Freshwater riparian zones in a changing climate: A comprehensive review
Riparian zones, the transitional areas between aquatic and terrestrial environments, are vital for supporting biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem health. However, their functionality is being increasingly threatened by climate change. This study systematically reviews recent research published be...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25005308 |
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| Summary: | Riparian zones, the transitional areas between aquatic and terrestrial environments, are vital for supporting biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem health. However, their functionality is being increasingly threatened by climate change. This study systematically reviews recent research published between 2000 and 2023 to evaluate the response of riparian zones to future climate change, following the PRISMA guidelines. The review comprehensively investigates how various aspects of freshwater riparian zones, including hydrology, water and soil quality, morphology, and ecology are impacted by future climate change. The results highlight the variability of climate change impacts on these aspects, with the direction and magnitude of changes differing based on study sites, climate scenarios, and management actions. Moreover, the findings underscore the need to incorporate climate change projections into riparian management, conservation, and restoration to ensure the long-term sustainability of these critical ecosystems. Adaptive management, which integrates future climate projections, enables more resilient restoration efforts, ensuring that riparian zones continue to deliver essential ecosystem services despite increasing climate variability and instability. Finally, the outcomes indicate that integrating riparian maintenance and restoration with supplementary management measures across watersheds may optimize the long-term benefits of riparian zones. |
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| ISSN: | 1470-160X |