does predator urine deter beavers (castor canadensis) from building dams? · 2020. 9. 28. · 400...
TRANSCRIPT
Andriy Gura
Carmel High
School
Junior Year
DOES PREDATOR
URINE DETER
BEAVERS (CASTOR
CANADENSIS) FROM
BUILDING DAMS?
http://animalia-life.com/beaver.html
INTRODUCTION
Almost went extinct in the early 1900’s
Largest rodent found in North America
Referred to as Ecosystem Engineers
Teeth contain great
amounts of iron
http://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/faq/why-are-beaver-teeth-orange/ http://www.franksfurs.com/mensbeaverfurhat.aspx
Considered pests because of dams and tree
removal
Certain dams can break and it can create
floods
Beavers are very territorial
Are monogamous
INTRODUCTION (CONTINUED)
BEAVERS IN TEATOWN
Inhabit Shadow Lake, Vernay Lake, and Teatown Lake
Number of Beavers are unknown
Typically one colony consisting of 2 adults and up to 8 kits
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/beaver-family-peggy-collins.html
To determine whether Wolf urine
deter beavers from building dams in
a certain area.
To figure out whether dams affect
water quality in spillways
OBJECTIVE
METHODS
PREVIOUS METHODS USED IN TEATOWN
Used “Beaver
Peavers”
Put pipes from
lake to spillway
Used fencing
Gather Materials:
HC600 HyperFire High Output Covert
IR
Pitchforks
Wolf Urine
Wolf Duplicate
FluoroSense™ Handheld Fluorometer
HI98129 pH/Conductivity/TDS Tester
Hach Dr 900 Multi-Parameter
Handheld Colorimeter
METHODS (CONTINUED)
Control Group (2 days):
Set up cameras
Take Dam apart
Cameras capture photos
METHODS (CONTINUED)
Experimental Wolf
Urine (2 days):
Attach cloth covered in
wolf pee over spill ways
Let cameras capture
Beavers activity
METHODS (CONTINUED)
Experimental Wolf
Duplicate and Urine (2 days):
Attach cloth covered in wolf
pee over spill ways
Place Wolf duplicate near
spillway
Let cameras capture Beavers
activity
METHODS (CONTINUED)
Water Quality
Testing (everyday):
Gather sample from lake
and spillway
Tear dam apart
Re-take sample from
spillway
METHODS (CONTINUED)
Lab Work :
Take Nitrate levels of
each sample
Take Phosphate
levels of each
sample
METHODS (CONTINUED)
RESULTS
*picture or video of beavers in only wolf pee situation*
RESULTS (CONTINUED)
RESULTS
0
5
10
15
20
25
Before After
Alg
ae
(rf
u)
Spillway
Algae Levels
RESULTS (CONTINUED)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Before After
pH
Spillway
pH Levels
RESULTS (CONTINUED)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Before After
Co
nd
ucti
vity
(µ
S/cm
)
Spillway
Conductivity Levels
RESULTS (CONTINUED)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
Before After
Nit
rate
(m
g/L
)
Spillway
Nitrate Levels
RESULTS (CONTINUED)
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Before After
Ph
osp
ha
te (
mg
/L
)
Spillway
Phosphate Levels
DISCUSSION
Scent of wolf urine may have weakened
Scent may have driven beavers to build more
so they could keep water to build up for more
protection
Beavers may not recognize scent
DISCUSSION (CONTINUED)
May have realized that it was not living and
continued to work
Did not recognize natural predator and saw no
movement so did not fear
DISCUSSION (CONTINUED)
Spillways water quality evened out with the
lake water flowing into it
The increase in water quality will have a major
impact on organisms living in the stream
Wolf Urine did not deter Beavers
from building their dams in the
spillways
Dams altered water quality in the
spillways
CONCLUSION
I’d like to thank my
family, Dylan Spedaliere,
the 2016 class of TESA,
Hillary, and Rebecca.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS