The assessment of riparian vegetation as an indicator of stream condition, with particular emphasis on the rapid assessment of flow-related impacts

Riparian systems have an intimate connection with in-stream systems and appear to be sensitive indicators of environmental change. Riparian attributes should therefore contribute candidate metrics in any comprehensive measure of stream condition and change, yet assessment of the condition of riparian vegetation in monitoring programs aimed at ascertaining river ecosystem health is not well advanced. This paper reviews methodologies aimed at assessment of the contribution of riparian vegetation to river health, including integrated assessment protocols employed by government agencies, techniques developed from particular research perspectives as well as within multidisciplinary approaches to riverine condition assessment. While some approaches currently in use hold promise, there is no suitable protocol for rapid riparian vegetation assessment that can be incorporated into a multi-metric index of stream condition, or used to assess the impacts of flow regulation, in particular, on ecosystem integrity. We derive a standard multi-metric approach to rapid assessment of riparian vegetation as distinguished from the more detailed methods applied in longer term research programs. Our approach is configured to assist in determining stream condition, the extent of flow regulation impacts and to provide positive and negative benchmarks against which water infrastructure development can be assessed i n a manner to progress ecological sustainability in Queensland streams.