This recently published article in the journal Carbon Balance and Management suggests that restoring riparian buffers to mature forests not only functions to improve water quality in waterways by reducing sediment and nutrient input, but also reduces atmospheric CO2. The authors also emphasize the significance of headwater interfaces regarding water quality.
“Headwater riparian zones are particularly important hotspots for influencing water quality because 90% of the interface between uplands and aquatic systems occurs in headwater reaches. This makes headwater reaches the major recipient of nonpoint source pollution in agricultural landscapes.”