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| Image by Bruno /Germany from Pixabay |
Beavers may be pests when it comes to irrigation, but they may also be capable of protecting ecosystems and prohibiting global warming.
Description
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Large, furry mammals with webbed feet and flat scaly
tales.
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Habitat
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Mainly found in North America, but also in Europe and
Asia. Live in or near freshwater bodies, in homes called ‘lodges’ made predominantly
of sticks and mud.
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Population
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Once more than 60 billion in North America alone, in 1988 there were only
an estimated 6-12 million mainly due to hunting for fur.
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Food
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Herbivores. Eat tree bark, twigs, aquatic plants etc.
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Predators
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Hawks, otters, wolves, coyotes, bears etc. Humans are still a major threat to the beaver population.
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Species
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There are two species: the North American beaver and the
Eurasian beaver.
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Endangered?
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No
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According to environmental journalist, Ben Goldfarb, by building dams beavers construct wetlands that provide a home for 80% of the biodiversity in Western American. These ponds and meadows act as carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it for long periods, up to thousands of years.
In many areas, believe it or not, beavers are, in fact, reducing fossil fuel pollution, decreasing contribution to global warming. In Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, beavers have created dams on 27 streams, allowing them to sequester the same amount of carbon as 37,000 acres of forest in America.
Beavers are not only reducing the effects of global warming, but are also key players in protecting ecosystems from human impact. They are essential to the lives of many endangered species by providing unique habitats, and it appears that they play a vital role in our lives too. Projects have been established to protect these valuable animals, but beaver populations are far from fully restored.
In Methow Valley, Washington, rivers are reliant on the decreasing snow and ice from the Cascades, threatening water supply. By building dams to form ponds in the mountains, beavers ensure that water bodies in Central Washington are never dry, preventing water scarcity despite the declining ice. This proves how they are able to reduce the effects of global warming, such as the decline of ice.
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| Image provided by pixabay |
Beavers importance in preserving the environment is proven by their rapid decline starting in the 1500s and continuing for three centuries, due to the demand for fur clothing. In the UK, beavers were extinct in the 16th century, and have only recently be reintroduced into Scotland, Devon and other areas. As a result, meadows and wetlands swiftly became parched, erosion increased and the lives of fish, amphibians and many other animals were threatened.
And the environmental benefits of beavers don't end there. Remarkably, beaver dams can actually reduce the effects of floods by keeping majority of the water in higher areas, away from populated flood plains. This is increasingly important as, due to deforestation, increased surface run-off is causing a significant rise in river levels. Therefore beavers are vital in conserving the environment; they are precious, not pests.
Sources:
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