Article Written by:
Terrell T. “Red” Baker, Extension Riparian Management Specialist
Jon C. Boren, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Christopher D. Allison, Extension Range Specialist
And Provided by:
New Mexico State University http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs
Riparian areas are the transition zones between aquatic and upland habitats. Their proximity to water in arid states like New Mexico means they are important both ecologically and economically. Riparian areas serve numerous important ecological functions such as filtering sediments and pollutants, slowing the velocity of water during high flow events, recharging groundwater, maintaining the stability of streambanks and reducing erosion, and providing valuable habitat for wildlife. Economically, riparian areas are important to livestock producers not only because they are often associated with sources of water for livestock, but also because the quantity and quality of forage tends to be greater than in adjacent upland areas.
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