It has been nearly two-and-a-half years since the “most powerful earthquake in over 40 years” caused tsunamis that wrecked havoc on the coastal lines of more than a dozen countries, including Indonesia, killing hundreds of thousands of people.

Iowa State has joined forces with the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization, which asked three ISU professors to comprise a design strategy for coastal forests to serve as a “bioshield” from windstorms and tsunamis.

Gene Takle, interim director of agronomy and geological and atmospheric sciences, Mike Chen, professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, and Xiaoqing Wu, associate professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, have past experience with shelterbelt research, which kept them in consideration for the project.

“We’ve published several papers relating shelterbelts to agricultural applications,” Takle said. “In our study we found that, particularly in India, the villages that had managed and nurtured their mangrove forests were better protected in the devastating 2004 tsunami.”

Shelterbelts, tree growth used to stifle wind and protect life and property, are an old technology that have been used in various types of environments.

“We have a computer model to move trees around and determine the effectiveness of different size and density combinations,” Takle said.

Although the ISU research group’s design focuses on tropical regions and plant species, shelterbelts are often used in Iowa around rural homes.

“Shelterbelts have been used for hundreds of years by various civilizations for strategic protection of property and land from erosion and high winds,” Takle said. “Most farmsteads have a windbreak or shelterbelt.”

Mangroves, casuarinas and palms are the tree species most likely to be used in the coastal forests because of their height, durability and ability to bear salt water conditions.

“Mangrove forests grow right out into the water – they are very effective serving in these coastal zones,” Takle said. “It’s not a very pretty tree, but it provides protection.”

Takle has already been to a conference in Thailand and presented the guidelines recommended by him and his colleagues.

“I participated in a workshop in Thailand to discuss forest management and ways to reforest the area that had been destroyed,” Takle said. “These are long-term projects – 10 to 15 years of growing trees to establish a coastal forest with the density needed to do much good.”

Sarah Schmidt, graduate student in geological and atmospheric sciences, was responsible for running the computer model simulation to refine the initial guidelines presented and further explore the uses of shelterbelts against wind and water storms.

“I pick a shape of a tree line and run a simulation through the model to see how the wind interacts with the tree line,” Schmidt said. “I then do analysis of how much sheltered distance the tree line provides.”

Schmidt said, based on her simulations, she found the tree line with similar-height trees was most efficient in providing protection.