North American Beaver

Tree cut by North American Beaver, Castor canadensis

The North American Beaver attacks woody plants not just for building material, but also as a source of food. In terms of preference, there is significance to the diameter of the tree and the type of tree, but not the distance of the tree from the lodge. The selection of the tree, and the location of the tree relative to slop and position, all play a role in decision of which trees to fell, and what pattern of cutting to use. While it various per region, there is an overall preference for deciduous trees such as aspen, willow, birch, and maple. As such, the trees felled by the beaver can alter the composition and structure of the habitat they live in. The dams built by the beavers may also dramatically change both the geology and hydrology of a region.

A great comment was made by Harmon Everett on my last post about the impact beavers had on North American History. I highly suggest you take a look over on Google+!