Boreal Ecology Article Review: "Lowland boreal forests characterization in Algonquin Provincial Park relative to beaver (Castor Canadensis) foraging and edaphic factors"

This is a review for the article: "Lowland boreal forests characterization in Algonquin Provincial Park relative to beaver (Castor Canadensis) foraging and edaphic factors".

Noble, T. Donkor is associated with the department of Renewable Resources in University of Alberta, and is currently (year 2009) a professor in the Biology Department of Canadian University College.

This paper covers a research done in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, that studied the combined effects of herbivory by beavers and edaphic conditions on woody plant community structure of lowland boreal forests that surrounds beaver ponds. 16 beaver ponds were studied (one being control with beaver absence) and analyzed for soil moisture and nutrient content relative to its distance from the pond, the number of certain saplings also relative to the distance, and the different species that was present also distance related. The results showed that herbivory decreased with increased distance from the pond, soil moisture decreased with increased distance, intermediate distance showed highest level of richness in woody plant species, mesic species decreased with distance while xeric species increased with distance, and nutrient content (ie. phosphate, magnesium and organic content) did not vary consistently with distance.

The major strength of this paper is that it is put in an unsophisticated manner– though the experiment requires complicated procedures it is interpreted into a simple and accurate data, which is straightforward and consistent. The weaknesses of this paper are its generalizations and assumptions – for example, the precise number of beavers in different ponds should have been recorded in the paper for detailed comparison along with the average measurements. Also, assuming that beaver’s preferred woody species should be more abundant with increased distance from the ponds (pg 6) should not have been made since the species live in different soil-moisture levels, which vary with distance – number of species that cannot tolerate drier soils will decrease with increased distance. Overall, the experiment done in this paper gives an excellent general view of the effects of the factors that were tested and increased my understanding of the boreal forests in relation to ponds.