Riparian Forest Buffers: Linking Land and Water. The Chesapeake Bay Riparian211 Forest Buffer Initiative

摘要

Research has shown that riparian forests provide a wealth of beneficial211u001eecological functions which, in the Bay watershed, translate downstream into a 211u001ehealthier Bay. Conserved and managed as buffers, riparian vegetation can 211u001edramatically reduce the impacts of land use activities. Lowering harmful 211u001econcentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediments from agricultural and urban 211u001eareas is a primary focus of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Finding ways to reduce 211u001ethe amount of these nutritients that enter the Bay and its rivers while enhancing 211u001ehabitat critical to the Bay's living resources is essential. Streamside forest 211u001ebuffers provide one common sense solution.