The voracious builders are reshaping the tundra, and generating controversy about whether their presence is cause for concern—or hope—in a warming world.
Time in the Alaskan Arctic moves slowly. Layers of permafrost inter the chilled remains of mammoths and early humans; dwarf birches and lichens grow at almost imperceptible clips; glaciers creep down mountains at annual rates measured in millimeters. Abrupt disturbance is rare: There are no hurricanes or tornadoes, and few floods and wildfires. Landscapes are static. Change, when it comes, is subtle and incremental. Besides the beavers.
REPOSTED FROM AUDUBON.ORG – READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
Photo: Brian Adams
