4 - Internal structure
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 October 2009
Summary
The number and constant successions of these islands, all green and richly wooded; their fluctuating sizes, some so large that for half an hour together one among them will appear as the opposite bank of the river, and some so small that they are mere dimples on its broad bosom; their infinite variety of shapes; and the numberless combinations of beautiful forms which trees growing on them present: all form a picture fraught with uncommon interest and pleasure.
(Charles Dickens)The riparian landscape is heterogeneous, i.e. it contains an assortment of tesserae whose configuration is itself important. The arrangement of tesserae and the assemblages of species comprise the internal structure of riparian landscape elements. In reference to vegetation, Rejmanek (1977) defined structure in three steps: the identity of species (presence–absence), the relative abundances of the species, and their spatial pattern. If we consider step 3 to be the arrangement of communities, not simply individuals, then this definition can serve as a starting point for considering internal structure in riparian landscapes. The relative abundance and configuration of tesserae determine the internal heterogeneity of the riparian landscape element, and heterogeneity varies among regions and is related to regional and local controls (Baker 1989).
Basic descriptions of riparian environments are a starting point for consideration of internal structure. Early ecological reports provide an array of concepts, ranging from visual to structural classifications, which differentiate among tesserae.
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- Information
- Riparian Landscapes , pp. 75 - 129Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1993