Effects Of Wildlife Habitat Buffers On Runoff Water Quality In An Agricultural Landscape.

Several USDA conservation programs are promoting the conversion of cropland to non-agricultural use.  One of these practices involves establishment of buffers planted with native species to attract wildlife.  While the primary purpose of the buffer area is to provide habitat for wildlife, it may also serve as a barrier to inhibit runoff from adjacent cropland.  Quail buffers were established in a Mississippi Delta agricultural watershed, Sunflower County, MS, in Spring 2007, adjacent to row crops.  Edge-of-field runoff water quality from buffers was assessed by instrumenting row crop catchments that included buffers (Buff) and comparing runoff from row crop catchments with no buffers (No-Buff).  Average runoff from No-Buff sites was greater than that from Buff catchments (339 m³ ha^-1 vs. 294 m³ ha^-1.  Suspended solids loads in runoff averaged 1709 kg ha^-1 for No-Buff as compared to that of Buff areas (209 kg ha^-1).  Similar trends were observed for average TKN and TP loss in runoff: TKN 1.24 and 0.84 kg ha^-1; and TP 0.60 and 0.32 kg ha^-1; for No-Buff and Buff, respectively.  For both No-Buff and Buff, dissolved TKN loss in runoff was greater than that of particulate-bound TKN (660 kg ha^-1 dissolved TKN, 396 kg ha^-1 particulate-TKN), while the opposite trend occurred for TP (143 kg ha^-1 dissolved TP, 334 kg ha^-1 particulate-TP).