Relationship Between Riparian Buffers and Terrestrial Wildlife in the Eastern United States

When working forest stands are harvested, vegetated strips along streams are often retained as part of forestry best management practices (BMPs) to protect water quality. These riparian buffers, known as streamside management zones, when following forestry BMP recommendations, also likely provide benefits to various terrestrial wildlife species. To better understand the role of riparian buffers in contributing to biological diversity in working forest landscapes, we reviewed literature (n = 30) that reported on herpetofauna, bird, and mammal responses to riparian buffers in the eastern United States. Although few results were consistent among taxa, community composition commonly varied among riparian buffer widths. Narrower riparian buffers more commonly supported edge and disturbance-associated species whereas wider riparian buffers tended to support interior-associated species. We did not find a consistent width that supported all terrestrial wildlife species studied. Study Implications: Based on our findings, it may be most efficacious to use varying riparian buffer widths across a landscape to provide structural conditions for a diversity of wildlife species. Some interior species may be best conserved on older managed stands or other retained areas in the landscape rather than riparian buffers. Landscape context and functionality of riparian buffers as movement corridors need to be further investigated, as this is an assumed but not quantified indirect benefit for various terrestrial wildlife species and perhaps especially important for species with low vagility or low dispersal ability that require older forest or riparian areas.

Soil N2O and CH4 Emissions From Fodder Maize Production With and Without Riparian Buffer Strips of Differing Vegetation

Purpose: Nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) are some of the most important greenhouse gases of the 21st century. Vegetated riparian buffers are primarily implemented for their water quality functions in agroecosystems and their location in the agricultural landscape allows them to intercept and process pollutants from immediately adjacent agricultural land. They recycle increase soil carbon (C), intercept nitrogen (N)-rich runoff from adjacent croplands, and are seasonally anoxic, promoting processes producing environmentally harmful gases including N2O and CH4. Against this context, the study quantified these atmospheric losses between a cropland and vegetated riparian buffers that serve it.Methods: We used the static chamber to measure N2O and CH4 emissions simultaneously with soil. Gas measurements were done simulataneously with soil and environmental variables for a 6-month period in a replicated plot-scale facility comprising of maize cropping served by three vegetated riparian buffers, namely: (i) a novel grass riparian buffer; (ii) a willow riparian buffer, and; (iii) a woodland riparian buffer. These buffered treatments were compared with a no-buffer control. Results: The no-buffer control generated the largest cumulative N2O emissions of 18 929 g ha-1 (95% confidence intervals: 524.1 - 63 643) whilst the maize crop upslope generated the largest cumulative CH4 emissions of 5 050 ± 875 g ha-1. Soil N2O and CH4-based global warming potential (GWP) were lower in the willow (1223.5 ± 362.0 and 134.7 ± 74.0 kg CO2-eq. ha-1 year-1, respectively) and woodland (1771.3 ± 800.5 and 3.4 ± 35.9 kg CO2-eq. ha-1 year-1, respectively) riparian buffers.. Conclusions: Our results suggest that maize production in general, and situations where such cropping is not undertaken in tandem with a riparian buffer strip, result in atmospheric CH4 and N2O concerns.

Strategic deployment of riparian buffers and windbreaks in Europe can co-deliver biomass and environmental benefits

Within the scope of the new Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, in coherence with other EU policies, new incentives are developed for farmers to deploy practices that are beneficial for climate, water, soil, air, and biodiversity. Such practices include establishment of multifunctional biomass production systems, designed to reduce environmental impacts while providing biomass for food, feed, bioenergy, and other biobased products. Here, we model three scenarios of large-scale deployment for two such systems, riparian buffers and windbreaks, across over 81,000 landscapes in Europe, and quantify the corresponding areas, biomass output, and environmental benefits. The results show that these systems can effectively reduce nitrogen emissions to water and soil loss by wind erosion, while simultaneously providing substantial environmental co-benefits, having limited negative effects on current agricultural production. This kind of beneficial land-use change using strategic perennialization is important for meeting environmental objectives while advancing towards a sustainable bioeconomy.