Riparian Zone

Abstract

The word “riparian” is derived from the Latin word “riparius,” meaning of or belonging to the bank of a river. “Riparian zone” refers to a broader zone spanning from the riverbank to the floodplains; it occasionally includes hill slopes that may influence the stream ecosystem. The term can also be used to describe wetlands and lakeshores. In this article, however, the discussion is confined to areas associated with stream/river courses, although some principles are applicable to other riparian ecosystems and their management. A riparian zone extends from headwater streams to lowland rivers (longitudinally), from surface waters to groundwater (vertically), and from stream banks to hillside slopes (transversely). A riparian zone consists of diverse, dynamic, and complex biophysical landscape elements that provide essential habitats for various terrestrial and aquatic organisms in all or specific stages of their life cycles. Thus, biodiversity in a riparian zone is generally higher than in upland ecosystems, and riparian habitat specialists increase the entire regional biodiversity (gamma diversity) at the watershed scale. Ecological functions (or ecosystem services) of the riparian zone have been studied since the early 1970s. Appropriate riparian buffer width has also been discussed with respect to creating guidelines for stream conservation. Currently, a riparian zone is defined as an aquatic and terrestrial interface or ecotone, emphasizing its ecological functions. Productive riparian forests have been harvested for timber production in headwater basins and deforested by farmland development and cattle grazing in alluvial floodplains. Additionally, riparian forests have been removed for channelization and road construction, which decreases buffering and shading effects. As a result, sediment, fertilizers, pesticides, and other contaminants pollute streams and rivers, which also experience increases in water temperature. These abiotic changes collectively exert detrimental effects on fish and other aquatic organisms. Today, the riparian zone is recognized as a key ecotone for watershed management; therefore, the conservation and restoration of these zones are discussed in the context of ecosystem management at the landscape level.

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Identifiers

DOI

10.1093/obo/9780199363445-0007

Journal

Environmental Science

Year

2014