A
riparian zone or
riparian area is the interface between land and a
river or
stream.
Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial
biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and
banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by
hydrophilic plants. Riparian zones are significant in
ecology,
environmental management, and
civil engineering because of their role in
soil conservation, their
habitat biodiversity, and the influence they have on
fauna and
aquatic ecosystems, including
grassland,
woodland,
wetland or even non-vegetative. In some regions the terms
riparian woodland,
riparian forest,
riparian buffer zone, or
riparian strip are used to characterize a riparian zone. The word "riparian" is derived from
Latin , meaning river bank.