Fencing Work - Afforestation, Reforestation and Forest Restoration in Arid and Semi-arid Tropics - page 83

Fig. 4.5 Barbed-wire fence
with interlaced strands

should be taken to ensure that the main (horizontal) strands do not sag or get lifted
up while fixing the vertical strands. This will, to a great extent, depend upon proper
tension in the main strands. Spacing between the vertical strands will be determined
by the level of protection required, but on an average, a spacing of 30 cm will keep
most animals away (Fig. 4.5 ).
In the special case of a barbed wire fence in sand dunes, the posts and the fence
may have to be repositioned from time to time. Every season, moving sand will bury
a part of the fence while another part of the fence may get uprooted. To relocate
the posts it will be necessary to untie the wires, lift up or sink down the posts, and
tie the wires again. This exercise should be undertaken as and when necessary, but
normally it should be sufficient to relocate the fence once every year.
Maintenance of a barbed wire fence is as important as in the case of any other
fence. Strands may get snapped, become loosened, or sagged; posts may tilt, bend,
or uproot; or any other damage may be done to the fence by animals or humans.
A constant watch on its condition and its immediate repair should never be spared.
Failure to repair or maintain the fence will result in making the entire operation of
fencing futile, since animals can destroy the plantation even if the fence is broken in
a short stretch.
Removal and collection of posts and barbed wire, after the plantation has grown
beyond damage by animals, should be carefully carried out. To collect the fencing
material, the wires should be carefully untied and made into a roll, and the posts
should be dug out along with the block of concrete. In case of posts fixed in situ, the
lime or mud concrete should be knocked off.

4.4 Live-Hedge Fence

Live hedge can be used in combination with other fences to a great advantage, though
in rare circumstances live hedge can serve as a stand-alone fence. A hedgerow of
thorny plants along a ditch, stone wall, or barbed wire fence gives it stability and
durability. In case of a barbed wire fence, after the main fence has been removed, the
hedgerow continues to serves as a stand-alone fence. The hedges also serve as soil