2016/04/06 by AO Hughes, Andrew O. Hughes
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes #Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics #Soil erosion and sediment transport
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/00288330.2015.1116449
openalex publication_date 2016/04/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
ABSTRACT Improvements in riparian management, such as shrub/tree planting and livestock exclusion, are often assumed to result in reduced stream bank erosion and associated catchment sediment yield. Studies that quantify the effectiveness of riparian interventions aimed at reducing bank erosion and river sediment yields are, however, rare. This paper discusses how bank erosion processes can vary throughout catchments (with particular reference to their scale dependence) and hence how the effectiveness of different riparian interventions can be variable. The findings of known published accounts of the effectiveness of riparian management interventions for reducing stream bank erosion in New Zealand are also summarised. Only nine relevant studies were identified and most used qualitative or semi‐quantitative analysis methods. Most studies compared stream banks in pasture catchments (with unlimited livestock access) with stream banks where livestock were excluded and riparian shrubs/trees were present. Many studies reported that managed stream banks were in better condition than unmanaged banks. The exclusion of livestock from riparian areas was generally reported as the principal factor in the measured improvements or differences. Only two studies specifically attributed reduced stream bank erosion to the presence of riparian vegetation. The dearth of research identified here highlights the need for further quantitative studies to determine the effectiveness of riparian management measures for reducing bank erosion.