Reintroduced Beavers Rapidly Influence the Storage and Biogeochemistry of Sediments in Headwater Streams (Methow River, Washington)

McCreesh, Rita; Fox-Dobbs, Kena; Wimberger, Peter H.; Woodruff, Kent; Holtgrieve, Gordon W.; Pool, Thomas K.

doi:10.3955/046.093.0203

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The study by Nummi and Holopainen (2014) has given support for promoting the beaver as a tool for ecosystem and community restoration (Law et al, 2016; McCreesh et al, 2019; Willby et al, 2018). The environmental processes created by the beaver can also be imitated with man‐made ponds, for example in urban areas where it is not feasible to have beavers as flood engineers (Bailey et al, 2019; Wahlroos et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring wetland biodiversity using research: Whole‐community facilitation by beaver as framework

Nummi

Holopainen

2020

Aquatic Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1.Wetlands are declining worldwide, and there is a great need for their restoration and creation. One natural agent of wetland engineering is beavers, Castor spp., which have returned or are returning to many parts of their former range. 2.We initially studied the facilitative effect of the beaver Castor canadensis on a waterbird community consisting of three waders and four ducks in boreal wetlands in southern Finland. Both waterbird species diversity and abundance increased when beavers impounded a pond. Common teal Anas crecca and green sandpiper Tringa ochropus were the species showing the most positive numerical response, but the other five species also increased upon flooding. 3.This article evaluates how the results of the study have been used in management, both in theory and practice. The whole‐community facilitation concept has been taken up in numerous articles considering the restorative effects of beavers. It has also been used as ecological background when planning and executing man‐made wetland projects in Finland within both the public and the private sectors. 4.Our study and its publication in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems have set a foundation for further evidence‐based management of waterbird communities. As the results show, having beavers as wetland managers is a feasible tool for creating and restoring wetlands for waterbirds and other biota. Moreover, wetland restoration projects are becoming more popular endeavours, owing to an understanding of the diverse benefits of wetlands. Flooding by beavers is used as a model for managers when creating man‐made wetlands; for example, in urban areas where it is difficult to maintain beavers.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring wetland biodiversity using research: Whole‐community facilitation by beaver as framework

Nummi

Holopainen

2020

Aquatic Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The different configurations and constructions of BDAs are still being tested and compared against one another (Davis et al, 2021; Munir & Westbrook, 2020), and more research is needed to determine the optimal configurations for a specific site. There is no clear consensus on how to maximize the chances of success when performing beaver relocation—how to live‐trap the beavers, how long to quarantine them, whether or not the relocation site is intentionally prepared or not, if the impacts of relocated beavers versus in situ beavers differ, are all important considerations, with relatively little rigorous research published in the scientific literature (Dittbrenner et al, 2018; McCreesh et al, 2019; McKinstry et al, 2001). These unknowns are valid, but they should not completely paralyze beaver‐based river restoration efforts.…”

Section: Benefits Of Floodplain‐connected Rivers In a Warming Worldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beaver: The North American freshwater climate action plan

Jordan

Fairfax

2022

WIREs Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Rivers and streams, when fully connected to their floodplains, are naturally resilient systems that are increasingly part of the conversation on nature-based climate solutions. Reconnecting waterways to their floodplains improves water quality and quantity, supports biodiversity and sensitive species conservation, increases flood, drought and fire resiliency, and bolsters carbon sequestration.But, while the importance of river restoration is clear, beaver-based restoration-for example, strategic coexistence, relocation, and mimicryremains an underutilized strategy despite ample data demonstrating its efficacy. Climate-driven disturbances are actively pushing streams into increasingly degraded states, and the window of opportunity for restoration will not stay open forever. Therefore, now is the perfect time to apply the science of beaver-based low-tech process-based stream restoration to support building climate resilience across the landscape. Not every stream will be a good candidate for beaver-based restoration, but we have the tools to know which ones are. Let us use them.

show abstract

“…Whilst intact, beaver dams have a beneficial effect on the storage and biochemistry of sediments in their pools (McCreesh et al, 2019). Law et al (2017) switch attention from dams to the wetlands they create, recording a 12‐year recovery of degraded fen in a riparian wetland (Blairgowrie, Scotland) created by these ‘ecosystem engineers’.…”

Section: Environmental Design For Damaged Rivers: Rehabilitation Rest...mentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Fluvial geomorphology and environmental design’: Restitution for damage, rehabilitation, restoration or rewilding?

Newson

2021

Earth Surf Processes Landf

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Gregory's pioneering work on progressive river channel change, driven in England by both natural and anthropogenic forces, helped to guide major concepts and roles for fluvial geomorphology. It opened the door to a steep rise of applied fluvial geomorphology and a bigger role in public policy and river basin management.The channel change paradigm spans the millennia; by the late 20th century, the extent of Anthropocene harm to rivers justified both a radical label as 'damage' and a professional focus to prescribe remedies. Imitating engineering, then dominant in river management, Gregory favoured the term 'design'. The damage principally impacted river habitat and increasing collaboration with freshwater ecologists in the restitution of damage became part of the international move to 'river science'.European legislation strengthened the legal status of physical habitat in overall river quality.In the 21st century fluvial geomorphology has both strengthened and diversified further within 'river science', but also gaining social, behavioural, even political, insights through 'citizen science' and the 'co-design' of river corridor projects with communities. The professional challenges of the climate and biodiversity emergencies return us to Gregory's question, 'how applied should we become?' The increasingly public profiles of, for example, flood risk policy require river scientists to participate in recommending and co-designing options such as rehabilitation, restoration and rewilding. The separate and joint contributions of these options are discussed through the geomorphological prism. Progressive and episodic channel changes will increase as the drivers and remedies interact; we must play a role in scenario setting and adaptive management, promoting workable collaboration between natural and social sciences, especially in the contested field of design.

show abstract

Reintroduced Beavers Rapidly Influence the Storage and Biogeochemistry of Sediments in Headwater Streams (Methow River, Washington)

Cited by 5 publications

References 33 publications

Restoring wetland biodiversity using research: Whole‐community facilitation by beaver as framework

Restoring wetland biodiversity using research: Whole‐community facilitation by beaver as framework

Beaver: The North American freshwater climate action plan

‘Fluvial geomorphology and environmental design’: Restitution for damage, rehabilitation, restoration or rewilding?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About