Cherie Westbrook


Ecohydrologist

DECLINING BEAVER POPULATIONS IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK


Journal article


B. W. Baker, C. Westbrook
2005

Semantic Scholar
Cite

Cite

APA
Baker, B. W., & Westbrook, C. (2005). DECLINING BEAVER POPULATIONS IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK.

Chicago/Turabian
Baker, B. W., and C. Westbrook. “DECLINING BEAVER POPULATIONS IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK” (2005).

MLA
Baker, B. W., and C. Westbrook. DECLINING BEAVER POPULATIONS IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK. 2005.


Abstract

Populations of beaver and willow have not thrived in riparian environments that are heavily 1 browsed by livestock or ungulates, such as elk. The interaction of beaver and elk herbivory may be an 2 important mechanism underlying beaver and willow declines in this competitive environment. We 3 conducted a field experiment that compared the standing crop of willow 3 years after simulated 4 beaver cutting on paired plants with and without intense elk browsing (~85% utilization rate). 5 Simulated beaver cutting with intense elk browsing produced willow that was small (biomass and 6 diameter) and short with far fewer but longer shoots and a high percentage of dead biomass. In 7 contrast, simulated beaver cutting without elk browsing produced willow that was large, tall, and 8 leafy with many more but shorter shoots (highly branched) and a low percentage of dead biomass. 9


Share