Ecological Effects of Beaver Habitat Abandonment in the Colorado Rockies

Neff, Don J.

doi:10.2307/3797684

Cited by 42 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…Beaver also affect the landscape (Johnson 1927;lves 1942;Neff 1957;Chadbreck 1958;Knudson 1962;Champagne 1971;Dickinson 1971b;White 1979;Yogi 1981 ;Remillard (984). According to Yogi (1981), "beavers in many North American locations with lakes, rivers and streams are classical examples of retrogressive agents whose destruction/disturbance checks and reverses plant succession and determines the stage of vegetational development."…”

Section: Discussion Of Beaver Disturbancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Disturbance by Beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and Increased Landscape Heterogeneity

Remillard¹,

Gruendling²,

Bogucki³

1987

Landscape Heterogeneity and Disturbance

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Section: Discussion Of Beaver Disturbancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…When the dams are breached, the ponded area drains and may revert to a terrestrial environment. The site may later be reoccupied by beaver and reflooded (Johnson 1927;Neff 1957;Rue 1964).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Disturbance by Beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and Increased Landscape Heterogeneity

Remillard¹,

Gruendling²,

Bogucki³

1987

Landscape Heterogeneity and Disturbance

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“…Beavers build dams and impound water along stream channels. These hydrological consequences have been observed (Beuch, 1985;Neff, 1957) but not systematically studied or even adequately quantified. An extensive bibliography compiled by Medin and Torquemada (1988) lists the North American publications pertaining to beavers, their activities and associated effects on the ecology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Beaver Dams on Subarctic Wetland Hydrology

Woo¹,

Waddington²

1990

ARCTIC

109

126

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ABSTRACT. Beaver dams are ubiquitous in subarctic wetlands, where runoff in the flat terrain is highly prone to changes as the stream courses are modified by beaver activities. Depending on the state of preservation, stream flow can overtop or funnel through gaps in the dams, leak from the bottom of the dams or seep through the entire structure. Peak and low flows are regulated by these dams to a varying extent. The formation of beaver ponds causes local flooding, while the open water surfaces of the ponds increase water loss from the wetlands. Water spilled from the dams may cause diversion channels to produce complex drainage patterns. Comparing the water balance of basins with and without a beaver dam at its outlet confirms that the dammed basin lost more water to evaporation, suppressed the outflow and increased the basin water storage. Key words: beaver, wetland, beaver dam, stream flow, basin storage, wetland drainage, Subarctic RÉSUMÉ. On trouve des barrages edifies par les castors partout dans les terres humides subarctiques, là où I'dcoulement en terrain plat est trts souvent sujet à des changements, suite à la modification du lit des ruisseaux par la presence des castors. Selon l'etat des barrages, le cours d'eau peut passer par dessus ou s'&happer par les interstices du barrage, passer en dessous ou filtrer A travers toute la surface. Jusqu'à un certain point, les barrages rtglent la hauteur du cours d'eau. La formation d'ktangs cr&s par les barrages de castors est la cause d'inondations locales, tandis que la plus grande surface d'eau en contact avec l'air augmente la perte d'eau dans les terres humides. L'eau qui se deverse des barrages peut amener les chenaux de diversion à crker une configuration de drainage complexe. La comparaison des bilans d'eau contenue dans des bassins avec et sans barrage de castor à leur sortie, confirme le fait que le bassin avec barrage perd plus d'eau par evaporation, n'a plus de debit et que la quantite d'eau contenue augmente. Mots cles: castor, terres humides, barrage de castor, cours d'eau, quantite d'eau contenue dans le bassin, drainage des terres humides, Subarctique 'kaduit pour le journal par Ntsida Loyer.

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“…Beaver meadows are relatively homogeneous patches of distinct plant communities that increase heterogeneity at the landscape scale (Remillard et al, 1987;McMaster and McMaster, 2000;Wright et al, 2002). Beaver meadows may persist for decades as patches dominated by herbaceous or shrubby plants (Neff, 1957;Barnes and Dibble, 1988;Terwilliger and Pastor, 1999). Alternatively, the loss of beaver from riverine systems can dry floodplains, which can lead to desertification or upland forest development (Wolf et al, 2007;Bilyeu et al, 2008;Green and Westbrook, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beaver assisted river valley formation

Westbrook

Cooper

Baker

2011

River Research & Apps

111

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We examined how beaver dams affect key ecosystem processes, including pattern and process of sediment deposition, the composition and spatial pattern of vegetation, and nutrient loading and processing. We provide new evidence for the formation of heterogeneous beaver meadows on riverine system floodplains and terraces where dynamic flows are capable of breaching in-channel beaver dams. Our data show a 1.7-m high beaver dam triggered overbank flooding that drowned vegetation in areas deeply flooded, deposited nutrient-rich sediment in a spatially heterogeneous pattern on the floodplain and terrace, and scoured soils in other areas. The site quickly de-watered following the dam breach by high stream flows, protecting the deposited sediment from future re-mobilization by overbank floods. Bare sediment either exposed by scouring or deposited by the beaver flood was quickly colonized by a spatially heterogeneous plant community, forming a beaver meadow. Many willow and some aspen seedlings established in the more heavily disturbed areas, suggesting the site may succeed to a willow carr plant community suitable for future beaver re-occupation. We expand existing theory beyond the beaver pond to include terraces within valleys. This more fully explains how beavers can help drive the formation of alluvial valleys and their complex vegetation patterns as was first postulated by Ruedemann and Schoonmaker in 1938.

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Ecological Effects of Beaver Habitat Abandonment in the Colorado Rockies

Cited by 42 publications

References 1 publication

Disturbance by Beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and Increased Landscape Heterogeneity

Disturbance by Beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and Increased Landscape Heterogeneity

Effects of Beaver Dams on Subarctic Wetland Hydrology

Beaver assisted river valley formation

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