Invasive North American beaver <i>Castor canadensis</i> in Eurasia: a review of potential consequences and a strategy for eradication

Parker, Howard; Nummi, Petri; Hartman, Göran; Rosell, Frank

doi:10.2981/12-007

Cited by 50 publications

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References 42 publications

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“…When re‐introducing the beaver in the 1930s, North American beavers were also brought in, and they now occupy wider areas in Finland (Parker et al . ). According to recent findings by Danilov et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whole‐community facilitation by beaver: ecosystem engineer increases waterbird diversity

Nummi

Holopainen

2014

Aquatic Conservation

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Wetlands are rich in biodiversity, but globally threatened. After a long period of regional extirpation, beavers have recently returned to many European areas and are now restoring wetlands. The beaver is remarkable regarding the large impacts it has not only on individual species but on entire communities and ecosystems. In fact, beavers are referred to as ‘ecosystem engineers’.The facilitative effect of the beaver Castor canadensis on a waterbird community of seven species of waders and ducks in boreal ponds was studied by using the before–after control–impact method (BACI) and analysing the effect of the duration of flooding. The before–after setting could be used since beavers had caused disturbance by flooding several forest ponds during the course of this long‐term study (1988–2009). The study took place in southern Finland, where waterbirds were surveyed four times during the breeding season.The number of waterbird species per pond per year was significantly higher during beaver inundation than before beaver activity, as was the waterbird abundance per survey. Changes were negligible in the controls. The numbers of all seven species increased during flooding, although the increase was significant in only three species. Common teal Anas crecca and green sandpiper Tringa ochropus showed the most positive numerical response to flooding. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and wigeon Anas penelope were new species entering the duck guild in the flooded wetlands. The beneficial effect of the flood lasted the whole period of inundation, although the most substantial increase in species number appeared during the first two years of flooding.The beaver acted as a whole‐community facilitator for waterbirds. It was inferred from previous studies that this was done by modifying the habitat to make it more productive and structurally favourable. It is concluded that favouring beavers is a worthwhile tool in restoring wetlands to promote waterbird communities. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whole‐community facilitation by beaver: ecosystem engineer increases waterbird diversity

Nummi

Holopainen

2014

Aquatic Conservation

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“…Beavers (Eurasian beaver Castor fiber, American beaver Castor canadensis) are important ecosystem engineers in the Northern Hemisphere, capable of modifying the landscape and ecosystems of their riparian habitat (Johnston 2017). The American beaver is also an alien species in South America (Anderson et al 2009) and in some parts of Europe (Parker et al 2012). Beavers mainly act by building dams and drastically changing hydrology, thereby creating and maintaining water-logged flooded habitats (Baker & Hill 2003).…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…) and in some parts of Europe (Parker et al. ). Beavers mainly act by building dams and drastically changing hydrology, thereby creating and maintaining water‐logged flooded habitats (Baker & Hill ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beavers affect carbon biogeochemistry: both short‐term and long‐term processes are involved

et al. 2018

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With the recent population increase in beavers (Castor spp.), a considerable amount of new riparian habitat has been created in the Holarctic. We evaluated how beaver‐induced floods affect carbon (C) dynamics in the beaver ponds and in the water‐atmosphere and riparian zone interfaces. Beaver disturbance affects soil organic C storage by decreasing or increasing it, resulting in a redistribution of C. Upon flooding, the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) increases in the water. This C can be released into the atmosphere, it can settle down to the bottom sediments, it can be sequestered by vegetation, or it can be transported downstream. The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions vary between 0.14 and 11.2 g CO2 m−2 day−1, averaging 4.9 CO2 g m−2 day−1. The methane (CH4) emissions vary too, from 27 mg m−2 day−1 to 919 mg m−2 day−1, averaging 222 mg CH4 m−2 day−1. Globally, C emission from beaver ponds in the form of CH4 and CO2 may be 3.33–4.62 Tg (teragram, 1012 g) year−1. The yearly short‐term sedimentation rates in beaver ponds vary between 0.4 and 47 cm year−1, and individual ponds contain 9–6355 m3 of sediment. The approximate global estimate for yearly C sedimentation is 3.8 Tg C; beaver ponds globally contain 380 Tg sedimented C. After being formed, beaver pond deposits can remain for millennia. Both C sequestration and CO2 and CH4 emissions in ponds of various ages should be taken into account when considering the net effect of beavers on the C dynamics. With present estimates, beaver ponds globally range from a sink (−0.47 Tg year−1) to a source (0.82 Tg year−1) of C. More research is needed with continuous flux measurements and from ponds of different ages. Likewise, there is a need for more studies in Eurasia to understand the effect of beaver on C biogeochemistry.

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“…Considering beavers alone, this technique could be useful in monitoring populations in eradication programs for the specie which are being planned for Europe (Lorvelec and Pascal 2005;Genovesi et al 2012;Parker et al 2012) and South America (Choi 2008;Parkes et al 2008;Menvielle et al 2010), to monitor the advance and activity of the same invasive species in Asia (Saveljev and Safonov 1999) and to monitor the reintroduced populations of both Castor canadensis and Castor fiber (Macdonald et al 1995;Halley 2011;Baldwin 2013;Gibson and Olden 2014). This could also help in studying the populations of pest species which attack woody species such as bark beetles (Hadley and Veblen 1993;Fettig et al 2006;Schwilk et al 2006) or other herbivores and/or pathogens producing tree mortality (Augspurger 1984;Schowalter et al 1986;Christensen et al 1995;Cannicci et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasion of North American beaver (Castor canadensis) in the province of Magallanes, Southern Chile: comparison between dating sites through interviews with the local community and dendrochronology

Graells

Corcoran

Aravena

2015

Rev. Chil. de Hist. Nat.

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Background: Twenty beavers Castor canadensis (Castoridae) were initially introduced in the Argentinean portion of Tierra del Fuego Island, from where they have occupied most of the Fuegian Archipelago and even reached the continent. This invasion is causing great damage to the subantarctic forest ecosystems, and it is not known how fast the species is spreading. While there is an estimation of this advance using interviews, it is not known how reliable these are and they cannot be made in remote areas. On the mainland, where beavers were present, their date of arrival was estimated using interviews and dendrochronology, and the dates obtained by both methods were compared for each site.Results: Differences were found among the groups of respondents, according to property size, in their ability to detect changes in the environment made by beavers. The dates of arrival estimated through dendrochronology are 23 years prior to those determined through surveys, and they generate a potential route of arrival from the Fuegian Archipelago and migration in the mainland. This route is more parsimonious than the route of dispersal generated through interviews. Conclusions: Since it was determined that there is no relationship between the dates estimated through surveys and dendrochronology, it is not possible to determine how much lag there is from the time when changes in the environment are produced by beavers and the time when people notice this change. Our results indicate that this lag may not be constant among different groups of people.

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Invasive North American beaver Castor canadensis in Eurasia: a review of potential consequences and a strategy for eradication

Cited by 50 publications

References 42 publications

Whole‐community facilitation by beaver: ecosystem engineer increases waterbird diversity

Whole‐community facilitation by beaver: ecosystem engineer increases waterbird diversity

Beavers affect carbon biogeochemistry: both short‐term and long‐term processes are involved

Invasion of North American beaver (Castor canadensis) in the province of Magallanes, Southern Chile: comparison between dating sites through interviews with the local community and dendrochronology

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