Beavers in Colorado: The Once & Future Ecosystem Engineers

Beavers in Colorado: The Once & Future Ecosystem Engineers
Dr. Ellen Wohl (Colorado State University)
Rivers throughout the northern hemisphere have been simplified and homogenized by channel engineering, flow regulation, and removal of beavers and instream wood. This loss of spatial heterogeneity in river corridors affects downstream fluxes of water, sediment, and nutrients, as well as water quality, biomass, biodiversity, connectivity, and resilience to disturbance. Beaver modifications of river corridors create and maintain heterogeneity within river corridors, as reflected in the beaver-meadow concept and its alternative, elk grasslands. Reintroduction of beavers and use of beaver dam analogues represent important steps toward restoring river corridor resilience and ecosystem services.
Ellen Wohl received a BS in geology from Arizona State University and a PhD in geosciences from the University of Arizona. She is a professor in the Department of Geosciences at Colorado State University and a University Distinguished Professor. Her research focuses on physical processes and forms in river channels and floodplains, and how these interact with biogeochemistry and ecological and human communities. She has conducted field research in diverse environments around the world.