RIPARIAN BUFFER

We are investigating under which conditions riparian buffers strips can efficiently retain nutrients from diffuse sources and whether riparian forests can stimulate the in-stream nutrient uptake capacity through the provision of organic carbon. For this purpose, we are performing field experiments and we are analyzing sediment samples from reaches with and without riparian buffers regarding phosphorus concentrations and adsorption capacities. Furthermore, we are investigating the effects of particulate organic matter on the uptake of reactive inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus by autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial communities and quantifying the effects of temperature on these dependencies.