Final published version
Licence: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Riparian buffers in tropical agriculture
T2 - Scientific support, effectiveness and directions for policy
AU - Luke, S.H.
AU - Slade, E.M.
AU - Gray, C.L.
AU - Annammala, K.V.
AU - Drewer, J.
AU - Williamson, J.
AU - Agama, A.L.
AU - Ationg, M.
AU - Mitchell, S.L.
AU - Vairappan, C.S.
AU - Struebig, M.J.
PY - 2019/1
Y1 - 2019/1
N2 - There is a weak evidence base supporting the effective management of riparian ecosystems within tropical agriculture. Policies to protect riparian buffers—strips of non-cultivated land alongside waterways—are vague and vary greatly between countries. From a rapid evidence appraisal, we find that riparian buffers are beneficial to hydrology, water quality, biodiversity and some ecosystem functions in tropical landscapes. However, effects on connectivity, carbon storage and emissions reduction remain understudied. Riparian functions are mediated by buffer width and habitat quality, but explicit threshold recommendations are rare. Policy implications. A one-size fits all width criterion, commonly applied, will be insufficient to provide all riparian functions in all circumstances. Context-specific guidelines for allocating, restoring and managing riparian buffers are necessary to minimise continued degradation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in tropical agriculture.
AB - There is a weak evidence base supporting the effective management of riparian ecosystems within tropical agriculture. Policies to protect riparian buffers—strips of non-cultivated land alongside waterways—are vague and vary greatly between countries. From a rapid evidence appraisal, we find that riparian buffers are beneficial to hydrology, water quality, biodiversity and some ecosystem functions in tropical landscapes. However, effects on connectivity, carbon storage and emissions reduction remain understudied. Riparian functions are mediated by buffer width and habitat quality, but explicit threshold recommendations are rare. Policy implications. A one-size fits all width criterion, commonly applied, will be insufficient to provide all riparian functions in all circumstances. Context-specific guidelines for allocating, restoring and managing riparian buffers are necessary to minimise continued degradation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in tropical agriculture.
KW - biodiversity
KW - conservation set-aside
KW - ecosystem function
KW - environmental policy
KW - riparian corridor
KW - riparian reserve
KW - river
KW - water quality
U2 - 10.1111/1365-2664.13280
DO - 10.1111/1365-2664.13280
M3 - Journal article
VL - 56
SP - 85
EP - 92
JO - Journal of Applied Ecology
JF - Journal of Applied Ecology
SN - 0021-8901
IS - 1
ER -