How beavers affect riverine aquatic macroinvertebrates: a review
Background As ecosystem engineers, the construction of dams by beavers alters stream habitat physically and biologically, making them a species of interest for habitat restoration. Beaver-created habitat changes affect a wide range of aquatic invertebrate species. However, despite numerous individua...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2022-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/13180.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797425592376754176 |
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| author | Susan Washko Nigel Willby Alan Law |
| author_facet | Susan Washko Nigel Willby Alan Law |
| author_sort | Susan Washko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background As ecosystem engineers, the construction of dams by beavers alters stream habitat physically and biologically, making them a species of interest for habitat restoration. Beaver-created habitat changes affect a wide range of aquatic invertebrate species. However, despite numerous individual studies of how beavers affect aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages, there has been no evaluation of the consensus of these effects across studies. Methodology We collated and examined studies comparing beaver-created ponds to nearby lotic reaches to determine general trends in aquatic macroinvertebrate richness, density, biomass, and functional composition between habitats. From this evidence, we highight knowledge gaps in how beaver activity affects aquatic macroinvertebrates. Results Overall, in the majority of studies, aquatic macroinvertebrate richness was higher in nearby lotic reaches compared to beaver-created ponds, but richness at coarser scales (gamma diversity) increased with the addition of beaver ponds due to increased habitat heterogeneity. Functional feeding group (FFG) patterns were highly context-dependent, though predator taxa were generally more abundant in beaver ponds than adjacent lotic reaches. Site-specific geomorphological changes, coupled with dam or riparian zone characteristics and resulting differences in basal food resources likely shape other FFG responses. Conclusions We identify a lack of long-term studies at single or multiple sites and conclude that fine-scale approaches may improve our understanding of the dynamics of macroinvertebrates within the freshwater realm and beyond. Due to the context-dependent nature of each study, further systematic studies of beaver engineering effects across a wider variety of environmental conditions and wetland types will also help inform land and species management decisions, such as where to prioritize protection of beaver habitats in the face of a global freshwater biodiversity crisis, or where to restore beaver populations to deliver maximum benefit. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:17:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-22f72c06d8d54be6957536641024d3c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:17:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-22f72c06d8d54be6957536641024d3c12023-12-02T21:59:11ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592022-04-0110e1318010.7717/peerj.13180How beavers affect riverine aquatic macroinvertebrates: a reviewSusan Washko0Nigel Willby1Alan Law2School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United StatesBiological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United KingdomBiological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United KingdomBackground As ecosystem engineers, the construction of dams by beavers alters stream habitat physically and biologically, making them a species of interest for habitat restoration. Beaver-created habitat changes affect a wide range of aquatic invertebrate species. However, despite numerous individual studies of how beavers affect aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages, there has been no evaluation of the consensus of these effects across studies. Methodology We collated and examined studies comparing beaver-created ponds to nearby lotic reaches to determine general trends in aquatic macroinvertebrate richness, density, biomass, and functional composition between habitats. From this evidence, we highight knowledge gaps in how beaver activity affects aquatic macroinvertebrates. Results Overall, in the majority of studies, aquatic macroinvertebrate richness was higher in nearby lotic reaches compared to beaver-created ponds, but richness at coarser scales (gamma diversity) increased with the addition of beaver ponds due to increased habitat heterogeneity. Functional feeding group (FFG) patterns were highly context-dependent, though predator taxa were generally more abundant in beaver ponds than adjacent lotic reaches. Site-specific geomorphological changes, coupled with dam or riparian zone characteristics and resulting differences in basal food resources likely shape other FFG responses. Conclusions We identify a lack of long-term studies at single or multiple sites and conclude that fine-scale approaches may improve our understanding of the dynamics of macroinvertebrates within the freshwater realm and beyond. Due to the context-dependent nature of each study, further systematic studies of beaver engineering effects across a wider variety of environmental conditions and wetland types will also help inform land and species management decisions, such as where to prioritize protection of beaver habitats in the face of a global freshwater biodiversity crisis, or where to restore beaver populations to deliver maximum benefit.https://peerj.com/articles/13180.pdfBeaver pondLotic reachSpecies richnessFunctional feeding group |
| spellingShingle | Susan Washko Nigel Willby Alan Law How beavers affect riverine aquatic macroinvertebrates: a review PeerJ Beaver pond Lotic reach Species richness Functional feeding group |
| title | How beavers affect riverine aquatic macroinvertebrates: a review |
| title_full | How beavers affect riverine aquatic macroinvertebrates: a review |
| title_fullStr | How beavers affect riverine aquatic macroinvertebrates: a review |
| title_full_unstemmed | How beavers affect riverine aquatic macroinvertebrates: a review |
| title_short | How beavers affect riverine aquatic macroinvertebrates: a review |
| title_sort | how beavers affect riverine aquatic macroinvertebrates a review |
| topic | Beaver pond Lotic reach Species richness Functional feeding group |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/13180.pdf |
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