Riparian is Latin for next to a stream . A buffer is a protection - in this case, protection against pollution. This means that a riparian forest buffer is a forest of trees and shrubs, next to a stream, that protects the stream from pollution. It can also be called a streamside forest. WHY do we restore RFB's RFBs improve the health of the stream and the quality of the water.
Forests capture rainfall.
The tree canopy captures raindrops. Forest soils are spongy instead of hard, so they store water. When water is stored on land, less water enters the stream during a storm. The stored water will be used by plants and will refill the ground water supply. Tree and plant stems slow the flow of surface water, allowing sediment to drop out.