Factors that influence shelterbelt retention and removal in prairie agriculture as identified by Saskatchewan producers

Non-Peer ReviewedThe role of shelterbelts in prairie agriculture is changing. Traditionally, shelterbelts were promoted and adopted for soil stabilization and protection of farm infrastructure, equipment, and livestock from harsh weather elements; however, advances in production technology, larger scale operations, and the removal of a subsidy (distribution of free seedlings) have changed the context in which shelterbelts are currently being maintained, planted, or removed. This research identified the factors that are influencing producer’s management decisions related to retention and adoption of shelterbelts in the early 21st century in Saskatchewan, Canada. In the summer of 2013, surveys were conducted with producers from throughout the province of Saskatchewan (and several from Alberta). From the surveys, costs, benefits, and factors influencing producer’s management decisions, related to shelterbelts in the farm operations, were identified. Survey results show that 40% of the produces removed shelterbelts from their operations. Reasons for such decisions included: high labor requirements, difficulty in the operation of large equipment, and loss of land for production. Those who did not remove shelterbelts recognized their non-economic values more than those who removed them. Shelterbelts have the potential to play a major role in climate change mitigation by sequestering significant amounts of atmospheric CO2 into the soil and as biomass carbon in aboveground and belowground biomass of planted shelterbelt trees or shrubs within the agricultural landscape, both presently and in the future. As a result, understanding the context in which producers are making decisions related to this agroforestry practice will be important from a policy perspective

Shelterbelts: a row of trees or the next best thing to mitigating GHGs on prairie landscapes

Non-Peer Reviewe

Leaf Litter Decomposition and Nutrient-Release Characteristics of Several Willow Varieties Within Short-Rotation Coppice Plantations in Saskatchewan, Canada

Quantifying short-rotation coppice (SRC) willow leaf litter dynamics will improve our understanding of carbon (C) sequestration and nutrient cycling potentials within these biomass energy plantations and provide valuable data for model validation. The objective of this study was to quantify the decomposition rate constants (kBiomass) and decomposition limit values (LVBiomass), along with associated release rates (kNutrient) and release limits (LVNutrient) of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) of leaf litter from several native and exotic willow varieties during an initial four-year rotation at four sites within Saskatchewan, Canada. The kBiomass, LVBiomass, kNutrient, and LVNutrient values varied among the willow varieties, sites, and nutrients, with average values of 1.7 year-1, 79 %, 0.9 year-1, and 83 %, respectively. Tissue N had the smallest kNutrient and LVNutrient values, while tissue K and Mg had the largest kNutrient and LVNutrient values, respectively. The leaf litter production varied among willow varieties and sites with an average biomass accumulation of 7.4 Mg ha-1 after the four-year rotation and associated C sequestration rate of 0.2 Mg C ha-1 yr-1. The average contribution of nutrients released from leaf litter decomposition during the four-year rotation to the plant available soil nutrient pool across varieties and sites was 22, 4, 47, 10, 112, and 18 kg ha-1 of N, P, K, S, Ca, and Mg, respectively. Principal component analysis identified numerous key relationships between the measured soil, plant tissue, climate and microclimate variables and observed willow leaf litter decomposition and nutrient release characteristics. Our findings support the contention that SRC willow leaf litter is capable of enhancing both soil organic C levels and supplementing soil nutrient availability over time