Types of Riparian Vegetation
(Information compiled by Lina Polvi)
Riparian vegetation in glaciated confined valleys will incorporate terrestrial vegetation found at that elevation, which will be mostly subalpine fir/Engelmann spruce or Douglas fir and lodgepole pine. This is because the hill slopes are in close proximity to the channels.
Saxifraga odontoloma (Brook Saxifrage)
Controls on Riparian Vegetation Growth
The riparian vegetation zone in glaciated confined areas will be very narrow due to the high degree of confinement in these valleys. The valley walls are sometimes at or only a few meters away from the edge of the riparian zone. The gradient of the stream will be an important control on the riparian zone width. However, the strong hill slope control, which also constrains the channel’s ability for lateral migration, probably plays a larger role in restricting riparian vegetation growth.