Live fences can be divided into two basic categories; living fence posts and live barriers or hedges. Live fence-posts are widely spaced, single lines of woody plants that are regularly pollarded and used instead of metal or wooden posts for supporting barbed wire, bamboo or other materials. Hedges are thicker, more densely spaced fences that generally include a number of different species and usually do not support barbed wire (Budowski, 1987). The International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) currently defines live fencing as, "a way of establishing a boundary by planting a line of trees and/or shrubs at relatively close spacing and by fixing wires to them." (Huxley, 1997).

Although farmers have probably been using live fences for centuries, much of the early literature contains only a few references to a few cases in Peru, Cuba, Nigeria, and Costa Rica. The published information is limited to an identification of the species involved and brief descriptions of their management. As a result of studies conducted in Costa Rica, Budowski identified over 90 species being used for live fences. The most common species in Costa Rica are Gliricidia sepium, Erythrina berteroana, E. costaricensis, Bursera simaruba, Spondias purpurea, Diphysa robinioides, Jatropha curcas, Yucca elephantipes and Croton glabellus (Budowski, 1987). Another study by Sauer in 1979 identified 57 species of trees used as fence posts.

The primary purpose of live fences is to control the movement of animals and people, however, they have proven to be extremely diverse, low risk systems that provide farmers with numerous benefits (Rocheleau et al., 1988). "Besides their main function...living fences may provide fuelwood, fodder and food, act as wind breaks or enrich the soil, depending on the species used." (Westley, 1990).

Introduction | Live Fence Posts | Examples of Live Fences I
Products and Services | Conclusions | Literature Cited

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Funded by a grant from the Cornell Agroforestry Working Group (CAWG) and the Distance Learning Program of the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development (CIIFAD).