10,000,000 beavers in the U.S. are doing important, constructive work, biologists have found 0 13

Scientists from Washington State University in Vancouver conducted 161 studies on the impact of man-made beaver dam analogs on the climate of the Pacific Coast in the northwest U.S. They recognized this as the best way to restore ecological balance and biodiversity in the region. Local residents already knew this and practiced building such dams themselves, but now their activities have received scientific justification.

Not long ago, by climate standards, there were about 400 million beavers living in North America, whose activities successfully regulated many natural processes. Now, due to the efforts of hunters, fewer than 10 million remain, and they can no longer cope—especially in the face of new challenges posed by proximity to humans. Restoring the beaver population has proven to be much more difficult than engaging in biomimicry—building similar dams for the same purposes.

A beaver dam not only creates a pond but also helps control water overflow. For example, it can connect floodplain areas so that the creatures living in them can move rather than perish in drying puddles. In the summer heat, a deep artificial water body provides natural coolness. And when forests dry out in the summer and fires start, they serve as effective barriers against fire.

The true scale of the benefits from such dams has yet to be assessed—this is what the research aims to achieve. However, many positive results have already been discovered, as the number of small man-made dams made of willow and brush is increasing every year in the region. Thanks to them, the population of many fish species, including the endangered steelhead trout, has been increased in Bridge Creek in Oregon.

But the technology has a downside—scientists are not at all sure that it will be suitable for other climatic zones. The construction of dams should primarily be repeated where beavers have historically lived.