[Influence of shelterbelts structure on snow distribution pattern in shelternets in Northeast China]

The amount of snow that falls in farmland during winter in Northeast China is the important source of soil water in farmland, so the influence of shelterbelt structure on snow distribution pattern is the key problem in order to adjust structure of shelterbelts according to porosity in management practice. Based on snow depths in shelternets composed of shelterbelts with three levels of porosity, which were shelternet No. 1, shelternet No. 2, and shelternet No. 3, the snow distribution patterns in farmland were studied. The results showed that the structure of shelternet had great influence on snow distribution in farmland. With different levels of porosities, spatial pattern of snow distribution were obviously different in three shelternets. The more variant in porosity, the more obvious difference in snow distribution pattern, and the best uniformity of snow distribution appeared in shelternet with porosity of phi 2w = 0.579, phi 2s = 0.268, in which snow depth in farmland was relative even and the variability of snow depth was the least. Consequently, the relationship of porosity of shelterbelt with snow distribution pattern could be used to guide structure adjustment and optimization management of shelterbelts.