A windbreak, sometimes called a tree shelter belt, is a device used to help prevent dust storms. The trees break the force of the prevailing westerly winds. A great shelter belt was planned and begun in 1936 for the great plains area of the United States. It extends from Texas to North Dakota. Today it includes thousands of miles of tree rows. This was a cooperative effort on the part of farmers and the Federal government.
The use of trees as a windbreak is not a new idea. Many farms on the plains had their own windbreaks long before 1937. These windbreaks are not only used over large general areas, but they are also locally used by farmers to protect certain areas of their property which are vulnerable to high winds. Usually plowed fields and hillsides with loose types of soil need more protection from winds than grassy pasture areas and humus lowlands. Windbreaks also provide homes, cover, and food for animal wildlife,
