Riparian buffers are commonly used to mitigate the effect of logging on aquatic ecosystems, but there is little experimental evidence regarding the effectiveness of buffers of different widths.  We tested the effect of forestry buffers ranging from 60-198m in average width on lacustrine zooplankton communities (lake areas 2-18ha).  The experiment was Before-After-Control-Impact-designed, with 3 years of pre- (2002-2004) and post-logging (2005-2007) data, for 11 control and 10 treatment lakes.  We tested the effect of buffer width on zooplankton densities using repeated-measures MANOVA and variation partitioning. 

Results/Conclusions

The buffer-by-time interaction had a significant effect on zooplankton densities, but explained only 1% of the community variation; lake area and water chemistry explained 13%, with the strongest explanatory variables being DOC, Ca²⁺, pH, and Al³⁺.  This study provides the first experimental evidence that buffers 60-198m-wide perform equally well in the mitigation of potential logging effects on zooplankton communities in boreal forest lakes.