By Rachel Holt
A healthy stream thrives when its waters are cool, clear, and free of erosion and pollution. Riparian buffers are guardians of streams. Corridors of trees, grasses and shrubs, and fences safeguard waterways while serving as a transitional zone between aquatic and upland ecosystems.
Maximizing Riparian Benefits Through a Mixed Species Approach
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) defines two main types of riparian buffers: forest and herbaceous. To maximize habitat quality, these two often go hand in hand.
Forest buffers incorporate trees to stabilize stream banks, reduce erosion and provide shade that cools water, creating thermal refuge for aquatic species. Herbaceous buffers provide an additional layer of protection. Consisting of native grasses and shrubs, their root systems capture and filter contaminants from runoff.
Morgan Harris, Hellbender Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) Coordinator with the Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech, helps private landowners implement practices like riparian buffers through the WLFW partnership–– a USDA effort that boosts land productivity while improving wildlife habitat. This win-win strategy addresses landowner needs, mitigates natural hazards and enhances aquatic ecosystems for species, such as the eastern hellbender salamander.
Creating a Diverse Patchwork of Habitat for Varied Species Through the Strength of Both Buffers
Apart from their stabilizing and filtering capabilities, riparian buffers serve as wildlife habitats for a suite of species. As a transitional zone, the feathered edges of an herbaceous buffer can create an ideal early successional habitat, which is favorable for many ground-nesting birds, including quail. In return, cleaner water resulting from the buffer will benefit a myriad of aquatic life, including amphibians, fish and vegetation.
Source : usda.gov