Beaver

Müller-Schwarze Dietland

Description

Beavers can and do dramatically change the landscape. The beaver is a keystone species-their skills as foresters and engineers create and maintain ponds and wetlands that increase biodiversity, purify water, and prevent large-scale flooding. Biologists have long studied their daily and seasonal routines, family structures, and dispersal patterns. As human development encroaches into formerly wild areas, property owners and government authorities need new, nonlethal strategies for dealing with so-called nuisance beavers. At the same time, the complex behavior of beavers intrigues visitors at parks and other wildlife viewing sites because it is relatively easy to observe.In an up-to-date, exhaustively illustrated, and comprehensive book on beaver biology and management, Dietland Muller-Schwarze gathers a wealth of scientific knowledge about both the North American and Eurasian beaver species. The Beaver is designed to satisfy the curiosity and answer the questions of anyone with an interest in these animals, from students who enjoy watching beaver ponds at nature centers to homeowners who hope to protect their landscaping. Photographs taken by the authors document every aspect of beaver behavior and biology, the variety of their constructions, and the habitats that depend on their presence. Beaver facts:*Just as individual beavers shape their immediate surroundings, so did the distribution of beavers across North America influence the paths of English and French explorers and traders. As a result of the fur trade, beavers were wiped out across large areas of the United States. Reintroduction efforts led to the widespread establishment of these resilient animals, and now they are found throughout North America, Europe, and parts of the southern hemisphere.*Beaver meadows provided early settlers with level, fertile pastures and hayfields.*Based on the fossil record, the smallest extinct beaver species were the size of a muskrat, and the largest may have reached the size of a black bear (five to six times as large as today's North American beavers). Beaver-gnawed wood has been found alongside the skeleton of a mastodon.*Some beavers remain in the home lodge for an extra year to assist their parents in raising younger siblings. They feed, groom, and guard the newborn kits.*In 1600, beaver ponds covered eleven percent of the upper Mississippi and Missouri Rivers' watershed above Thebes, Illinois. Restoring only 3 percent of the original wetlands might suffice to prevent catastrophic floods such as those in the early 1990s.

Sujets

• Sciences et techniques

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801460869
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

The Beaver

Dietland MüllerSchwarze

The Beaver Its Life and Impact, Second Edition

Comsock Pubîsîng Assocîaes, a dîvîsîon o Corne Unîversîy Press, Iaca and ondon

îrs edîîon copyrîg © 2003 by Dîeand Müer-Scwarze Second edîîon copyrîg © 2011 by Corne Unîversîy

A rîgs reserved. Excep or brîe quoaîons în a revîew, îs book, or pars ereo, mus no be reproduced în any orm wîou permîssîon în wrîîng rom e pubîser. or înormaîon, address Corne Unîversîy Press, Sage House, 12 Eas Sae Sree, Iaca, New York 180.

he irs edîîon o îs book was pubîsed wî e aîd o a gran rom e Humane Socîey o e Unîed Saes. Ar or beaver racks used couresy o Kîm A. Cabrera.

Second edîîon pubîsed 2011 by Corne Unîversîy Press

îrs edîîon pubîsed 2003 ashe Beaver: Natural HIstory of a Wetlands EngIneer, by Dîeand Müer-Scwarze and îxîng Sun, by Corne Unîversîy Press

Prîned în e Unîed Saes o Amerîca

îbrary o Congress Caaogîng-în-Pubîcaîon Daa Müer-Scwarze, Dîeand. he beaver : îs îe and împac / Dîeand Müer-Scwarze. — 2nd ed.  p. cm. Incudes bîbîograpîca reerences and îndex. ISBN 978-0-801-010- (co : ak. paper) 1. Beavers. I. Tîe. Q737.R32M8 2011 99.37—dc22 20110001

Corne Unîversîy Press srîves o use envîronmenay responsîbe suppîers and maerîas o e ues exen possîbe în e pubîsîng o îs books. Suc maerîas încude vegeabe-based, ow-VOC înks and acîd-ree papers a are recyced, oay corîne-ree, or pary composed o nonwood ibers. or urer înormaîon, vîsî our websîe a www.cornepress.corne.edu.

Co prînîng 10 9 8 7    3 2 1

Contents

Preace vîî Inroducîon xî

 Part I The Organism  . Now and hen: he Specîes, Incudîng ossîs   . orm, Weîg, and Specîa Adapaîons   . Dîvîng and hermoreguaîon: rom and Mamma o Semîaquaîc Desîgn and uncîon   . Energy Budge 

Part II Behavior  . amîîes as Socîa Unîs   . Communîcaîon by Scen and Sound   . Inrasrucure: Dams, odges, Traîs, and Canas   . Beaver Tîme   . ood Seecîon 

Part III Populations  . Reproducîon, Deveopmen, and îe Expecancy   . Popuaîon Densîîes and Dynamîcs   . îndîng a Home: Dîspersa 

PartIVEcology  . Were hey îve and Wy: Habîa Requîremens   . Moraîy and Predaors   . Parasîes and Dîseases   . Maker o andscapes: Creaîng Habîa or Pans, Anîmas, and Peope 

vi |Contents

Part V Beaver and People: Conservation, Use, and Management  . “Here beore Crîs”: ur Trade, e “Beaver Repubîc” (Hudson’s Bay Company), and ur Trappîng Today   . Reînroducîons and Oer Transpans   . “Nuîsance Beavers” Caîm heîr and   . Needed: An Ecosysems Engîneer or Habîa Resoraîon and Oer Servîces   . îvîng wî Beavers: Conservaîon and Proacîve Managemen 

Index 

Preface

e beaver pays an enormousy împoran roe în oday’s ecoogy. In e 21s T cenury, îs anîma provîdes ecosysem servîces suc as creaîng and maîn- aînîng weands, conroîng Loods, împrovîng waer quaîy, creaîng abîa or pans and anîmas, and prevenîng soî erosîon. As awetlands engIneer, e beaver buîds dams and dîgs cannes. As akeystone specIes, î susaîns ponds and weands. Bu wen spreadîng as a non-naîve o new areas—as în Sou Amerîca —î can become anInvasIve specIes, an undesîrabe raî. he wo specîes o beaver are e Nor Amerîcan beaver,Castor canadensIs, and e Eurasîan beaver,C. iber, bo o wîc are covered în îs book. Gîven my ied researc experîence în Nor Amerîca, many exampes are drawn rom Castor canadensIs. hîs anîma dazzes wî îs exensîve consrucîons, demands respec as a survîva arîs, and—wen în conLîc wî umans—caenges e bes mînds în wîdîe managemen. Many cîîzens’ groups and proessîonas srîve o resove ose conLîcs and ind ways or us o coexîs wî beavers. In recen îmes, e Nor Amerîcan beaver and e Eurasîan beaver ave posed opposîe probems or wîdîe managers. In Nor Amerîca e managers soug o îmî e damage o uman înrasrucures by burgeonîng beaver pop- uaîons. In e counrîes a make up e regîon o Eurasîa, owever, ey worked o proec beavers and buîd up vîabe popuaîons. ur rappîng as decîned în Nor Amerîca, eadîng o rapîd sauraîon o suîabe beaver abîa. As Nor Amerîcan beavers move back îno eîr ormer abîa, ey ind î deveoped and conLîcs ensue: beavers Lood roads, parkîng os, and go courses, and cu down ornamena and ores rees. he beaver be- comes a poîîca symbo, pîîng andowners agaîns anîma rîgs’ advocaes, and wîdîe managers agaîns concerned cîîzens. In Europe, în a specacuar comeback, Eurasîan beaver popuaîons ave re- bounded rom near exîncîon. hey were reduced o abou  beavers one undred years ago, bu now coun abou a a mîîon, wî over one undred ousand în e sma counry o îuanîa aone. A îs appened în a deve- oped andscape, aoug îuanîa’s uman popuaîon does no ave e same

| vii

viii |Preface

densîy as esewere în Europe. Reînroducîons are conînuîng, wî e aes occurrîng în Scoand. Now bo conînens ace e same îssue: ow o ind a baance beween maînaînîng eay beaver popuaîons and mînîmîzîng e damage ey înLîc by Loodîng and ree-cuîng. hîs remarkabe specîes as come u cîrce: rom seemîngy îmîess abundance, o near exîncîon în vas areas o Nor Amer- îca vîa e reeness and ruînous ur rade and abîa cange, o a new abun- dance oday în a prooundy canged andscape. he irs edîîon o îs book (he Beaver: Natural HIstory of a Wetlands EngI- neer, ) was co-auored by Dr. îxîng Sun, one o my ormer graduae su- dens. I aîmed o i a serîous gap în e wîdîe îeraure, because a modern, compreensîve book on beaver bîoogy or coege and îg scoo sudens and e genera reader dîd no exîs a e îme. he scîenîic îeraure was scaered over a vas unîverse o academîc journas. hîs caed or a compîaîon o conem- porary înormaîon on beaver bîoogy, accessîbe o scîenîs and non-specîaîs aîke. hîs second edîîon încorporaes e aes researc. Prevîousy no seen be- avîor îs descrîbed, suc as e “sîck dîspay.” Saeîe poograpy reveaed e onges beaver dam ye dîscovered. Cîmae cange appears o împac beavers: A Yeowsone Naîona Park, e growîng season now ass our weeks onger, boosîng wîow grow, wîc în urn beneis beavers. Beaver popuaîons în paces as ar apar as Easern Europe and Tîerra de uego are rapîdy cangîng. We are gaînîng more experîence în managîng beavers or abîa împrovemen and proecîon o rare specîes. înay, recen years ave seen sopîsîcaed ge- neîc sudîes wîc benei conservaîon o beaver popuaîons. Many coeagues and assîsans ave eped o coec e orîgîna ied daa revîewed în îs book. I ank Tîm Scwender, ecnîcîan, or îs dedîcaîon. Undergraduae assîsans, parîcuary Rîcard Corradî, Susan Heckman, înda Moreouse, and Bren Speîcer spen couness ours sîîng quîey a beaver ponds, suFerîng aackîng backLîes and mosquîoes. Our work was suppored by saF a Aegany Sae Park, e ae Dîck Sage a Hunîngon Wîdîe ores în Newcomb, and arry Raman a Cranberry ake Bîoogîca Saîon în e Adîrondacks. My wîe Crîsîne Müer-Scwarze and dauger Annee Müer- Scwarze assîsed în coecîng daa în e ied. Ideas were excanged wî or- mer graduae sudens Drs. Peer Houîan, Bruce Scue, and îxîng Sun; Sa- sîa Bembenek, Meagan Boîce-Green, Heaer Brasear, Krîsen Buecî, Bre Mosîer, Rebecca Coeman Quaî, Maryann Scwoyer, and Rober G. Wes. My coeague and rîend, e ae Dr. Rober M. “Mî” Sîverseîn, coaboraed on many experîmens, joîned us în e ied and asked peneraîng quesîons. Our work was suppored în par by grans rom e U.S. Naîona Scîence oundaîon.

Preface | ix

Uncouned caers wî “beaver probems” eped us o appy e resus o our ied researc o beaver managemen. hroug conversaîons wî co- eagues, wîdîe managers, propery owners, îgway superînendens, and cîî- zens’ groups I began o înk abou ways o appy bîoogîca and ecoogîca knowedge or beer and wîser managemen.Basîc and appîed researc work and în gove. I îs my ope a e înormaîon în îs book wî ep readers o undersand e envîronmena roe o e beaver wordwîde and conrîbue o indîng ways o coexîs wî îs exraordînaryecosystems engIneer.