[MCN] For climate adaptation, leave some of it up to beavers

[Lance Olsen]

Excerpt: "The Methow Beaver Project, now in its ninth year, relocates 
beavers to tributaries in the upper reaches of the Methow watershed. 
The goal is to restore beavers to their historical habitat and allow 
them to do what comes naturally- build dams and create ponds that 
store water both above and below ground.

"Water held in those storage basins is released gradually throughout 
the warm months when it is needed for fish, wildlife and irrigation. 
That slow release has the added benefit of keeping water in 
tributaries cooler, which enhances habitat for fish and other 
creatures, said Woodruff, a biologist with the U.S. Forest Service.

"Climate change models predict dramatically lower snowpacks in the 
future. As humans consider ways to adapt to the changes resulting 
from a warming climate, beavers have some lessons to offer, according 
to Woodruff."

http://methowvalleynews.com/2016/01/23/beavers-may-be-part-of-answer-to-climate-change/

-- 
>==========================================================
>"The outlines of the carbon cycle, in organisms at any rate, have 
>been evident since Joseph Priestley's day. The critical step, 
>'obviously', is the photosynthetic reduction of carbon dioxide."
>
>Edward S. Deevey, Jr. Mineral Cycles.
>Scientific American, September 1970
>=============================
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