Choose species that are well adapted to your particular site and suited to your needs. For consistency in height and ease of management, you should include only one species in each single row. If you are able to plant a double or multi-row windbreak, choose smaller trees for the most windward row and medium to larger trees for the next row. The area protected will be larger if the windbreak is partially permeable rather than too dense. This is because too dense a barrier can result in more turbulent air movement downwind.
Some species make ideal windbreaks because their foliage filters rather than blocks the wind.
The conifer like foliage of Casuarina is one example. Single row windbreaks are laid out in a grid pattern on a field creating several smaller cells or squares. This technique is especially effective where the wind often shifts direction. You will not necessarily have to manage your windbreak once it is established. Depending on the species you include however, you can prune, pollard, or otherwise treat trees in various rows to provide alternative products or maintain a more desirable height relative to other rows.