The influence of beavers on forest structure in riparian areas.

Your paper should examine the role that beavers have in shaping vegetative communities and the physical environment in riparian areas.  Your work should include description of the influences beavers have on the structure and community composition of riparian vegetative communities.  You are welcome, but not required, to discuss implications to particular wildlife species and their habitat.

Your paper should cite the following papers and a minimum of 5 others:

Donkor, N. T., and J. M. Fryxell.  1999.  Impact of beaver foraging on structure of lowland boreal forests of Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. Forest Ecology & Management. 118:83-92.

Snodgrass, J. W.  1997.  Temporal and spatial dynamics of beaver-created patches as influenced by management practices in a south-eastern North America landscape. Journal of Applied Ecology. 34:1043-1056.  

Wright, J. P., C. G. Jones, A. S. Flecker.  2002.  An ecosystem engineer, the beaver, increases species richness at the landscape scale. Oecologia 132:96-101.

 

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