Often referred to as “ribbons of life” to emphasize their great importance in sustaining life for those that call it home, riparian environments support biodiversity, help to conserve the soil and have a tremendous impact on wildlife.

 

Roughly 1% of land in the United States is considered riparian, yet 80% of all wildlife species depend on this habitat for food and shelter at some point in their lifetime. To that end, it is critically important that these riparian areas are healthy and contain the native plant species that wildlife needs to survive. 

Today, many western riverside lands are increasingly threatened by invasive, non-native trees and shrubs. Invasive, non-native plants, often referred to as noxious weeds, are plants that are not native and are able to establish on many sites, grow quickly, and spread to the point of disrupting native plant communities or ecosystems. 

 

A few examples of non-native, invasive riparian plants include tamarisk (also referred to as saltcedar), Russian olive, tree of heaven, and Siberian elm. Many of these areas are also co-dominated by invasive grasses and forbs, including, cheatgrass, giant reed, Russian knapweed, hoary cress (whitetop) and kochia.  

 

The dense growth patterns of invasive plants

Along with displacing native vegetation, the water usage by these plants can also be substantial; most notably in areas where these species displace less thirsty plants, such as sagebrush and rabbitbrush.

 

In doing so, we play an integral role in improving fish and wildlife habitat and enhancing the agricultural, economic, cultural, and recreational opportunities for the communities in which we work.