Shelterbelts

Shelterbelts or windbreaks are strips of vegetation composed of trees, shrubs and vines to protect croplands from destructive winds. When established on hills, they can also act as buffer strips to minimize soil erosion. Along rivers, streams or creeks, they serve as a bank protection along farm borders, they serve as live fence and firebreaks. Shelterbelts also serve as source of agroforestry products.

Shelterbelts/windbreaks are recommended particularly in the eastern portion and other areas in the country frequently visited by typhoons.

COMPOSITION OF SHELTERBELTS

Properly established shelterbelts should be dense in their lower part and more open in the middle and upper parts. The vegetative mixture of a good shelterbelt is approximately 65 percent shrubs and vines and 35 percent tall and medium-sized trees.

Shelterbelts

CHARACTERlSTlCS OF SPECIES FOR SHELTERBELTS

In choosing species to be used in shelterbelts, the following should be considered:

1. The species should be wind-resistant.
2. It must have a deep and well-spread root system.
3. It must have a small crown and light branching habit.
4. Easy to propagate and maintain.
5. Ability to coppice.
6. Can provide other economic benefits, like food, fodder, etc.

POINTERS IN ESTABLISHING SHELTERBELTS

1. The strips should be more or less perpendicular to the main wind direction; on sloping land, the strips should follow more or less the contour lines.

2. The number of rows in the strips largely depends on the velocity of the wind. The higher the velocity, the broader the strip. Usually, the strip for shelterbelts is 1-5 rows.

3. The first and the last rows should be planted mainly to shrubs and the central rows, a combination of tall and medium-sized trees planted in small clusters of 2-5 plants of the same species.

4. Use the quincunx (triangular) method at 1 m distance between tree/shrubs.

5. In areas with high wind velocity, the shelterbelts should be about 100 m apart and about 200-300 meters in ordinary conditions

Pointers in establishing shelterbelts

SUGGESTED SPECIES FOR SHELTERBELTS

TABLE 5. TALL TREES/PALM M (over 15 m)

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME	COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Anahau	Livistona rotundifolia	Mangium	Acacia mangium
Agoho	Casuarina equisetifolia	Akleng parang	Albizia procera
Narra	Pterocarpus indicus	Kamachile	Pithecellobium dulce
Teak	Tectona grandis	Kamagong	Diospyros philippinenses
Gmelina	Gmelina arborea	Thailand shower	Cassia siamea
Molave	Vitex parviflora	Niyog	Cocos nucifera
Antipolo	Artocarpus blancoi	Caribbean pine	Pinus caribaea
Santol	Sandoricum koetjape	Buri	Corypha elate
Sampalok	Tamarindus indica	Durian	Durio zibethenus

TABLE 6. MEDIUM-SIZED TREES/PALM (5-15 m).

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME	COMMON NAME
Caimito	Chrysophyllum cainito	Agoho del Monte	Casuarina rumphiana
Chico	Manilkara	Duhat zapota	Syzygium cumini
Kasoy	Anacaridum occidentale	Neem	Azadirachta indica
Banaba	Lagerstroemia speciosa	Dapdap	Erythrina orientalis
Ipil-ipil	Leucaena leucocephala	Alibang-bang	Piliostigma malabaricum
Kakauwate	Gliricidia sepium	Pili	Anacardium ovatum

TABLE 7 SHRUBS (up to 5 m) AND BAMBOOS.

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Kawayan tinik	Bambusa blumeana
Kawayan kiling	Bambusa vulgaris
Kawayan	Bambusa spinosa
Bolo	Gigantochloa levis
Boho	Schizostachyum lumampao
Aroma	Acacia farnesiana
Bougainvillea	Bougainvillea spectabilis
Kadios	Cajanus cajan
Achuete	Bixa orellana

References:

Hensleigh, T.E. Agroforestry Species for the Philippines, U.S. Peace Corps.

Wiedelt, H.J. 1976. Manual of Reforestation and Erosion Control for the Philippines, GTZ, West Germany.