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The
Seine
River
Environment
is
a
blend
of
smaller
environments
and
represents
a
wide
diversity
of
plant
and
animal
species.
The
Riparian
Environment
as
a
habitat,
"supports
aquatic,
semi
aquatic
and
upland
wildlife."
Animals
like
beavers,
muskrats,
ducks,
herons,
cormorants,
fish,
frogs
and
turtles
live
within
the
vegetation
along
the
river's
edge.
The
physical
Riparian
Zone
is
described
by
Johnathan
Labaree
in
his
book
How
Parkways
Work:
A
handbook
on
ecology
(1992)
as
composed
of,
".
.
.
the
stream,
its
flat
flood
plain,
the
steeper
banks,
and
the
uplands
which
are
often
wooded."
Each
of
these
components
has
a
different
mix
of
plants
(aquatic),
grasses,
shrubs,
small
trees
or
larger
trees
(canopy).
This
environment
naturally
resists
erosion
with
strong
roots
and
benefits
from
natural,
seasonal
flooding.
Where
an
organism
lives
is
a
habitat.
The
Seine
River
Task
Force
describes
Habitat
as,
"The
total
requirement
of
plants
and
animals
to
sustain
their
species,
including
food,
light,
heat,
cover,
water,
and
opportunities
for
breeding
replacement
individuals
of
the
population."
The Quality of Habitat varies along the Seine River Corridor.
In the City's Assessment of
Vegetation and Wildlife Habitat Quality for the Seine River Parkway(1995),
has ranked the corridor's areas into 'A, B, C and D' Quality Habitat.
Below are the descriptions that determine a site's habitat quality
ranking.
'A'
Quality
Habitat
(Maximum
Sensitivity
to
Disturbance):
Virtually
undisturbed
by
man
or
recovered
to
an
extent
where
community
structure
and
composition
is
intact
and
reflects
historical
natural
vegetation
and
wildlife
habitat.
Other
factors
examined
included
soil
disturbance,
a
high
degree
of
native
vegetation
present
and
conversely,
a
lack
of
weedy
or
non-native
plant
species.
'B'
Quality
Habitat
(High
Sensitivity
to
Disturbance):
Light
to
moderate
disturbance,
for
example
flood
suppression
(resulting
in
the
encroachment
of
non-native
species),
may
have
a
minimal
amount
of
weeds
but
maintains
a
more
natural
condition
where
native
species
are
still
the
major
community.
'C'
Quality
Habitat
(Low
Sensitivity
to
Disturbance):
Moderate
disturbance,
a
significant
number
of
weed
species
which
have
replaced
native
species,
few
native
species
present.
For
example,
an
old
agricultural
clearing
that
has
not
been
used
in
recent
times,
or
an
area
that
is
regularly
mowed.
'D'
Quality
Habitat
(Minimum
Sensitivity
to
Disturbance):
Heavily
disturbed
site,
the
vegetation
is
dominated
by
weed
species
or
absent
all
together.
None
or
very
few
native
plant
species
present."
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