Nature's Engineer

Nature's Engineer. The American Beaver, Castor canadensis. , North American beaver build dams and wetlands that are among the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world. Beavers are considered a "keystone species," one that has a greater impact on its ecosystems in relation to its abundance. Before Europeans arrived in North America, the beaver population was estimated to be as high as 400 million. They were nearly trapped to extinction by 1900. They have made a slow comeback and now are estimated to number as many as 15 million., People sometimes feel that beaver ponds are a nuisance that cause flooding but in fact their dams slow down streams during storms holding water, and slowly releasing it later. Their ability to regulate their environment is what provides stable living conditions for so many other species. Beaver ponds have slow-flowing water, creating an incredibly diverse habitat and nursery for animals including waterfowl, amphibians, fish, and mammals. Beaver ponds are also very effective at increasing groundwater recharge and retention and reducing the amount of sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus that flow into the Chesapeake Bay., Coexisting with a Busy Engineer , Looking out in the marsh you will see the Flexible Pond Leveler™ that was installed to help prevent the park's resident beavers from flooding the hiking trail. Regulating the water level allows both park visitors and beavers to enjoy Black Marsh Wildlands.