The role of beaver dams in carbon sequestration

Rising greenhouse gas emissions have called for a need in exploring carbon sequestration options, including natural solutions. Wetlands can act as carbon sinks through increased anoxic conditions influencing biogeochemical cycles and sediment accumulation rates. Once extirpated in much of their original home range, beavers are ecosystem engineers with the ability to drastically change an ecosystem through the construction of dams, often resulting in the formation of diverse wetland systems. Thus, beaver-created wetlands have the potential to similarly store carbon. Through an analysis of the literature, this study aims to investigate whether beavers promote carbon storage and how positions relative to beaver dam (i.e., upstream, in-pond, downstream) may vary carbon sequestration capacity. Results from this study could highlight just one of many ecosystem services beavers provide and the contribution of biotic factors to efforts in mitigating greenhouse gases