How Does a Healthy Riparian Zone Provide Habitat?
Riparian areas provide food and habitat for soil, aquatic, and land organisms. A multistoried plant community of annual and perennial grasses, forbs (broadleaf plants), shrubs, and trees provides a varied habitat for birds and wildlife and a below ground habitat for burrowing animals Photos courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Healthy riparian areas have water storage capacity to slowly release water to flowing streams. and soil organisms. Streambanks provide breeding areas for many aquatic species, as well as habitat for algae and macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects) that are used as food by fish and other aquatic life (Bellows, 2003). Riparian vegetation provides up to 90% of the organic matter (food) necessary to support headwater stream communities (Cummins and Spengler, 1978) and 99% of stream energy input (food) may be imported from bordering riparian vegetation and only 1% derived from instream photosynthesis (Cummins, 1978). Woody debris derived from riparia
