In 3-5 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.
As keystone engineers, beavers can create and maintain complex wetland ecosystems that provide habitat for a variety of species, improve water quality, and regulate water flow. The dams they build can help prevent erosion, mitigate flooding, and increase water retention in the landscape. If beavers were to be removed from an ecosystem, there could be a decrease in wetland habitat, reduced water quality, loss of biodiversity, and an increase in erosion and flooding events. This could have cascading effects on the overall health and functioning of the ecosystem.
