Riparian Restoration
Figure 6 Long Description
Figure 6 illustrates how different structural and functional factors can affect the ecological integrity of a riparian ecosystem.
There are four groups of factors that contain characteristics and ecological causes of the ecosystem's health. They include:
- Ground Surface Factors
- Slope length
- Slope curvature
- Slope aspect
- Slope angle
- Sealing & cracking
- Compaction
- Atmospheric Factors
- Amount of precipitation
- Nature of precipitation
- Solar radiation
- Wind
- Temperature
- Relative humidity
- Vegetation Factors
- Species type
- Density
- Stem characteristics
- Leaf characteristics
- Debris
- Root characteristics
- Soil Factors
- Moisture content
- Particle size distribution
- Pore space characteristics
- Organic matter content
- Salt content
- Temperature
All of the listed characteristics of these factors are linked to characteristics of ecosystem health, which are:
- Interception
- Run off
- Infiltration
- Transpiration
- Evaporation
- Interflow
- Capillary flow
- Gravitational flow
- Capillary rise
- Root absorption
