Re-Thinking the Use of Riparian Buffers for Forestry: Implications of Natural Disturbance Emulation as a Management Strategy

Best management practices for forest management operations usually include the application of riparian (shoreline) buffers or restricted-harvest zones around most permanent, and sometimes intermittent, water features. The primary impetus for these riparian buffers has been the protection of fish and fish habitat, although they are increasingly recognized for their value in protecting riparian fauna and their habitats. New forest management guidelines based on emulation of natural disturbance promote some riparian harvesting to increase shoreline habitat complexity in support of biodiversity, but must do so without compromising fish habitat. We provide a theoretical basis and empirical example of intentional shoreline harvesting in riparian buffers of boreal forest streams. We show that riparian harvesting at up to 50% basal area removal 1) simulated shoreline fire disturbance by producing gaps sufficient to cause patches of early-succession regeneration, 2) increased riparian habitat complexity as indicated by shifts in breeding songbird communities, 3) sustained ecological corridor function of the riparian areas as indicated by migrating songbird patterns, and 4) provided protection to streams by retaining effective canopy cover, by mitigating long-term (beyond the first summer) water temperature increases and fine sediment inputs, and by sustaining invertebrate community structure and function on leaf packs.