Modification of stream ecosystem structure and function by beaver (<i>Castor canadensis</i>) in the Adirondack Mountains, New York

Smith, Michael E.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Wyskowski, Barbara J.; Brooks, Carol M.; Cosentini, Christina C.

doi:10.1139/z91-009

Cited by 58 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Rural ponds in Michigan, United States increased stream temperatures to a similar degree (-1-5°C), and were associated with changes in invertebrate community composition (Lessard & Hayes 2003). Smith et al (1991) found increased stream temperature and reduced DO and benthic invertebrate species richness 1 m downstream of a beaver pond. Alexander (1998) also found significant increases in stream temperatures and effects on the invertebrate community below two beaver ponds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Effects of small ponds on stream water quality and macroinvertebrate communities

Maxted¹,

McCready

Scarsbrook

2005

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research

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Six small constructed ponds (surface area 500-7500 m 2 , catchment area 28-158 ha) in rural and native forest catchments in the Auckland region had poorer water quality than the streams they replaced. Temperature (24°C) and dissolved oxygen (DO) (4 mg/litre) criteria were exceeded for up to 46% and 84% of days, respectively, during a critical 40-day summer period. The poor conditions found in ponds, even within undeveloped native forest catchments, indicated that the physical characteristics of ponds (e.g., lack of shade, organic sediments) affected water quality independently of other factors (e.g., land use, riparian protection). The frequency and severity of the exceedences were related to pond size, retention time, and catchment land use; the most degraded conditions were found in rural ponds with largest surface areas and longest retention times. Ponds affected water quality and macroinvertebrate communities downstream. Exceedences of temperature and DO criteria occurred more frequently and were more severe downstream than upstream of ponds. Ponds in rural catchments increased mean daily stream temperatures 3.1-6.6°C during the critical summer period, and temperature differences were three times higher than those in bush catchments (0.8-2.0°C). Elevated M04122;temperatures were observed for hundreds of metres downstream owing to the slow rate of cooling (1°C/ 100 m), expanding the extent of adverse effects well beyond the "footprint" of the pond. Macroinvertebrate community composition (sample area 1-3 m 2 ) and values of four commonly used metrics appeared to be significantly affected by ponds in rural and native forest catchments. These finding have important management implications that should lead to modifications (e.g., breaching dams) of the estimated 4500 existing ponds in the Auckland region, where possible, and restrictions on proposals for new "o

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Effects of small ponds on stream water quality and macroinvertebrate communities

Maxted¹,

McCready

Scarsbrook

2005

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research

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“…The macroinvertebrate communities in beaver ponds are reported to be considerably different from those in unimpounded sections [5,6]. Beaver dams affect stream habitats by slowing down the current, increasing depth and width, and creating an environment more similar to lentic systems [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological impact of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) activity on macroinvertebrate communities in Lithuanian trout streams

Pliūraitė

Kesminas

2011

Open Life Sciences

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Abstract:Our study found that beaver activity affects macroinvertebrate assemblages of both beaver ponds and downstream sites. The percentage composition of the invertebrate faunae of beaver ponds was strikingly different from the invertebrate faunae of upstream forested and downstream sites. The number of EPT (ephemeropteran, plecopteran, trichopteran) taxa in the upstream forested sites in all streams was higher than in beaver pond and downstream sites. Statistically significant differences were found in absolute and relative abundances of EPT and Chironomidae between different streams sites. The absolute and relative abundance of pollution-sensitive EPT was significantly higher in forested sites than in beaver pond and downstream sites in all measured streams. Beaver ponds had a significantly higher absolute and relative abundance of Chironomidae compared with upstream forested and downstream sites. We found that Plecoptera and Coleoptera were absent from beaver pond sites. The absolute abundance of Plecoptera was significantly higher in upstream forested sites than in downstream sites in all three streams. Gatherers were the dominant functional feeding group in relative abundance in all three habitat types. The percentage of gatherers was higher in beaver ponds than in forested and downstream sites.

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“…Studies comparing benthic stream invertebrate assemblages upstream and downstream of beaver ponds (McDowell & Naiman, 1986;Smith et al, 1991;Clifford et al, 1993;Margolis et al, 2001a) often report inconsistent effects. For example, previous studies have reported higher densities of invertebrate suspension feeders downstream of beaver ponds (Clifford et al, 1993;Margolis et al, 2001a), no significant changes in suspension feeder abundance (McDowell & Naiman, 1986), or decreased abundance downstream (Smith et al, 1991). Comparative studies are needed to identify factors potentially explaining the variation among observed effects of beaver ponds on downstream ecosystems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the morphology of beaver ponds alter downstream ecosystems?

Fuller

Peckarsky

2011

Hydrobiologia

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Differences among lake morphologies often explain variation in characteristics of lentic ecosystems. Although beaver ponds also vary in morphology, previous studies have not examined the effects of such variation on downstream ecosystems. This study evaluated downstream effects of multiple beaver ponds in the Colorado Rocky Mountains during one low and one high-flow year. Beaver pond morphology was described as the natural log transformed ratio of beaver dam height (which determines hydraulic head) to pond surface area and related to pond spillover phytoplankton and characteristics of the ecosystem downstream (nutrient concentrations, limiting nutrients, periphyton, benthic organic matter (BOM), and benthic invertebrate consumers). Nitrate concentration increased systematically downstream of beaver ponds, but only in the low flow year when groundwater influences predominated. Effects of beaver ponds on soluble reactive phosphorus concentration depended on pond morphology, increasing downstream of small ponds with high dams, but only during the low-flow year. In situ experiments showed that neither beaver activity nor pond morphology predicted periphyton-limiting nutrients downstream. Both periphyton biomass and BOM decreased downstream of small ponds with high dams but pond morphology did not predict abundance of invertebrate grazers or detritus-feeding consumers. While suspension feeding invertebrates increased downstream from small ponds with high dams, variation in chlorophyll a from water spilling over beaver dams did not follow a similar pattern. We conclude that the effects of beaver ponds on downstream nutrients, resources and consumers are rarely systematic, but instead depend on variation in pond morphology and on annual hydrologic variation.

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Modification of stream ecosystem structure and function by beaver (Castor canadensis) in the Adirondack Mountains, New York

Cited by 58 publications

References 21 publications

Effects of small ponds on stream water quality and macroinvertebrate communities

Effects of small ponds on stream water quality and macroinvertebrate communities

Ecological impact of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) activity on macroinvertebrate communities in Lithuanian trout streams

Does the morphology of beaver ponds alter downstream ecosystems?

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