Table 1 Land-use practices at four locations in the farm and their physical characteristics. During the experimental design stage, two out of the four transects were considered as replicates for the 3-year-old reforested riparian (RR) and the corresponding cropland (CP) and bare riparian (BR) land-uses for this time-period. Similarly, the other two transects for the 6-year-old RR, and the corresponding CP, and BR land-uses

6 yr-cropland-1

Wheat-pasture rotation, now in pasture phase

6 yr-reforested riparian-1

~ 3% downslope, ~ 230 m from 6 yr-bare riparian-1

< 5 m away from creek bank

Well re-established forest, 5–10-m-tall, thick litter on ground

6 yr-bare riparian-1

~ 3% downslope, ~ 164 m from 6 yr-cropland-1

< 5 m from creek bank

6 yr-cropland-2

~ 5–10% midslope, ~ 150 m from 6 yr reforested riparian-2

< 10 m away from the creek bank

Wheat-pasture rotation, now in wheat phase

6 yr-reforested riparian-2

Relatively flat, ~ 165 m from 6 yr bare riparian-2

< 5 m away from creek bank

Well-established 5–10-m-tall stand, thick litter on ground

6 yr-bare riparian-2

Relatively flat

< 5 m away from creek bank

3 yr-cropland-1

~ 10% midslope, ~ 146 m from 3 yr reforested riparian

~ 100 m from creek bank

Wheat-pasture rotation, now in pasture phase

3 yr-reforested riparin-1

< 2% downslope

< 5 m away from creek bank

Not so well established < 5 m tall stand

3 yr-cropland-2

~ 10% midslope, ~ 550 m from 3 yr-cropland-1

~ 50 m from creek bank

Wheat-pasture rotation, now in pasture phase

3 yr-reforested riparian-2

< 3% downslope, ~ 170 m from 3 yr-cropland-2

< 5 m away from creek bank

Not so well-established 5-m-tall stand, thick litter

3 yr-bare riparin-2

< 3% downslope, ~ 90 m from 3 yr reforested riparian-2

< 5 m away from creek bank