The Influence of Shoreline Residential Development on Riparian and Littoral Habitats in the Belgrade Lakes of Maine

Residential development of lake shoreland can be accomplished with minimal negative impact to riparian and littoral habitat complexity, biological diversity, lake water quality, and general ecosystem health by using landscaping best practices. Preserving a heterogeneous and stratified vegetated buffer along the shoreline helps reduce erosion and nutrient runoff. In our study, we compared characteristics of undisturbed reference, developed but buffered, and developed but unbuffered properties along shorelines of three lakes in the Belgrade Lakes region of south central Maine, USA. Features of riparian habitats associated with reference and buffered developed sites were generally more similar to each other than to unbuffered developed sites. Significantly less shading along the shoreline, fewer trees and tall shrubs in buffer areas, and narrower buffer strips along the shoreline occurred on unbuffered developed sites compared to buffered developed sites. The degree of substrate embeddedness, aufwuchs cover, and amount of woody structure were more similar for littoral habitats adjacent to undeveloped reference and buffered developed sites than for unbuffered developed sites. These findings represent important validation for the use of landscaping best management practices that mimic natural landscape patterns to minimize the influence of shoreland residential development on lake ecosystem health. These practices should be promoted by lake protection programs and communicated to shoreline property owners.