Abstract

POSADA POSADA, Martha Isabel  and  ARROYAVE MAYA, María del Pilar. RIPARIAN BUFFERS QUALITY ANALYSIS TO DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION IN LA MIEL BASIN, CALDAS, COLOMBIA. Rev.EIA.Esc.Ing.Antioq [online]. 2015, n.23, pp.117-128. ISSN 1794-1237.

The importance of riparian buffers in the integrity of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems that surround a river is critical, then determining their ecological and environmental quality is becoming increasingly important. The riparian forest quality (QBR) index was studied in order to use it in the basin of an inter-andean tropical river. Since the QBR was developed to assess the riparian forest quality of Mediterranean rivers, it was necessary to adapt it for this application. Fifty sections in each riverside were evaluated along 20 km of the lower basin of the La Miel River, Caldas, Colombia. It was found that 86% of the study area had a non-optimal quality, where the land cover is mainly grass. Only 14% of the area had natural forest with good connectivity. Natural vegetation of the area was characterized, and based on all these results five strategies for ecological restoration were proposed: strip for riverbank protection, agroforestry arrangements, assistance to natural regeneration, enrichment of shrub land covers, and forest conservation.

Keywords : QBR Index; Ecological Quality; Riparian Buffer; Riparian Vegetation; Ecological Restoration.

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