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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #151662
Title: SPATIAL MODELING OF WIND SPEED AROUND WINDBREAKS

Author
item VIGIAK, OLGA - WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY, TH
item STERK, GEERT - WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
item WARREN, ANDREW - UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
item Hagen, Lawrence

Submitted to: Catena
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2003
Publication Date: 7/1/2003
Citation: Vigiak, O., Sterk, G., Warren, A., Hagen, L.J. 2003. Spatial modeling of wind speed around windbreaks. Catena. v. 52(3-4). p. 271-288.

Interpretive Summary: Windbreaks are a major tool to shelter crops from wind damage. They also exert a drag force that reduces wind speed near the surface, thereby reducing the potential wind erosion of soil. In this study, a Geographical Information System (GIS) was coupled with the windbreak subroutine from Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) model. The result was a GIS model that could evaluate wind speed reduction patterns for a network of windbreaks. The main model inputs are windbreak height, porosity, width, orientation, along with wind direction and speed. The GIS application allowed simulation of the spatial variability of both the windbreaks and their shelter effects. Application of the GIS model to a windbreak network in England showed the windbreak distribution was not optimal in relation to wind speed and direction distributions. The GIS model is thus a useful tool for design and evaluation of windbreak networks.

Technical Abstract: This paper presents a model to integrate windbreak shelter effects into a Geographic Information System (GIS). The GIS procedure incorporates the 1999-version windbreak sub-model of the Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS). Windbreak shelter is modeled in terms of friction velocity reduction, a function of wind speed and direction, distance from the barrier, windbreak height, porosity, width and orientation. A first application of the model was conducted on a study area with an extensive windbreak network in England (Thetford, East Anglia). Windbreak characteristics (windbreak type, height, width, porosity and location) were recorded. Porosity was estimated from digitized B/W silhouettes. To evaluate the network effectiveness, a windbreak network shelter index was proposed in terms of average reduction of friction velocity over the area due to network shelter. The network is found to give good protection, but the windbreak distribution is not optimal in relation to the wind vector distribution.