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Beaver-Created Habitat Heterogeneity Influences Aquatic Invertebrate Assemblages in Boreal Canada

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Abstract

Habitat heterogeneity and wetland area play important roles in aquatic biodiversity; however, other factors are equally important in the composition and distribution of ecological communities. Over a 3-year period, including a year of drought, we demonstrate how beavers physically altered isolated shallow-water wetlands in Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Canada, which then influenced aquatic invertebrates diversity and abundance of functional feeding groups and taxa. Digging channels by beavers extended aquatic habitats over 200 m into the upland zone and created unique aquatic habitats, which became hot-spots for predaceous aquatic invertebrates. Some taxa (e.g., Gerridae and Gyrinidae) were found exclusively in beaver ponds, while Culicidae were primarily in wetlands without beavers. Amphipoda were strongly associated with beaver ponds in drought and post-drought years. During extreme drought in 2009, species richness, diversity and abundance declined dramatically, but recovered quickly in 2010. Although species richness was associated with wetland area, increased niche availability through active maintenance of wetlands by beavers played an important role in aquatic invertebrate diversity and distribution. Understanding the role of common, but seldom surveyed within-wetland habitats in boreal wetlands expands our ability to understand aquatic biodiversity, the importance of habitat heterogeneity and the role of other taxa in species assemblages.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for financial assistance from the Beaver Hills Initiative, Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the Augustana Faculty of the University of Alberta, Alberta Tourism Parks and Recreation, and Dr. Suzanne Bayley. In addition, we are thankful for the field and lab assistance of Dr. Heather Proctor, Nils Anderson, Nicole Madu, Tim Nelner, Curtis Stratmoen, Stephen Olson, Makrina Scott, and Dustin Rahib and the statistical advice of Drs. Rebecca Rooney and David Locky. Finally, we thank Dee Patriquin and the anonymous reviewers, and the Associate Editor whose comments and advice helped to make this a stronger manuscript.

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  1. Department of Science, Augustana Faculty, University of Alberta, 4901-46 Avenue, Camrose, AB, T4V 2R3, Canada

    Glynnis A. Hood & David G. Larson

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  1. Glynnis A. Hood
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  2. David G. Larson
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Correspondence to Glynnis A. Hood.

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Hood, G.A., Larson, D.G. Beaver-Created Habitat Heterogeneity Influences Aquatic Invertebrate Assemblages in Boreal Canada. Wetlands 34, 19–29 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-013-0476-z

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