How Beavers Became North America's Best Firefighter

9/23/2020

A new study concludes that, by building dams, forming ponds, and digging canals, beavers irrigate vast stream corridors and create fireproof refuges in which plants and animals can shelter. In some cases, the rodents’ engineering can even stop fire in its tracks.
“It doesn't matter if there’s a wildfire right next door,” says study leader Emily Fairfax, an ecohydrologist at California State University Channel Islands. “Beaver-dammed areas are green and happy and healthy-looking.” - National Geographic / Apple News

Harrison Burnton

9/30/2020 09:37:20 am

I think it's pretty amazing that the work that beavers do is almost a part of a natural system to preventing mass wildfire spread. It is interesting to consider how the work that they do also impacts the lives of so many different types of life including our own. Reading this article it reminded me of the video we watched as part of our module on mass wasting and how the formation of wetlands occurs through processes of erosion and also in part to the life that is present. I think that the idea of learning to work with beavers and using a natural process and sort of exploiting that process prevent the impacts of wildfires on humans would be fascinating to see down the line.

Taylor Ganser

9/30/2020 04:21:19 pm

From this article I discovered a newfound respect for beavers. Though rodents, they are helpful in stopping forest fires through the dam building and forming ponds. It's interesting how where there are beavers, there is green and life. This reminds me of the mass wasting we just learned about, as erosion and water and how that impacts the environment was a main point in the video. I find the way nature finds its own way of survival (without human interference) through the work of beavers amazing!

Emily Pearce

10/2/2020 03:51:02 pm

The National Geographic article discusses the important roles beavers assumed in America's forests and their ability to prevent and recover from wildfires. This relates to mass wasting because we know that plant life, specifically trees, factor into erosion rates. Wildfires will increase erosion. It's surprising that such a creature can have a tremendous impact on saving their environment.

Ellie Anderson

10/4/2020 06:31:49 pm

I think this article is really cool. Beavers are just doing their own thing, making their dams, doing what THEY need to survive. It just happens that their lifestyle can help prevent and lessen the impacts of forest fires. What I think is-interesting is it goes back to the laws of ecology, everything is connected to everything else.

Victoria Minjarez link

10/6/2020 12:03:28 am

Something I took away from this article was how important beavers are and how they are helping with wildfires. The beaver's lifestyle and how they survive are helping us prevent and reduce the impact of the forest fires. This relates to our module because this article talks about the population of the beavers. A comment I wanted to make was how ridiculous it is how despite how good they are doing for us they are still thousands being killed. On a good note is I think the U.S forest should consider the smoky the beaver as their new mascot

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How Beavers Became North America's Best Firefighter

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