Forget groundhogs and their weather predictions. Now, fellow critters — beavers — are actually doing their part to combat climate change, one dam at a time, a new study says.
The new research, published March 18 in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, has for the first time calculated the carbon dioxide emitted and sequestered due to engineering work done by beavers in suitable wetland areas.
“Our findings show that beavers don’t just change landscapes: they fundamentally shift how carbon dioxide moves through them," said study lead author Joshua Larsen, of the University of Birmingham in the U.K., in a statement.
By slowing water, trapping sediments, and expanding wetlands, the beavers turn streams into powerful carbon "sinks," which are a key part of the planet's carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas most responsible for human-caused global warming.
This first-of-its-kind study represents an important opportunity and breakthrough for future nature-based climate solutions across Europe, Larsen said.
