Which of the following is a benefit of having a vegetational buffer strip?

A vegetational buffer strip is a critical ecological feature that provides numerous benefits, primarily focused on water quality enhancement and soil conservation. The primary advantage of such strips is their ability to filter nutrients and silt from runoff water before it enters aquatic systems. This filtering process significantly reduces pollution, helping to mitigate issues like eutrophication, which can lead to excessive algal blooms and degrade water quality.

Vegetational buffer strips achieve this by trapping sediments and absorbing excess nutrients—such as nitrogen and phosphorus—typically derived from agricultural runoff or urban landscapes. By doing so, they help maintain a healthier aquatic ecosystem, thereby protecting fish and other wildlife habitats.

The warmth of water bodies is affected more by the exposure to sunlight and not by the presence of buffer strips, so increasing water temperature would not be a benefit associated with these vegetational barriers. Additionally, while vegetation can provide habitat for certain pests, it primarily serves to support beneficial wildlife rather than attract harmful organisms. Lastly, although buffer strips can contribute to food webs by providing habitat or detritus that support aquatic life, their main function remains the enhancement of water quality by filtering contaminants.