As global warming intensifies droughts, floods and wildfires around the world, scientists in the western United States are turning to beavers to help reverse some of the damage.
Scientists at Boise State University and Utah State University in Utah are using satellite data to identify streams where once-extinct beavers can be reintroduced to promote vegetation. They also record how water abundance and vegetation adjacent to streams change after the beavers return, indicators of environmental health.
“The real value of using satellite data for monitoring is that there are people working hard on the ground doing things like increasing water availability and increasing habitat for fish and species.” says Jodi Brandt, an associate professor at Boise State University. A paper says that satellite data will be used to quantify the impact beavers have on local ecosystems. Previous NASA statement. “The more support we can provide them, the more widespread this behavior can become.”
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Beavers are the 'furry weapon of climate resilience', according to one person new york times article. They are naturally wired to build dams in rivers and streams as a means of protection from predators such as bears, cougars, and wolves. These dams are constructed from materials made from wood, branches, twigs, stones and grass cut by beaver teeth, and are said to slow the flow of water that would otherwise flow into the area. . national park service. The pool created by the dam then provides a safe haven for beavers to build oven-shaped burrows, while promoting green vegetation. This will reduce the risk of forest fires and reduce the impact of increasingly severe droughts and floods. In recent years, this phenomenon has become more frequent and severe due to anthropogenic global warming.
Until the late 1800s, beavers were common in lakes, rivers, and swamps throughout North America. But unregulated hunting due to new demand for beaver fur has reduced the beaver population from as many as 400 million in the 1600s to just 10 to 15 million today, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is said that the number has decreased to just one.
In response to beaver declines, California, Idaho, and Utah are among the few U.S. states that have recently begun large-scale beaver recovery programs. Sure enough, data from NASA satellites shows that green vegetation is denser where beavers have been reintroduced compared to areas where beaver populations are limited. For example, a stream near Preston, Idaho, now flows 40 days longer per year thanks to more than 200 beaver dams that appeared after ranchers began rewilding beavers, according to a previous statement from NASA. That's what it means.
“Before beaver trapping, beaver dams were pretty much everywhere in the West. So what we're trying to do is bring the density of beaver dams back to historic levels as much as possible,” he said. said. “In doing so, we are building critical drought resilience and restoring river communities.”
The online Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT) uses data from NASA's Landsat and European Sentinel satellites to identify restoration sites that would benefit most from beaver-led reintroduction. The tool takes into account available trees that beavers can use to build dams, thereby increasing water flow and vegetation to support human infrastructure in situ. Once researchers select a location, they attract beavers by building temporary beaver dam-like structures that make the area more hospitable to beaver families.
Brandt said satellite data not only allows researchers to begin decades-long restoration efforts, but also allows them to monitor results over time, as available funding is often lacking. A recent paper says that it can be done. NASA statement. He noted that satellite data can also provide empirical evidence for restoration efforts that can be used to enhance funding and support from federal agencies, conservation organizations, land trusts and other companies.
“Applied science is about giving users what they need to make environmental decisions,” Cindy Schmidt, NASA's associate program manager for ecological conservation, said in a statement. “The future of our planet depends on these commercial partners working with us to make more sustainable efforts.”