Each month, we select a published research paper relating to beavers to read, critically evaluate, and discuss.

Beavers are fascinating animals with so many mechanisms of influencing the world. Closely examining primary literature will give us a deeper understanding of how their influences on other species and environmental processes are studied and established. Scientific writing can be impenetrable, but discussing a text together is a great way to enhance understanding and grow curiosity for the details that others notice.

Oregon spotted frogs (Rana pretiosa) gather in breeding ponds in early spring. This iconic species is both the most aquatic and most imperiled native frog in the Northwest. Here in the East Cascades, the arid extent of their range, most of their wetland habitat has been lost due to habitat modification and prolonged drought. Let’s read about the role of beaver-managed habitat in supporting this Federally threatened Oregon Conservation Strategy Species:

Rowe, J. C., Pearl, C. A., Duarte, A., McCreary, B., & Adams, M. J. (2024). Population dynamics of the threatened Oregon spotted frog before and after drought mitigation. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 88(1), e22496.

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Contact Maureen (Maureen@thinkwildco.org) with questions on this or future meetings.