Data Resolution and Scale of Land Use Data Alter the Ability to Predict the Benefits of Riparian Buffers on Fish Populations

Forested riparian buffers are a best management practice used in stream restoration projects that provide shade, bind soil under tree roots, and trap nutrients moving in from nearby landscapes. Land use datasets are being used to prioritize stream segments for stream restoration based on the existing abundance of forest cover on the bank. Streams across a wide range of land uses and water quality impairments have been selected at 27 sites. Each site has been electro-fished by 100-m reaches. Stream corridors in ArcGIS were created at 11-m, 100-m, and 500-m buffer areas that extend 1000-m upstream from the electro-fishing origin point. Multivariate statistical analyses were conducted in R. The Chesapeake Conservancy 500 meter corridors showed the best correlations between the 4 fish variables (all fish, trout per 100m2, fish per 100m2 and lithophilic per 100m2). All of these variables showed the best relationships with either forested or suburban surrounding landscapes