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Desert shrubs modify the pattern and magnitude of shear stress exerted on the ground surface by the wind. Wind profiles near the surface were measured at different locations around shrubs at six field sites. The profiles show that the pattern of wind flow around shrubs is complex and variable between sites. Estimates of the magnitude of surface shear stress around shrubs indicate that the presence of shrubs decreases shear stress on the surface and that the degree of protection is partly related to the density of shrubs on the surface. [Key words: wind, wind erosion, aeolian geomorphology, deserts.]