What benefits are provided by and intact riparian zone that includes a forest zone over 100 m wide?

Question

What benefits are provided by and intact riparian zone that includes a forest zone over 100 m wide?

Answer 1

There are benefits as described and more by keeping natural ground cover. The ground cover keeps temperature down in the area by not allowing heat generation. Removing any ground cover will allow solar radiation to scorch the exposed ground. The extreme heat being produced will negatively impact the area and contribute to lower air pressure.

Thermografix Consulting Corporation worked on a pilot study to see if they could accurately measure the temperature of water from the air. The imaging was accurate but the solar impact on exposed riparian areas was generating heat.

Go to http://www.thermoguy.com/globalwarming-h... to see solar impact on buildings and development. There is an image of a cut block further down the page and you will see heat generation with exposed ground. Go to this link to see groundwater imaging and another reason to protect riparian areas. http://www.thermoguy.com/groundwater.htm...

Answer 2

Wow! You don't want much, do you? You can keep silt and both nitrogen and phosphorus out of the streams with a 75 foot buffer on either side of the stream. That's a half of what you are talking about. Farmers are reticent to give up any potentially arable land to buffers and homeowners like to see and hear the babbling brook. It's an uphill battle.