Pearce et al. conducted a two year study to evaluate the effect of riparian vegetation on sediment filtration from overland flow. Studies were conducted in two riparian vegetation communities (grass and sedge) where three vegetation height treatments: unclipped, clipped to 10 cm, and clipped to soil surface, were implemented. A rotating boom rainfall simulator was used to spray water on two macro-plots (3 m X 10 m) and two micro plots (0.6 m X 2 m); the simulated rainfall was applied at about 60 mm per hr and two sediment sources were used to introduce sediment into the overland flow created by the rainfall simulator. The micro-plots yielded more and were more sensitive to community and treatment differences than the larger plots (a result attributed to a shorter travel distance), however sediment yields did not increase or decrease as vegetation heights increased. Regardless of vegetation height or vegetation community at least 98% of the introduced sediment remained in the macro-plots, and 94% in the micro-plots showing that riparian buffer strips are effective sediment filters.
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