Concentrated flow paths in riparian buffer zones of southern Illinois

Riparian buffers in agricultural landscapes should be designed to trap pollutants in overland flow by slowing, filtering, and infiltrating surface runoff entering the buffer via sheet flow. However, observational evidence suggests that concentrated flow is prevalent from agricultural fields. Over time sediment can accumulate in riparian buffers forming berms that restrict sheet flow; these berms ultimately back up surface runoff, resulting in an eventual breakthrough that concentrates overland flow. This study examines the occurrence of concentrated flow paths (CFPs) in riparian buffers at both the field and watershed scale. At the field scale, intensive topographic surveys were conducted at ten field sites in southern Illinois. To assess the prevalence of CFPs at the watershed scale, three watersheds in southern Illinois were selected for walking stream surveys along randomly selected 1,000 m reaches. CFPs were identified in all topographic surveys and all walking stream surveys. Among field sites, concentrated flow accounted for 82.5–100% of the drainage leaving the agricultural fields. Sediment berm accumulation was identified at all field sites and was positively correlated with CFP size. At the watershed scale, CFPs were more abundant in agricultural areas compared to forested land. Results from this study indicate that concentrated flow was prevalent across all study sites at both the field and watershed scale. Thus, surface water quality may suffer in areas with poorly functioning buffers, and managers must consider the occurrence of CFPs when designing and maintaining riparian buffers to protect stream water quality.     

Soil-water infiltration under crops, pasture, and established riparian buffer in Midwestern USA

The production-oriented agricultural system of Midwestern United States has caused environmental problems such as soil degradation and nonpoint source (NPS) pollution of water. Riparian buffers have been shown to reduce the impacts of NPS pollutants on stream water quality through the enhancement of riparian zone soil quality. The objective of this study was to compare soil-water infiltration in a Coland soil (fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Endoaquoll) under multi-species riparian buffer vegetation with that of cultivated fields and a grazed pasture. Eight infiltration measurements were made, in each of six treatments. Bulk density, antecedent soil moisture, and particle size were also examined. The average 60-min cumulative infiltration was five times greater under the buffers than under the cultivated field and pasture. Cumulative infiltration in the multi-species riparian buffer was in the order of silver maple > grass filter > switchgrass. Cumulative infiltration did not differ significantly (P < 0.05) among corn and soybean crop fields and the pasture. Soil bulk densities under the multi-species buffer vegetation were significantly (P < 0.05) smaller than in the crop fields and the pasture. Other measured parameters did not show consistent trends. Thus, when using infiltration as an index, the established multi-species buffer vegetation seemed to improve soil quality after six years.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nutrient Attenuation in Agricultural Surface Runoff by Riparian Buffer Zones in Southern Illinois,USA

Nutrients in overland flow from agricultural areas are a common cause of stream and lake water quality impairment. One method of reducing excess nutrient runoff from non-point sources is to restore or enhance existing riparian areas as vegetative buffers. A field scale study was conducted to assess the ability of remnant giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl.) and forest riparian buffer zones to attenuate nutrients in agricultural surface runoff from natural precipitation events. Two adjacent, 10.0 m wide riparian buffers were instrumented with 16 overland flow collectors to monitor surface runoff for nitrate, ammonium, and orthophosphate. Measurements were taken at 3.3 m increments within each buffer. The forest buffer significantly reduced incoming dissolved nitrate-N, dissolved ammonium-N, total ammonium-N, and total orthophosphate masses in surface runoff by 97, 74, 68, and 78 , respectively within the 10.0 m riparian buffer. Nutrient reductions within the cane buffer were 100 for all three nutrients due to relatively high infiltration rates. Significant reductions of total ammonium- N and total orthophosphate were detected by 3.3 m in the cane buffer and at 6.6 m in the forest buffer. Results suggest that both giant cane and forest vegetation are good candidates to incorporate into riparian buffer restoration designs for southern Illinois as well as in other regions within their native range with similar climatic and physiographic conditions.     

The utility of giant cane as a riparian buffer species in southern Illinois agricultural landscapes

Across the U.S., multiple species of riparian vegetation have proven to be effective filters of sediment and nutrients in agricultural watersheds. Research at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has focused on giant cane [Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl.] as a potential candidate to incorporate into riparian buffer designs. In 2001, an exploratory study (i.e., Phase I) monitored nutrient and sediment concentrations from surface runoff and groundwater in the Cypress Creek watershed, while two subsequent studies (i.e., Phase II) focused on groundwater quality and added additional riparian buffer plots in the Big Creek and Cache River Watersheds. The primary objective of this research was to compare nutrient attenuation in groundwater of native giant cane and forest riparian buffers. Results from phase I showed significant nutrient reductions in groundwater over short distances in both the giant cane (~3.0 m) and forest buffers (~6.0 m), thus additional wells were installed at 1.5 and 12.0 m for the second phase. Groundwater NO₃ ⁻-N was significantly reduced by 90% in the initial 3.0 m of the giant cane buffer, where plant assimilation and microbial denitrification were likely key NO₃ ⁻-N removal mechanisms. Phase II showed significant reductions in groundwater NO₃ ⁻-N beneath the forest buffers, whereas little change occurred below the giant cane buffers. However, NO₃ ⁻-N concentrations beneath giant cane buffers were 3 times less than those observed beneath the forest buffers. Follow-up studies are being conducted on the transport of E. coli through vegetated buffers, and efforts have been expanded to the watershed-scale.     

Evaluation of potential gross income from non-timber products in a model riparian forest for the Chesapeake Bay watershed

The creation of riparian forest buffer zones for water quality management in agricultural landscapes takes land out of production, incurring an economic loss for the landowner. However, planting and harvesting techniques, such as those employed in indigenous systems of tropical agroforestry, can enhance riparian forest buffer strips with economically viable species. This kind of riparian forest buffer can be harvested and generate income from otherwise unproductive tracts of land. This practice would make the implementation of riparian forest buffers more acceptable to farmers, by generating income while helping to improve water quality. The present project provides an economic model for the harvest of non-timber products (fruits, nuts and ornamentals) from riparian forest buffer zones in the Chesapeake Bay region. Potential gross income from harvest is calculated to demonstrate the feasibility of this strategy. Given certain assumptions, the gross income can amount to $60,934.30/ha/year. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Enhanced transpiration by riparian buffer trees in response to advection in a humid temperate agricultural landscape

Riparian buffers are designed as management practices to increase infiltration and reduce surface runoff and transport of sediment and nonpoint source pollutants from crop fields to adjacent streams. Achieving these ecosystem service goals depends, in part, on their ability to remove water from the soil via transpiration. In these systems, edges between crop fields and trees of the buffer systems can create advection processes, which could influence water use by trees. We conducted a field study in a riparian buffer system established in 1994 under a humid temperate climate, located in the Corn Belt region of the Midwestern U.S. (Iowa). The goals were to estimate stand level transpiration by the riparian buffer, quantify the controls on water use by the buffer system, and determine to what extent advective energy and tree position within the buffer system influence individual tree transpiration rates. We primarily focused on the water use response (determined with the Heat Ratio Method) of one of the dominant species (Acer saccharinum) and a subdominant (Juglans nigra). A few individuals of three additional species (Quercus bicolor, Betula nigra, Platanus occidentalis) were monitored over a shorter time period to assess the generality of responses. Meteorological stations were installed along a transect across the riparian buffer to determine the microclimate conditions. The differences found among individuals were attributed to differences in species sap velocities and sapwood depths, location relative to the forest edge and prevailing winds and canopy exposure and dominance. Sapflow rates for A. saccharinum trees growing at the SE edge (prevailing winds) were 39% greater than SE interior trees and 30% and 69% greater than NW interior and edge trees, respectively. No transpiration enhancement due to edge effect was detected in the subdominant J. nigra. The results were interpreted as indicative of advection effects from the surrounding crops. Further, significant differences were document in sapflow rates between the five study species, suggesting that selection of species is important for enhancing specific riparian buffer functions. However, more information is needed on water use patterns among diverse species growing under different climatic and biophysical conditions to assist policy and management decisions regarding effective buffer design.     

Understory plant diversity and biomass in hybrid poplar riparian buffer strips in pastures

Understory plant biomass, species richness and canopy openness were measured in six-year old hybrid poplar riparian buffer strips, in the understory of two unrelated clones (MxB-915311 and DxN-3570), planted along headwater streams at three pasture sites of southern Quebec. Canopy openness was an important factor affecting understory biomass in hybrid poplar buffers, with lower understory biomass observed on sites and under the clone with lower canopy openness. Although tree size was an important factor affecting canopy openness, relationships between total stem volume and canopy openness, for each clone, also support the hypothesis of a clonal effect on canopy openness. Understory biomass and canopy openness as low as 3.6 g m⁻² and 7.6% in 1 m² microplots were measured under clone MxB-915311 at the most productive site. This reduction of understory plant growth could compromise important buffer functions for water quality protection (runoff control, sediment trapping and surface soil stabilisation), particularly were concentrated runoff flow paths enter the buffer. On the other hand, tree buffers that maintain relatively low canopy openness could be interesting to promote native and wetland plant diversity. Significant positive relationships between canopy openness and introduced species richness (R ² = 0.46, p < 0.001) and cover (R ² = 0.51, p < 0.001) were obtained, while no significant relationship was observed between canopy openness and native (wetland) species richness and cover. These results suggest that planting riparian buffer strips of fast-growing trees can rapidly lead to the exclusion of shade-intolerant introduced species, typical colonisers of disturbed habitats such as riparian areas of pastures, while having no significant effect on native (wetland) diversity. Forest canopy created by the poplars was probably an important physical barrier controlling introduced plant richness and abundance in agricultural riparian corridors. A strong linear relationship (R ² = 0.73) between mean total species richness and mean introduced species richness was also observed, supporting the hypothesis that the richest communities are the most invaded by introduced species, possibly because of higher canopy openness, as seen at the least productive site (low poplar growth). Finally, results of this study highlight the need for a better understanding of relationships between tree growth, canopy openness, understory biomass and plant diversity in narrow strips of planted trees. This would be useful in designing multifunctional riparian buffer systems in agricultural landscapes.     

Amphibian distributions in riparian and upslope areas and their habitat associations on managed forest landscapes in the Oregon Coast Range

Over the past 50 years, forested landscapes of the Pacific Northwest have become increasingly patchy, dominated by early successional forests. Several amphibian species associated with forested headwater systems have emerged as management concerns, especially after clearcutting. Given that headwater streams comprise a large portion of the length of flowing waterways in western Oregon forests, there is a need to better understand how forest management affects headwater forest taxa and their habitats. Mitigation strategies include alternatives to clearcutting, such as harvests that remove only part of the canopy and maintenance of riparian buffer strips. Our study investigates effects of upland forest thinning coupled with riparian buffer treatments on riparian and upland headwater forest amphibians, habitat attributes, and species-habitat associations. Amphibian captures and habitat variables were examined 5–6 years post-thinning within forest stands subject to streamside-retention buffers and variable-width buffers, as well as unthinned reference stands. We found no treatments effects, however, our results suggest that ground surface conditions (e.g., amount of rocky or fine substrate) play a role in determining the response of riparian and upland amphibians to forest thinning along headwater streams. Distance from stream was associated with amphibian abundance, hence retention of riparian buffers is likely important in maintaining microclimates and microhabitats needed for amphibians and other taxa. Moderate thinning and preservation of conditions in riparian and nearby upland areas by way of variable-width and streamside-retention buffers may be sufficient to maintain suitable habitat and microclimatic conditions vital to amphibian assemblages in managed headwater forests.     

Dynamic riparian buffer widths from potential non-point source pollution areas in forested watersheds

Efforts to manage National Forests in the USA for wood production, while protecting water quality, are currently constrained by models that do not address the temporal dynamics of variable non-point source (NPS) areas. NPS areas are diffuse sources of contaminants contributed mostly by runoff as a result of different land use activities. Riparian vegetative buffers are often used to control contaminants from NPS areas but defining suitable widths require different policy considerations. In this study, the approach for defining suitable buffer widths is to apply a distributed process-based model that predicts potential NPS areas prone to generating runoff in relation to overland flow distances. A case study of the concept was applied to the 72 km² Pete King watershed located in the Clearwater National Forest (CNF) in central Idaho, USA. This grid modeling approach is based on a Geographic Information System (GIS) and it integrates the soil moisture routing (SMR) model with probabilistic analysis. The SMR model is a daily water balance model that simulates the hydrology of forested watersheds using real or stochastically generated climate data, a digital elevation model, soil, and land use data. The probabilistic analysis incorporates the variability of soil depth and accounts for uncertainties associated with the prediction of NPS areas using Monte Carlo simulation. A 1-year simulation for the case study location was performed to examine the spatial and temporal changes in NPS areas prone to generating runoff. The results of the simulation indicate that the seasonal variability of saturated areas determines the spatial dynamics of the potential NPS pollution. Use of this model for the design of riparian buffer widths would increase the effectiveness of decision-making in forest management and planning by mapping or delineating NPS areas likely to transport contaminants to perennial surface water bodies.     

Biological consequences of clear-cut logging around streams—Moderating effects of management

Effects of riparian harvesting on in-stream biota were monitored in five streams in exotic conifer plantations that differed in how logs were extracted, patterns in deposition of woody debris, and the degree to which riparian buffers were retained. Streams were sampled on three occasions in summer, once prior to harvesting and twice afterwards. Consistent effects of harvesting included an increase in the amount of woody debris in the channel, increased fine sediment and a trend towards higher algal productivity. Invertebrate communities changed dramatically in some streams. General patterns included an increase in small sized taxa and taxa with generalist diets in the first year after harvest, then a trend towards a greater representation of grazers and larger taxa the following year. Responses in particular taxa were highly variable between streams. Some of this variability was related to forestry management, the least dramatic changes occurring where a narrow riparian buffer strip was retained. Reduced impacts were also observed in streams where woody debris was piled over the channel. We suggest that management practices that maintain shading of the stream channel will moderate forestry effects, and that practices such as channel cleaning are likely to be detrimental.     

Establishing Conservation Easements on Forested Riparian Buffers: Opportunities for Long-term Streamside Protection

Forest riparian buffers are an important means of conserving land. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) offers financial incentives to landowners to install forested riparian buffers under 10–15 year contracts. This study explores whether Pennsylvania CREP participants who had established a riparian buffer would also place it under a permanent conservation easement. A mail questionnaire was developed and administered to 685 CREP participants. It was found that the majority of the respondents are likely to leave their buffer intact when the CREP contract expires, but are hesitant to agree to conservation easements. Property rights, education and finances are among the key issues affecting acceptance of conservation easements.     

Observations of evapotranspiration in a break of slope plantation susceptible to periodic drought stress

Break of slope (BOS) plantations are advocated as a means of water table control in areas where groundwater flows through colluvial deposits overlying low permeability bedrock. It is also believed that BOS plantations can supplement their water use requirements by exploiting shallow groundwater at the breaks in topographic slope. We compared measurements of BOS plantation and pasture evapotranspiration during spring, when the weather was warm and soils moist, and late summer when drought conditions prevailed. Microlysimeters and ventilated chambers were used to determine pasture and plantation floor evaporation, and heat pulse sensors were used to determine transpiration of the plantation. In spring, pasture evapotranspiration was 65% of that of the plantation, whereas, in summer, pasture evapotranspiration was equivalent to only 35% of that of the plantation. Rainfall interception by the canopy of the plantation was twice that of the pasture, reinforcing the notion that trees can help reduce groundwater recharge and alleviate dryland salinity and waterlogging. During the summer drought period, daily plantation transpiration was only 20% of that measured during spring, suggesting that the plantation was not utilizing groundwater supplies but was instead drawing from soil water supplies. This hypothesis was supported by the comparison of relative abundances of the isotopes of water ((2)H and (18)O) in soil and wood samples. We conclude that the BOS plantation is not behaving in the manner predicted, and our findings raise doubts about the predicted advantages of establishing plantations in break of slope positions.     

Bird species diversity in riparian buffers,row crop fields,and grazed pastures within agriculturally dominated watersheds

In response to concern about the loss of ecosystem services once provided by natural riparian systems, state and federal agencies have established incentive programs for landowners to convert sensitive lands from agricultural to conservation uses. Enhancement of wildlife habitat, while identified as a function of such systems, has often been of secondary importance to soil conservation and water quality objectives. Though greatly important, little consideration has been given to how specific species will respond to the design and management of riparian buffers or other conservation lands. This study compared avian communities within a chronosequence of riparian buffers established on previously cropped or pastured land with those of the nearby matrix land cover types (row crop fields and an intensively grazed pasture). The riparian buffers consisted of native grasses, forbs, and woody vegetation established at three different times (2, 9, and 14+ years prior to survey). At each site, 10 min point counts for breeding birds were conducted using 50 m fixed radius plots, which were visited eight times between May 15 and July 10, 2008. A total of 54 bird species were observed over all of the study sites. The re-established riparian buffers in this study had higher bird abundance, richness, and diversity than the crop and pasture sites. These results suggest that re-establishing native riparian vegetation in areas of intensive agriculture will provide habitat for a broad suite of bird species, but that specific species will reflect successional stage, horizontal and vertical vegetative structure, and compositional diversity of the buffer vegetation. These results emphasize the importance of matching buffer design and management to species requirements if the objectives are to attract specific target species or species groups.     

Agroforestry and grass buffer effects on water quality in grazed pastures

Conservation practices including agroforestry and grass buffers are believed to reduce nonpoint source pollution (NPSP) from pastured watersheds. Agroforestry, a land management practice that intersperses agricultural crops with trees, has recently received increased attention in the temperate zone due to its environmental and economic benefits. However, studies are limited that have examined buffer effects on the quality of water from grazed pastures. Six treatment areas, two with agroforestry buffers, two with grass buffers, and two control treatments were used to test the hypothesis that agroforestry and grass buffers can be used to effectively reduce NPSP from pastured watersheds. Vegetation in grass buffer and pasture areas includes red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) and lespedeza (Kummerowia stipulacea Maxim.) planted into fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Eastern cottonwood trees (Populus deltoides Bortr. ex Marsh.) were planted into fescue in agroforestry buffers. Soils at the site are mostly Menfro silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs). Treatments were instrumented with two-foot H flumes, water samplers, and flow measuring devices in 2001. Composite water samples were analyzed for sediment and total nitrogen after each runoff event to compare treatment differences. Treatments with agroforestry and grass buffers had significantly lower runoff volumes as compared to the control. The loss of sediment and total nitrogen were smaller for the buffered treatments. The results of this study suggest that establishment of agroforestry and grass buffers help reduce NPSP pollution from pastured watersheds. It is anticipated as trees grow and roots occupy more soil volume, the reduction in N in runoff will increase on the agroforestry watershed.     

Controls on early post-fire woody plant colonization in riparian areas

Fire in riparian areas has the potential to influence the functions riparian vegetation provides to streams and aquatic biota. However, there is little information on the effects of fire on riparian areas. The objectives of the present study were to: (i) determine how fire severity interacts with riparian topographic setting, micro-environmental conditions, and pre-fire community composition to control post-fire regeneration; (ii) determine how riparian regeneration patterns and controls change during early succession; and (iii) determine how critical riparian functions are influenced by and recover after fire. Study locations included the Biscuit Fire in southwestern Oregon and the B&B Complex Fire in the Cascade Mountain Range of west-central Oregon, USA. We measured post-fire woody species regeneration, and measured factors such as fire severity, pre-fire species composition, and stream size as potential factors associated with post-fire regeneration patterns. At a relatively coarse spatial scale, patterns in post-fire colonization were influenced by elevation. At finer spatial scales, both conifer- and hardwood-dominated riparian plant communities were self-replacing, suggesting that each community type tends to occur in specific ecological settings. Abundant post-fire regeneration in riparian areas and the self-replacement of hardwood- and conifer-dominated communities indicate high resilience of these disturbance-adapted plant communities.     

森林水文数学模拟及分析

以安藤长期径流模型为基础,结合森林流域的林冠截持降水、森林土壤蓄水、土壤的饱和及超渗地表径流等特点建立起森林流域径流模型,模拟了林冠截持、林冠和地面的蒸散、渗透和地下水的涵养、直接径流及地下径流的生成等过程。同时将此模型用于比较3个小流域的水文特征并通过两个对比小流域水文特征的比较,分析了森林采伐后因植被变化而带来的水文效应。     

Comparative water use by the riparian trees Melaleuca argentea and Corymbia bella in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia

We examined sources of water and daily and seasonal water use patterns in two riparian tree species occupying contrasting niches within riparian zones throughout the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia: Corymbia bella Hill and Johnson is found along the top of the levee banks and Melaleuca argentea W. Fitzg. is restricted to riversides. Patterns of tree water use (sap flow) and leaf water potential were examined in four trees of each species at three locations along the Daly River in the Northern Territory. Predawn leaf water potential was higher than -0.5 MPa throughout the dry season in both species, but was lower at the end of the dry season than at the beginning of the dry season. Contrary to expectations, predawn leaf water potential was lower in M. argentea trees along the river than in C. bella trees along the levees. In contrast, midday leaf water potential was lower in the C. bella trees than in M. argentea trees. There were no seasonal differences in tree water use in either species. Daily water use was lower in M. argentea trees than in C. bella trees. Whole-tree hydraulic conductance, estimated from the slope of the relationship between leaf water potential and sap flow, did not differ between species. Xylem deuterium concentrations indicated that M. argentea trees along the riverbank were principally reliant on river water or shallow groundwater, whereas C. bella trees along the levee were reliant solely on soil water reserves. This study demonstrated strong gradients of tree water use within tropical riparian communities, with implications for estimating riparian water use requirements and for the management of groundwater resources.