Predicting Beaver Colony Density in Boreal Landscapes
Broschart MR, Johnston CA, Naiman RJ. 1989. Predicting Beaver Colony Density in Boreal Landscapes. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 53(4):929-934
We propose a method to quantitatively relate the proportion of beaver (Castor canadensis) created impoundments to beaver numbers and population trends. Stepwise multiple regression retained 4 of 11 beaver impoundments as positively or negatively related to colony density: shallow marsh (+), seasonally flooded meadow (-), pond (+), and wet deciduous shrub (-). The independent variables of shallow marsh and seasonally flooded meadow provided the best estimate of beaver colony densities. This model can be used in wildlife management and research as a technique to census historical beaver populations and to assess the effect of beaver on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Broschart, Michael; Johnston, Carol; Naiman, Robert
- Units
- VOYA
- Keywords
- Animals (Animalia), Beaver (Castor canadensis), Colonies, Habitats, Mammals, Mammals (Mammalia), Modeling, Population Density