Stop 8 Foresters Trail
Riparian buffers, or streamside management zones (SMZs), are areas where you will find water in a forest. The water can be as obvious as a creek or river, as you see here, or as inconspicuous as a seep or spring. Seeps and springs are areas where water comes to the surface of the forest floor, moistening the soil. Seeps and springs can be perennial or ephemeral (short lived). Foresters can identify these areas, even when they are dry, by changes in tree species.
During a timber harvest, foresters exclude riparian areas to protect the water from sedimentation and damage to channel integrity. Riparian buffers are an excellent place to look for amphibians and reptiles during your forest exploration. Notice the numerous large – leafed pawpaw trees. Pawpaw prefers moist floodplains and does not grow well along dry upper ridges.