Evaluating the effects of beaver-related restoration on aquatic ecosystems

Reversing or stemming declines in ecosystem function and biodiversity are main areas of focus for restoration ecology and conservation biology. Conservation and restoration ecologists have increasingly shifted towards restoring ecosystem processes rather than specific community compositions or habitat conditions. Rewilding is a promising strategy for restoring ecosystem processes at the landscape scale through reintroductions of species that regulate ecosystem processes. Beavers (Castor canadensis and Castor fiber) are well studied ecosystem engineers that have profound impacts on biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems. Beaver-related restoration (BRR), including beaver reintroductions and mimicry structures, is increasingly used to restore ecosystem processes and increase biodiversity in freshwater systems of the United States and Europe; however, implementation has outpaced research on aspects of the rewilding and ecosystem restoration process. In this dissertation, I focus on aspects of rewilding reintroductions and restoration ecology using BRR as a study system. Specifically, my research focuses on developing tools to assess population establishment, assessing disease risks associated with animal reintroductions, and synthesizing how ecosystem engineer reintroductions impact ecosystem processes and biodiversity across ecological contexts.