But though you may not see it among the shady branches and iridescent leaves as you drive by, shelterbelts also provide respite for a variety of beneficial insects that often provide a valuable service to growers.
“Every living thing on Earth needs a couple of things: food, shelter, a habitat, a place to live,” says says Shathi Akhter, agro-ecosystems research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “Shelterbelts serve as a habitat for many beneficial species that are important to crops.”
Akhter says that with nearly 400 species of bees in the Prairie region, shelterbelts provide a habitat for not only them, but predator insects such as parasitic wasps that not only assist in pollination, but prey on crop pests. Other beneficial insects, such as a wide range of spiders and carabids, have also found flavour with insects that threaten crops.
During a discussion at Manitoba Ag Days in 2020, retaining natural areas for beneficial insects was a strategy also promoted by Alejandro Costamagna, a professor of entomology at the University of Manitoba.
“Keeping some natural areas that are not sprayed, that are permanent habitats… it’s a good idea,” said Costamagna. “We need to give more value to natural enemies and recognize that sometimes we don’t see them. Look for them, they are there and they are doing an important pest control service for growers.”