Not only do shelterbelts provide a beautiful feature to the land, but they also help to reduce wind and snow damage to crops or adjacent buildings. Shelterbelts can help to shelter livestock from wind, promoting weight gain. These areas will also provide food and shelter to edge dwelling bird species of birds such as vireos, common yellowthroat, and robins. Furthermore, these tree/shrub rows provide important habitat corridors, allowing different species, from large mammals such as deer to pollinators and predatory invertebrates such as spiders and beetles, to move from one habitat patch to another.
Having a diversity of tree and shrub ages and species is preferred. This will provide habitat for a greater variety of species, and will also help to prevent mass die-offs in the event of disease or storms. Native species are also preferred; these species are already suited to the conditions found in Nova Scotia, and will not spread or disturb other species/habitat.
There are different methods of planting and maintaining shelterbelts. The right one for your land will depend on your land-management goals.
