Assignment Instructions: The topic of your Course Project will be any species of the organism (e.g., a microorganism, plant, fungus, animal, etc.). Choose only one that interests you as this will be the topic used for all Course Project steps and assessments throughout the term.
Keep the following in mind:
The topic of the course project will be any species native to your area. The organism should come from one of the four major kingdoms (Protist, Fungus, Plant, or Animal) and be indigenous to the area in which you reside. The organism should not be a domesticated pet, farm animal, houseplant, human, etc., but rather a wild species native to the local area where you live or one that you find interesting but may not be able to directly observe (e.g., great white shark). You will be researching details of your organism in the wild, not as a plant cultivar or as an animal that may live as a pet or captive zoo inhabitant as these conditions are not wild. If possible, try to select a different species than your classmates. However, it is okay if more than one classmate selects the same organism; I want you to be interested and excited about what you will be researching!
Mini-presentation
The common and scientific name of your organism.
The animal which has been selected here for the presentation is the Beavers. This tiny little animal belongs to the Mammalia class and possesses the characteristic of semi-aquatic animals. They somewhere look similar to the rodent and have the features like a stout body, large head, and chisel-like small teeth. The two common species which can be popularly found are the North American beaver which is scientifically known as the Castor Canadensis and another subtype is the Eurasian beaver which is scientifically known as the C. fiber (Brazier et al. 2021, p.1491).
Where you observed your organism (country, state, park, zoo, etc.)
The two different species of beavers, the American beaver are found in the areas of North America and the Eurasian beaver is found in the areas of Europe and Asia (Larsen, Larsen & Lane, 2021, p.218). I mostly watch them in the wetland areas of my county like rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, etc. I found them very interesting and get surprised also, that how beautifully they made dams in the rivers and the streams. They also unitedly build their homes which are called lodges on artificial ponds. Although they love to spend a good amount of time on the land also.
A brief discussion on why you chose your organism
The reason I choose them, is I always used to see them nearby. Although they do not look very eye-catching their activity always attracts me towards them. Initially, their work looks like a huge mess but they serve good for the other. Being a little animal how they work as a keystone species and serve helpful for our ecosystem, is the main reason behind my selection. They are well popular for building dams with the help of trees, logs, twigs, branches, etc. Not only that, but these dams also have a certain portion of the free boards, as a result of that when the heavy rains hit, and the dams get filled with water, these free boards will gradually release some extra water and serves as a flood controller. They also contribute to the creation of the wetland, which serves as the home for other species. The most interesting thing which I want to mention here is the way of their work. Indeed, we always learn from Mother Nature and this little creature proves it. They always work in a team and coordinate with each other which also makes a valid reason behind their selection.
If possible, a picture and/or video of you safely observing your species in the field. If not possible, search the Internet for an image (and remember to cite your source for the image) in a typical habitat.
Reference slide for all source material and images used within the mini-presentation
Brazier, R. E., Puttock, A., Graham, H. A., Auster, R. E., Davies, K. H., & Brown, C. M. (2021). Beaver: Nature’s ecosystem engineers. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 8(1), e1494.
Larsen, A., Larsen, J. R., & Lane, S. N. (2021). Dam builders and their works: Beaver influences on the structure and function of river corridor hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystems. Earth-Science Reviews, 218, 103623.
visitdevon.co.uk ( 2022) https://www.visitdevon.co.uk/northdevon/news/2021/7/14/exmoor-celebrates-first-baby-beaver-for-400-years-a6840
