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Abstract
Beavers (Castor sp.) are ecosystem engineers that cause significant changes to their physical environment and alter the availability of resources to other species. We studied flood dynamics created by American beaver (C. canadensis K.) in a southern boreal landscape in Finland in 1970–2018. We present for the first time, to our knowledge, a temporally continuous long-term study of beaver-induced flood disturbances starting from the appearance of beaver in the area. During the 49 years, the emergence of new sites flooded by beaver and repeated floods (61% of the sites) formed a dynamic mosaic characterized by clustered patterns of beaver sites. As beaver dispersal proceeded, connectivity of beaver sites increased significantly. The mean flood duration was approximately three years, which highlights the importance of datasets with high-temporal resolution in detecting beaver-induced disturbances. An individual site was often part of the active flood mosaic over several decades, although the duration and the number of repeated floods at different sites varied considerably. Variation of flood-inundated and post-flood phases at individual sites resulted in a cumulative number of unique patches that contribute to environmental heterogeneity in space and time. A disturbance mosaic consisting of patches differing by successional age and flood history is likely to support species richness and abundance of different taxa and facilitate whole species communities. Beavers are thus a suitable means to be used in restoration of riparian habitat due to their strong and dynamic influence on abiotic environment and its biotic consequences.
Highlights
In forest ecosystems, environmental heterogeneity is considered as an important factor promoting biological diversity
We studied flood dynamics created by American beaver (C. canadensis K.) in a southern boreal landscape in Finland in 1970–2018
During the 49 years, the emergence of new sites flooded by beaver and repeated floods (61% of the sites) formed a dynamic mosaic characterized by clustered patterns of beaver sites
Summary
In forest ecosystems, environmental heterogeneity is considered as an important factor promoting biological diversity. Ecosystem engineers are species that cause significant changes to their physical environment and directly or indirectly modulate the availability of resources to other species. They can alter the distribution and abundance of different species and have important impacts on biodiversity (Jones et al 1994, 1997, Bruno et al 2003, Wright et al 2004, Hastings et al 2007, Romero et al 2015, Rozhkova-Timina et al 2018). Beaver ponds turn terrestrial riparian areas to aquatic systems creating a significant disturbance both at patch and landscape levels (1988, Johnston and Naiman 1990a, Collen and Gibson 2001, Wright et al 2004, Nummi and Kuuluvainen 2013, Hood and Larson 2015). A riparian forest is established unless beavers impound the stream again and a new flood resets the succession (Remillard et al 1987, Snodgrass 1997, Johnston 2017, Nummi et al 2018)
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