Beaver ponds create wetland habitat for birds in mountains of southeastern Wyoming

Brown, D.; Hubert, Wayne A.; Anderson, Stanley H.

doi:10.1007/bf03160686

Cited by 31 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…In other forested regions of North America, beaver ponds have been recognized as important waterfowl breeding habitats, because they are used by all dabbling ducks, wood duck, hooded merganser, and ring-necked duck (Renouf 1972;Brown and Parsons 1979;Brown et al 1996;McCall et al 1996;Rempel et al 1997;Longcore et al 2006). This species assemblage would fit our results perfectly if we rely on flooded swamps as indicators of beaver ponds.…”

Section: ŝ > 1)supporting

confidence: 81%

Wetland Use and Selection by Breeding Waterbirds in the Boreal Forest of Quebec, Canada

et al. 2010

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Wetlands of remote forested landscapes of Quebec support numerous species of breeding waterbirds yet species-habitat associations remain poorly quantified. From 1990 to 2005, we conducted systematic helicopter surveys of breeding waterfowl and common loons (Gavia immer) across a 540,000-km 2 forested region of Quebec. Data from this survey were used to investigate local habitat use and selection by waterbirds, based on a wetland classification system derived from digital forestry maps. Detailed indicated-breeding-pair (IBP) distributions were developed for broad aquatic, wetland, and shoreline habitat types. We also estimated selection ratios within groups of similar habitat types. Small (≤8 ha), connected ponds were highly used and selected by five dabbling duck species and by wood duck (Aix sponsa), Canada goose (Branta canadensis), ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris), hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), and Barrow's goldeneye (B. islandica). Dabbling duck species, wood duck, and Canada goose made extensive use of streams (25-41% of all IBP). Community organization was mainly driven by openness of aquatic habitat and water movement, i.e., from lentic to lotic habitats. Failure to include streams in waterfowl surveys and habitat mapping could produce biased estimates of wetland habitat use and selection in the boreal forest.

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Section: ŝ > 1)supporting

confidence: 81%

Wetland Use and Selection by Breeding Waterbirds in the Boreal Forest of Quebec, Canada

et al. 2010

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“…The transition from aquatic to terrestrial areas may be characterised by flooded emergent vegetation (Grover & Baldassarre , Brown et al. , Ray et al. ), a grass–forb–shrub layer next to ponds (Edwards & Otis , Martell et al.…”

Section: Review Of the Impacts Of Beavers On Biodiversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The impacts of beaversCastorspp. on biodiversity and the ecological basis for their reintroduction to Scotland,UK

Stringer

Gaywood

2016

Mammal Review

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1.In Scotland, UK, beavers became extinct about 400 years ago. Currently, two wild populations are present in Scotland on a trial basis, and the case for their full reintroduction is currently being considered by Scottish ministers. Beavers are widely considered 'ecosystem engineers' . Indeed, beavers have large impacts on the environment, fundamentally change ecosystems, and create unusual habitats, often considered unique. In this review, we investigate the mechanisms by which beavers act as ecosystem engineers, and then discuss the possible impacts of beavers on the biodiversity of Scotland. 2.A meta-analysis of published studies on beavers' interactions with biodiversity was conducted, and the balance of positive and negative interactions with plants, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals recorded. 3. The meta-analysis showed that, overall, beavers have an overwhelmingly positive influence on biodiversity. Beavers' ability to modify the environment means that they fundamentally increase habitat heterogeneity. As beavers are central-place foragers that feed only in close proximity to watercourses, their herbivory is unevenly spread in the landscape. In addition, beaver ponds and their associated unique successional stages increase habitat heterogeneity both spatially and temporally. Beavers also influence the ecosystems through the creation of a variety of features such as dams and lodges, important habitat features such as standing dead wood (after inundation), an increase in woody debris, and a graded edge between terrestrial and aquatic habitats that is rich in structural complexity. 4. In Scotland, a widespread positive influence on biodiversity is expected, if beavers are widely reintroduced. For instance, beaver activity should provide important habitat for the otter Lutra lutra, great crested newt Triturus cristatus and water vole Arvicola amphibious, all species of conservation importance. 5. Beavers are most likely to have detrimental impacts on certain woodland habitats and species of conservation importance, such as the Atlantic hazelwood climax community and aspen Populus tremula woodland. A lack of woodland regeneration caused by high deer abundance could lead to habitat degradation or loss. These are also of particular importance due to the variety of associated dependent species of conservation interest, such as lichen communities in Atlantic hazelwoods.

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“…Following reintroduction of beaver to the San Pedro River (see ‘History and status’ above), Johnson () found that abundance and species richness of obligate riparian birds were correlated with presence and age of beaver dams even after controlling for covariates such as presence of surface water and density of riparian vegetation. Waterfowl presence in dryland streams is also strongly associated with beaver ponds (Brown et al ., ; McKinstry et al ., ). Collectively these studies indicate strong and positive relationships between presence of dryland beaver ponds and the overall abundance and species richness of riparian‐associated bird communities.…”

Section: Biotic Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecology, management, and conservation implications of North American beaver(Castor canadensis)in dryland streams

Gibson

Olden

2014

Aquatic Conservation

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After near‐extirpation in the early 20th century, beaver populations are increasing throughout many parts of North America. Simultaneously, there is an emerging interest in employing beaver activity for stream restoration in arid and semi‐arid environments (collectively, ‘drylands’), where streams and adjacent riparian ecosystems are expected to face heightened challenges from climate change and human population growth.Despite growing interest in reintroduction programmes, surprisingly little is known about the ecology of beaver in dryland streams, and science to guide management decisions is often fragmented and incomplete.This paper reviews the literature addressing the ecological effects and management of beaver activity in drylands of North America, highlighting conservation implications, distinctions between temperate and dryland streams, and knowledge gaps.Well‐documented effects of beaver activity in drylands include changes to channel morphology and groundwater processes, creation of perennial wetland habitat, and substantial impacts to riparian vegetation. However, many hypothesized effects derived from temperate streams lack empirical evidence from dryland streams.Topics urgently in need of further study include the distribution and local density of beaver dams; consequences of beaver dams for hydrology and water budgets; and effects of beaver activity on the spread of aquatic and riparian non‐native species.In summary, this review suggests that beaver activity can create substantial benefits and costs for conservation. Where active beaver introductions or removals are proposed, managers and conservation organizations are urged to implement monitoring programmes and consider the full range of possible ecological effects and trade‐offs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Beaver ponds create wetland habitat for birds in mountains of southeastern Wyoming

Cited by 31 publications

References 15 publications

Wetland Use and Selection by Breeding Waterbirds in the Boreal Forest of Quebec, Canada

Wetland Use and Selection by Breeding Waterbirds in the Boreal Forest of Quebec, Canada

The impacts of beaversCastorspp. on biodiversity and the ecological basis for their reintroduction to Scotland,UK

Ecology, management, and conservation implications of North American beaver(Castor canadensis)in dryland streams

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