Riverscape
A riverscape[1] (also called river landscape)[2] comprises the features of the landscape which can be found on and along a river. Most features of riverscapes include natural landforms (such as meanders and oxbow lakes) but they can also include artificial landforms (such as man-made levees and river groynes). Riverscapes can be divided into upper course riverscapes, middle course riverscapes, and lower course riverscapes.
![](../I/m/Panoramic_view_of_Nature_area_Meinerswijk_at_Arnhem%2C_with_Konik_(Polish)_horses_-_panoramio.jpg)
![](../I/m/Meandering_river_(8029733984).jpg)
The term riverine is sometimes used to indicate the same type of landscape as a riverscape, or only the riverbank. Riverine landscapes may also be defined as a network of rivers and their surrounding land, which is excellent for agricultural use because of the rich and fertile soil.[3] The word riverine is also used as an adjective which means "relating to or found on a river, or the banks of a river".[4]
Upper course
In the upper course of rivers, channels are narrow and gradients are steep.[5] Vertical erosion is the prominent land-forming process. Typical features of upper course riverscapes include:
Middle course
![](../I/m/Middle_reaches_of_the_Manor_Valley_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1540892.jpg)
In the middle course of rivers, the discharge increases and the gradient flattens out. Typical features of middle course riverscapes include:
- U-shaped valleys
- Riparian forests
- Slip-off slopes
- Oxbow lakes
- Tributaries
- Cut banks
- Meanders
- Marshes
- Riffles
- Pools
Lower course
In the lower course of rivers, the channels are wide and deep, and the discharge is at its highest. Typical features of lower course riverscapes include:
- Wide flat-bottomed valleys
- River groynes
- Large bridges
- Distributaries
- River deltas
- Floodplains
- Meanders
- Levees
- Kolks
Landscape art
![](../I/m/Jean-Antoine-Th%C3%A9odore_de_Gudin_-_Riverscape_with_Boats_-_Walters_371631.jpg)
Riverscapes are popular subjects in landscape paintings (landscape art). Sometimes the term 'riverscape' is associated with landscape art rather than geography. In visual arts the term 'river scene' is considered a synonym for the word 'riverscape'. Related terms used in visual arts include 'seascape', 'cloudscape' and 'cityscape'. A well-known riverscape painter was Salomon van Ruysdael.
Photo gallery
- Oxbow lake along the Irpin River (Ukraine)
- Riverscape of the Kyle of Sutherland (Scotland)
- The Mississippi River (Tennessee)
- Riparian forest with a remnant of the Black River (Washington)
- Interlocking spurs along the Marsyangdi River (Nepal)
- Riparian zone of the Irtysh River (China)
- A meander in the Tidal River (Victoria)
- Riverscape of the Kuiseb River (Namibia)
See also
- Fluvial processes
- River reclamation
- Riparian buffers
- Fresh water
- Canals
References
- Collins English Dictionary Riverscape meaning by Collins English Dictionary
- BBC Bitesize River landscapes
- Oxford Big Ideas Geography Landforms and landscapes
- Cambridge Dictionary Riverine meaning by Cambridge Dictionary
- Internet Geography Upper course of a river