Filtering of water pollutants by riparian vegetation: bamboo versus native grasses and rice in a Lao catchment

A review is made of current knowledge on the water-related functions of vegetation in riparian areas. Focus is then given to the results and main conclusions of research carried out in a headwater catchment in the north of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to compare fluxes of water and sediment across riparian sites covered with bamboo and native grass. The study also compared the filtering properties of natural riparian vegetation with those of cultivated upland rice.