Types of Riparian Vegetation
(Information compiled by Lina Polvi)
Glaciated unconfined valley types usually exhibit a broad riparian zone with a large variety of species. There is not much influence by terrestrial vegetation because the hill slope is relatively distant from the channel and vegetation that is present is influenced by flooding.
The most common vegetation type is willows: Salix monticola, Salix drummondiana and Salix boothii (Polvi, in prep.) A large number of herbaceous species are present. Due to the inherently high biodiversity of the riparian zones in these process domains, listing all possible species is impractical.
Wetlands are likely to form in unconfined valleys due to increased groundwater, floodplain microtopography creating depressions, and possibly beaver dams. Although wetlands are not necessarily considered riparian zones, when they form in proximity to a stream they will influence the type and extent of riparian vegetation.
Controls on Riparian Vegetation Growth
In these broad valleys, the hill slope does not have a great influence on floodplain processes, including riparian vegetation growth.
Other ecosystem processes probably play a greater role:
Vegetation community type
Groundwater influence