Riparian buffers are the primary tool in forest management for protecting the habitat structure and function of streams. They help protect against biogeochemical perturbation, filter sediments and nutrients, prevent erosion, contribute food to aquatic organisms, regulate light and hence water temperature, contribute deadwood, and preserve biodiversity. However, in production forests of Sweden and Finland, many headwater streams have been straightened, ditched, and/or channelized, resulting in altered hydrology and reduced natural disturbance by floods, which in turn affects important riparian functions. Furthermore, in even-aged management systems as practiced in much of Fennoscandia, understory trees have usually been cleared right up to the stream’s edge during thinning operations, especially around small, headwater streams. Fire suppression has further favored succession towards shade tolerant species. In the regions within Fennoscandia that have experienced this combination of intensive management and lack of natural disturbance, riparian zones are now dominated by single-storied, native Norway spruce. When the adjacent forest is cut, thin (5 - 15m) conifer-dominated riparian buffers are typically left. These buffers do not provide the protection and subsidies, in terms of leaf litter quality, needed to maintain water quality or support riparian or aquatic biodiversity. Based on a literature review, we found compelling evidence that the ecological benefits of multi-layered, mixed-species riparian forest with a large component of broadleaved species are higher than what is now commonly found in the managed stands of Fennoscandia. To improve the functionality of riparian zones, and hence the protection of streams in managed forest landscapes, we present some basic principles that could be used to enhance the ecological function of these interfaces. These management actions should be prioritized on streams and streamside stands that have been affected by simplification either through forest management or hydrological modification. Key to these principles is the planning and managing of buffer zones as early as possible in the rotation to ensure improved function throughout the rotation cycle and not only at final felling. This is well in line with EU and national legislation which can be interpreted as requiring landscape planning at all forest ages to meet biodiversity and other environmental goals. However, it is still rare that planning for conservation is done other than at the final felling stage. Implementing this new strategy is likely to have long-term positive effects and improve the protection of surface waters from negative forestry effects and a history of fire suppression. By following these suggested management principles, there will be a longer time period with high function and greater future management flexibility in addition to the benefits provided by leaving riparian buffers at the final felling stage.

河岸缓冲带是森林管理中保护生境结构和溪流功能的主要工具。它们有助于防止生物地球化学干扰，过滤沉积物和养分，防止侵蚀，为水生生物提供食物，调节光照并因此调节水温，促进枯木和保护生物多样性。但是，在瑞典和芬兰的生产林中，许多水源河被拉直，开沟和/或渠道化，导致水文状况发生变化，洪水造成的自然干扰减少，进而影响了重要的河岸功能。此外，在芬诺斯坎迪亚大部地区实行的平均管理系统中，通常在疏伐作业期间，尤其是在小的源头溪流附近，清除林下树木直至溪流的边缘。抑制火灾进一步有利于继承耐荫树种。在芬诺斯堪的亚地区，经历了集约化管理和缺乏自然干扰的这种结合，沿岸带地区现在以挪威的单层云杉为主。当相邻的森林被砍伐时，通常会留下薄薄的（5-15m）以针叶树为主的河岸缓冲带。这些缓冲液不能提供维持水质或支持河岸或水生生物多样性所需的落叶质量方面的保护和补贴。根据文献综述，我们发现了令人信服的证据，即具有大量阔叶树种成分的多层混合物种河岸森林的生态效益比现在在芬诺斯堪地亚的受管理林分中普遍存在的生态效益要高。为了改善河岸带的功能性，从而保护受管理森林景观中的溪流，我们提出了一些基本原则，可用于增强这些界面的生态功能。这些管理措施应优先考虑因森林管理或水文改良而受到简化影响的溪流和溪流林分。这些原则的关键是在旋转过程中尽早规划和管理缓冲区，以确保在整个旋转周期中（不仅是在最终采伐时）改善功能。这完全符合欧盟和国家立法，可以解释为要求所有森林年龄的景观规划都必须达到生物多样性和其他环境目标。然而，除了最后的采伐阶段外，很少有保护计划的制定。实施这项新策略可能会产生长期的积极影响，并改善对地表水的保护，使其免受负面的林业影响和灭火历史。通过遵循这些建议的管理原则，除了将河岸缓冲带留在最后的采伐阶段所带来的好处之外，还将具有较长的时间段，具有较高的功能和未来更大的管理灵活性。