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Riparian buffer

Mitigation title
Riparian buffer
Image
Description

This nature based solution is based solely on vegetative options for interception and slowing the flow of diffuse water from landscapes. It is a popular type of field boundary management and has the potential to also reduce the amount of polluting fertilisers, pesticides and sediment that reach watercourses by acting as a physical barrier. As well as being effective at preventing loss of soil from fields and regulating crop water supply.

It includes field boundary management interventions such as riparian buffer strips, hedgerow re-establishment, field buffers, etc.

Advantages
  • Biodiversity enhancement
  • Carbon sequestration
  • Natural flood management
  • Supports pollination
  • Potential to link habitats together
Disadvantages
  • Needs to be implemented at large scale for wider benefits
Parameters
  1. Phosphorus
  2. Nitrogen
  3. Sediments
Carbon footprint
  • Acts as a net carbon sink
Time to become effective
  • Once vegetation has been established
Maintenance
  • Seasonal maintenance of vegetation
Performance with time
  • Performance can be kept at optimum with well a well-established maintenance schedule
Scaling considerations

The scaling of this management system is correlated to the extent of each field boundary.

References

Fei Jiang, H. E. (2020). Riparian buffer effectiveness as a function of buffer design and input loads. Journal of Environment Quality.

Hassanzadeh YT, Vidon PG, Gold AJ, Pradhanang SM, Addy Lowder K. (2019). A New Model to Estimate Riparian Water and Air Quality Functions. Water.

Hassanzadeh, Y.T., Vidon, P.G., Gold, A.J., Pradhanang S. M., Addy K. (2019). A new approach to generalizing riparian water and air quality function across regions. Environ Monit Assess.

Ricardo for Herefordshire Council. (2021). Interim Phosphate Delivery Plan Stage 2, Mitigation options for phosphate removal in the Wye Catchment.

Sanjayan Satchithanantham, B. E. (2019). Seasonality of Phosphorus and Nitrate Retention in Riparian Buffers. Agricultural Water Quality in Cold Environment.

University of Kentucky. (n.d.). Planting a Riparian Buffer. 

Young EO, Ross DS, Jaynes DB. (2019). Editorial: Riparian Buffer Nutrient Dynamics and Water Quality. Frontier Environmental Science.