Windbreak, sometimes called a shelterbelt, is one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted to protect soil, livestock, and rural homes from the wind. Windbreaks slow the wind near the ground, so soil is protected from wind erosion. The reduction of wind speed also conserves energy by decreasing heat loss from homes.
To protect farms from erosion, the United States Department of Agriculture in 1934 created the Shelter Belt Project, also known as the Prairie States Forestry Project. By 1942, about 223 million trees had been planted on more than 30,000 farms in the Great Plains. Renewed interest in energy and soil conservation led to the planting of more than 126 million trees in the Great Plains from 1979 to 1988.
