The distribution of organic matter within a floodplain is a controlling factor affecting water quality, habitat, and food webs. Accordingly, developn~ent of vegetation in the riparian zone can be expected to influence ecosystem functions, and organic matter storage patterns are believed to be indicators of functional recovery in disturbed riparian zones. Our objective was to compare the distrib...

Riparian ecosystem along rivers and streams are characterised by lateral and longitudinal ecological gradients and, as a result, harbour unique biodiversity. Riparian ecosystems in the fynbos of the Western Cape, South Africa, are characterised by seasonal dynamics, with summer droughts followed by high flows during winter. The unique hydrology and geomorphology of riparian ecosystems play an i...

Mixing of waters within riparian zones has been identified as an important influence on runoff generation and water quality. Improved understanding of the controls on the spatial and temporal variability of water sources and how they mix in riparian zones is therefore of both fundamental and applied interest. In this study, we have combined topographic indices derived from a high-resolution Dig...

Michael L. Scott National Biologic(ll Service I n much of western North America, riparian (streamside) environments are the only part of the landscape moist enough to allow survival of trees (Fig. 1). Riparian landscapes are usually defined as ecotones or corridors between terres ­ trial and aquatic realms (Malanson 1993). In spite of their limited areal extent, riparian ecosystems are essentia...

urban parks have essential role in public welfare. their role could be observed in personal, socio-economic, environmental and mental wellbeing. provision of socio-mental needs of citizens and enhancement of social cohesion are contributed to the way of using urban open and green spaces which such issue requires elaborated planning and design. equal access to parks is an important issue in dist...

Stream–riparian areas represent a nexus of biodiversity, with disproportionate numbers of species tied to and interacting within this key habitat. New research in Pacific Northwest headwater forests, especially the characterization of microclimates and amphibian distributions, is expanding our perspective of riparian zones, and suggests the need for alternative designs to manage stream–riparian...

OBJECTIVE Parks are an important setting for physical activity and specific park features have been shown to be associated with park visitation and physical activity. Most park-based research has been conducted in urban settings with few studies examining rural parks. This study examined differences in features of parks in urban compared with rural areas. METHODS In 2009/10 a tool was develop...

Riparian buffer strips are a widely accepted tool for helping to sustain aquatic ecosystems and to protect downstream resources and values in forested areas, but controversy persists over how wide a buffer strip is necessary. The physical integrity of stream channels is expected to be sustained if the characteristics and rates of tree fall along buffered reaches are similar to those in undistur...

Surface water and groundwater systems are connected with the head gradient between the river and the nearby aquifer controlling the magnitude and direction of the exchange flux between the two systems. The direction of the flux dictates whether the river gains water from the nearby aquifer, or loses water to it. The exchange between groundwater and rivers is a key component influencing not only...