Technical Bulletin No. 0631: The Effectiveness of Buffer Strips for Ameliorating Offsite Transport of Sediment, Nutrients, and Pesticides from Silvicultural Operations

Buffer strips are commonly prescribed in Best Management Practice (BMP) documents to mitigate the potential adverse effects of silvicultural practices on adjacent surface waters. The purposes of this review are to: (a) elucidate and discuss the biotic and abiotic processes that operate in buffer strips to reduce potential adverse effects of silviculture, and (b) synthesize research results in current literature to determine the effectiveness of buffer strips in protecting riparian areas, wetlands, and surface waters from the impacts of silvicultural operations.