Cost of riparian buffer zones: A comparison of hydrologically adapted site‐specific riparian buffers with traditional fixed widths

Abstract

Traditional approaches aiming at protecting surface waters from the negative impacts of forestry often focus on retaining fixed width buffer zones around waterways. While this method is relatively simple to design and implement, it has been criticized for ignoring the spatial heterogeneity of biogeochemical processes and biodiversity in the riparian zone. Alternatively, a variable width buffer zone adapted to site-specific hydrological conditions has been suggested to improve the protection of biogeochemical and ecological functions of the riparian zone. However, little is known about the monetary value of maintaining hydrologically adapted buffer zones compared to the traditionally used fixed width ones. In this study, we created a hydrologically adapted buffer zone by identifying wet areas and groundwater discharge hotspots in the riparian zone. The opportunity cost of the hydrologically adapted riparian buffer zones was then compared to that of the fixed width zones in a meso-scale boreal catchment to determine the most economical option of designing riparian buffers. The results show that hydrologically adapted buffer zones were cheaper per hectare than the fixed width ones when comparing the total cost. This was because the hydrologically adapted buffers included more wetlands and low productive forest areas than the fixed widths. As such, the hydrologically adapted buffer zones allows more effective protection of the parts of the riparian zones that are ecologically and biogeochemically important and more sensitive to disturbances without forest landowners incurring any additional cost than fixed width buffers.

From soil water to surface water – how the riparian zone controls element transport from a boreal forest to a stream

“…If the interpretation that the organic matter is controlling the transport of these elements is correct, that could explain why the studied riparian zone exhibited higher concentrations than the stream. Differences in the content of organic matter in the riparian zone along the stream are known to derive from variations in the topography and the groundwater flow pathways (Tiwari et al, 2016). This hypothesis is also supported by the fact that the TOC concentrations in the riparian zone were higher than in the stream (Fig.…”

“…Furthermore, the riparian zone is gaining increasing recognition as an ecological hotspot (Jansson et al, 2007;Kuglerová et al, 2013;Nilsson et al, 2013). As a consequence, precautions are often taken in modern forestry in order to reduce the deleterious impact of logging on riparian soils (Moore and Richardson, 2012;Kuglerová et al, 2014;Tiwari et al, 2016).…”

Effects of riparian zone buffer widths on vegetation diversity in southern Appalachian headwater catchments

“…In the U.S. and other countries, fixed-width buffers are a common best management practice (BMP) to protect aquatic ecosystems (Blinn and Kilgore, 2001;Cristan et al, 2016); however, variable width buffers using geospatial mapping methods have been suggested in a few studies (Kuglerová et al, 2014;Ågren et al, 2015;Salo et al, 2016;Tiwari et al, 2016). Because they are more difficult to ascertain and apply, variable width buffers have not been widely adopted in U.S. state's BMPs (Schilling, 2016).…”

Management perspectives onAqua incognita: Connectivity and cumulative effects of small natural and artificial streams in boreal forests

“…It is well documented that this is not the case, and in reality riparian functions, biodiversity, hydrology, and biogeochemistry vary at small spatial scales (e.g., Kuglerová et al, , ; Leach et al, ; Sass et al, ). Thus, to better protect streams and save on buffer implementation costs (Tiwari et al, ), we likely need to design buffers that account for the heterogeneity of riparian processes and functions, along longitudinal, lateral, and temporal dimensions.…”