Vegetation and Landscape Shift After Beaver Settlement in a Mountainous Area

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Beavers (Castor spp.) are ecosystem engineers, capable of profoundly modifying habitats.
• Understanding beaver impacts is crucial for managing protected areas and biodiversity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess long-term vegetation and landscape changes driven by beaver reintroduction in the Eastern Carpathians.
• To quantify the ecological impact of beaver activities on habitat structure and plant communities.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of vegetation maps and satellite imagery from 1994 to 2022.
• Vegetation community identification and quantification.
• Landscape metrics analysis, including streambed length and beaver pond extent.

Main Results:

• Beaver presence led to a significant expansion of moist and wet plant communities (from 76.8% to 89%).
• Fresh communities decreased, and grey alder stands disappeared.
• Increased vegetation patchiness, streambed length (9.5%), and numerous beaver ponds (exceeding 2200 m²).

Conclusions:

• Beaver reintroduction dramatically reshaped the mountain valley's ecosystem.
• Beaver ponds play a key role in water retention and microclimate modification.
• Beaver engineering activities promote habitat heterogeneity and influence landscape dynamics.