Kyriakos Tsoulfas
12/8/12
SEA-DISC
Website Content- Point Arena Mountain Beaver: junior section (2 senior group)
What role does your species have in it’s ecosystem? (Goes in background
section)
Mountain Beavers are considered by many to be the world’s oldest rodent species,
meaning they have played a similar role in their ecosystem for thousands of years.
Despite their name, Mountain Beavers are not actually beavers, just called so
because they gnaw bark and cut off limbs of trees similarly to true beavers (U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 2011). Much like true beavers, Mountain Beavers are keystone
species in their environment, meaning they play a crucial role in biodiversity due to
the expansive burrow system’s they dig. In fact, Unoccupied Mountain-Beaver
tunnels and chambers are used by many other animals such as mice, moles, voles,
rats, cottontail rabbits, weasels, mink, spotted skunks, and salamanders. These deep
tunnels keep harmful predators away from not only mountain beavers but also the
other species mentioned above (Link, 2012). Over time, the abandoned burrows
become buried well below the surface and the droppings left behind becomes
fertilizer for the soil above (Link, 2012). Additionally, the consumption of roots and
bark by Mountain Beavers often cause trees to die. The dead trees then become
habitats for birds and various mammals (Link, 2012). These are all examples of
commensalism. Without the Mountain Beaver’s tunnel systems and tree
consumption, countless animal populations would be left without a place to live.
This would be the first and obvious situation we would face if Mountain Beavers
were to go extinct.
What, if any, efforts are being made to preserve your species outside of its
natural habitat?
The Point Arena Mountain Beaver has been listed as a “species of special concern”
by the state of California. While not much has already been done to help the Point
Arena Mountain Beaver there are some efforts underway to help the species inside
of its natural habitat. The city of Point Arena has wording in its general plan for the
protection of the Mountain Beaver (Point Arena Mountain Beaver Recovery Plan,
1998). The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the California
Department of Pesticide Regulation are developing a program to protect federally
listed threatened and endangered species from habitat harm due to pesticide use.
This program specifically recommends methods to protect species such as the
mountain beaver that are vulnerable to rodenticides (Point Arena Mountain Beaver
Recovery Plan, 1998). Other than certain listings here and their and some small
governmental efforts, more is being done to exterminate the Mountain Beaver than
to help it. Additionally, nothing is being done to preserve the species outside of its
natural habitat. This is because the Mountain Beaver is considered a pest due to the
damage it causes to tree plantations. In fact it is completely legal to kill Mountain
Beavers year round without a permit (Link, 2012). However, we can not expect any
different of the Mountain Beaver since it occupied the Point Arena area and has
been feeding on trees there long before humans lived in the area.
What else could/should be done in your opinion? (Goes in what can you do?
Section)
The biggest issues facing the Mountain Beaver are habitat destruction and human’s
killing them (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2011). First off, setting aside certain
areas of Mountain Beaver territory for wildlife preserve would greatly help the
world’s oldest rodent. However, the best and most convenient way to help the
Mountain Beaver would be to simply make it illegal to trap and kill them. Of course
if this were to happen, farmers and tree plantation owners would complain due to
further damage of their crops. However, farms and plantations can be protected
from Mountain Beavers just by building fences. A small floppy fence made of mesh is
all that’s necessary to keep out the Beavers. Mountain Beavers have poor eyesight,
and this barrier would prevent them from finding the trees and shrubs. Additionally,
the tendency of the fence to flop will keep the animal from reaching the top (Link,
2012).
a short floppy mesh fence, a useful and conveniant way to keep out Mountain Beavers
In areas where individual small trees or shrubs are being damaged, one can
surround the plants with 24-inch tall smooth metal cylinders to keep beavers from
accessing bark and branches (Link, 2012).
24-inch smooth metal cylinder used to keep beavers from accessing bark and branches
Farmers and plantation owners can make small efforts to prevent the death of
mountain beavers while also preserving their crops. The average person can make a
difference too. Write to Mendocino County and/or the state of California to request
the illegilazation of the murder of Mountain Beavers!
From an environmental perspective, why should your animal be saved? (Goes
in why save it? Section)
If the Point Arena Mountain Beaver goes extinct, countless other animals would be
adversely affected. All of the animals that live in abandoned Mountain Beaver
burrows (mice, moles, voles, rats, cottontail rabbits, weasels, mink, spotted skunks,
and salamanders) would be left without a home and fall victim to predators (Point
Arena Mountain Beaver Recovery Plan, 1998). Many of these animals would likely
go extinct with the loss of the Mountain Beaver. Natural predators of animals such
as mice that use mountain beaver burrows would likely thrive temporarily due to
the lack of protection for their prey. Eventually however, they too would be affected
adversely due to a shortage of prey. Additionally, underground mountain beaver
droppings are crucial to the fertilization of plants living above and around mountain
beaver burrows. Without this symbiotic relationship, the plants would lack of
necessary nutrients needed to survive (Link, 2012). If the Point Arena Mountain
Beaver were to go extinct, Mendocino County’s ecosystem would surely suffer. Is
killing off “pesky” mountain beavers worth the death of an entire ecosystem?
Why should the point arena Mountain Beaver be saved?

Builds burrows that house many species

Fertilizes soil

The oldest living rodent in the world, it could give us insight into the past

Every species on earth deserves a life

They have been living in the point arena area far longer than us
References
Link, Russell (2012) Mountain Beavers. Retrieved Novemeber 13, 2012 from
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/mtn_beavers.html
Point Arena Mountain Beaver (2011). Retrieved November 13, 2012, from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service Web site:
http://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnBeaver/mtnbeaver.html
Recovery Plan for the Point Arena Mountain Beaver Aplodontia Rufa Nigra
(Rafinesque). (1998). Retrieved November 13, 2012, from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Web site:
http://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnBeaver/documents/1998%20
Recovery%20Plan%20for%20the%20Point%20Arena%20Mountain%20Beaver.pdf