Impact of adjacent land use on the ecological condition of riparian habitats: The relation between condition and vegetation properties

Abstract

AbstractQuestionsThe ecological condition of riparian habitats has been negatively altered by human activities and land‐use changes. The aims of this study were to evaluate: (a) how adjacent land use affects the ecological condition of riparian habitats; and (b) whether the ecological condition relates to riparian vegetation properties (i.e., structure, diversity, and species composition).LocationWatershed of the Duero River, in the state of Michoacán, Mexico.MethodsSampling sites were established along the Duero River riverbank by considering three different land uses (i.e., native forest, agriculture, and urban). At each site, we assessed the ecological condition of riparian habitats with a riparian condition index (RCI) composed of six subindices, with 17 indicators. Using a survey of woody plants (DBH ≥ 2.5 cm) in 12 different 0.1‐ha sites, we assessed vegetation properties.ResultsAccording to the RCI, 76% of the studied riparian habitats had a very poor ecological condition, and only one site scored an excellent condition. The values of all subindices as well as the RCI were significantly greater in the forest than in the agricultural or urban land uses. The significant relationships between the RCI and its components (subindices) with vegetation properties were all positive and explained between 22% and 73% of the variation in structural and diversity attributes, and between 48% and 66% in floristic composition.ConclusionsThis study shows how human land‐use activities affect the ecological condition of riparian habitats and hence riparian forests. Overall, the RCI had a high predictive power for the vegetation properties of riparian forests. This information is critical for programs involved in the management, conservation, and ecological restoration of riparian habitats. Low‐cost and time‐efficient indices, such as the RCI, facilitate ecological condition assessments of riparian habitats not only by scientists but also by previously trained land managers and the general public.