Great Plains Shelterbelt

A shelterbelt is like a big fence made of trees. It is like a wall of trees, but can also be made up of bushes. Shelterbelts are planted around farms, homes and other buildings in the Great Plains region of the United States to protect them from the wind. The trees block the wind and make the air around the buildings more still and less windy. This helps to protect crops, buildings and animals from strong wind and cold weather. By reducing wind speed and evaporation, shelterbelts can also help conserve soil moisture, which can help crops grow better.