The riparian area serves as a transition between aquatic and upland habitats—it is the link between land and water. When this area is planted in such a way to protect the waterway from negative impacts of the adjacent land use it becomes a buffer, specifically, a riparian buffer. This fact sheet list the benefits of riparian buffers.
![Coastal Plain stream](/agnr.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/styles/optimized/public/2021-03/coastal-plain-stream.jpeg?itok=we7jJ6F2)