Increases in soil and woody biomass carbon stocks as a result of rangeland riparian restoration.

Background: Globally, vegetation in riparian zones is frequently the target of restoration efforts because of its importance in reducing the input of eroded sediment and agricultural nutrient runoff to surface waters. Here we examine the potential of riparian zone restoration to enhance carbon sequestration. We measured soil and woody biomass carbon stocks, as well as soil carbon properties, in a long-term chronosequence of 42 streambank revegetation projects in northern California rangelands, varying in restoration age from 1 to 45 years old.

Cumulative impacts of residential rainwater harvesting on stormwater discharge through a peri-urban drainage network.

Green infrastructure and techniques such as rainwater harvesting have been proposed as a means to reduce stormwater discharge in developed areas prone to floods. We examined the effects of rainwater harvesting on discharge cumulatively through the Perdido River drainage network in the US state of Florida, an area prone to routine rainfall-driven nuisance flooding. We considered scenarios where rainwater is stored in parcels with structures that use septic tanks (where tanks are retired and used as cisterns, volume approximately 5.