Beaver (Castor canadensis) in heavily browsed environments

Beaver (Castor canadensis) populations have declined or failed to recover in heavily browsed envi­ronments. I suggest that intense browsing by livestock or ungulates can disrupt beaver-willow (Salix spp.) mutu­alisms that likely evolved under relatively low herbivory in a more predator-rich environment, and that this inter­ action may explain beaver and willow declines. Field experiments in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA, found the interaction of beaver and elk (Cervus elaphus) herbivory suppressed compensatory growth in wil­low. Intense elk browsing of simulated beaver-cut willow produced plants which were small and hedged with a high percentage of dead stems, whereas protected plants were large...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Castor canadensis, Cervus elaphus, Lutra, Mutualism, Salix, All tags... Tamarix ramosissima, beaver, competition, elk, facilitation, livestock, montane, riparian restoration, shrub-steppe, tamarisk, willow, Fewer tags