Yahoo News posted a story yesterday about one of the newest threats to climate change in the US–beavers! The critters have been making a comeback across the country, building dams which back up water into ponds. The ponds are great for improving water storage and providing habitat for a variety of other animals, but also trap silt and organic matter. The organic matter decomposes on the bottom of the pond under anaerobic conditions, creating methane. It is estimated that the amount of methane produced by beavers has doubled since 1900. You can read about the impacts of beaver expansion, particularly in the west, and their impacts on changing climate by clicking here.
