INTEGRATING RIPARIAN RESTORATION TO PROMOTE WILDLIFE HABITAT WITH NATURAL STREAM CHANNEL DESIGN ON MINE LAND HABITATS

Abstract

The role of natural streams and associated riparian habitat in structuring vertebrate communities is an important wildlife management issue in human-impacted environments. Many studies have illustrated the value of healthy riparian ecosystems in providing basic habitat requirements for a broad array of vertebrate taxa. In regions where coal mining is widespread and vital to state and local economies, it is important to address the effects of different mining practices on riparian ecosystems. Two major negative impacts of mining on natural streams and stream corridors is the alteration of physical characteristics of the stream itself and fragmentation of riparian habitat. Natural stream channel design has become a popular means of mitigating for impacts to stream channel structure; however, less emphasis has been placed on the science of creating riparian corridors to connect riparian areas fragmented by human impacts such as mining. This paper provides a background and review of literature regarding the importance of riparian ecosystems to vertebrates, the effects of mining on vertebrate populations in riparian habitats, and the use of natural stream design in riparian restoration. We provide suggestions and recommendations on how to manage riparian corridors on mine lands and outline a research agenda on wildlife in relationship to riparian corridors on mine land sites.