The width of these parallel strips are determined by machinery width and maximum slope distance of rowcrop allowable to control soil erosion. Between the strips of rowcrop are strips of grass with contour rows of trees. The tree strips vary in width to accommodate the natural lay of the land. Schematic of contour tree buffer strips. This practice has many advantages.
Soil erosion is reduced from rowcropping the entire slope.
Because the rowcrop strips are wide enough that trees do not close them over, rowcrops are permanently maintained in the strips to provide an annual income from the property. Weak terraces tend to form as the grass and tree strips filter sediment eroded from the rowcrop strips. The tree strips also provide wildlife corridors and aesthetic diversity in the area. Mixing conifers in the tree strips provides winter thermal cover for wildlife and provides training trees for high value hardwoods. Strip cropping area.