Mitigating swine odor with strategically designed shelterbelt systems: a review

Abstract

Recent reports clearly indicate that odor emitted from concentrated livestock production facilities in the Midwest of the US is a significant social problem that negatively impacts rural and state economies, human health, and the quality of rural life. A potential incremental approach to dealing with livestock odor is the use of shelterbelts arranged in strategic designs near and within livestock facilities. This review outlines the various ways that shelterbelts can be effective technology which bio-physically mitigates odor thereby reducing social conflict from odor nuisance. The biophysical potential of shelterbelts to mitigate livestock odor arises from the tree/ shrub impacts on the central characteristics and physical behavior of livestock odor. As the majority of odors generated in animal facilities that are detectable at appreciable distances travel as particulates, there is compelling evidence that shelterbelts can ameliorate livestock odor by impeding the movement of these particulates. Because the odor source is near the ground and the tendency of livestock odor is to travel along the ground, shelterbelts of modest heights (i.e. 20-30 ft) may be ideal for odor interception, disruption, and dilution. Shelterbelts can be adapted to fit almost any production situation. Depending on shelterbelt health, these trees can provide long term, year round odor interception, with increasing effectiveness over time. Additionally, more is becoming known about how landscape aesthetics affect how people might perceive livestock odor, suggesting that landscape elements such as shelterbelts can lead to aesthetic improvements and perhaps more positive opinions of livestock odor and the farm systems that create them.

Odor mitigation with tree buffers: Swine production case study

“…Shelterbelts are thought to lower odor through the interception of odorous compounds and dilution of odors material though lofting ground level air into upper air streams (Tyndall and Colletti, 2007). In general, shelterbelts as an odor mitigation technique are both cost effective (Tyndall and Grala, 2009), and environmentally beneficial (Tyndall and Colletti, 2007;Jose, 2009); however, their effectiveness have not been thoroughly tested with reliable odor metrics.…”

“…Shelterbelts are thought to lower odor through the interception of odorous compounds and dilution of odors material though lofting ground level air into upper air streams (Tyndall and Colletti, 2007). In general, shelterbelts as an odor mitigation technique are both cost effective (Tyndall and Grala, 2009), and environmentally beneficial (Tyndall and Colletti, 2007;Jose, 2009); however, their effectiveness have not been thoroughly tested with reliable odor metrics. This lack of quantified understanding regarding the biophysical dynamics at play as well as mitigative effectiveness is problematic in light of the current rate of producer adoption since over 90% farmers surveyed either use or are interested in using vegetative buffers for odor management (Tyndall, 2009).…”

Servicios ambientales de los sistemas agroforestales tropicales

“…El interés en el uso de los SAF ha recibido atención considerable, como es el caso de las barreras protectoras para mejorar la calidad del aire (Tyndall & Colletti, 2007). Los árboles y arbustos utilizados como barreras se han empleado para reducir emisiones de olores, sobre todo en regiones con alta concentración de ganado.…”

“…Interest in AFS use as shelterbelts for improving air quality has received considerable attention (Tyndall & Colletti, 2007). Trees and shrubs employed as barriers have been utilized to reduce odor emissions, mainly in regions with a high concentration of livestock.…”

Strategies to control odours in livestock facilities: a critical review

“…Windbreaks and shelterbelts around livestock units are normally vegetation systems that redirect wind and reduce wind speed. This effect on wind modif ies environmental conditions upwind and downwind sheltered zones, and thus changes the dispersion of odours (Tyndall & Colletti, 2007). Windbreaks not only enhance dispersion by promoting air turbulence, they also serve as a filtration barrier where particulate matter and odours are partly retained.…”