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The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is native to Ohio but was extirpated from the state in the 1830s due to European expansion. However, this species has recolonized the state with the help of a monitoring protocol with a classification system of low, medium, and high rankings of C. canadensis predictability used by Ohio DNR. We used beaver occupancy data collected by ODNR with aerial surveys from the years 2013-2020 as well as environmental, anthropogenic, climate, and landcover data from multiple datasets to create generalized mixed models which we ranked. We were able to create a new classification system that ranks plots as low, medium, and high but based on the top model including the variables wetlands, surface mines, and then agriculture, as well as the abundance of beaver colonies surveyed. We were able to apply a classification of low, medium, high, and very high values to the entire map of Ohio to find that the eastern side of the state had high suitability for C. canadensis with high wetlands, high surface mines, and low agriculture, and the central and western parts of the state had lower suitability for C. canadensis. This new classification system will help management make decisions for C. canadensis that can attempt to ensure the long-term viability of the species. |
