A plant windbreak reduces wind speed and sediment flux in Niatak area

The Sisatn region in southeastern Iran has become one of the main source of dust storms. The frequency and intensity of dust storms have increased in the last dacates due to prolonged hydrological and meteorological drought. Re-vegetation and using plant windbreaks are the most efficient approches to reduce the dust storms. For the perpous of study the effectiveness of a windbreak in reducing wind speed and sediment flux in Niatak area in the Sistan region, wind speed and sediment flux were monitored upwind, within and dowinwind of the windbreak in 5 locations. Wind speed and sediemnt flux were measured from the ground surface to a height of 7 m using a series of cup anonometers and sand samplers. The results show a signinfican reduction in wind speed and sediemnt flux within and downwind of the windbreak in various free-stream wind speeds. Wind speed and sediemnt flux were less downwind of the windbreak than upwind which indicated that he windbreak covered an area of 50h beyond the vegetation.

Keywords:

wind speed , sand flux , windbreak , Niatak , Sistan