Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic
Increasing air temperatures are changing the arctic tundra biome. Permafrost is thawing, snow duration is decreasing, shrub vegetation is proliferating, and boreal wildlife is encroaching. Here we present evidence of the recent range expansion of North American beaver (Castor canadensis) into the Ar...
Published in: | Global Change Biology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING
2018
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/47723/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/47723/1/Tape_etal_2018.pdf https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gcb.14332 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.e7e0f5d1-9d50-4f91-8e92-c2086a38d580 |
id |
ftawi:oai:epic.awi.de:47723 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftawi:oai:epic.awi.de:47723 2024-09-15T17:51:15+00:00 Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic Tape, Ken D. Jones, Benjamin M. Arp, Christopher D. Nitze, Ingmar Grosse, Guido 2018-05-30 application/pdf https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/47723/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/47723/1/Tape_etal_2018.pdf https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gcb.14332 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.e7e0f5d1-9d50-4f91-8e92-c2086a38d580 unknown WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/47723/1/Tape_etal_2018.pdf Tape, K. D. , Jones, B. M. , Arp, C. D. , Nitze, I. orcid:0000-0002-1165-6852 and Grosse, G. orcid:0000-0001-5895-2141 (2018) Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic , Global Change Biology . doi:10.1111/gcb.14332 <https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14332> , hdl:10013/epic.e7e0f5d1-9d50-4f91-8e92-c2086a38d580 info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess EPIC3Global Change Biology, WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, ISSN: 1354-1013 Article isiRev info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2018 ftawi https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14332 2024-06-24T04:19:47Z Increasing air temperatures are changing the arctic tundra biome. Permafrost is thawing, snow duration is decreasing, shrub vegetation is proliferating, and boreal wildlife is encroaching. Here we present evidence of the recent range expansion of North American beaver (Castor canadensis) into the Arctic, and consider how this ecosystem engineer might reshape the landscape, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes. We developed a remote sensing approach that maps formation and disappearance of ponds associated with beaver activity. Since 1999, 56 new beaver pond complexes were identified, indicating that beavers are colonizing a predominantly tundra region (18,293 km2) of northwest Alaska. It is unclear how improved tundra stream habitat, population rebound following overtrapping for furs, or other factors are contributing to beaver range expansion. We discuss rates and likely routes of tundra beaver colonization, as well as effects on permafrost, stream ice regimes, and freshwater and riparian habitat. Beaver ponds and associated hydrologic changes are thawing permafrost. Pond formation increases winter water temperatures in the pond and downstream, likely creating new and more varied aquatic habitat, but specific biological implications are unknown. Beavers create dynamic wetlands and are agents of disturbance that may enhance ecosystem responses to warming in the Arctic. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Ice permafrost Tundra Alaska Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) Global Change Biology 24 10 4478 4488 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) |
op_collection_id |
ftawi |
language |
unknown |
description |
Increasing air temperatures are changing the arctic tundra biome. Permafrost is thawing, snow duration is decreasing, shrub vegetation is proliferating, and boreal wildlife is encroaching. Here we present evidence of the recent range expansion of North American beaver (Castor canadensis) into the Arctic, and consider how this ecosystem engineer might reshape the landscape, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes. We developed a remote sensing approach that maps formation and disappearance of ponds associated with beaver activity. Since 1999, 56 new beaver pond complexes were identified, indicating that beavers are colonizing a predominantly tundra region (18,293 km2) of northwest Alaska. It is unclear how improved tundra stream habitat, population rebound following overtrapping for furs, or other factors are contributing to beaver range expansion. We discuss rates and likely routes of tundra beaver colonization, as well as effects on permafrost, stream ice regimes, and freshwater and riparian habitat. Beaver ponds and associated hydrologic changes are thawing permafrost. Pond formation increases winter water temperatures in the pond and downstream, likely creating new and more varied aquatic habitat, but specific biological implications are unknown. Beavers create dynamic wetlands and are agents of disturbance that may enhance ecosystem responses to warming in the Arctic. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Tape, Ken D. Jones, Benjamin M. Arp, Christopher D. Nitze, Ingmar Grosse, Guido |
spellingShingle |
Tape, Ken D. Jones, Benjamin M. Arp, Christopher D. Nitze, Ingmar Grosse, Guido Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic |
author_facet |
Tape, Ken D. Jones, Benjamin M. Arp, Christopher D. Nitze, Ingmar Grosse, Guido |
author_sort |
Tape, Ken D. |
title |
Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic |
title_short |
Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic |
title_full |
Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic |
title_sort |
tundra be dammed: beaver colonization of the arctic |
publisher |
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/47723/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/47723/1/Tape_etal_2018.pdf https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gcb.14332 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.e7e0f5d1-9d50-4f91-8e92-c2086a38d580 |
genre |
Arctic Ice permafrost Tundra Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Ice permafrost Tundra Alaska |
op_source |
EPIC3Global Change Biology, WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, ISSN: 1354-1013 |
op_relation |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/47723/1/Tape_etal_2018.pdf Tape, K. D. , Jones, B. M. , Arp, C. D. , Nitze, I. orcid:0000-0002-1165-6852 and Grosse, G. orcid:0000-0001-5895-2141 (2018) Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic , Global Change Biology . doi:10.1111/gcb.14332 <https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14332> , hdl:10013/epic.e7e0f5d1-9d50-4f91-8e92-c2086a38d580 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14332 |
container_title |
Global Change Biology |
container_volume |
24 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
4478 |
op_container_end_page |
4488 |
_version_ |
1810293100200853504 |