, ▁to ▁shield ▁the ▁fields ▁against ▁wind s . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁significantly ▁reducing ▁wind ▁er os ion , ▁wind break s ▁provide ▁many ▁other ▁benefits ▁such ▁as ▁improved ▁micro cl im ates ▁for ▁cro ps ▁( which ▁are ▁shelter ed ▁from ▁the ▁de h yd rating ▁and ▁otherwise ▁dam aging ▁effects ▁of ▁wind ), ▁habitat ▁for ▁benef icial ▁bird ▁species , ▁carbon ▁se quest r ation , ▁and ▁a est h etic ▁improvements ▁to ▁the ▁agricult ural ▁landscape . ▁Trad itional ▁plant ing ▁methods , ▁such ▁as ▁mixed - cro pping ▁( inst ead ▁of ▁mon oc ro pping ) ▁and ▁c rop ▁rotation ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁shown ▁to ▁significantly ▁reduce ▁er os ion ▁rates . ▁C rop ▁resid ues ▁play ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁mit ig ation ▁of ▁er os ion , ▁because ▁they ▁reduce ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁ra ind ro ps ▁breaking ▁up ▁the ▁soil ▁particles . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁higher ▁potential ▁for ▁er os ion ▁when ▁producing ▁pot atoes ▁than ▁when ▁growing ▁c ere als , ▁or ▁oil seed ▁cro ps . ▁For ages ▁have ▁a ▁f ibr ous ▁root ▁system , ▁which ▁helps ▁combat ▁er os ion ▁by ▁anch oring ▁the ▁plants ▁to ▁the ▁top ▁layer ▁of ▁the ▁soil , ▁and ▁covering ▁the ▁entire ty ▁of ▁the ▁field , ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁non - row ▁c rop . ▁In ▁tropical ▁coast al ▁systems , ▁properties ▁of ▁mang ro ves ▁have ▁been ▁exam ined ▁as ▁a ▁potential ▁means ▁to ▁reduce ▁soil ▁er os ion . ▁Their ▁complex ▁root