection of tree seedlings. 3. Clearing and preparing land for planting of shelterbelt in late spring and autumn. 4. Pits for planting the seedlings are dug by hand using shovels and pickaxes in late autumn and spring. 5. Tree seedlings are planted in late spring. 6. After planting each seedling is watered by hand for up to two years. Duration of establishment: 2-3 years Establishment inputs and costs per ha Inputs Labour (25 person days) Equipment - Tools (shovel, pickaxe, bowser Agricultural - Tree seeding (100) TOTAL 25 125 0% 4% 5 100% Costs (US$ or local currency) 95 % met by land user 0%

Maintenance/recurrent activities 1. Pruning of trees. 2. Pest and disease control within shelterbelt. 3. Intermediate selective tree felling. Once established the shelterbelt requires minimal maintenance. Replanting is carried out after felling of single lines of mature trees.

Maintenance/recurrent inputs and costs per ha per year Inputs Labour (2 person days) Agricultural: Seedlings TOTAL Costs (US$ or local currency) 8 3 11 % met by land user 100% 100% 100%

Remarks: The costs are calculated according to current standards/costs (in the 1960s labour was much cheaper). The original planting was paid for by the state: re-planting (maintenance/recurrent) is the responsibility of the land user. If pines are the species of choice for re-planting, the cost will be much more than those shown above (which are for poplar and willow).

SLM Technology: Shelterbelts for farmland in sandy areas, China

WOCAT Overview Book 2007

Assessment
Impacts of the Technology Production and socio-economic benefits wood production increase + + +
+ + + +

Production and socio-economic disadvantages loss of land /width of the shelterbelt) - -

crop yield increase farm income increase Socio-cultural disadvantages shelterbelts (trees) are not a direct source of food - this leads to a negative attitude amongst some farmers Ecological disadvantages

Socio-cultural benefits community institution strengthening + +

+

improved knowledge SWC/erosion

Ecological benefits soil cover improvement + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + +

increase in soil moisture soil loss reduction reduction of wind velocity increase in soil fertility Off-site disadvantages

Off-site benefits reduced downstream flooding + + + Contribution to human well-being/livelihoods Comments: decreased workload, better health* + +

Benefits/costs according to land user

Benefits compared with costs Establishment* Maintenance/recurrent

short-term: not specified Slightly positive*

long-term: not specified very positive*

If farmer cuts mature timber (for example a 40 years old poplar), he/she can sell it for US$ 20-25 per tree. With maturity of shelterbelts, the timber production increases, which brings increasing economic benefits; meanwhile, the effect of protection from wind erosion also improves.

Acceptance/adoption: Shelterbelts and irrigation canals were established through a government project in which the large majority of the costs were met by the state. The Technology has not spontaneously spread beyond the areas developed through government intervention.

Concluding statements
Strengths and how to sustain/improve Weaknesses and how to overcome

Reduced wind speed and trapped wind-blown sand particles Plant Loss of land due to area used for the shelterbelts In this windy-prone combinations of deciduous and evergreen trees to maintain shelterbelts area of Inner Mongolia, overall gains from the protected zones compensate protective function throughout the year. for the reduced area under crops, especially if economically valuable species are planted n the shelterbelt, such as Caragana korshinskii, which can be used as forage, for green fertilizer through leaf mulch and for firewood. Increased crop yield Extend shelterbelt technology to unprotected croplands. Increased cash income Improved rotational felling regimes that maximise quantity and quality of tree products without reducing the shelterbelts protective function. Farmers lost the right to crop the tree-occupied land (since the shelterbelts belonged to the state). Originally, farmers were not allowed to fell trees. Nowadays the local forestry department permits farmers to occasionally cut trees, which is a source of income. If land users were allowed to cut trees on a more systematic basis, it would help them to better appreciate the benefits. High cost (labour and money) for establishment support required. Government

* New questions, no information available from this case study. Possible answers are invented. Key reference(s): Compilation Committee of Inner Mongolia Forest (1989) Inner Mongolia Forest, Beijing: China Forestry Publishing House, 1989, 299-319 Contact person(s): Hai Chunxing, College of Geographical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Normal University, No.295 Zhaowuda Road Hohhot Inner Mongolia 010022, Peoples Republic of China. hcxjs@imnu.edu.cn

SLM Technology: Shelterbelts for Farmland in sandy areas, China

WOCAT Overview Book 2007