Beavers, large members of the rodent family in North America, are often referred to as “ecosystem/keystone engineers” by wildlife managers. Ecosystem engineers are described as animals that create, alter, or destroy a habitat. Beavers contribute to river ecosystems by bringing down old and dead trees along riverbanks. They use these trees to make their dams. Although these dams are primarily used for protection and food storage, scientists report that these dams change the surrounding environment in different ways.
Given this information, in three to five sentences, describe a potential benefit that beavers contribute to the ecosystem as keystone engineers and describe a plausible impact that the removal of beavers could have on the surrounding ecosystem.
pun it in teen sentenses
Beavers contribute to the ecosystem by creating wetlands through their dam-building activities. These wetlands provide habitat for a variety of plant and animal species, increasing biodiversity in the area. The wetlands also help to filter and clean water, improve water quality, and reduce flooding risks.
If beavers were removed from the ecosystem, these wetlands would disappear, leading to a loss of habitat for many species that rely on them. This could result in a decrease in biodiversity and ecosystem function. Additionally, the absence of beavers could lead to an increase in erosion along riverbanks and a decrease in water quality due to the loss of natural filtration processes. Overall, the removal of beavers could have significant negative impacts on the surrounding ecosystem.