Iraleigh Anderson

Lakeland College
Conservation and Restoration Ecology Major

Working with the
American beaver.
Restoring lost ecosystem function with the help of the original wetland-engineer

These slides were designed to accompany an oral presentation and were submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of
Restoration Ecology (SC329). This material was prepared for a general audience.
Bill Peet

Wump World/Waterworld

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60-400 million original American population (Currently ~10-15 million)
Tree-line to sea-level, sub-arctic to sub-tropical distribution
10 to 100 times more cover of water in beaver wetlands
A keystone effect that is hard to imagine…
flickr.com/gord99
Buckley et al. 2011
Buckley et al. 2011
Buckley et al. 2011
rockies.ca
rockies.ca
Boyles, S. L., and B. A. Savitzky. 2009. An analysis of the efficacy and
comparative costs of using flow devices to resolve conflicts with North
American Beavers along roadways in the coastal plain of Virginia.
The Very First Beaver-Deceiver in the
County of Vermilion River.

I. Anderson, 2013
A Beaver Revolution?

Wikimedia Commons

amazon.com

Iraleigh Anderson - Working with the American Beaver - Restoration Ecology presentation