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Generally, riparian areas are among the most resilient ecosystems. Depending on condition and potential, they usually respond more quickly than drier upland ranges to changes in management. This document presents information from various land managers and researchers to guide livestock management in riparian areas using their unique responsiveness to accomplish management objectives. However, management of riparian areas cannot be extricated from management of the larger landscape. Riparian areas, as interfaces between the aquatic and upland components of the ecosystem, comprise mosaics of landforms, communities, and environments within the larger landscape. The structure and processes of riparian areas, more than any other ecosystem, are influenced by their connectivity to adjacent ecosystems. Riverine ecosystems, in particular, connect headwaters with lowlands to provide for the transfer of water, nutrients, sediment, particulate matter, and organisms both laterally and downstream (Gregory et al. 1991). An ecosystem perspective provides an ecological basis for evaluating current grazing practices and other land uses, identifying riparian management objectives, and developing future management alternatives.