Canada’s most tireless wetland ecosystem engineer
Happy World Wetlands Day! What does Canada’s national animal have to do with today’s special day? The beaver is a true wetland ecosystem engineer that dams small creeks and streams and thereby building and maintaining shallow ponds all across British Columbia. These wetland areas are not only important for beavers, but they also provide critical habitat for lots of other creatures including ducks, frogs and salmon, and they provide flood control and filters excess nutrients.
The beaver is known as a keystone species which is a term for an animal or plant that plays a unique and crucial role in maintaining biodiversity within the ecosystem they are part of. Without this species, the ecosystem would change dramatically.