Beavers, large members of the rodent family in North America, are often referred to as “ecosystem/keystone engineers” by wildlife managers. Ecosystem engineers are described as animals that create, alter, or destroy a habitat. Beavers contribute to river ecosystems by bringing down old and dead trees along riverbanks. They use these trees to make their dams. Although these dams are primarily used for protection and food storage, scientists report that these dams change the surrounding environment in different ways.

Question

Given this information, in three to five sentences, describe a potential benefit that beavers contribute to the ecosystem as keystone engineers and describe a plausible impact that the removal of beavers could have on the surrounding ecosystem.

Answer 1

A potential benefit of beavers as keystone engineers is the creation of wetlands. Their dams create small ponds and wetlands that increase water retention and filtration, providing habitat for a variety of aquatic species. Additionally, beavers' tree-cutting activities can create open areas that promote plant diversity and provide habitat for forest-dwelling species. Removing beavers could disrupt these wetland ecosystems, potentially leading to decreased biodiversity and degraded water quality. Additionally, without the dams to slow the flow of water, downstream areas could experience more flooding and erosion.