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.

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. short 7th

1 answer

One potential benefit that beavers contribute to the ecosystem as keystone engineers is the creation of wetlands. By building dams, beavers create calm, slow-moving water that allows for the formation of wetland habitats. These wetlands provide a crucial environment for a variety of plant and animal species.

On the other hand, the removal of beavers could have a significant impact on the surrounding ecosystem. Without beavers to create dams and alter the riverbanks, the natural flow of water could be disrupted, leading to erosion and changes in the water levels. This could negatively affect the vegetation and wildlife that depend on the wetland habitats created by beavers. Ultimately, the removal of beavers as keystone engineers could lead to a loss of biodiversity and imbalance in the ecosystem.