Invertebrates in Beaver-Created Wetlands and Ponds

Abstract

Eurasian (Castor fiber) and North American (Castor canadensis) beavers are semiaquatic mammals that modify the hydrology of streams and other water bodies by constructing dams throughout the temperate and boreal zones of North America and Europe. Our review suggests that beaver wetlands complexes support high invertebrate taxon richness primarily due to high habitat heterogeneity. Beaver-created wetlands have a variety of subhabitats, and beaver activities (damming of streams, building of channels, etc.) create a mosaic of lentic and lotic hydrology that provides habitat for stream, pond, and semi-aquatic invertebrates. Beaver also create and maintain new wetlands as well as enhancing existing ones, which may help maintain wetland habitat for invertebrates in the face of climate change and habitat destruction.

Appendix

Invertebrates recorded (*) in beaver-associated ponds and wetlands in Georgia (Bush and Batzer unpublished), Pennsylvania (Wissinger and Gallagher 1999; Wissinger unpublished), and Colorado, USA (Caudill 2002; B. Peckarsky, unpublished data; S. Wissinger unpublished data).

		SE NA beaver dam wetlands			NE NA beaver pond complexes	Central Colorado Montane beaver dam ponds and wetlands
	Family	New	Mature	Abandoned	All basins	Valley terrace pond complexes	Stream channel/riparian distributary
Turbellaria			*		*	*	*
Gastropoda	Lymnaeidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Physidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Planorbidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
Bivalvia	Sphaeriidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
Oligochaeta		*	*	*	*	*	*
Hirudinea		*	*	*	*	*	*
Araneae		*	*	*	*	*	*
Acari		*	*	*	*	*	*
Pseudoscorpiones		*
Ostracoda		*	*	*	*	*
Cladocera	Bosminidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Chydoridae				*	*
	Daphniidae				*	*
Copepoda	Calanoida	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Cyclopoida					*
Decapoda	Cambaridae	*	*		*
Isopoda	Asellidae	*	*		*	*
Amphipoda	Crangonyctidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Dogielinotidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
Collembola	Entomobryidae	*	*	*	*
	Hypogastruridae	*		*	*
	Isotomidae	*	*	*
	Poduridae			*	*	*	*
	Sminthuridae		*	*
Ephemeroptera	Baetidae	*	*	*	*	*
	Caenidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Ephemeridae		*
	Ephemerellidae						*
	Heptageniidae						*
	Leptophlebiidae						*
	Siphlonuridae						*
Odonata	Aeshnidae	*		*	*	*	*
	Coenagrionidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Gomphidae	*			*	*	*
	Lestidae		*		*	*	*
	Libellulidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
Plecoptera	Chloroperlidae					*	*
	Nemouridae					*	*
	Perlidae						*
Orthoptera	Gryllidae			*
	Tettigoniidae			*
Psocoptera				*
Thysanoptera	Terebrantia			*
Hemiptera	Aphidae	*	*	*
	Belostomatidae	*	*	*	*
	Cercopidae			*
	Cicadellidae	*	*	*
	Coccoidea	*	*	*
	Corixidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Delphacidae	*	*	*
	Gelastocoridae				*
	Gerridae	*	*		*	*	*
	Hebridae		*	*	*	*
	Hydrometridae			*	*
	Mesoveliidae	*	*	*	*	*
	Miridae	*		*
	Nepidae	*	*		*
	Reduviidae		*	*
	Veliidae	*	*	*	*	*
Neuroptera	Corydalidae	*	*	*	*
	Sialidae	*			*
Coleoptera	Anthicidae		*
	Carabidae		*	*	*	*
	Chrysomelidae			*	*	*
	Coccinellidae	*		*
	Curculionidae		*	*	*
	Dytiscidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Elateridae			*
	Elmidae	*		*			*
	Gyrinidae			*	*	*
	Haliplidae		*	*	*	*
	Hydraenidae			*	*
	Hydrophilidae	*	*	*	*	*
	Lampyridae		*	*
	Latridiidae			*
	Noteridae		*	*	*
	Phalacridae			*
	Ptilodactylidae		*	*
	Scirtidae		*	*	*
	Silvanidae			*
	Staphylinidae			*	*	*
Trichoptera	Hydroptilidae	*	*	*
	Hydropsychidae			*
	Leptoceridae	*			*	*
	Limnephilidae				*	*	*
	Phryganeidae				*	*
	Polycentropodidae	*					*
	Rhyacophilidae	*					*
Lepidoptera	Crambidae	*
	Noctuidae	*	*	*
	Tineidae		*
Diptera	Ceratopogonidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Chaoboridae				*	*
	Chironomidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Corethrellidae	*	*	*
	Culicidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
	Dixidae				*	*	*
	Dolichopodidae				*
	Empididae		*		*
	Ephydridae	*	*		*
	Psychodidae			*	*
	Ptychopteridae	*	*	*	*
	Simuliidae			*			*
	Stratiomyidae	*	*	*	*	*
	Tabanidae	*	*	*	*	*
	Tipulidae	*	*	*	*	*	*
Hymenoptera	Formicidae		*	*
	Chalcidoidea			*
	Mymaridae	*
	Platygastroidea	*	*	*