They could have just described beavers and left it at that. Don’t you agree?
7 Keystone Species — and Why they Matter for Our Planet
“Keystone species have low functional redundancy,” explains biologist Raquel Filgueiras of the conservancy group Rewilding Europe. “This means that when populations of these species decline or disappear, there are very few or no other species that can fulfill their role. Ecosystems then degrade, and sometimes completely collapse.”
Wolves are one of many keystone species that humans have viewed as pests or, even worse, enemies to control or remove.
The wolves’ return also aided beavers. North America’s largest rodents are essential ecosystem engineers, and they now had a plentiful supply of leaves, roots, and bark to eat, and wood for building dams.
Yes, yes, wolves are the handmaidens of beavers in that they keep the elk away from the fresh green shoots so that they stick around to make beaver food. Then they can build their dams and restore stream function. Yeah beavers.
Beaver dams can be a nuisance for humans: They may divert waterways where we don’t want them and cause flooding; the trees beavers cut down can destroy our sense of the picturesque.
But beaver dams play a grander role in the ecosystem that we may not comprehend. They slow water flow in streams, which can help reduce erosion and provide water during drought. The flowage behind these dams creates wetlands, which can absorb seasonal flooding. And the wetlands filter water, replenishing aquifers and producing cleaner water for all.
So tell me, does this matter to any other animals besides the beavers themselves?
Other mammals, fish, amphibians, insects, and birds depend on the beaver’s dam-building. Some 85 percent of North American wild-animal species rely on wetlands — including many threatened and endangered species.
The beavers’ work is also becoming recognized as key to fighting wildfires. Not only do their dams retain water in the land-scape, but channels dug by beavers -appear to act like irrigation canals, keeping vegetation too wet to burn even during droughts. These wetlands become a beaver-generated safe space for frogs, salamanders, birds, and other animals to wait out a fire.
Come to think of it. Beavers are the ONLY keystone species that have been shown to impact stream health, biodiversity, fire resilience and reduction of pollution. That seems pretty dam important. The article goes on to discuss cactuses and prairie dogs but honestly, our interests are limited for obvious reasons.
Now then you might want to just remind yourself of these facts when you put together your comments for the USDA which is meeting tonight in on the first of their open forums for discussing the impact of their actions on wildlife species in California.
The meeting is zoom accessible from 5:30 to 8:30 tonight. They won’t be posting the link to the meeting until 5 pm but it will be posted here.
Give them lots to think about tonight. You can send your comments HERE and I hope you do. Beavers need you.
