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que la continuidad longitudinal obtuvo eventos extremos, se vio favorecida a ecosistémicos, funcionamiento y
un mejor puntaje entre los sitios de lo largo del gradiente urbano- natural estructura del ecosistema. Para
estudio. Los tramos de ribera con zonas y las variables más afectadas fueron mejorar la composición y la estructura
adyacentes a bosque mostraron una densidad y diversidad funcional. del ecosistema ribereño, se requieren
mayor calidad de ribera, en comparación Aunque el pastoreo y la agricultura medidas de restauración, hecho que
a aquellos adyacentes a asentamientos son actividades que afectan la zona incrementará el funcionamiento
humanos, que presentaron actividades, ribereña, la presencia de asentamientos hidrológico y ecológico del ecosistema.
como el pastoreo, la agricultura y la humanos en áreas contiguas a la zona
erosión de las orillas, por desechos riparia es el factor con mayor impacto
de residuos sólidos. La regulación de sobre la diversidad vegetal, servicios

SUMMARY

iparian ecosystems harbor evaluated using the RQI index, based on to forest showed higher bank quality
great biodiversity and provide seven attributes: longitudinal continuity compared to those adjacent to human
Rmultiple benefits to the human of woody vegetation, width dimensions settlements that presented activities
communities that usually settle of riparian space, composition and such as grazing, agriculture, and bank
in adjacent areas. However, these structure of riparian vegetation, age erosion from solid waste debris. The
ecosystems have been affected by and natural regeneration, condition of regulation of extreme events was
anthropogenic activities with negative banks, transverse connectivity of the favored along the urban-natural
effects on biodiversity, structure and channel with its banks and floodplain, gradient, and the most affected variables
functioning, and consequently on the and vertical connectivity and quality of were density and functional diversity.
benefits they provide. The present study the substrate. The RQI value can range Although grazing and agriculture are
aims to evaluate the quality of the banks from <10 (very poor) to 150 (very good). activities that affect the riparian zone,
and the regulation service of extreme The evaluation of the extreme event the presence of human settlements in
events along an urban-natural gradient regulation service was performed areas contiguous to the riparian zone
of the Pitillal River, Jalisco, Mexico. As a based on an index that included four is the factor with the greatest impact
hypothesis, it was considered that bank attributes of riparian vegetation: on plant diversity, ecosystem services,
quality and extreme event regulation taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, ecosystem functioning and structure. To
would increase along the gradient due structural diversity and density, with a improve the composition and structure
to decreased urbanization and increased value that can range from 1 (very bad) of the riparian ecosystem, restoration
diversity and structure of plant to 4 (very good). The riparian quality measures are required, which will
communities present along the banks showed values of moderate (SU), poor increase the hydrological and ecological
of the Pitillal River. Four study sites were (SP), good (SR) and very good (SN). Of functioning of the ecosystem.
compared along a gradient called urban the different attributes considered for
(SU), peri-urban (SP), rural (SR) and streambank quality, lateral connectivity
natural (SN). At each site, four 200m² of the channel with its banks was the
quadrats were made to determine the attribute with the lowest score across
composition and structure of the riparian all sites, while longitudinal continuity
vegetation, distributed along a 250m scored best among the study sites.
stretch. The streambank quality was Streambank reaches with areas adjacent

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