Riparian Plant Community Classification

This book describes the underlying water conditions and geologies that support viable riparia, illustrates the ecological characteristics of riparia, and discusses how riparia are used by human cultures as well as how riparia can be used to sustain environmental quality. In recent years riparian management has been widely implemented as a means of improving fisheries, water quality, and habitat for endangered species. This book provides the basic knowledge necessary to implement successful, long-term management and rehabilitation programs. Treats riparian patterns & processes in a holistic perspective, from ecological components to societal activities Contains over 130 illustrations and photos that summarize this complex ecological system Synthesizes the information from more than 6,000 professional articles Sidebars provide a look into ongoing research that is at the frontiers of riparian ecology and management

This classification of riparian and wetland plant communities in the Shoshone National Forest was a cooperative project between the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD) of The Nature Conservancy and the Shoshone National Forest. This project identifies groups of plant species that commonly occur together in particular environmental settings, Each such group of species, or plant community type, is identified by the structure of the vegetation and by the species contributing the most canopy cover. The classification identifies physiognomic types based on the amounts of trees, tall shrubs, low shrubs, and herbaceous plants; and dominance types within each physiognomic type. The term "community type" is used in a broad sense to mean both seral or successional vegetation types and potential or climax vegetation types.