By Joe Zeleznik, Forester

NDSU Extension

Over the last 12 months, I’ve received more than 600 emails, text messages, phone calls and other forms of communication where people asked me a question related to trees and forests. Yes, I actually track those numbers.

One of the more interesting questions came a few weeks ago and it was pretty simple. How much is a mature shelter belt worth?

Oh, where to begin?

The question was straightforward, but a simple response was impossible. There are too many unknowns.

What resource is being protected? Soil and/or crops? A farmstead? Livestock? Is a roadway being protected from drifting snow? Something else?

Even if we do know the resource that’s being protected, can we put a dollar value on it? Surprisingly, we often can.

Before we go any further, and to avoid confusion, the terms shelter belt (or shelterbelt) and windbreak are synonymous.

Here are some points for consideration:

• Windbreaks increase crop yields by as little as 6% to as much as 44%.
• With strategically placed windbreaks and “living snow fences,” snow can be stored at pennies per ton. Without them, snow can be pushed at dollars per ton.
• Windbreaks can reduce winter heating costs by 20% to 40%.
• Cattle that are protected from winter winds have lower feed requirements than those in more exposed areas. Calculations are available, but are somewhat complex.

In forestry school, we really didn’t discuss how to determine the value of these ecological services. Instead, we learned how to figure out the value of products. How many 2x4s can we cut from this tree? How many cords of pulpwood can we harvest from this 40-acre tract of land? Products are much easier to value than services.

Nevertheless, we can put a dollar value to services.

How much does it cost to plow your driveway? How many times would it be plowed with a windbreak versus without a windbreak?

You can calculate that.

One thing I don’t know how to calculate is the value that shelterbelts provide to pollinators. Flowering trees certainly provide forage for honeybees and other pollinators. Windbreaks also provide areas of rest for these important components of our ecosystems. That has to be worth something.

I keep one of my beehives in my neighbor Karen’s shelterbelt. It’s been one of my most productive hives for the last three years. I’m not sure if it’s the shade, the pollen and nectar from the flowering lilac shrubs, or the ease with which they can fly around. It’s probably a combination of all three things.

Karen also recently erected a greenhouse on her property, the kind that has a metal frame covered in flexible poly-plastic. She and her son constructed the frame, but she needed help putting on the plastic. Her schedule was pretty tight – there was only one afternoon where she could get enough help.

It was a very windy afternoon but our team barely felt it, thanks to the windbreak. How much was that worth?

I wish there was a clear answer regarding the value of windbreaks to wildlife. A lot of literature says they’re great for wildlife, but other literature says they’re not. Quite simply, the term “wildlife” is very general. So, some animals benefit from shelterbelts, while other wildlife doesn’t.

Over the past 20 to 30 years, a number of living snow fences have been planted across the state. Winter driving has become a lot safer in those areas that are protected. How much is that worth?

While windbreaks aren’t perfect, the fact remains that they provide a number of services that are considerably valuable.

What’s a mature shelterbelt worth to you?

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Oct. 31, 2024

Source: Joe Zeleznik, 701-321-8143, joseph.zeleznik@ndsu.edu

Editor: Kelli Anderson, 701-231-6136, kelli.c.anderson@ndsu.edu