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steeplands. In: RR Ziemer, CL O’Loughlin and LS Hamilton (eds.) Research Needs and Applications to Reduce Erosion and
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328-337.
Abstract:
This paper discusses various aspects of the
design and costs of riparian protection zones in the
humid steeplands of the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto
Rico. This riparian community is dominated by
successional species and can be protected without large
losses in commercial timber. However, the cost of
buffers increases geometrically as smaller order
channels are buffered. Generally the costs associated
with protecting intermittent streams is prohibitive in
this highly dissected terrain. Depending on the design
criteria used, protection zones along perennial streams
can include between 5 and 20% of the commercial basal
area while protecting 9 to 25% of the watersheds area.