Editing Buffer zone (section)

=== Wildlife food and habitat ===
[[File:Riparian buffer on Bear Creek in Story County, Iowa.JPG|thumb|upright|A riparian buffer in Story County, Iowa, protecting a creek]]

[[Riparian buffer]] zones have been used in many areas to protect the habitats of many animals which are being devastated by increased human activity. The areas around the buffer zone can form the habitat of many animals, and plants can become food for small [[aquatic animal]]s. The buffer zone itself can also support the life activities of various [[amphibian]]s and [[bird]]s. Plants and animals can [[migration (ecology)|migrate]] or spread in response to these buffer zones, thus increasing the [[biodiversity]] in the area.

A 1998 study shows that the species and number of animals and plants in riparian zones are higher than in other ecosystems.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sturtevant|first=Brian R |date=October 1998 |title=A model of wetland vegetation dynamics in simulated beaver impoundments |journal=Ecological Modelling |volume=112 |issue=2–3 |pages=195–225 |doi=10.1016/s0304-3800(98)00079-9 |bibcode=1998EcMod.112..195S |issn=0304-3800}}</ref> Because of their ability to provide abundant water, soft soil and stable climate, small animals such as ''[[Mouse-eared bat|Myotis]]'' and ''[[Marten|Martes]]'' prefer to live along riverbanks rather than in hilly areas.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Doyle |first=A. T. |date=1990-02-20 |title=Use of Riparian and Upland Habitats by Small Mammals |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=71 |issue=1 |pages=14–23 |doi=10.2307/1381312 |issn=1545-1542 |jstor=1381312}}</ref> The buffer zone can also provide a good environment for upland habitat, which is in line with the living conditions of freshwater [[turtle]]s, making them more dependent on the wetland environment.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Burke |first1=Vincent J. |last2=Gibbons |first2=J. Whitfield |date=December 1995|title=Terrestrial Buffer Zones and Wetland Conservation: A Case Study of Freshwater Turtles in a Carolina Bay|journal=Conservation Biology |volume=9 |issue=6 |pages=1365–1369 |doi=10.1046/j.1523-1739.1995.09061365.x |bibcode=1995ConBi...9.1365B |issn=0888-8892}}</ref> The protection level of the buffer zones will affect the habitat range of amphibians and [[reptile]]s, and the environmental management of the wetland habitat around buffer zone is extremely important.