Outsized effect of predation: Wolves alter wetland creation and recolonization by killing ecosystem engineers.

ABSTRACT: Gray wolves are a premier example of how predators can transform ecosystems through trophic cascades. However, whether wolves change ecosystems as drastically as previously suggested has been increasingly questioned. We demonstrate how wolves alter wetland creation and recolonization by killing dispersing beavers. Beavers are ecosystem engineers that generate most wetland creation throughout boreal ecosystems. By studying beaver pond creation and recolonization patterns coupled with wolf predation on beavers, we determined that 84% of newly created and recolonized beaver ponds remained occupied until the fall, whereas 0% of newly created and recolonized ponds remained active after a wolf killed the dispersing beaver that colonized that pond. By affecting where and when beavers engineer eco

SUBMITTER: Gable TD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7673763 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature