Riparian Restoration
CHAPTER 1: ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY
This chapter suggests a broad interpretation of the riparian ecosystem and its influences. Often riparian ecosystems are described as land and vegetated areas associated with lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands that have complex ecosystems and provide food, lodging, and travel corridors for both aquatic and terrestrial species. It is not limited to delineating riparian ecosystems as being 50 or 100 feet from a river’s edge. Readers are challenged to develop an understanding of the structural and functional characteristics of this type of ecosystem and their key roles in maintaining ecological integrity. See figure 6.
click image for descriptive view
Figure 6—This drawing illustrates how each factor impacts and
influences
the others, thereby strongly influencing
riparian ecosystem health (Ward 1975).
The influences on the riparian ecosystem should be viewed topographically from upstream to downstream, from upslope to downslope, and from subsurface up through the vegetated canopy. This concept is better expressed as the longitudinal, lateral, vertical, and temporal influences. See figure 7.
- The longitudinal
influence extends the length of the stream.
- The lateral influence begins
in the water body and extends through the riparian vegetation, into the
upland forest or dry land vegetation, to the point where overland flow (runoff)
is
initiated.
- The vertical influence extends below the dryseason water table
and through the canopy of mature vegetation. In certain settings, grass
may be the naturally mature vegetation; in others, it may be cacti or scrubby
trees.
- Temporal influences are changes to the riparian ecosystem over time. Riparian ecosystems are not tied to a specific distance from the water’s edge but rather to changes in vegetation type, soil type and moisture availability, and other ecological characteristics. Structural and functional characteristics combine to create ecological integrity for the riparian landscape. If the structure or function is compromised, the consequences will be apparent in the degradation of the area. See figures 8 and 9.
Figure 7—Identifying the riparian ecosystem.
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