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The Riparian Brush Rabbit
Beavers are not the only animals that change streamside environments.
Humans do, too. People build dams on rivers and streams. People also
change the environment along rivers and streams when they build towns,
houses, and farms.
Changes along rivers and streams are detrimental to one small rabbit
in California called the
riparian
brush rabbit. The word
riparian
means
“along a river or stream.” Bushes, vines, and branches grow thick along
rivers and streams. The brush rabbit thrives in this environment.
When people build homes and plow fields for farms, they clear away the
brush. When this happens, the brush rabbit has no place to hide. Without
protection, it is easily caught by coyotes, raccoons, and hawks.
A riparian environment
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