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Article: Beaver (Castor canadensis) Impacts on Herbaceous and Woody Vegetation in Southeastern Georgia
- Article from:
- The American Midland Naturalist
- Article date:
- July 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright American Midland Naturalist Jul 2009. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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ABSTRACT.
North American beavers alter habitat properties such as stream flow, faunal composition and plant community structure. In North America, the majority of studies on impacts by beavers have occurred in the northeast or western regions. This study examined the effect of wood-cutting and foraging by beaver on the surrounding plant community in Southeastern Georgia. To determine their impact, beaver modified habitat and nearby, but nonimpacted riparian habitat, were sampled in a matched pair design. Vegetation surveys were performed, and species richness, density, relative abundance and canopy cover were calculated for every site. Richness of herbaceous vegetation was higher at ...