Beaver-generated disturbance extends beyond active dam sites to enhance stream morphodynamics and riparian plant recruitment.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Levine R
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6544642 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Beaver-generated disturbance extends beyond active dam sites to enhance stream morphodynamics and riparian plant recruitment.
Levine Rebekah R Meyer Grant A GA
Scientific reports 20190531 1
Given the direct effects of their dams on hydrology, sediment storage, and vegetation, beaver are widely acknowledged as ecosystem engineers. Here we explore the effects of beaver activity on channel processes and riparian plant recruitment beyond those dams and after dam abandonment in southwestern Montana, USA. Willow cuttings from beaver herbivory are commonly deposited along point bars, adding roughness and promoting sediment accumulation. Most cuttings are found <1 km downstream of an activ ...[more]
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