Summary:

Windbreaks are important vegetation line formations in rural landscape. They have polyfunctional significance and in particularly provide soil protection from erosion. The means of it function in the landscape is predetermined by its structure. The most important structure factors are considered their height and porosity. The actual, i.e. aerodynamical porosity, can hardly be quantified in the landscape and therefore it is often assesed by optical porosity determination. The optical porosity is determined by digital photographies and suitable software. By evaluation of the dynamics of the optical porosity in time, alterations in porosity of the windbreaks can be observed. The recognition and subsequent protection of the windbreaks leads to improved sustainable development in rural landscape.