Another presenter at the beaver symposium, and a favorite of Alex and myself, Glynnis has done important research on the effects of beavers on drought conditions and the environment.
“Removal of beaver should be considered an environmental disturbance on par with in-filling, peat mining and industrial water extraction,” said researcher Glynnis Hood, lead author on the study and an assistant professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus in Camrose, Canada.
Ahhh Glynnis, we need to send YOU a t-shirt next! I guess those beavers in canada are doing something besides holding down the backs of nickles.
“In times of drought they may be one of the most effective ways to mitigate wetland loss,” said Hood. “Some people believe climate is driving everything, but the presence of beaver has a dramatic effect on the availability of open water in an area. Beaver are helping to keep water in areas that would otherwise be dry.” Even during drought, where beaver were present, there was 60 per cent more open water than those same areas during previous drought periods when beaver were absent.
Here are some other presenters at the conference, Dr. Peter Bush from Boston University, that Alex posted about yesterday.
Obviously Massachusetts is a hotbed of beaver thinking. Today our old friend Mike Callahan of Beaver Solutions is on his way to the state house to do some presentations on beavers for the MSPCA. Good luck Mike!
You’ll probably recognize this other presenter with no introduction…
Alex! We are so grateful to you for this sneak peak at the world’s best beaver minds! Stay tuned tomorrow for the first ever episode of “Castor CSI” where beaver DNA will provide starting insights into foul play…
