Vegetation and More What is riparian vegetation Plants growing on the streambank and adjoining floodplain Plants in this area are influenced by the water from the stream Riparian Zone Riparian Vegetation Functions ID: 437540
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Slide1
Riparian Zone Habitat Assessment
Vegetation and MoreSlide2
What is “riparian vegetation”?
Plants growing on the streambank and adjoining floodplain
Plants in this area are influenced by the water from the streamSlide3
Riparian ZoneSlide4
Riparian Vegetation Functions
Roots stabilize banks / reduce erosion
Provide structure or cover for fish
Taller vegetation provides shade
Organic food source for aquatic organisms
Leaves
Terrestrial insects Slide5
Riparian Vegetation Functions
Pollutant filtering
Fall into stream – large woody debris
Shapes channel
Substrate for biological activitySlide6
Relationship to Water Quality
Turbidity / Sediment
Phosphorus
Temperature (Shade)
Nutrient Uptake
Nutrient Release (Alder)Slide7
Two Ways to Assess a Riparian Zone
Plant Presence
Habitat Quality
Actual Diversity
Invasive Species
Changes over time
Riparian Assessment
Stability
Shade
Invasive Species
Large Wood Recruitment
Considers non-vegetative stable substratesSlide8
Riparian Assessment
Can be broken into 3 sections:
a 100’ riparian transect perpendicular to the stream,
a 100’ “greenline” transect along the stream,
a riparian tree count performed in a 100 sq ft area along the stream
Slide9
Greenline Transect
100ft X 5 ft
FLOW
Pool
Gravel bar
Riffle
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Riparian Transect
100ft X 10ft
Starting pointSlide10
Riparian Assessment
Total area = 100 ft x 100 ft (30 m
2
)
Instructions in feet
and
meters
Starting point is at beginning of first (downstream) habitat unitSlide11
Riparian Transect
FLOW
Pool
Gravel bar
Riffle
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Each zone is 10 meters (33 feet) long
Total transect length = 30 meters (100 feet)Slide12
Riparian Transect
STREAM
Length
11 feet
Width
10 feet
Estimate % cover by 10-20 % increments
May have more or less than 100 feet of “riparian zone”Slide13
Johnson Creek
175 ftSlide14
Measure Slope
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 1
Zone 2
5
°
55
°
10
°
40
°
25
°Slide15
Greenline Transect
STREAM
GREENLINE
– the first strip of vegetation along the stream
Length
11 feet
Width
5 feetSlide16
Riparian Tree Count
FLOW
Pool
Gravel bar
Riffle
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Conifer
DeciduousSlide17Slide18Slide19
Diameter
Circumference
Diameter =
Circumference
(approx. 3.14)
Tree Size ClassSlide20
What Does it Tell Us?
Riparian and Greenline Transects
Extent and diversity of riparian zone
Stability
Invasive species
Riparian Tree Count
Age-class diversity
Large woody debris recruitment (old growth conifer, >35”, is MOST desirable)Slide21
Evaluation of recruitment
How many trees of varying size are present in the riparian zone?
How close/far are they from the water?
Over what time period might they become available?Slide22
Large Woody Debris