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Ecological Impact of Beaver Dams (2D)

A weir-flow and flood-storage model: raise the dam and watch pond level, downstream flow, wetland extent and species richness respond through real hydrology and species-area formulas — not decoration.

Ecology & Conservation Biology2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

This 2D companion replaces the 3D original's decorative flythrough with an actual model: dam height sets a broad-crested weir threshold, and river inflow is balanced against spillway outflow (Q = C_w·L·H^1.5) each frame to raise or lower the pond. Pond depth drives a floodplain-spread wetland-area estimate and a Michaelis-Menten species-richness curve, while the gap between inflow and outflow accumulates as retained sediment — four linked, formula-driven quantities you can watch respond as you drag the sliders.

⚙ Under the hood

Weir-equation pond fill/spill dynamics, a floodplain-slope-scaled wetland area estimate, a species-area saturation curve for richness, and a sediment-retention accumulator driven by the inflow/outflow gap.

beaver damweir equationwetland hydrologyspecies-area curveflood attenuationsediment retention

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install

Why does this differ from the 3D version?

The 3D original is a decorative orbit-camera river flythrough with no adjustable parameters or ecological metrics — despite its title, it never modeled dam impact. This 2D build substitutes a real weir-flow and species-area model so the sliders actually change measurable outcomes.

What formula governs the spillway flow?

The broad-crested weir equation, Q = C_w·L·H^1.5, where H is the head of water above the dam crest — the same relation used in real hydrology to size spillways.

How is species richness calculated?

A Michaelis-Menten-style saturating curve over wetland area, reflecting the diminishing-returns species-area relationship seen in real habitat studies.