The Beaver is often called a “Keystone Species”, but what does this mean? If we want to be good advocates of our beavers we should all understand this concept. It was introduced in 1966 by R.T. Paine who studied the impact of removing one predator from an ecosystem. (In that case a starfish) Starfish take mussels from rocks and the space they create can then be used by other species.
Paine found that the original 15 species community was quickly reduced to only 8 species when the starfish was removed, prompting his analogy to the collapse of an archway if a “keystone” is taken out. (The keystone is the center piece which holds up both sides of the arch) Beavers have a similar role because their dams create habitat which are used by other wildlife. They raise the water table, create richer sediment, alter the vegetation, and spur bushy tree growth by “coppice cutting” trees. By protecting one keystone species, you actually make conditions better for an entire eco-system of other insects, fish, birds and animals. By the same token, in removing one keystone species, you threaten the viability of an entire habitat. Just another reason why our beavers are worth fighting for.
