4 Ways Beaver Dams Influence The Surrounding Watershed Ecosystem
How beavers are able to significantly impact their habitats
Credit: This article is based on the scientific article “A global review of beaver dam impacts: Stream conservation implications across biomes” by Bartosz P. Grudzinski and colleagues. (Full citation and link available at the end of the article)
The current environmental issues have caused many environmental issues, that are often interlinked. For example, environmental pollution can cause environmental decline which causes biodiversity to decline as well. Biodiversity means the number of plant and animal species growing and living in a certain area. This decline has many different negative consequences, for example for our health (further reading: Why Biodiversity is Important for Our Health). To counteract these negative consequences and restore damage, many initiatives are being taken to increase populations again.
One of the animal species that is being supported to increase populations again are beavers. The beaver population declined between the 1600s to the 1900s because of pelt hunting. Hunting was so intense that it even led to extinction in Scotland, Sweden, and Romania. Recent initiatives including conservation efforts, eventually virtually eliminated beaver hunting.
