FLOOD00235

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Stream Name: All
• Title: Stream, Riparian, and Wetland Ecology - Class material, Volume 1 of 2
• Date: 9/1/1987
• Prepared For: Students
• Prepared By: Professor Windell
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

61

TAble 1.

Function of riparian &on~ veaHltion III it relit", to the Iqu.u it &onfl!.
<.odified fro. Huh.n et 11. 1979).

Site

Component

Function

ABOVE GROUHD-
ABOVI!: CHANNEL

CANOPy 6. STEMS

1. Shade-contrail tempel'.ture ,
in .trellll prillllry production

2. Sou'tee of largE' and rine plant
det,titu.

3. SOu'tee of terre.tri.1 irllP-ctll

IN CHANNEL

LARGE OF.BRIS
DERIVED FROM
RIPARIAN VEC.

I. Conl:rol routing of v~lter Ind
.editu,nt

2. Shape l'llbit4lt-poollJ, nffte.
..nd I:over

1, Sublltrate (or biol()gical
let \, ,,~t Y

STREAHBANKS

ROOTS

L Incn~.lIe. bank Itabitity

2. Crelltes oveThllnginll bank cover

FLOODPLAIN

STEMS AND LOW
LYlNG CANOPY

I. Retllrd 1n:)velllent of ledilllent.
WalE"" and floated organic
debl"i.. in flood f10..

and (2) create overhanding banks which provide wildlife cover (shelter).
Stems and low lying canopy located on floodplains retard movement of
sediment, water and floated or suspended otl~anic debris during flood flows
both in a linear (longitudinal) and lateral (or horizontal) directions.

Phreatophyte,!.

A large number of plants that are chancteristic of riparian
ecosystelllS and tend to dominate streambank ,areas have been collectively
termed "phreatophytes." The term "phreatophrEe" was clreated from two Greek
words meaning -well plant" to identify plants whose roots tap the
groundwater table or the wet soil just above it (Meinz,ar 1923). The
phreatophyte zone, however, also includes the deeper alluvium beyond the
riparian zone where roots penetrate to the groundwater table for additional
water (Horton 1974). The continuous availability of ground water to
riparian phreatophytic vegetation results in large transpiration losses to
the atmosphere. These losses are most sign:lficant dur:lng the warmer months
when evapotransporation rates are high.

Over 70 phreatophytic plants have been classified in the western
United States (Robinson 1958). These include the more common forms such as
willow (Salix sp.), cottonwood (Populus sp.), alder (Mlnus sp.), greasewood
Sarcobatus sp.), mesquite (Proso is sp.), Ollk (Quercus'liji':"), quaking aspen
(Populus sp.), Russian olive Elaeagnus sp.), salt cedar (Tamar1x sp.),