Abstract
The Chilko-Chilcotin watershed of southern British Columbia is located on the eastern margin of the Coast Mountains draining the western margin of the interior plateau. The internal dynamics of terrestrial plant communities within the watershed have significant impact on river biota and geomorphology. Terrestrial derived resources of importance to the river include "nutrients, regulation of water runoff, sediments, and large woody debris. The riparian" vegetation along and within the stream has a significant local affect on the river biota and river geomorphology. The objective of this report is to examine the link between the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Chilko-Chilcotin watershed. The relative importance of terrestrial plant communities to river ecosystem w ill be examined at two spatial scales: 1) Hill-slope processes of the regional forest community composition and structure and 2) local riparian communities with specific focus on river island plant communities.
