Beaver Library

Beaver are ecosystem engineers capable of converting free-flowing lotic habitats into a series of lentic ponds, thereby enhancing the wetland area of a riverscape. Process-based riverscape restoration using beaver reintroductions and mimicry (beaver dam analogues, BDAs) are increasingly used to restore  functions, the provisioning of services, and improve the resiliency of ecosystems across North America and Europe. Beaver can create breeding habitat for a wide range of species within the highly imperilled class Amphibia by increasing wetland area, increasing emergent vegetation, prolonging wetland hydroperiod, and creating deep ponds.

Study that finds beaver-induced changes to habitat quality, stability, and connectivity may increase spotted frog population resistance and resilience to seasonal drought, grazing, non-native predators, and climate change.

A review that investigates the mechanisms by which beavers act as ecosystem engineers, and then discusses the possible impacts of beavers on the biodiversity of Scotland.

How beavers affect the biodiversity in their ecosystem

This review summarizes how beaver impact ecosystem structure and geomorphology, hydrology and water resources, water quality, freshwater ecology, and humans and society.

This work establishes the pre-eminence of beaver-created wetlands as amphibian habitat in the Boreal Foothills and that the incorporation of dam-building patterns into forest management strategies could aid amphibian conservation