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Beaver populations are increasing dramatically on wilderness and other public lands in the western US. They definitely change the landscape and kill a lot of tr
by njarboe 5y ago
Beaver populations are increasing dramatically on wilderness and other public lands in the western US. They definitely change the landscape and kill a lot of trees. Good for vistas and stream health, but I don't know much about it. Sometimes I get a bit sad when I see large cottonwood trees taken down by beavers, but the meadows they create when their ponds silt up are quite beautiful.
- genericone 5y agoAnd the standing water that beavers create probably do assist in groundwater infiltration in a not insignificant way for the local flora. Otherwise that water will just runoff down the stream to some other spot where it can spread out. I am under the impression that beavers intrinsically hate the sound of running water, and some beaver brain process causes them to feel the need to dam it up.