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Sunday, Jan. 26
The Indiana Daily Student

opinion

OPINION: Tree borders: a simple way to help farms and the environment

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Editor's note: All opinions, columns and letters reflect the views of the individual writer and not necessarily those of the IDS or its staffers.

I spend way more time scrolling through Google Earth than normal people do. I love pretending I’m trying to understand the Earth’s texture, improving my GeoGuessr skills. I notice things doing this.  

If you look at fields in the Ukrainian countryside, most are lined with trees on their borders. If you look at fields in Indiana, they don’t have these sorts of borders as often.  

It turns out a big reason for the prevalence of these tree borders was Joseph Stalin, and his “Great Plan for the Transformation of Nature.” A major part of that plan was implementing thousands of miles of shelterbelts, a more formal name for these tree lines across the steppes of the southern Soviet Union — much of which is now in Ukraine and Russia.   

They’re not that foreign to the United States either — Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration implemented them in the Great Plains states after the Dust Bowl. You can still see some of these if you survey fields in Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. 

So, why are these helpful? The main reason, especially after the Dust Bowl, was that these shelterbelts blocked and rerouted wind, preventing soil erosion.  

But there’s numerous other benefits to shelterbelts as well. Depending on the climate, the trees can yield fruit, which might not be enough for a profit, but could give your home some fresh apples, peaches or whatever you’re able to grow.  

Of course, the trees also absorb carbon and improve overall plant diversity.  

Tree borders are also better for sustainable pesticide use, housing pest predators and helping prevent runoff from fields into the environment. They house other wildlife as well — I’d imagine they’re good little habitats for bunnies, whether you love them or want to hunt them.  

Every leaf that falls on farmers’ fields in the fall will also improve soil, depositing nutrients as they decompose. 

As Purdue Assistant Professor of Agroecology Rui Yichao said in an email, “Indiana and neighboring Midwestern states like Illinois and Ohio are not widely recognized for their agroforestry efforts.” 

But we can do better with agroforestry, meaning the integration of trees and shrubs into agriculture. There are many ways to get trees, one can replant other ones from fields while clearing. One easy way is the Sycamore Land Trust’s annual Arbor Day Tree Giveaway, where it typically gives away 600 tree seedlings in late April. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources also has seedlings to order online. 

Planting tree lines from seedlings may take a while, but it’s worth ensuring soil and crop health for future generations. Every small step taken matters.  

Andrew Miller (he/him) is a Junior studying Journalism and History.

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