Article
Ecology
A. A. D. McLaren, E. J. Newton, A. Silver, M. R. Allan, K. R. Middel, B. A. Pond, B. R. Patterson
Summary: A systematic aerial photographic census was conducted to quantify the annual beaver colony abundance on Michipicoten Island, Ontario. It was found that the beaver colony abundance declined from its peak in 2015 to a much lower level in 2018.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas A. M. Kaphegyi, Victoria A. M. Eckerle, Yvonne Christoffers, Ursula Kaphegyi
Summary: Moors in western European landscapes are important habitats for nature conservation, but many have been degraded. Beavers are seen as a potential factor for rewetting these habitats. Research shows that the development of beaver populations in moor habitats can be closely tracked through analyses of digital orthographical aerial photographs (DOPs).
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Anna Treves, Elena Comino
Summary: This article examines the literature on beaver management through bibliometric analysis to understand previous, current, and future responses. It also quantifies the number of studies considering beavers as a resource and identifies emerging themes in the field. The analysis provides a comprehensive overview of past, present, and future management approaches and responses to beaver management strategies.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ondrej Mikulka, Petr Pyszko, Vlastimil Skotak, Jiri Kamler, Jakub Drimaj, Radim Plhal, Miloslav Homolka
Summary: This study summarizes the foraging behavior of beavers in commercial and natural forests in the Czech Republic. Beavers prefer willow, poplar, and hazel as their food sources, but they also use commercial tree species like oak, causing economic losses in forestry. The preference for different trunk diameters and distances from water varies in different types of forest stands.
Article
Forestry
Rachel M. Durben, Faith M. Walker, Liza Holeski, Arthur R. Keith, Zsuzsi Kovacs, Sarah R. Hurteau, Richard L. Lindroth, Stephen M. Shuster, Thomas G. Whitham
Summary: The North American beaver and cottonwoods play a crucial role in defining riparian communities, with the beavers showing preference for Fremont cottonwood. The interactions between beavers and cottonwoods impact plant chemistry and diverse arthropod communities, leading to higher arthropod diversity in mixed stands compared to stands without beavers.
Article
Ecology
Glynnis A. Hood, Anne C. S. McIntosh, Glen T. Hvenegaard
Summary: The study found that the use of pond leveling devices does not have an impact on the biodiversity of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities, and may even affect certain functional feeding groups.
Article
Forestry
Ondrej Mikulka, Zdenek Adamec, Jiri Kamler, Miloslav Homolka, Jakub Drimaj, Radim Plhal, Pyszko Petr
Summary: This study investigates factors influencing tree species selection by Eurasian beavers in forests, aiming to provide practical proposals for protecting commercial tree species while maintaining high beaver populations. The study finds that beavers prefer deciduous softwoods over commercial species as food. Planting dense softwood stands at a certain distance can reduce damage to commercial tree species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Development Studies
Roger Edward Auster, Stewart Barr, Richard Brazier
Summary: The reintroduction of Eurasian beavers in England has potential benefits for flood alleviation and biodiversity, but faces opposition. One area of controversy is the impact on fish and fishing. By using Q-Methodology, researchers found three nuanced and contrasting perspectives among the angling community in the reintroduction areas. To address potential conflicts, management themes should include open dialogue across sectors, research into beaver-fish relationships, and empowerment for individuals to respond to negative impacts.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Anna Treves, Andrea Terenziani, Christof Angst, Elena Comino
Summary: This paper proposes the use of Ecological Niche Models to explore the potential for reintroducing Eurasian beavers in Italy. The results show potential habitats along main watercourses in foothill and plain zones. The study suggests that this model can be a useful tool in selecting appropriate reintroduction sites.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Bartosz P. Grudzinski, Ken Fritz, Heather E. Golden, Tammy A. Newcomer-Johnson, Jason A. Rech, Jonathan Levy, Justin Fain, Jessica L. McCarty, Brent Johnson, Teng Keng Vang, Karsten Maurer
Summary: Beavers are reclaiming their old habitats, expanding into new territories, and being protected for stream conservation in various environments. The effects of beaver dams on streams are complex and vary among different biomes. Most studies have been conducted in temperate forests, leaving many biomes understudied. Beaver dams prefer sites with low slopes, unconfined reaches, and small drainage areas. The impact of beaver dams on stream morphology and hydrology is relatively consistent across biomes, while water quality and biotic responses vary. Further research is needed in arid and cold biomes historically occupied by beavers and in new biomes where beaver populations are growing.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
E. Doden, P. Budy, M. Conner, J. K. Young
Summary: Wildlife translocation is important for conservation efforts, and specifically, beaver translocation can help reduce human-wildlife conflict and restore degraded ecosystems. However, there is a lack of monitoring and evaluation of beaver translocations, especially in desert streams. In this study, we translocated American beavers to two desert rivers in Utah, USA, and compared their site fidelity, survival, and dam-building behavior to resident beavers. The results showed that translocated beavers had lower survival rates and higher emigration rates, indicating the challenges of translocating beavers. Nevertheless, translocation may contribute to additional beaver dams in the restoration sites.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Frank Rosell, Adam Naylor, Georgina Cole, Stephanie Mota, Donna Brown, Mary Fraser, Romain Pizzi, Mark Elliott, Kelsey Wilson, Martin Gaywood, Simon Girling
Summary: The study found that all beavers in the three populations tested were in good physical condition, showed low levels of disease or parasite exposure, and did not carry any non-native diseases or parasites of concern. This suggests that beavers are successfully adapting to British landscapes and are not significant reservoirs of zoonotic diseases.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christian Andre Robstad, Hanna Kavli Lodberg-Holm, Martin Mayer, Frank Rosell
Summary: The study found that tagging Eurasian beavers can lead to a reduction in daily body weight but the specific mechanisms behind this effect are unclear. Tag weight, number of tagging days, and season did not have a significant impact on the body weight change of tagged animals. The detrimental effects of tagging have implications for animal welfare and data bias, emphasizing the importance of careful consideration in tag use.
Review
Ecology
Duncan J. Halley, Alexander P. Saveljev, Frank Rosell
Summary: The Eurasian beaver population, which was once drastically reduced due to overhunting, has seen a significant recovery over the past century with reintroductions and natural spread. The species has more than tripled its population since the late 20th century, now reaching an estimated 1.5 million. Beavers have been successfully reintroduced in most European countries and are now expanding their range rapidly, playing a crucial role as ecosystem engineers.
Article
Ecology
Valerio Orazi, Jonas Hagge, Martin M. Gossner, Joerg Mueller, Marco Heurich
Summary: Beavers, as ecological engineers, increase habitat heterogeneity in mountain forests and promote biodiversity conservation and restoration.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
