Effects of Beaver Dams on Subarctic Wetland Hydrology

Woo, Ming‐ko; Waddington, J. M.

doi:10.14430/arctic1615

Cited by 109 publications

(137 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Although the hydrologic influence of beaver dams can last for decades following abandonment (Naiman et al 1988), once dams breach, the pond sediments are subject to erosion (Woo and Waddington 1990). Our data, and previous observations (Jonas 1955) indicate that channel incision began in ca.…”

Section: Beaversupporting

confidence: 55%

“…Beaver dams can be long-term or ephemeral geomorphic features of a stream valley (Woo and Waddington 1990) that typically span the entire channel and are maintained year round on streams with low power (Warren 1926, Johnston and 3 Corresponding author. E-mail: davidc@warnercnr.colostate.edu Naiman 1990, Burns and Mcdonnell 1998, Albert and Trimble 2000.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beaver dams raise local water tables and allow deposition of fine-grained sediment (Meentemeyer and Butler 1999), producing suitable conditions for willow establishment (Bigler et al 2001). Even after a beaver dam is abandoned, it may impound water for years to decades, and continue to influence site geomorphic processes (Naiman et al 1988, Woo andWaddington 1990). Once a beaver pond drains, bare and moist mineral sediment is exposed providing ideal habitat for willow establishment (Read 1958).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hydrologic Regime and Herbivory Stabilize an Alternative State in Yellowstone National Park

Wolf

Cooper

Hobbs

2007

Ecological Applications

150

162

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Abstract. A decline in the stature and abundance of willows during the 20th century occurred throughout the northern range of Yellowstone National Park, where riparian woody-plant communities are key components in multiple-trophic-level interactions. The potential causes of willow decline include climate change, increased elk browsing coincident with the loss of an apex predator, the gray wolf, and an absence of habitat engineering by beavers. The goal of this study was to determine the spatial and temporal patterns of willow establishment through the 20th century and to identify causal processes. Sampled willows established from 1917 to 1999 and contained far fewer young individuals than was predicted from a modeled stable willow population, indicating reduced establishment during recent decades. Two hydrologically distinct willow establishment environments were identified: finegrained beaver pond sediments and coarse-grained alluvium. Willows established on beaver pond sediment earlier in time, higher on floodplain surfaces, and farther from the current stream channel than did willows on alluvial sediment. Significant linear declines from the 1940s to the 1990s in alluvial willow establishment elevation and lateral distance from the stream channel resulted in a much reduced area of alluvial willow establishment. Willow establishment was not well correlated with climate-driven hydrologic variables, but the trends were consistent with the effects of stream channel incision initiated in ca. 1950, 20-30 years after beaver dam abandonment. Radiocarbon dates and floodplain stratigraphy indicate that stream incision of the present magnitude may be unprecedented in the past two millennia. We propose that hydrologic changes, stemming from competitive exclusion of beaver by elk overbrowsing, caused the landscape to transition from a historical beaver-pond and willowmosaic state to its current alternative stable state where active beaver dams and many willow stands are absent. Because of hydrologic changes in streams, a rapid return to the historical state may not occur by reduction of elk browsing alone. Management intervention to restore the historical hydrologic regime may be necessary to recover willows and beavers across the landscape.

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Section: Beaversupporting

confidence: 55%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hydrologic Regime and Herbivory Stabilize an Alternative State in Yellowstone National Park

Wolf

Cooper

Hobbs

2007

Ecological Applications

150

162

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“…Beaver impoundments alter stream hydrology by regulating flow (at least temporarily) and by increasing water storage (Woo and Waddington 1990). If these stored waters become oxygen depleted, they increase the potential habitat for anaerobic methanogcns.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Methane fluxes, concentrations, and production in two Adirondack beaver impoundments

et al. 1992

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We measured methane release into the atmosphere, concentrations and fluxes of dissolved methane, and rates of methane production by peats in two bcavcr impoundments in the Adirondack Park region of New York to determine whether such impoundments are a significant source of atmospheric methane. In 1990, methane release rates were similar between impoundments and averaged 705 and 600 pmol cm-2 min-l (i.e. 162 and 138 mg CH, m-2 d-I). Water-column concentrations of dissolved CH, were lower in one impoundment (33 PM) than in the other (158 PM). Rates of CH, production by underlying peats were similar bctwecn impoundments and averaged 34.7 and 25.1 pmol crnm3 min-'. In both impoundments, CH, oxidation in the water and at the sediment-water interface secmcd to be an important factor controlling its release. Mossdominated wetlands adjacent to the impoundments had at least tenfold lower release rates for CH, and fivefold lower concentrations of dissolved CH,. Beaver impoundments in woodland streams appear to be important local sources of atmospheric CH,. Enhanced CH, cycling in these systems compared to that in local wetlands could be due to altered hydrology, increased retention of sediment and organic matter caused by beaver activities, or both.

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“…in shaping landscapes, ecological feedbacks and hydrological conditions of riparian forests challenges the management of these ecosystems [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Among the ecosystem alterations induced by construction activity of beaver, increased water storage capacity and related changes in flow regime and sedimentation-erosion balance remain of the highest importance for both catchment-scale water management and local-scale maintenance of forest environment [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. The increasing abundance of European beaver (Castor fiber) populations in Central and Eastern Europe, reported in the late 20th and in the beginning of the 21st century, entailed colonization of new habitats by these rodents, which along with the intensification of agriculture and forestry, remained a cause of conflict at the interface of land use and environmental conservation [21,22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Channel Retention in a Lowland Temperate Forest Stream Settled by European Beaver (Castor fiber)

Grygoruk

Nowak

2014

Forests

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Beaver ponds remain a challenge for forest management in those countries where expansion of beaver (Castor fiber) is observed. Despite undoubted economic losses generated in forests by beaver, their influence on hydrology of forest streams especially in terms of increasing channel retention (amount of water stored in the river channel), is considered a positive aspect of their activity. In our study, we compared water storage capacities of a lowland forest stream settled by beaver in order to unravel the possible temporal variability of beaver's influence on channel retention. We compared distribution, total damming height, volumes and areas of beaver ponds in the valley of Krzemianka (Northeast Poland) in the years 2006 (when a high construction activity of beaver was observed) and in 2013 (when the activity of beaver decreased significantly). The study revealed a significant decrease of channel retention of beaver ponds from over 15,000 m 3 in 2006 to 7000 m 3 in 2013. The total damming height of the cascade of beaver ponds decreased from 6.6 to 5.6 m. Abandoned beaver ponds that transferred into wetlands, where lost channel retention was replaced by soil and groundwater retention, were more constant over time and less vulnerable to the external disturbance means of water storage than channel retention. We concluded that abandoned beaver ponds played an active role in increasing channel retention of the river analyzed for approximately 5 years. We also concluded that if the construction activity of beaver was used as a tool (ecosystem service) in increasing channel retention of the river valley, the permanent presence of beaver in the riparian zone of forest streams should have been assured. OPEN ACCESSForests 2014, 5 2277

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Effects of Beaver Dams on Subarctic Wetland Hydrology

Cited by 109 publications

References 14 publications

Hydrologic Regime and Herbivory Stabilize an Alternative State in Yellowstone National Park

Hydrologic Regime and Herbivory Stabilize an Alternative State in Yellowstone National Park

Methane fluxes, concentrations, and production in two Adirondack beaver impoundments

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Channel Retention in a Lowland Temperate Forest Stream Settled by European Beaver (Castor fiber)

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