FAQ: Do beavers build dams?
Beavers are well known for construction skills which sometimes see them build dams in rivers and lodges in the ponds created by their dams. However, beavers will only build dams in they can find no suitable habitat with conditions which meet their needs. The trial site was chosen as an area with a great deal of suitable habitat. When beavers do dam, this modification can have a positive effect for biodiversity. Their ponds benefit many species including otters, water shrews, water voles, birds, invertebrates especially dragonflies, and breeding fish. Dams can also hold water in periods of drought, can regulate flooding and improve water quality by holding silt behind dams and catching acidic and agricultural run-off.
The beaver: keystone species of wet woodland and forest
