Assessing restoration potential for beaver (<scp><i>Castor canadensis</i></scp>) in the semiarid foothills of the Southern Rockies, <scp>USA</scp>

Kornse, Zachary; Wohl, Ellen

doi:10.1002/rra.3719

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Beaver relocation has been increasingly proposed as a habitat restoration and climate adaptation approach (Babik & Meyer, 2015;Goldfarb, 2019;Kornse & Wohl, 2020;Law et al, 2016Law et al, , 2017MBP, 2014;TU, 2022;Tulalip Tribes, 2022;Wohl, 2021). Relocation allows practitioners to target specific priority stream reaches and may be more feasible than traditional restoration approaches in headwater streams.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relocated beaver can increase water storage and decrease stream temperature in headwater streams

et al. 2022

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Many areas are experiencing increasing stream temperatures due to climate change, and some are experiencing reduced summer stream flows and water availability. Because dam building and pond formation by beaver can increase water storage, stream cooling, and riparian ecosystem resilience, beaver have been proposed as a potential climate adaption tool. Despite the large number of studies that have evaluated how beaver activity may affect hydrology and water temperature, few experimental studies have quantified these outcomes following beaver relocation. We evaluated changes in temperature and water storage following the relocation of 69 beaver into 13 headwater stream reaches of the Skykomish River watershed within the Snohomish River basin, Washington, USA. We evaluated how beaver dams affected surface and groundwater storage and stream temperature. Successful relocations created 243 m3 of surface water storage per 100 m of stream in the first year following relocation. Dams raised water table elevations by up to 0.33 m and stored approximately 2.4 times as much groundwater as surface water per relocation reach. Stream reaches downstream of dams exhibited an average decrease of 2.3°C during summer base‐flow conditions. We also assessed how dam age, condition, maintenance frequency, and pond morphology influenced stream temperature at naturally colonized wetland complexes. Our findings demonstrate that dam building can increase water storage and reduce stream temperatures in the first year following successful beaver relocation. Fluvial and floodplain morphology of candidate reaches for relocation is an important consideration because it determines the type and magnitude of response. Relocation to reaches with existing small, abandoned ponds may address thermal criteria by conversion from warming to cooling reaches, whereas relocation within large, abandoned complexes or vacant habitat may result in greater water storage. Although beaver relocation can be an effective climate adaptation strategy to retain more stable hydrologic regimes and water quality in our study area, there appear to be regionally specific environmental and geomorphic factors that influence how beaver affect water storage and temperature. More research is needed to investigate how and why these regional differences affect water storage and stream temperature response in beaver‐influenced systems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relocated beaver can increase water storage and decrease stream temperature in headwater streams

et al. 2022

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“…2018, Graham et al. 2020, Kornse & Wohl 2020, Scamardo et al. 2022); 2) predict beaver abundance (Beck et al.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, these documents present the application of different methods and algorithms to predict the suitability of a location for this rodent based on its needs and environmental conditions (Maringer & Slotta-Bachmayr 2006, Francis et al 2017, Smeraldo et al 2017, Swinnen et al 2017, Dittbrenner et al 2018, Stringer et al 2018, Treves et al 2020, Fitch et al 2022, Serva et al 2023. Moreover, habitat suitability models are used to 1) predict beaver dam occurrences, better understand dam site characteristics, and evaluate beaver dam carrying capacity (Macfarlane et al 2017, Petro et al 2018, Graham et al 2020, Kornse & Wohl 2020, Scamardo et al 2022; 2) predict beaver abundance (Beck et al 2010, St-Pierre et al 2017, Thompson et al 2022; 3) link riparian vegetation and beaver occurrence (Breck et al 2012); 4) identify potential threats for the beaver (Romanowski et al 2008). Despite the large number of applications, there are no publications reviewing methods or algorithms used to assess habitat suitability in the context of beavers.…”

Section: Habitat Suitabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

A bibliometric literature review in beaver management: when does the beaver become a resource?

Treves,

Comino

2023

Mammal Review

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Freshwater ecosystems are some of the most biodiverse habitats, but they are among the most endangered due to human activities. In this context, beavers represent a nature‐based solutions to preserve and repair freshwater ecosystem, given their important role as ecosystem engineers. However, in an environment modified by humans, beaver activities frequently create conflicts masking the positive effects of this rodent. Therefore, the management of beaver populations and human–beaver conflicts is needed. This article investigates the literature about beaver management through a bibliometric analysis to understand past, current, and future response. Moreover, it quantifies the number of studies that consider beavers as a resource, and it identifies the emerging themes in the field. The bibliometric analysis was performed considering a total of 415 documents with the software VOSviewer and the R web interface for bibliometrix Biblioshiny. The analysis presented here provides a complete view of past, present, and future management approaches and responses at the base of beaver management strategies. Three main results emerged. Firstly, a rising tendency in the number of publications about beavers that are directly linked to the populations development and spread has detected. Secondly, only 4.3% of scientific literature has referred to beaver‐related restoration. Thirdly, the ‘human perceptions’ has resulted in the emerging field investigated. Findings suggest that there is a lot of research interest about beaver management. The beaver is still poorly managed as a tool for freshwater ecosystem restoration. The management is shifting from studies focused more so on beaver ecology to others mainly focused on the beaver effects and the human dimension. This review provides a starting point for future research on beavers and suggests the development of socio‐ecological management models that consider benefits and impacts of beavers. This will help the decision‐making process of conservation and restoration initiatives.

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“…Physical modification of the river corridor where beaver ( Castor spp.) construct dams and canals can persist for decades after the beaver no longer inhabit the site (Kornse & Wohl, 2020).…”

Section: Using Geomorphic Context To Inform Process‐based Restorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geomorphic context in process‐based river restoration

Wohl,

Rathburn,

Dunn

et al. 2024

River Research & Apps

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Process‐based river restoration seeks to restore processes such as channel‐floodplain connectivity that create and maintain river corridor functions. Process‐based restoration can fail to produce the desired results if geomorphic context is not effectively incorporated into restoration design. Geomorphic context of a river reach refers to the controls on contemporary river form and process. Controls at the catchment‐ to reach‐scale include geologic history, biophysical characteristics, legacies of past human alterations, position within the river network, river corridor geometry, base level stability, disturbance regime, and contemporary human alterations of the river corridor. We conceptualize a river corridor as reflecting the interactions among fluxes of material and the geomorphic context. We discuss how an understanding of geomorphic context can be used to select a restoration approach and provide examples of how restoration can fail to achieve desired outcomes when geomorphic context is not considered. Within the toolbox of methods used to implement process‐based restoration, we differentiate the alteration of inputs to the river corridor and fluxes of material through the corridor from alteration of form and/or connectivity within the river corridor. Historical, biotic, geologic/geomorphic, and reference sites can be used to inform process‐based restoration targets. Restoration is strongly influenced by human perceptions of what is appropriate and achievable at a site and diverse communities influencing restoration at a site may differ in their perceptions. Geomorphically based conceptual guidelines, such as the River Styles Framework, provide an effective platform for incorporating an understanding of geomorphic context into process‐based river restoration.

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Assessing restoration potential for beaver (Castor canadensis) in the semiarid foothills of the Southern Rockies, USA

Cited by 5 publications

References 30 publications

Relocated beaver can increase water storage and decrease stream temperature in headwater streams

Relocated beaver can increase water storage and decrease stream temperature in headwater streams

A bibliometric literature review in beaver management: when does the beaver become a resource?

Geomorphic context in process‐based river restoration

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