Riparian Forest Buffers

Ancient Forests act as buffer zones that protect our water supply, land and wildlife.

• Riparian forest buffers help control the rate and volume of water flowing in streams and rivers, greatly influencing flood levels. Water flowing through a riparian forest is slowed by the vegetation, leaf litter, and porous soils found there.
  

• The leaf litter acts as a filtration system by capturing sediment from upland runoff. This action also helps to filter out phosphorous bonded to sediment particles. Sediments, and any nutrient which may be bonded to them, become part of the forest soil rather than clouding our waterways.
  

• Chemical and biological processes of the forest remove nutrients, such as phosphorous and nitrogen, and store them in the soil or as plant tissue. Pesticides are also converted to nontoxic compounds by various chemical and microbial activities within the forest. This helps to protect fish, which are most threatened by pesticide pollution.
  

• Riparian forest soils act as areas of water storage. Plants take up water into their tissues and release it into the atmosphere.
  

• Riparian forests provide food and habitat for a variety of terrestrial wildlife and serve as safe corridors for movement between habitats. Habitat conversion and fragmentation have reduced wildlife habitat and limited the ability of animals to move between existing habitats. Riparian forests provide for both these needs.
  

• Riparian forest buffers offer recreation to fishermen, birders, hikers, canoeists, and picnickers. The diversity of habitats and life and the scenic beauty provided by riparian forests can be enjoyed by many people in so many different ways.3