How beavers store carbon and raise groundwater by building wetlands

Beavers are small rodents that build dams using branches, stones, and mud. These dams slow rivers and create wetlands that raise local groundwater levels by nearly a meter. The waterlogged soils in these wetlands store large amounts of carbon, sometimes more than the forests above them. This makes beavers a natural tool for carbon sequestration and drought mitigation. Scientists have found that beaver activity can help streams flow longer during dry periods. The carbon locked in these wetland soils stays there for a long time, reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. This is a low-cost, nature-based approach to climate adaptation and carbon storage that works alongside other methods like reforestation. For anyone interested in natural climate solutions, beavers offer a practical example of how ecosystem engineering can deliver measurable environmental benefits. The article from Times of India explains the science behind these effects and why they matter for water management and carbon accounting.