Beavers were hunted to extinction in England's countryside 400 years ago but made a mysterious comeback in 2014, appearing seemingly out of nowhere on the East Devon River. Now, a study from the University of Exeter and the Devon Wildlife Trust has shown the positive impact that these animals have had on both flood and drought alleviation, according to the latter.
The trust has been monitoring Devon's resurgent beaver population over the last 10 years and, with help from the university, used drone imagery and water-depth monitoring to show that the new beaver dams were storing more than 24 million liters of water in the surrounding wetlands.
"Based upon over a decade of research at the University of Exeter, we have found that beaver-created wetlands contribute significantly to more resilient landscapes, reducing both the impacts of flooding and drought," said Dr. Alan Puttock, a lecturer at the university.
The new beaver dams effectively transformed the ecosystem, the trust reported, reducing storm flows by an average of 30% during periods of heavy rainfall and saving flood-prone communities from huge amounts of damage. They also helped with the opposite problem — drought conditions — storing water that was then released slowly downstream.
This water storage also created "green oases," where creatures such as toads, dragonflies, and water voles could thrive.
"I've been lucky enough to see firsthand the incredible way that beavers can transform local environments and benefit a wide range of other species, including people!" said Dr. Holly Barclay, Devon Wildlife Trust's green finance officer. "To maximize these benefits, we need to provide space along our waterways for beavers to live and create their wetlands."
The positive effects of reintroducing beavers back into their natural ecosystems have been noted elsewhere as well. In Scotland, experts were blown away by the positive effects of reintroducing beavers 15 years ago. "The human creation of wetlands is an extremely costly undertaking and, frankly, we're not as good at it as beavers," said one expert, according to the Guardian.
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