
The ability of beavers to create an abundant habitat for a diverse array of plants and animals has been analyzed time and again. The disappearance of beavers across the Northern Hemisphere, and what this effects, has yet to be comprehensively studied. Saving the Dammed analyzes the beneficial role of beavers and their dams in the ecosystem of a river, focusing on one beaver meadow in Colorado. In her latest book, Ellen Wohl contextualizes North St. Vrain Creek by discussing the implications of the loss of beavers across much larger areas. Saving the Dammed raises awareness of rivers as ecosystems and the role beavers play in sustaining the ecosystem surrounding rivers by exploring the macrocosm of global river alteration, wetland loss, and the reduction in ecosystem services. The resulting reduction in ecosystem services span things such as flood control, habitat abundance and biodiversity, and nitrate reduction. Allowing readers to follow her as she crawls through seemingly impenetrable spaces with slow and arduous movements, Wohl provides a detailed narrative of beaver meadows. Saving the Dammed takes readers through twelve months at a beaver meadow in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, exploring how beavers change river valleys and how the decline in beaver populations has altered river ecosystems. As Wohl analyzes and discusses the role beavers play in the ecosystem of a river, readers get to follow her through tight, seemingly impenetrable, crawl spaces as she uncovers the benefit of dams.
This book investigates the ecological consequences of declining beaver populations and the critical role their dams play in maintaining healthy river ecosystems. Ellen Wohl, a professor of geology, utilizes her extensive field research and observations from a specific site in Colorado to argue that the loss of beavers has led to significant degradation of river valleys and a reduction in vital ecosystem services. By connecting local observations to global trends in wetland loss, she provides a framework for understanding how these animals function as essential ecosystem engineers.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts and readers frequently note the balance between rigorous scientific observation and the author's personal field experiences. The text is recognized as a valuable resource for those interested in geomorphology and the practical applications of conservation biology.
Page Count:
208
Publication Date:
2019-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
019094353X
ISBN-13:
9780190943530
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