A 13 year study in northern Switzerland reveals that beaver dams are highly effective at capturing carbon. The research found that beaver wetlands can hold up to 14 times more inorganic carbon and eight times more organic carbon than nearby forest soils. Researchers estimate that allowing beavers to restore suitable wetland areas could offset between 1.2% and 1.8% of Switzerland's total carbon pollution. This nature based approach provides a low cost alternative to engineered carbon capture by utilizing keystone species to reshape landscapes.
