Segment-based assessment of riparian buffers on stream water quality improvement by applying an integrated model

Chengfu Zhang, Sheng Li, Rob C. Jamieson and Fan-Rui Meng

Ecological Modelling, 2017, vol. 345, issue C, 1-9

Abstract: As Best Management Practices, Riparian buffers are crucial to reduce pollutant loadings from upland area to streams. While fixed-width riparian buffer zones are relatively simple to be designed and implemented, variable-width buffer zones have the benefit to protect biogeochemical and ecological functions of riparian zones. With the variation of width, vegetation type, and topography, the filtering function of the riparian buffers could be varied from segment to segment along a stream. The developed REMM-SWAT interface could be used to assess riparian buffer zones at a segment level. This interface could obtain characteristics of each buffer segment and generate upland water and pollutants input, simulated with SWAT model, for each segment. From the modelling, the contribution of each segment in reducing sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus varied drastically from one to another. The maximum reduction of runoff, sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus for unit riparian buffer length was 3.83mm m-1 yr-1, 202.4kg m-1 yr-1, 1.01kg m-1 yr-1, and 132.49g m-1 yr-1, respectively. The minimum reduction of these pollutants was zero as there was no buffer drainage area for some buffer segments. As riparian buffers have numerous functions, the design of the buffers should comprehensively consider each of its function. This developed software could be applied as an assistant tool with other riparian buffer tools for varied-species and −width riparian buffer zones design.

Keywords: SWAT; REMM; Integration; Sediment; Nitrogen; Phosphorus (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030438001630758X
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:345:y:2017:i:c:p:1-9

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2016.12.005

Access Statistics for this article

Ecological Modelling is currently edited by Brian D. Fath

More articles in Ecological Modelling from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().