Floodplain riparian ecological zones (FREZs) are transitional environments that facilitate interactions among hydrological, geomorphological, and environmental processes within aquatic and terrestrial systems. In the context of climate change, urban growth, and increased hydrologic modifications, these systems are experiencing accelerated degradation. This study employed a multi-criteria Riparian Condition Assessment (RCA) framework that combined the Riparian Condition Assessment Tool (RCAT) and a fuzzy inference system (FIS) to evaluate riparian corridor health in the Congaree River watershed, South Carolina, USA. Using 30 m LANDFIRE land-cover data, hydrologic segmentation (at 500 m reach scale), and transport infrastructure overlays, we quantified riparian vegetation deviation, land-use intensity, and floodplain accessibility across 20 HUC-12 sub-watersheds. Comparison of historic and current vegetation types revealed six dominant pre-settlement ecotypes versus five existing types, indicating significant conversion to agriculture and urban development. The RCA results classified 3% of reaches as confined/impacted, 11% as poor, 38% as moderate, 25% as good, and 23% as intact, with an overall accuracy of 82% and Cohen's κ of 0.81. Findings reveal that multiple stressors together impair riparian function, especially in the Columbia metropolitan corridor. The integrated RCA–FIS framework offers a transferable method for diagnosing FREZ impairment and guiding restoration efforts.
Adetoro et al. (Sun,) studied this question.