Beaver – It’s the final day of ANIMALS THAT BUILD THINGS WEEK! In a break from ANIMAL WEEK tradition I’m posting on a day that I am not at work. I feel liberated, free, light as a proverbial feather. Today is the king of animals that build things! The beaver! Their structures are such big changers of an environment that the whole ecosystem changes with their activities and they are a keystone species. Construction time (for a primary dam) is overnight. They have primary and secondary dams but will only vigorously rebuild the primary. The main feature of their dams is to make ponds to protect them from predators and to provide a route to food during tough winter times. They build according to the speed of the flow of water in the river with straight dams for slow speeds and curved if the water is flowing at a faster rate. It’s usually tilted upstream to help prevent it getting washed away. They can transport their own weight in materials, fell a 15cm wide aspen in 20 minutes and chop down a 1.5cm sapling in one bite. AWESOME! But arent beaver dams destructive to the environment? Well its true that they can do temporary damage to roads and hillsides but long term they purify water by collecting silt and impurities (the accumulated silt eventually providing excellent farmland). They provide great habitats for a number of species and also help with flood prevention further downstream. What a way to close out the week! ANIMALS THAT BUILD THINGS WEEK! B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T! What’s next week! Can’t wait to find out!!
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 07:04:10 +0000
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