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Definition

noun

A strip of vegetation (trees, shrubs, grasses, etc.) that grows along the edges of a bank or a waterway. Its major role is to provide shade and protect the nearby ecosystem from the impact of adjacent anthropogenic land use.

Supplement

Riparian buffers act as a cushion protecting the more sensitive ecosystem from the impact of anthropogenic land use. For instance, a riparian buffer near a roadway reduces traffic noise, air and water pollution, as well as provides a space for organisms to abound in the area.

Word origin: riparian + buffer.

See also: ecological buffer zone