This study was conducted on riparian forests in the upper reach of Wenyuhe watershed. The community types were classified by the method of TWINSPAN. The community characteristics and diversity were also analyzed. We proposed the eco-functional adaptation indices of the riparian forest communities, based on which the riparian forests were divided into different functional groups. The riparian forests in the upper reach of Wenyuhe watershed were classified into 9 community types: broad-leaved mixed forest, Larix principis-rupprechtii + broad-leaved mixed forest, Picea meyeri + Larix principis-rupprechtii mixed forest, Picea meyeri + broad-leaved mixed forests, broad-leaved + needle-leaved mixed forest, Pinus tabulaeformis + broad-leaved mixed forests, Populus davidiana forest, Hippophae rhamnoides bush and Salix bush. The differences between these types were not very significant, but the diversity was obvious. The species composition of tree and shrub layers were complicated and various, and the species of herb layer were often disturbance-tolerant and humidity-tolerant ones. Generally, the far away from the river bank, the more species of alpine community appeared which was the typical characters of ecological transition zone between the alpine forest and river bank, and was also closely related with the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of riparian zone. According to the eco-functional adaptation indices, the riparian forests were divided into four eco-adaptation functional groups, i.e. the strong invasion group, the intermediate invasion group, the weak invasion group and the strong avoiding group. The eco-strategy of tree layers and bush layers were significantly different from each other among the four groups, but the differences of the herb layers were not significant.