DEVOTED TO THE MANAGEMENT
AND WISE USE OF MICHIGAN’S LAKES AND STREAMS
A riparian zone or
riparian area is the interface between land and a river or
stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the
fifteen terrestrial Biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and
communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian
vegetation, characterized by hydrophilic plants. Riparian zones are
significant in ecology, environmental management, and civil
engineering because of their role in soil conservation, their
habitat biodiversity, and the influence they have on fauna and
aquatic ecosystems. Riparian zones occur in many forms including
grassland, woodland, wetland or even non-vegetative. In some regions
the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone,
or riparian strip are used to characterize a riparian zone. The word
"riparian" is derived from Latin ripa, meaning river bank.
