Impacts of Shelterbelt Configuration on Wind–Sand Fixing Efficiency and Soil Erodibility in a Low-Elevation Arid Basin

Wind erosion poses a serious threat to land stability and agricultural sustainability across global arid and semi-arid zones. This study was conducted in Tuoksun County, China’s sole county situated below sea level; its unique low-elevation landform generates distinctive wind–sand movement processes, forming a representative research platform for elucidating shelterbelt functional mechanisms under extreme arid environments. In this work, we systematically monitored wind field characteristics, shelterbelt windbreak performance, and soil wind erodibility and quantitatively analyzed the regulatory effects of different shelterbelt configurations on sand-fixing efficiency and soil anti-wind erosion capacity. The results revealed an obvious decoupling between wind velocity and wind direction frequency within the study area: the maximum wind speed (≈5.5 m s−1) occurred in the NNW direction, whereas the W and WSW directions exhibited the highest wind occurrence frequency. Shelterbelt height showed an extremely significant positive correlation with wind speed reduction efficiency (r = 0.817 ***), while ambient wind speed was significantly negatively correlated with windproof benefit (r = −0.690 ***). Among forest types, F2 and PF achieved significantly higher efficiency and lower wind speeds than F1. Intact shelterbelts reached >85% efficiency, while degraded belts fell below 40%. Soil texture acted as the dominant factor controlling soil erodibility: clay, fine sand, and very fine sand increased soil wind erodibility, while coarse sand and gravel suppressed erodibility. Hierarchical clustering analysis of vertical wind speed profiles confirmed that shelterbelts can substantially reduce near-ground wind velocity; compared with shelterbelt types, spatial position (windward side, leeward side, and central zone) exerted a stronger influence on wind field regulation. This study elucidates the internal correlations among shelterbelt spatial configuration, sand-fixing efficiency, and soil wind erodibility, providing scientific support for the optimization of shelterbelt layout in low-elevation arid ecological regions.

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Journal
Forests
Published
2026-09-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/f17091076
Primary Topic
Aeolian processes and effects
Type
article
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article

Impacts of Shelterbelt Configuration on Wind–Sand Fixing Efficiency and Soil Erodibility in a Low-Elevation Arid Basin

Aliya Baidourela, Kahaer Zhayimu, Jinjie Wang, Ruoshanguli Manglike
Forests
Aeolian processes and effects
article

Impacts of Shelterbelt Configuration on Wind–Sand Fixing Efficiency and Soil Erodibility in a Low-Elevation Arid Basin

Aliya Baidourela, Kahaer Zhayimu, Jinjie Wang, Ruoshanguli Manglike
article en

Abstract

Wind erosion poses a serious threat to land stability and agricultural sustainability across global arid and semi-arid zones. This study was conducted in Tuoksun County, China’s sole county situated below sea level; its unique low-elevation landform generates distinctive wind–sand movement processes, forming a representative research platform for elucidating shelterbelt functional mechanisms under extreme arid environments. In this work, we systematically monitored wind field characteristics, shelterbelt windbreak performance, and soil wind erodibility and quantitatively analyzed the regulatory effects of different shelterbelt configurations on sand-fixing efficiency and soil anti-wind erosion capacity. The results revealed an obvious decoupling between wind velocity and wind direction frequency within the study area: the maximum wind speed (≈5.5 m s−1) occurred in the NNW direction, whereas the W and WSW directions exhibited the highest wind occurrence frequency. Shelterbelt height showed an extremely significant positive correlation with wind speed reduction efficiency (r = 0.817 ***), while ambient wind speed was significantly negatively correlated with windproof benefit (r = −0.690 ***). Among forest types, F2 and PF achieved significantly higher efficiency and lower wind speeds than F1. Intact shelterbelts reached >85% efficiency, while degraded belts fell below 40%. Soil texture acted as the dominant factor controlling soil erodibility: clay, fine sand, and very fine sand increased soil wind erodibility, while coarse sand and gravel suppressed erodibility. Hierarchical clustering analysis of vertical wind speed profiles confirmed that shelterbelts can substantially reduce near-ground wind velocity; compared with shelterbelt types, spatial position (windward side, leeward side, and central zone) exerted a stronger influence on wind field regulation. This study elucidates the internal correlations among shelterbelt spatial configuration, sand-fixing efficiency, and soil wind erodibility, providing scientific support for the optimization of shelterbelt layout in low-elevation arid ecological regions.

ForestsVol. 17(9)
Xinjiang Agricultural University (CN), State Forestry and Grassland Administration (CN), Xinjiang University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Aeolian processes and effects
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