Riparian Restoration
CHAPTER 1: ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY (CONTINUED)
Structure and Function
Riparian ecosystems provide the most important link between upland forests and aquatic habitats and have a unique array of functions. See figures 10 and 11.
Figure 10—The area that drains into a lake is made up of
one or more
watersheds. The
riparian ecosystem that
surrounds
a lake protects and promotes water quality,
aquatic
ecosystem health, and shore stability.
Figure 11—Typical mixed hardwood and conifer riparian ecosystem.
Canopies of large trees (structure) mesh to create a microclimate that functions to cool the riparian ecosystem, lower water temperatures, and shelter wet areas. In the absence of trees, low-growing plants and grasses provide shade as do undercut banks. See figure 12. Canopies of riparian forests produce particulate organic matter, primarily leaf litter, which is an important energy base for replenishing soil nutrients and aquatic food webs.
Figure 12—In this example, alders form a canopy over the stream.
Palik and others (2000) found that one-third of leaf litter in streams originates from more than 30 meters away. The plant structure (standing and dead and down) of riparian vegetation, leaf litter, and uneven ground captures sediment and slows and detains runoff and overland flow, providing storage and infiltration areas. See figure 13.
Figure 13—Live and dead plant materials contribute to structure and function.
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