Beaver Dams Are Surprisingly Effective Carbon Sinks
A 30-kilogram rodent with orange teeth might be one of the most cost-effective carbon removal technologies on the planet. A new study published in Communications Earth & Environment provides the first detailed carbon accounting of beaver-modified wetlands — and the numbers are genuinely surprising. Researchers studied a stream system in northern Switzerland that beavers have been reshaping for over a decade. Their finding: if you scaled beaver-created wetlands across suitable habitats in Switzerland, they could offset 1.2–1.8% of the country’s annual carbon emissions. ...