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The Streams
Buck Run
Doe Run
Buck & Doe Run
East Branch White Clay Creek
Middle Branch White Clay Creek
West Branch White Clay Creek
Big Elk Creek
Pocopson Creek
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Stroud Scientists have completed a comprehensive analysis and comparison of 16 paired woodland and meadowland streams that strongly support restoration of streamside forests
The study – which was spearheaded by Stroud with the collaboration of Penn State University, the University of Delaware and the Academy of Natural Sciences – is documented in a 46-page report plus tables and charts for the National Science Foundation and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The results show that woodland buffers make streams wider and shallower than their meadow equivalents. They further show that the extra width enhances the stream's biological systems that keep the water clean by digesting nutrients and other potential pollutants.
As the report analysis puts it, "It now has been shown in this study that increasing the amount of benthic area (habitat) per unit channel length via streamside reforestation can greatly enhance overall stream ecosystem activity (i.e. biological community structure and biomass, bio-geochemical function, etc)."
In addition to the detailed study of the streams, the landowners were interviewed and surveyed to assess their attitudes and land-use practices.
The ultimate goal, according to the report, was to bring both the natural and social science components into focus for policy makers and regulatory agencies. |
