According to some scientists, forest fires and droughts are expected to have a significant enemy: the beaver. According to experts, this iconic Canadian animal could play an essential role in the fight against climate change.

They are very talented environmental engineers. Beavers have this unique ability to change any landscape to suit their needs,” says Emily Fairfax, an environmental science professor and resource management assistant at California Channel Islands State University.

The American is the author of the research published in April in the scientific journal WIREs Water, which explains that beavers have a crucial role in combating climate change in North America.

Beavers build dams that slow down the water; they dig channels that spread the water [away from its source] and give the land enough time to absorb it like a giant sponge,” says Fairfax.

According to the researcher, this massive job by the beaver means that ecosystems are better protected. The changes the beaver makes to its territory lead to a [natural] system that is more resilient to disturbances when there are droughts or forest fires.