Madison Molter - "Multi-taxa Assessment of Wildlife Use at Beaver Dam Analogs Across Wyoming" :: University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute

Madison Molter - "Multi-taxa Assessment of Wildlife Use at Beaver Dam Analogs Across Wyoming"

"The generous support from the Don and Judy Legerski UW Teton Graduate Scholars in Biodiversity Fellowship and the Biodiversity Institute Graduate Student Excellence Grant allows me to significantly expand the scope of this work across a broader network of wetlands throughout Wyoming. By moving beyond the single-species or single-watershed focus of most beaver dam analog studies, I am able to build a more complete understanding of how entire wildlife communities respond to restoration. This work will not only strengthen my graduate research, but also provide state, federal, and non-profit partners with practical, science-based insights to improve wetland restoration efforts and better support biodiversity and ecosystem health across the western United States."

Madison Molter, UW Masters Student

2026 Recipient of the Don and Judy Legerski UW Teton Graduate Scholars in Biodiversity Fellowship

Graduate Advisor: Sean Giery

Department of Zoology and Physiology

Background:

This research evaluates whether low-tech wetland restoration structures, specifically beaver dam analogs (BDAs), effectively restore and maintain biodiversity in semi-arid western landscapes. I will compare aquatic and terrestrial wildlife communities at constructed BDAs and natural beaver dam wetlands across multiple Wyoming watersheds. By examining differences in species richness, community composition, and habitat use, this project assesses how wildlife responds to both man-made and natural ecosystem engineering.

Although BDAs are widely promoted as tools for restoring riparian vegetation and habitat, most monitoring has focused on geomorphic and hydrological outcomes rather than biodiversity. Those studies that do primarily emphasize fish and macroinvertebrates, leaving a critical gap in understanding broader wildlife responses, especially those of terrestrial species. This project addresses that gap by conducting a rare, statewide, multi-taxa assessment of wildlife communities at restored and natural wetland systems.

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