Riparian Buffers Benefit Biodiversity

A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reports that forested riparian buffers on agricultural land lead to greater animal biodiversity. Scientists found that every 10% increase in forest cover adjacent to agricultural land at 47 sites in Central Illinois equated to an additional terrestrial animal species being present at the site. The researchers used environmental DNA metabarcoding to identify terrestrial species present from water samples. They noted that sites with high forest cover featured forest-dependent species not found on sites without forest cover, highlighting the importance of riparian buffers as habitat, in addition to the role they play in stabilizing soil and preventing erosion.

Related ATTRA publication: Agricultural Riparian Areas in Southern Appalachia