Water Stewardship Information Sources
| Citation | Price, K and McLennan, D. 2002. Impacts of forest harvesting on terrestrial riparian ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. Coast Information Team, BC Ministry of Forests. |
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| Organization | FLNRO |
| URL | https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/tasb/slrp/citbc/b-HPG7-PriceMcLenn-Feb02.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | Functions of Riparian Ecosystems Riparian ecosystems1 are much more than river banks. They include streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and marine shores. They extend horizontally to the edge of the influence of water on land or of land on water. They extend vertically, below ground to a watery world of microbes, and above ground to the forest canopy where precipitation first drips (Gregory et al. 1991, Naiman et al. 2000). They continually change, modified by disturbance effects of flooding, erosion and sedimentation. In the wet Central and North Coast, the distinction between upland and wetland is often unclear, and riparian ecosystems extend considerably beyond channels and wetlands. As the interface between water and land, riparian ecosystems are ecologically important in four ways. First, the land influences adjacent water: vegetation moderates temperature and water input, provides structure and nutrients and stabilises banks; bedrock and surficial materials determine water chemistry and channel form. Second, water influences adjacent land: flow erodes banks, deposits sediments and affects soil chemistry; abundant water in well-drained soils creates mosaics of diverse and productive communities; accumulated water in poorly drained soils slows decomposition and creates special plant communities. Third, riparian ecosystems link landscapes by transporting water and solutes, sediment, food, structure and organisms. Fourth, because of their diverse forms, frequent disturbance and productivity, riparian ecosystems are home to a rich array of plants and animals, including rare communities and species—they are hotspots of biodiversity. |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Coast Region |
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| Project status | complete |
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