A buffer strip is an area of land which is either left uncultivated or planted with perennial grasses, shrubs and trees. Planting strips or alleys of perennial biomass crops on existing agricultural land can provide a number of important benefits in terms of flood management, soil recovery and improvements in biodiversity, in addition to providing a harvestable resource. Wider adoption could help better manage landscapes to be more resilient to the effects of climate change, mitigate flood risk, and reduce the environmental impacts of intensive agriculture.

Biomass Buffer Zones Factsheet

Download the Biomass Buffer Zones Factsheet [PDF – 1MB]

Find Out More

If you want to find out more about biomass buffer strips then read the full Technical article by Dr. Edward Hodgson. It includes sections on how buffer strips are used, the main functions of buffer strips, the perennial crops that are bested suited for use in biomass buffers and the different types of buffer strips, along with links to research papers, videos and government documents on biomass buffer strips. You can read and download the technical article here: Biomass Buffer Strips – using biomass crops in multipurpose land management.