Phosphorus retention, erosion protection and farmers' perceptions of riparian buffer zones with grass and natural vegetation: Case studies from South-Eastern Norway.

Phosphorus retention and bank erosion was investigated in two types of buffer zones in cereal fields in Norway: zones used for grass production and zones with natural vegetation. Farmers' views on the two types of buffer zones were collected through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Our results indicate that the grassed buffer zones had higher levels of plant-available phosphorus and lower infiltration rates than the natural ones.