1. Beaver-induced spatiotemporal patch dynamics affect landscape-level environmental heterogeneity
- Author
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Kivinen, Sonja, Nummi, Petri, Kumpula, Timo, Department of Forest Sciences, Wetland Ecology Group, and Forest Ecology and Management
- Subjects
clustered patterns ,abioottinen ympäristö ,ympäristön heterogeenisyys ,american beaver ,flood history ,patch dymanics ,ecosystem engineer ,häiriöt ,CANADENSIS ,disturbances ,HABITAT SELECTION ,eloton ympäristö ,aika ja paikka ,biotic consequences ,Finland ,flood-inundated phases ,unique patches ,SPECIES RICHNESS ,food and beverages ,landscape mosaic ,flood ,environmental heterogeneity ,CASTOR-FIBER POPULATION ,boreaalinen vyöhyke ,amerikanmajava ,connectivity ,1181 Ecology, evolutionary biology ,successional age ,post-flood phases ,long-term study ,maisemamosaiikki ,häiriödynamiikka ,ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERS ,species communities ,restoration of riparian habitat ,EURASIAN BEAVER ,tulva ,maisema ,southern boreal ,parasitic diseases ,flood duration ,otorhinolaryngologic diseases ,FISH ASSEMBLAGES ,disturbance dynamics ,VALKEA-KOTINEN ,EUROPEAN BEAVERS ,pitkäaikaistutkimus ,ekosysteemi-insinööri ,epäyhtenäisyys ,tulvahistoria ,fungi ,abiotic environment ,1970-2018 ,Castor canadensisK ,landscape ,eye diseases ,PONDS ,castor canadensis K ,beaver sites ,bioottiset seuraukset ,space and time ,tulvan kesto ,heterogeneity - Abstract
Beavers (Castorsp.) are ecosystem engineers that cause significant changes to their physical environment and alter the availability of resources to other species. We studied flood dynamics created by American beaver (C. canadensisK.) in a southern boreal landscape in Finland in 1970-2018. We present for the first time, to our knowledge, a temporally continuous long-term study of beaver-induced flood disturbances starting from the appearance of beaver in the area. During the 49 years, the emergence of new sites flooded by beaver and repeated floods (61% of the sites) formed a dynamic mosaic characterized by clustered patterns of beaver sites. As beaver dispersal proceeded, connectivity of beaver sites increased significantly. The mean flood duration was approximately three years, which highlights the importance of datasets with high-temporal resolution in detecting beaver-induced disturbances. An individual site was often part of the active flood mosaic over several decades, although the duration and the number of repeated floods at different sites varied considerably. Variation of flood-inundated and post-flood phases at individual sites resulted in a cumulative number of unique patches that contribute to environmental heterogeneity in space and time. A disturbance mosaic consisting of patches differing by successional age and flood history is likely to support species richness and abundance of different taxa and facilitate whole species communities. Beavers are thus a suitable means to be used in restoration of riparian habitat due to their strong and dynamic influence on abiotic environment and its biotic consequences. peerReviewed
- Published
- 2020