Beavers are engineering a new Alaskan tundra
With more dam builders, the area is becoming more hospitable to wildlife
By
Sid Perkins
9:00am, November 28, 2018
ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERS To some people, beavers are pests. But as they move into Arctic tundra, the animals may help other species.
In a broad swath of northwestern Alaska, small groups of recent immigrants are hard at work. Like many residents of this remote area, they’re living off the land. But these industrious foreigners are neither prospecting for gold nor trapping animals for their pelts. In fact, their own luxurious fur was once a hot commodity. Say hello to Castor canadensis, the American beaver.
Much like humans, beavers can have an oversized effect on the landscape (SN: 8/4/18, p. 28). People who live near beaver habitat complain of downed trees and flooded land. But in areas populated mostly by critters, the effects can be positive. Beaver dams broaden and deepen small streams, forming new ponds and warming up local waters. Those beaver-built enhancements create or expand habitats hospitable to many other species — one of the main reasons that researchers refer to beavers as ecosystem engineers.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/beavers-are-engineering-new-alaskan-tundra
