It had never occurred to me how important beavers are to the history of the Adirondacks until the Schneider reading. The fur trade shaped the first interactions between Europeans and Native Americans and proved to be extremely significant to the history of the United States. My interest has been sparked, so I decided to look up some information about beavers.
As it turns out, the beaver is the largest rodent in the Adirondacks and populates almost every body of water. The Department of Environmental Conservation estimates that there are anywhere between 50,000 to 75,000 beavers in the present day Adirondack park. This number is shocking if one considers that beavers were seemingly extirpated from the park (and most, if not all, of New York State) by 1670. Even more shockingly, in 1903 the state legislature appropriated only $500 for the reintroduction of less than 50 beavers to the Adirondacks. The original group of 50 was allowed to reproduce unharmed until 1924, when the population of beavers had grown so large that it began causing upset among landowners and trapping was made legal again.
This impressive species has a very significant history in the park and continues to thrive. I am hoping to do the final project on beavers in anyone is interested in teaming up, let me know!
I got most of the info on beavers from: http://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/mammals/beaver.htm
As it turns out, the beaver is the largest rodent in the Adirondacks and populates almost every body of water. The Department of Environmental Conservation estimates that there are anywhere between 50,000 to 75,000 beavers in the present day Adirondack park. This number is shocking if one considers that beavers were seemingly extirpated from the park (and most, if not all, of New York State) by 1670. Even more shockingly, in 1903 the state legislature appropriated only $500 for the reintroduction of less than 50 beavers to the Adirondacks. The original group of 50 was allowed to reproduce unharmed until 1924, when the population of beavers had grown so large that it began causing upset among landowners and trapping was made legal again.
This impressive species has a very significant history in the park and continues to thrive. I am hoping to do the final project on beavers in anyone is interested in teaming up, let me know!
I got most of the info on beavers from: http://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/mammals/beaver.htm
I also found the importance of beavers to the history of the Adirondacks fascinating. Last year, I learned that a “Keystone Species,” was a species whose presence and role within an ecosystem controls other organisms within in the same ecosystem. Our discussions about beavers in class sparked my interest and lead me to learn that scientists have actually proven that beavers are a "Keystone" species in North America. Meaning, beavers play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity in ecosystems in the Adirondacks (as well as preserving 43% of North America’s endangered species). Scientists have also found that the presence of beavers in the park today is not only integral to the diversity of the Adirondacks, but is also known to have direct benefits to Humans. A few of these benefits include: a decrease in damaging floods, removal of pollutants from surface and ground water, drought protection, and decreased erosion. Turns out, beavers are more interesting and more important than we originally thought!
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