Vegetated Buffer Strip Efficacy for Phosphorus Reduction in a Cold Climate Agricultural Watershed
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Date
2018-12
Authors
Vanrobaeys, Jason
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Abstract
A vegetated buffer strip (VBS) is a common measure implemented in agricultural landscapes to improve water quality. However, much of the evidence to support their effectiveness comes from warm regions dominated by rainfall driven runoff. This study assessed the performance of VBS plots and compared them to annual crop strips to reduce phosphorus (P) levels in runoff in the cold climate of the Canadian prairies. Analysis of water samples from 22 events during the study indicated no significant difference in the inflow and outflow concentrations of total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) or total phosphorus (TP) for either the VBS or the annual crop strips. While the VBS plots had little effect on TDP or TP during the spring, they performed better during the growing season reducing mean TP concentrations in five out of seven, or 71%, of these events. The VBS plots did not perform as well during the fall events, with the overall mean TP concentration in runoff increasing after flowing through the buffers during this time period. Although mean soil P levels in the VBS plots increased over the course of the study, the difference was not statistically significant. Vegetation within the VBS represents a substantial pool of P, with the harvestable portion containing 3.33 kg/ha of TP and the post-harvest plant residues containing 1.71 kg/ha of TP.
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Keywords
Vegetated filter strips, phosphorus, vegetated buffers, water quality, Cold climate, runoff