Beavers on the move

Say hello to the North American Beaver! The largest rodent in North America, they are known for building dams which form slow moving ponds. This reduces erosion and provides a new habitat for small fish. 

Not content with their habitat across North America and Alaska, they are now spreading out even further into the Arctic tundra! A study by the U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has discovered that the number of ponds created by beavers has doubled in the last 20 years.

A team of scientists from over the globe has used aerial photos with satellite imagery and found more than 12,000 beaver ponds throughout western Alaska. It’s now thought there are between 50,000 and 100,000 beavers in northern and western parts of Alaska. As the climate has warmed up, there are more trees and woody shrubs, a beaver’s firm favourite!

Beavers are pretty awesome though, right? They help reduce flooding, clean water and create wetland environments. In normal cases this is indeed the case but the Arctic is a different beast. The area is showing a huge rise in surface water as beaver dams are making rivers more shallow and creating inlets. More ponds mean localised unfrozen hotspots which thaw the permafrost. Widespread thawing will let loose vast quantities of carbon and contribute significantly to climate change.

The scientists aren’t sure if the beavers expansion is due to climate change or decreases in beaver trapping.

“The true impact of the spread of beavers into the Arctic on the environment and the Indigenous communities who live there, is not yet fully known,” Dr. Helen Wheeler, senior lecturer in zoology at Anglia Ruskin University

It just goes to show how delicate the balance of our planet can be - more research is planned, so watch this space!