##  [Beavers Ecosystem Altering: Influence of Beaver Dams on Aquatic Invertebrates in Newly Created Beavers Ponds and Small Mountain River](/resource/beavers-ecosystem-altering-influence-beaver-dams-aquatic-invertebrates-newly-created) 

Organization

[University of Silesia](/organization/university-silesia)

 

 

Resource Type

[Peer reviewed article](/taxonomy/term/37)

 

 

Author(s)

Aneta Spyra

Anna Cieplok

Mariola Krodkiewska

 

 

Original Authors

Aneta Spyra

Anna Cieplok

Mariola Krodkiewska

 

 

Resource Date:

June

2023

 

 

Beaver-created ponds constitute an important element of small water retention in forest catchments and preserving biodiversity as [breeding sites](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/breeding-site "Learn more about breeding sites from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages") for vertebrates and invertebrates. In many areas, these habitats disappear as a result of drainage melioration, drainage formed from agricultural and developmental needs, and liquidation by littering and backfilling. This study was carried out from 2017 to 2019 to understand the transformations of river valley as a result of the beaver activity in the context of newly created ponds and mountain stream and to assess the changes and biodiversity. Beavers modified in-stream habitat by constructing dams, thus creating a series of interconnected dam ponds. Organic matter retention was higher in beaver ponds relative to unmodified river section. In beaver ponds, the [invertebrate aquatic](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/aquatic-invertebrate "Learn more about invertebrate aquatic from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages") assemblages was highly variable. A total of 56 taxa were identified, and significant seasonal variability of [benthos](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/benthos "Learn more about benthos from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages") assemblages. The values of diversity indices confirmed the instability of [benthos](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/benthos "Learn more about benthos from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages") assemblage in beaver ponds (variability of species amongst years and sites), which may be related to the short period of their existence. Lotic [macroinvertebrate](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/macroinvertebrate "Learn more about macroinvertebrate from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages") assemblages were common in the beaver-modified section of stream, with some lentic taxa also being present. The unmodified section of stream had more abundant collectors- gatherers and predators and no [filter feeders](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/filter-feeder "Learn more about filter feeders from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages"), while scrapers were more abundant in modified section. The environmental variables which significantly influenced invertebrate occurrence were pH, nitrates, iron and the content of organic matter. The results contribute to ecological characteristics of these [aquatic environments](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/aquatic-environment "Learn more about aquatic environments from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages"), and enable determining their functioning in forest areas.