Project Page Views: [ 798 ]
Project Metadata Element | Details |
Project Title | Forestry and Environment Impacts Addressing Water Quality and Biodiversity - Forestry and the Potential for Surface Water Acidification |
Research Area | Water |
Project Acronym | |
Principal Investigator or Lead Irish Partner | Paul Giller |
Lead Institution or Organisation | University College Cork (UCC) |
Lead Country | Ireland |
Latitude, Longitude (of Lead Institution) | 51.89348, -8.49206 |
Lead Funding Entity | Environmental Protection Agency |
Approximate Project Start Date | 01/12/2001 |
Approximate Project Finishing Date | 01/10/2005 |
Project Website (if any) | |
Links to other Web-based resources | |
Project Keywords | Forestry; Environmental Impacts; Water Quality; Acidification |
Project Abstract | This study forms part of the Environmental Protection Agencies Environmental RTDI Programme 2000-2006 (Phase 1) on large-scale integrated projects and is entitled Forestry and Environment Impacts addressing Water Quality and Biodiversity (Ref. 2000-LS-3-M2). The project was funded by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and COFORD (the National Council for Forest Research and Development). The main aim of the large-scale project was to provide information on the interactions between forests and forest operations and the natural environment in order to assist in policy formulation. The large-scale project was focused on the relationships between forestry and biodiversity, forestry and water quality, forestry and soils, and forestry and climate change. The current work package was a six week desk study to collect and collate literature and produce a literature review on the effectiveness of buffer strips in the mitigation of acidification of stream waters in afforested catchments. This review is an essential preliminary study in order to provide the necessary background information for tasks outlined in Work Package 3 which proposes to experimentally assess the efficacy of buffer strips and their management as a means of reducing acidification. The work in this review was assisted by site visits to England (Forestry Commission, Alice Holt) and Wales (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor) for a separate project (Project 3.2.1, Liming Study) in which the reviewers were also involved. The role of buffer strips in land management is to provide an undisturbed area of land adjacent to streams to act as a 'filter' for sediments and other stream pollutants, to protect the stream from direct insolation when planted with deciduous vegetation and to provide areas of undisturbed habitat (Bren, 1998). Buffer strips may be referred to as vegetated filter strips, emphasising their filtering function (Castelle et al., 1994). They control erosion by blocking the flow of sediment, by stabilising banks and by promoting infiltration (Castelle et al., 1994). Buffer strips have been found to be useful in the control of soil and sediment erosion in both forested and agricultural catchments (Lynch et al., 1985; Castelle et al., 1994; Swift and Norton, 1993; Dilliha and Inandar, 1997). Buffer strips have been found to be effective in the control of non-point nutrient inputs from agricultural land to surface waters (Castelle et al., 1994). However, Osborne and Kovacic (1993) note that they are not as effective in reducing nutrient load in fields with artificial drainage. Buffer strips may also play a role in limiting contamination of waters by pesticides (Gril et al., 1997; Harris and Forster, 1997) and have been shown to have a significant impact on the microclimate of streams (Castelle et al., 1994; Dong et al., 1998). In addition, as they encompass part or all of the riparian zone, they can act as wildlife corridors and are often an area of high species richness (Naiman and Decamps, 1997; UK Forestry Commission, 2000).Buffer strips are commonly recommended to control sediment loss in commercial forestry operations (Irish Forest Service, 2000a; UK Forestry Commission, 2000). Belt et al. (1992) reviewed literature on buffer strip effectiveness in forested catchments. They stated that scientists were at different stages in their understanding of the functions provided by buffer strips at that time, including their use as sediment and nutrient traps. They reported that in mountainous terrain, water regularly moves through buffer strips as channelised flow and less frequently as overland flow, thus by-passing the effect of the buffer strip. However, many studies have reported that buffer strips are an effective means of controlling sediment loss during forestry operations (e.g. Aubertin and Patric, 1974; Lynch et al., 1985; Swift and Norton, 1993). Lynch et al. (1985) estimated that a 30 m buffer between logging activity and wetlands and streams removed 75-80% of the suspended sediment load in a forested watershed in the United States. Swift and Norton (1993) also reported that buffer strips were effective in reducing suspended sediment loads in a forested catchment in Dalmellington, Scotland. Their effectiveness was found to be influenced by soil type and buffer zone vegetation. Peaty debris, which has a low density, was found to be less likely to settle out unless trapped by vegetation (Swift and Norton, 1993). Mineral soils were more readily erodible and provided a greater contaminant load. This study forms part of the Environmental Protection Agencies Environmental RTDI Programme 2000-2006 (Phase 1) on large-scale integrated projects and is entitled Forestry and Environment Impacts addressing Water Quality and Biodiversity (Ref. 2000-LS-3-M2). The project was funded by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and COFORD (the National Council for Forest Research and Development). The main aim of the large-scale project was to provide information on the interactions between forests and forest operations and the natural environment in order to assist in policy formulation. The large-scale project was focused on the relationships between forestry and biodiversity, forestry and water quality, forestry and soils, and forestry and climate change. The current work package was a six week desk study to collect and collate literature and produce a literature review on the effectiveness of buffer strips in the mitigation of acidification of stream waters in afforested catchments. This review is an essential preliminary study in order to provide the necessary background information for tasks outlined in Work Package 3 which proposes to experimentally assess the efficacy of buffer strips and their management as a means of reducing acidification. The work in this review was assisted by site visits to England (Forestry Commission, Alice Holt) and Wales (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor) for a separate project (Project 3.2.1, Liming Study) in which the reviewers were also involved.Role of buffer stripsThe role of buffer strips in land management is to provide an undisturbed area of land adjacent to streams to act as a filter for sediments and other stream pollutants, to protect the stream from direct insolation when planted with deciduous vegetation and to provide areas of undisturbed habitat (Bren, 1998). Buffer strips may be referred to as vegetated filter strips, emphasising their filtering function (Castelle et al., 1994). They control erosion by blocking the flow of sediment, by stabilising banks and by promoting infiltration (Castelle et al., 1994). Buffer strips have been found to be useful in the control of soil and sediment erosion in both forested and agricultural catchments (Lynch et al., 1985; Castelle et al., 1994; Swift and Norton, 1993; Dilliha and Inandar, 1997). Buffer strips have been found to be effective in the control of non-point nutrient inputs from agricultural land to surface waters (Castelle et al., 1994). However, Osborne and Kovacic (1993) note that they are not as effective in reducing nutrient load in fields with artificial drainage. Buffer strips may also play a role in limiting contamination of waters by pesticides (Gril et al., 1997; Harris and Forster, 1997) and have been shown to have a significant impact on the microclimate of streams (Castelle et al., 1994; Dong et al., 1998). In addition, as they encompass part or all of the riparian zone, they can act as wildlife corridors and are often an area of high species richness (Naiman and Decamps, 1997; UK Forestry Commission, 2000).Buffer strips are commonly recommended to control sediment loss in commercial forestry operations (Irish Forest Service, 2000a; UK Forestry Commission, 2000). Belt et al. (1992) reviewed literature on buffer strip effectiveness in forested catchments. They stated that scientists were at different stages in their understanding of the functions provided by buffer strips at that time, including their use as sediment and nutrient traps. They reported that in mountainous terrain, water regularly moves through buffer strips as channelised flow and less frequently as overland flow, thus by-passing the effect of the buffer strip. However, many studies have reported that buffer strips are an effective means of controlling sediment loss during forestry operations (e.g. Aubertin and Patric, 1974; Lynch et al., 1985; Swift and Norton, 1993). Lynch et al. (1985) estimated that a 30 m buffer between logging activity and wetlands and streams removed 75-80% of the suspended sediment load in a forested watershed in the United States. Swift and Norton (1993) also reported that buffer strips were effective in reducing suspended sediment loads in a forested catchment in Dalmellington, Scotland. Their effectiveness was found to be influenced by soil type and buffer zone vegetation. Peaty debris, which has a low density, was found to be less likely to settle out unless trapped by vegetation (Swift and Norton, 1993). Mineral soils were more readily erodible and provided a greater contaminant load. |