State of the Science

Beaver research in Arctic regions is no longer in its infancy, but still remains in its early stages. Projects are underway in some regions, but in others, they are at the development stage. Beavers, after all, are relatively new to the Arctic. It is thus a perfect time to align some of the research objectives, including information from Indigenous perspectives related to the impacts of nascent beaver engineering. A synthesis study is underway that seeks to identify the most pressing questions for future work, which was discussed at the first A-BON meeting in March 2022. This page will be populated as new studies are published. A few relevant studies are listed below, and we anticipate that this list will grow exponentially in the coming years.

Jung, T.S., Frandsen, J., Gordon, D.C. and Mossop, D.H., 2016. Colonization of the Beaufort coastal plain by Beaver (Castor canadensis): a response to shrubification of the Tundra?. The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 130(4), pp.332-335.

Tape, K.D., Jones, B.M., Arp, C.D., Nitze, I. and Grosse, G., 2018. Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic. Global change biology, 24(10), pp.4478-4488.

Jones, B.M., Tape, K.D., Clark, J.A., Nitze, I., Grosse, G. and Disbrow, J., 2020. Increase in beaver dams controls surface water and thermokarst dynamics in an Arctic tundra region, Baldwin Peninsula, northwestern Alaska. Environmental Research Letters, 15(7), p.075005.

Jones, B.M., Tape, K.D., Clark, J.A., Bondurant, A.C., Ward Jones, M.K., Gaglioti, B.V., Elder, C.D., Witharana, C. and Miller, C.E., 2021. Multi-dimensional remote sensing analysis documents beaver-induced permafrost degradation, Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Remote Sensing, 13(23), p.4863.

Tape, K.D., Clark, J.A., Jones, B.M., Kantner, S., Gaglioti, B.V., Grosse, G. and Nitze, I., 2022. Expanding beaver pond distribution in Arctic Alaska, 1949 to 2019. Scientific Reports, 12(1), pp.1-9.

Tape, K.D., Clark, J.A., Jones, B.M., Wheeler, H.C., Marsh, P. and Rosell, F., 2021. Beaver Engineering: Tracking a New Disturbance in the Arctic. NOAA 2021 Arctic Report Card.

Jones, B.M., Schaeffer Tessier, S., Tessier, T., Brubaker, M., Brook, M., Schaeffer, J., Ward Jones, M.K., Grosse, G., Nitze, I., Rettelbach, T. and Zavoico, S., 2023. Integrating local environmental observations and remote sensing to better understand the life cycle of a thermokarst lake in Arctic Alaska. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 55(1), p.2195518.

Clark, J.A., Tape, K.D., Baskaran, L., Elder, C., Miller, C., Miner, K., O’Donnell, J.A. and Jones, B.M., 2023. Do beaver ponds increase methane emissions along Arctic tundra streams?. Environmental Research Letters, 18(7), p.075004.

Fraser, R.H., Olthof, I. and Berezanski, D., 2024. Large multi-decade beaver ponding changes in the subarctic Hudson Bay Lowlands, Canada observed using satellite remote sensing. Environmental Research Letters, 19(4), p.044061.

Tape, K.D. and Speed, J.D., 2025. Predicted expansion of beaver pond distribution in Arctic Alaska, 1910–2090. Environmental Research Letters, 20(9), p.094009.

Glass, T.W., Tape, K.D., Clark, J.A., Johnston, S.E., Jones, B.M., Kehoe, P., Loranty, M.M., Maio, C.V., Rangel, R.C. and Zavoico, V.S., 2025. Ecophysical dynamics of beaver ponds in Arctic Alaska: Implications for permafrost, aquatic habitat, and water quality. Ecosphere, 16(9), p.e70371.