Which term describes a strip of vegetation that slows runoff and filters pollutants?

Which term describes a strip of vegetation that slows runoff and filters pollutants?

• A. Vegetative buffer
• B. Riparian zone
• C. Grass strip
• D. Buffer barrier

Answer: (A)

A vegetative buffer is a strip of vegetation designed to slow runoff and filter pollutants. The plants and soil in this strip increase surface roughness, which reduces water velocity so more water infiltrates rather than washing away sediment. As runoff passes through the buffer, sediment, nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, and other pollutants are trapped or taken up by plants and microbes in the soil. This helps protect nearby water bodies from nonpoint source pollution. A riparian zone is the broader area along a waterway that includes vegetation and habitat, not just a designed filtering strip. A grass strip could be part of a buffer, but the standard term for the pollutant-filtering strip is a vegetative buffer. A buffer barrier isn’t the typical terminology used for this practice.

A vegetative buffer is a strip of vegetation designed to slow runoff and filter pollutants. The plants and soil in this strip increase surface roughness, which reduces water velocity so more water infiltrates rather than washing away sediment. As runoff passes through the buffer, sediment, nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, and other pollutants are trapped or taken up by plants and microbes in the soil. This helps protect nearby water bodies from nonpoint source pollution. A riparian zone is the broader area along a waterway that includes vegetation and habitat, not just a designed filtering strip. A grass strip could be part of a buffer, but the standard term for the pollutant-filtering strip is a vegetative buffer. A buffer barrier isn’t the typical terminology used for this practice.