Riparian forest
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A riparian forest or riparian woodland is a forested or wooded area of land adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, pond, lake, marshland, estuary, canal, sink or reservoir. Due to the broad nature of the definition, riparian woodlands have a huge diversity of characteristics including but not limited to soil composition, microclimates, and vegetative structures. [1] However among the varied range and landscapes, one factor stays constant, a high rate of primary productivity. Which makes riparian forests hugely important centers of nutrient recycling.[1]
Etymology
[edit]
The term riparian comes from the Latin word ripa, 'river bank'; technically it refers only to areas adjacent to flowing bodies of water such as rivers, streams, sloughs and estuaries. However, the terms riparian forest and riparian zone have come to include areas adjacent to non-flowing bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, playas and reservoirs.
Characteristics
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Riparian forests are subject to frequent inundation.
Riparian forests help control sediment, reduce the damaging effects of flooding and aid in stabilizing stream banks.
Riparian zones are transition zones between an upland terrestrial environment and an aquatic environment. Organisms found in this zone are adapted to periodic flooding. Many not only tolerate it, but require it in order to maintain health and complete their lifestyles.[2]
Invertebrate communities rely on riparian forests due to their unique characteristics. The constant process of flooding and drought allow for insect communities to flourish since alluvial depositions of nutrients[1] and vital food sources like leaf litter due to their high rate of productivity.[3] These aspects of Riparian forests make them hugely important in the life cycles of invertebrates like insects throughout the world. Decomposers, like the Lepidostoma unicolor, rely on these external nutritional subsidies for food sources. Many decomposers are in their larval stage when they are in alluvial sources of water.[3]
Threats
[edit]Threats to riparian forests:
- Cleared for agricultural use because of the good soil quality
- Historically, trees used as wood fuel for steamships, steam locomotives, etc.[4]
- Urban development (housing, roads, malls, etc.)
- Grazing
- Mining
- Disrupted hydrology, such as dams and levees, which reduces the amount and/or frequency of flooding
- Invasive species
See also
[edit]- Bosque
- Gallery forest
- Management of Pacific Northwest riparian forests
- Riparian zone
- Tugay
- Swamp Oak Forests
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Ramey, Tonya L.; Richardson, John S. (2017-09-01). "Terrestrial Invertebrates in the Riparian Zone: Mechanisms Underlying Their Unique Diversity". BioScience. 67 (9): 808–819. doi:10.1093/biosci/bix078. ISSN 0006-3568.
- ^ Molles, M.C. Jr. (2008). Ecology: Concepts and Applications (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-07-330976-7.
- ^ a b Kominoski, John S.; Larrañaga, Santiago; Richardson, John S. (2012). "Invertebrate feeding and emergence timing vary among streams along a gradient of riparian forest composition". Freshwater Biology. 57 (4): 759–772. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2012.02740.x. ISSN 1365-2427.
- ^ "A Brief History of Riparian Forests in the Central Valley of California" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-09.
External links
[edit]- "Assessing the Need for a Riparian Management System (RiMS)"—Iowa State University Extension Bulletin (2002)
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