Determining the accuracy of the beaver restoration assessment tool for identifying North American beaver (Castor canadensis) habitat in the Central Interior Cariboo region of British Columbia | The BCIT cIRcuit

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Determining the accuracy of the beaver restoration assessment tool for identifying North American beaver (Castor canadensis) habitat in the Central Interior Cariboo region of British Columbia

Freeman, A. (2024). Determining the accuracy of the beaver restoration assessment tool for identifying North American beaver (Castor canadensis) habitat in the Central Interior Cariboo region of British Columbia.
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Description

Perennial watercourses in British Columbia are becoming intermittent from climate change. North American beaver (Castor canadensis) dams retain perennial flow while providing other ecosystem services. The Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT) estimates a stream’s dam capacity by evaluating the vegetative, physical, and hydrological habitat. This research project surveyed 15 streams in the Cariboo region to assess the accuracy of the BRAT’s outputs. Climate data were used to model changes in flow. Overall, the BRAT outputs generally correlated with field measurements. However, the non-vegetation outputs contributed minimally to dam capacity, and higher dam capacity did not always indicate higher habitat quality. Climate projections also indicate most streams will lose nival flow by 2041-2071. Therefore, using the BRAT with other models can determine both dam capacity and overall habitat quality to increase successful beaver restoration chances. When vegetation and physical stream conditions are met, higher watershed/channel size may indicate higher-quality habitat.