10.57647/JRS.2026.1602.17

Innovative Windbreaks Using Kochia Scoparia L.: Transitioning From living to Non-Living Structures in Arid Regions of Iran

PDF
  • Shila Hajehforooshnia*1,
  • Mohamad Khosroshahi2,
  • Leila Kashi Zenouzi2,
  1. Department of Natural Resources Research, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center (AREEO), Isfahan, Iran
  2. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, AREEO, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2025-05-19

Revised: 2025-08-10

Accepted: 2025-08-11

Published in Issue 2026-06-30

Copyright (c) 2026 Shila Hajehforooshnia, Mohamad Khosroshahi, Leila Kashi Zenouzi (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Hajehforooshnia, S., Khosroshahi, M., & Kashi Zenouzi, L. (2026). Innovative Windbreaks Using Kochia Scoparia L.: Transitioning From living to Non-Living Structures in Arid Regions of Iran. Journal of Rangeland Science, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.57647/JRS.2026.1602.17
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

PDF views: 4

Abstract

Wind erosion is a significant environmental challenge in arid and semi-arid regions, particularly where soil salinity and water scarcity limit the effectiveness of traditional control methods. Establishing living windbreaks for dust suppression is not cost-effective in these water-scarce and drought-prone areas due to their high irrigation requirements. This study introduces an innovative approach in which a plant species initially functions as a living windbreak. After reaching its maximum height, irrigation is halted, allowing the plants to transition into non-living windbreaks. Kochia scoparia L. Schrad was identified as a suitable species for windbreaks on highly saline land. In this research, seeds were sown in five rows using a strip planting method oriented against the prevailing wind direction, with 3 meters between rows and each strip extending 7 meters.Once the plants reached full growth, they were dried to serve as non-living windbreaks. Soil erosion and sedimentation rates were measured using sediment traps placed at the start of the rows and between rows; the collected data were analyzed. For greater accuracy, the same method was also conducted in a laboratory and within a wind tunnel. Wind speed at the windbreak location decreased from 17.8 m/s to 8.17 m/s, demonstrating the effectiveness of plant-based windbreaks in reducing wind speed. Wind erosion significantly decreased, with dust accumulation dropping from 1,464 g in the control to 808.2 g in the fifth row of windbreaks. These findings support using Kochia scoparia as an effective dual-purpose solution for sustainable wind erosion control in arid regions.

Keywords

  • Shelterbelt,
  • Soil erosion control,
  • Land degradation,
  • Desert,
  • Iran
PDF

References

  1. Arazi, A., Emtehani, M. H., Ekhtesasi, M. R., and Sodaeezadeh, H. 2011. The effect of tree sprawls on the yield of crops in arid regions. Proceedings of the 2nd National Conference on Wind Erosion and Dust Storms, Yazd university, Iran, 16–17 February. (In Persian)
  2. Barrena- Gonzalez, J., Lozano- Parra, J., Alfonso- Torreno, A., Lozano- Fondon, C., Abdennour, M.A., Cerda, A., Pulido- Fernandez, M . 2020. Soil erosion in Mediterranean chestnut tree plantations is at risk due to climate change and land abandonment. Central European Forestry. 66(2),85-96. http://doi.org/10.2478/forj-2020-0015
  3. Baghestani Meybodi, N., Zareh Kia, S. 2020. Guide to Haloxylon Planting in Desert Areas. Karaj: Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization, Institute of Education and Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Education Publishing. First edition, Tehran, Iran.(In Persian)
  4. Borrelli, P., Panagos, P., Ballabio, C., Lugato, E., Weynants, M., Montanarella, L., 2016. Towards a pan-European assessment of land susceptibility to wind erosion. Land Degradation and Development. 27(4),1093-1105. http://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2318
  5. Brandle, J.R., Hodges, L., Zhou, X.H., 2004a. Windbreaks in North American agricultural systems. Agroforestry Systems. 61, 65–78. DOI: 10.1023/B:AGFO.0000028990.31801.62
  6. Brandle, J. R., Hodges, L., Tyndall, J., and Sudmeyer, R. A. 2004b. Windbreak practices. USDA National Agroforestry Center, Agroforestry Notes No. 5.
  7. Cornelis, W.M., Gabriels, D., De Gryse, S., Hartmann, R.. 2000. The efficiency of vegetative windbreaks in combating erosion: Simulation and scaling. Science et Changesets Planétaires – Sécheresse. 11, 52–57.
  8. Cornelis, W.M., Gabriels, D. 2005. Optimal windbreak design for wind- erosion control. Journal of Arid Environments. 61,315–332. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2004.10.005
  9. Chang, X., Sun, L., Yu, X., Jia, G., Liu, J., Liu, Z., 2019. Effect of windbreaks on particle concentrations from agricultural fields under a variety of wind conditions in the farming-pastoral ecotone of northern China. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 281,16- 24. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2019.04.017
  10. Cook, G.D., Goyens, C.M, 2008. The impact of wind on trees in Australian tropical savannas: lessons from Cyclone Monica. Austral Ecology. 33, 462-470. DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2008.01901.x
  11. Funk, R. and Reuter, H.I. 2021. Wind erosion hazard assessment in Europe. Soil, 7, 123–138. doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-123-2021
  12. Foereid, B., Bro, R., Mogensen, V.O., Porter, J.R., 2002. Effects of windbreak strips of willow coppice modelling and field experiment on barley in Denmark. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 93,25-32.
  13. Fryrear, D. W. 1985. Soil cover and wind erosion. Transactions of the ASAE, 28(3), 781–784. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.32337
  14. Hong, Ch., Chenchen, L., Xueyong, Z., Huiru, L., Liqiang, K., Bo, L., Jifeng, L. 2019. Wind erosion rate for vegetated soil cover: A prediction model based on surface shear strength, CATENA. 187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2019.104398
  15. Hagen, L. J. (2001). Wind erosion mechanics: Abrasion of soil aggregates by saltating particles. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 65(3), 763–769. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2001.653763x
  16. Hagen, L.G., 1996. Crop Residue Effects on Aerodynamic Processes and Wind Erosion Theory. Appl. Climatol. 54, 39–46. DOI: 10.1007/BF00863557
  17. Irwin, H.P.A.H., 1981. The design of spires for wind simulation. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics. 7(3), 361-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-6105(81)90058-1
  18. Iverson, E. A. et al. (1982). The role of Kochia scoparia and other pioneers in early succession. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pages.
  19. Kenney, W. A. (1987). A method for estimating windbreak porosity using digitized photographic silhouettes. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 39(2–3), 91–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1923(87)90028-1
  20. Kohli, R. K.; Singh, D.; Verma, R. C. (1990). Influence of eucalypt shelterbelt on winter season agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 33(1), 23–31.
  21. Kučera, J., Podhrázská, J., Karásek, P., Papaj, V . 2020. The Effect of Windbreak Parameters on the Wind Erosion Risk Assessment in Agricultural Landscape. Journal of Ecological Engineering. 21(2), 150-156. DOI: 10.12911/22998993/116323
  22. Lampartová, I., Schneider, J., Vyskot, I., Rajnoch, M., Litschmann, T., 2015. Impact of protective shelterbelt microclimate characteristics. Ekológia (Bratislava). 34, 101–110. DOI: 10.1515/eko-2015-0011.
  23. Li, H., Dang, X., Han, Y., Qi, Sh., Zhongju, M. 2023. Sand-fixing measures improve soil particle distribution and promote soil nutrient accumulation for the desert-Yellow River coastal ecotone, China, Ecological Indicators. 157, doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.111239
  24. Ladenburger, C.G., Hild, A.L., Kazmer, D.J., Munn, L.C., 2006. Soil salinity patterns in Tamarix invasions in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA. Journal of Arid Environments, 65( 1),111-128 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.07.004
  25. Mohammad, A. E , Stigter, C. J., Adam, H. S.,1996. On shelterbelt design for combating sand invasion. Agriculture, ecosystems and environment. 57, 81-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-8809(96)01026-2
  26. Mirhasania, M., Rostamia, N., Bazgirb, M. Tavakoli, M., 2019. Living windbreak design for wind erosion control in arid regions: A case study in Dehloran, Iran, Desert. 24(1), 33-42.
  27. Naghizade Asl, F., Asgari, H.R., Emami, H., Jafari, M, 2021. Study on the erodibility and mechanical resistance of mulches prepared from micro silica-cement mixtures. Geotechnical and Geological Engineering. 39, 3347–3360. doi.org/10.1007/s10706-021-01696-0
  28. Rosenberg, N. J. 1974. Microclimate: The biological environment. John Wiley and Sons. New York.
  29. Ravi, S., D’Odorico, P., Breshears, D. D., Field, J. P., Goudie, A. S., Huxman, T. E., Li, J., Okin, G. S., Swap, R. J., Thomas, A. D., Van Pelt, S., Whicker, J. J., and Zobeck, T. M. (2011). Aeolian processes and the biosphere. Reviews of Geophysics, 49(3), Article RG3001. https://doi.org/10.1029/2010RG000328
  30. Salehi, M., 2015. Guide to Planting, Cultivation, and Harvesting of Kochia with Highly Saline Water, Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization, Deputy of Extension, Agricultural Education Publishing, First edition,Tehran, Iran.(In Persian).
  31. Sabaghnia, N., Janmohammadi, M., Gholinezhad, E., and Karimizadeh, R. (2015). Growth, physiological, and biochemical responses of Kochia scoparia under different salinity levels. Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences, 14(1), 35–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssas.2014.07.001
  32. Shirazi, S. M., and Jafari, M. (2010). Evaluation of land degradation in arid lands of Iran using climatic and soil parameters. Catena, 82(1), 34–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2010.03.003
  33. Soil and Water Research Institute (SWRI). (2019). Soil and climate assessment report of Borkhwar region, Isfahan Province (in Persian). Tehran, Iran: Soil and Water Research Institute(In Persian).
  34. Tamang, B., Andreu, M. G., Friedman, M. H., and Rockwood, D. L. (2009). Windbreak designs and planting for Florida agricultural fields (EDIS Publication FOR 227/FR 289, 6 pp.). Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis fr289 2009
  35. Torshizi, MR., Miri, A., Shahriari, A., Dong, Z., Davidson-Arnott, R., 2020. The effectiveness of a multi-row Tamarix windbreak in reducing aeolian erosion and sediment flux, Niatak area, Iran. Journal of Environmental Management, 265, 1104-1186. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110486
  36. Udhaya Nandhini, D., Sakthinathan, B., 2017. Windbreaks and shelterbelts for soil conservation: A review, International Journal of Chemistry Studies. 1, 1-4
  37. Vacek, Z., Vacek, S., Podrázský, V., Král, J., 2018. Windbreak Efficiency in Agricultural Landscape of Central Europe: Multiple Criteria Approach. Environmental Management. 62(5) DOI: 10.1007/s00267-018-1090-x
  38. Wilson, J.D., 1985. Numerical studies of flow through a windbreak. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics. 21(2), 119-154 https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-6105(85)90001-7
  39. Wang, X.M., Zhang, C.X., Hasi, E., Dong, Z.B., 2010. Has the Three- Norths Forest Shelterbelt Program Solved the Desertification and Dust Storm Problems in Arid and Semiarid China? Journal of Arid Environments. 74, 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2009.08.001
  40. Woodruff, N. P., and Siddoway, F. H. (1965). A wind erosion equation. Soil Science Society of America Journal, September 1965.
  41. Wu, T., Yu, M., Wanf, G., Wang, Z., Duan, X., Dong, Y., Cheng, X., 2013. Effects of stand structure on wind speed reduction in a Metasequoia glyptostroboides shelterbelt. Agroforestry Systems. 87, 251–257. DOI: 10.1007/s10457-012-9540-6
  42. Xie, Y., Dang, X., Meng, Z., Jiang, H., Li, X., Zhou, R., Zhou, D., Liu, X., Ding, J., Wu, X., Wang, Y., Hai, C., and Wang, J. (2019). Wind and sand control by an oasis protective system: a case from the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert, China. Journal of Mountain Science, 16(11), 2548–2561. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-019-5486-
  43. Zobeck, T.M. and Van Pelt, R.S. (2016). Wind-induced dust generation and transport mechanics on a sandy soil surface. Aeolian Research, 21, 27–34. doi.org/10.1016/j.aeolia.2016.01.004