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Desert riparian is a North American desert vegetation type (or 
Over 80% of known desert wildlife species use desert riparian areas. Common dominant species include Fremont cottonwood (''
Desert riparian is a North American desert vegetation type (or biome
A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...
) occurring in the bottoms of valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...
s, canyons, and other watercourses that have water at or near the surface most of the year.Pam MacKay, Mojave Desert Wildflowers, 2nd Ed., p. 20-21 The visual character is of large, lush, perennial green trees surrounded by dry desert vegetation and soil coloration. The area may be in a patch surrounding a spring such as an oasis, or in a strand following the course of water flow, such as a bosque. The soil in this biome is typically moist and ranges from rocky and sandy to silty alluvium
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. ...
. This biome has seasonal variation, with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Precipitation mostly occurs during the winter, and ranges from 8 to 25 cm each year. It is contrasted with the desert dry wash vegetation type, in which water at or near the surface is lacking most of the year, such as arroyos.
Over 80% of known desert wildlife species use desert riparian areas. Common dominant species include Fremont cottonwood (''Populus fremontii
''Populus fremontii'', commonly known as Frémont's cottonwood, is a cottonwood (and thus a poplar) native to riparian zones of the Southwestern United States and northern through central Mexico. It is one of three species in ''Populus'' sect ...
''), Rio Grande cottonwood ( P. deltoides wislizeni), velvet ash ('' Fraxinus velutina''), arroyo willow ('' Salix lasiolepis''), Goodding's willow (''Salix gooddingii
''Salix gooddingii'' is a species of willow known by the common name Goodding's willow, or Goodding's black willow. It was named for its collector, Leslie Newton Goodding.
''Salix gooddingii'' is native to the southwestern United States and no ...
''), red willow ('' Salix laevigata''), California fan palm (''Washingtonia filifera
''Washingtonia filifera'', the desert fan palm, California fan palm, or California palm,Flora of North America Association. ''Flora of North America: North of Mexico Volume 22: Magnoliophyta: Alismatidae, Arecidae, Commelinidae (in Part), and Zi ...
''), and invasive species such as salt cedar (''Tamarix ramosissima
''Tamarix ramosissima'', commonly known as saltcedar salt cedar, or tamarisk, is a deciduous arching shrub with reddish stems, feathery, pale green foliage, and characteristic small pink flowers.
The cultivar 'Pink Cascade' (dark pink flowered) ...
''), giant reed (''Arundo donax
''Arundo donax'' is a tall perennial cane. It is one of several so-called reed species. It has several common names including giant cane, elephant grass, carrizo, arundo, Spanish cane, Colorado river reed, wild cane, and giant reed. ''Arundo'' a ...
''), and Russian olive (''Elaeagnus angustifolia
''Elaeagnus angustifolia'', commonly called Russian olive, silver berry, oleaster, or wild olive, is a species of ''Elaeagnus'', native to western and central Asia, Iran, from southern Russia and Kazakhstan to Turkey, parts of Pakistan and parts of ...
''). Salt cedar and Russian olive are particularly causing problems for this ecosystem because they are able to extract water more efficiently than native cottonwoods and willows, can quickly regrow from a ground-level stump if cut down, grows woody thorns up to 3 inches long, and produce fruits favored by birds. Many of these noninvasive non-native species may also be found because springs and surface water areas in the desert often were old homesites where such species were intentionally planted, such as elm, black locust, and assorted fruit trees.
The desert riparian plays a large role in the populations of wildlife that inhabit it. Several bird species live within the shrubs, including the American Dipper, Belted Kingfisher, Lesser Scaup, and Flycatchers, including the critically endangered southwest willow flycatcher
The willow flycatcher (''Empidonax traillii'') is a small insect-eating, neotropical migrant bird of the tyrant flycatcher family. There are four subspecies of the willow flycatcher currently recognized, all of which breed in North America (inc ...
. The cover provided by the Riparian vegetation provides a suitable environment for the dispersal of birds. Riparian forests store limiting nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate, and plays an important role in nutrient cycling.The riparian vegetation decreases erosion and improves water quality by trapping pollutants.
See also
* Bosque * Riparian-zone restorationReferences
Biomes Riparian zone Deserts and xeric shrublands Deserts and xeric shrublands in the United States . . Plant communities of California Natural history of the Lower Colorado River Valley {{habitat-stub