Ecosystem Responses to the Interacting Forces of Bridge Improvements and Beavers

The Penobscot Indian Nation Department of Natural Resources (PIN DNR) plans to conduct two major bridge improvements on the Birch Stream Road. These bridges will be replaced with larger, structures to improve fish passage and capacity to handle high flow events in the face of climate change. Though such construction projects are frequent in the region, the aquatic community response to bridge improvements on beaver driven ecosystems has not been well studied. Understanding how beaver populations and densities are interacting and responding to changing infrastructure will help us to better manage beaver populations. This project will also document environmental, and population effects of changes to aquatic connectivity in a beaver dominated landscape.