Beaver dams 'helping boost drought resilience'
Research shows beavers are creating more wetland areas since being reintroduced to the wild.
Beavers are playing a role in boosting drought resilience in England, according to researcher Dr. Alan Puttock from the University of Exeter. The animals build dams and ponds that hold water, slow its flow, and create safe habitats for wildlife struggling during dry spells. Over half of England is currently experiencing drought conditions due to hot and dry weather impacting water supplies.
Puttock, who heads the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste at the university, explained that modern landscapes have been extensively drained. However, beavers have constructed complex wetlands through their dam-building and canal-creating activities, allowing water to slowly release into rivers. Often referred to as "ecosystem engineers," beavers were once widespread in Britain but were hunted to extinction about 400 years ago.
In 2015, they were reintroduced to the wild in the River Otter in Devon, and in February of this year, four pairs were released in Cornwall.
According to Puttock, one of the significant modifications beavers make is building dams, which creates intricate wetlands that provide safety from predators and mobility through the landscape for the animals. Research has increasingly shown that these wetlands offer benefits to people and society, enhancing the resilience of the landscape.
When the landscape retains more water, it builds resilience against both flooding and dry periods. The slow release of water from wetlands forms both habitat refuge and water resilience.
While a single beaver wetland cannot solve all drought problems, having more beavers in the landscape and implementing other nature-based solutions or wetland creation schemes can contribute to less drought vulnerability. Puttock noted that beavers are expanding in British landscapes, and when combined with other nature-based solutions or wetland creation projects, it means the country is less prone to droughts.
He also mentioned that wetlands can serve as firebreaks during wildfires, creating resilient landscapes that can withstand extreme conditions.
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