Targeting riparian buffers and grassed waterways to address freshwater species decline

Root biomass and soil carbon distribution in hybrid poplar riparian buffers, herbaceous riparian buffers and natural riparian woodlots on farmland

The objectives of this study were to compare coarse root (diameter > 2 mm) and fine root (diameter < 2 mm) biomass, as well as distribution of soil carbon stocks in 3 types of riparian land uses across 4 sites located in farmland of southern Québec, Canada: (1) hybrid poplar buffers (9th growing season); (2) herbaceous buffers; (3) natural woodlots (varying in tree species and age). For all lan...

Cost-effective Targeting of Riparian Buffers in Georgia When Water Quality Benefits are Difficult to Measure

Placement of Riparian Forest Buffers to Improve Water Quality

Riparian forest buffers can improve stream water quality, provided they intercept and remove contaminants from surface runoff and/or shallow groundwater. Soils, topography, hydrology, and surficial geology determine the capability of forest buffers to intercept and treat these flows. This paper describes landscape analysis techniques for identifying and mapping locations where forest buffers ca...

Implementing the Riparian Nitrogen Model to assess the role of riparian buffers in the Maroochy Catchment

Riparian zones can provide a protective buffer between streams and adjacent land-based activities by removing nitrate from shallow groundwater flowing through them. Catchment-scale waterquality models are useful tools for predicting catchment behaviour under various climatic conditions and land-use scenarios. In this paper, we use the Riparian Nitrate Model (RNM) to investigate the potential ro...

Evaluation of a Terrain Attribute Model for Locating Areas Suitable for Grassed Waterways in Agricultural Settings

Grassed waterways placed in high water flow zones substantially reduce erosion in agricultural fields. A recent study proposed a statistical model for waterway planning for a farm in the Outer Bluegrass physiographic region of Kentucky. The logistic regression model identified where channel erosion was likely to occur based on elevation-derived terrain attributes. The objective of this study wa...