Restoring Nutrient Capture in Forest Herbaceous Layers of the Midwest (Iowa)

Abstract

Much of the natural land cover in the American Midwest has been altered to support intensive agricultural production. One unintended consequence has been excessive nutrient and sediment pollution of waterways (Mitsch et al. 2001). Many remnant natural forests are located between fields and waterways, and restored riparian forest “buffers” have also been added in these landscape positions. These forest remnants and constructed buffers are ideally located to help decrease sediment and nutrient pollution to streams and rivers (e.g., Lee et al. 2003).This was published as Restoring Nutrient Capture in Forest Herbaceous Layers of the Midwest (Iowa) in Ecological Restoration, vol. 28, no. 1, March 2010. © 2010 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. All rights reserved. doi:10.3368/er.28.1.14