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![Minimum total Eurasian beaver Castor fiber population estimates 1998-2020. The sources are indicated. [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]](profile/Alexander-Saveljev/publication/343862451/figure/fig5/AS:1006323328110601@1616937586736/Minimum-total-Eurasian-beaver-Castor-fiber-population-estimates-1998-2020-The-sources.png)
Minimum total Eurasian beaver Castor fiber population estimates 1998-2020. The sources are indicated. [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
Source publication
1. A century ago, overhunting had reduced Eurasian beaver Castor fiber populations to c. 1200 animals in scattered refugia from France to Mongolia. Reintroductions and natural spread have since restored the species to large areas of its original range. Population has more than tripled since the first modern estimate in 1998; the minimum estimate is...
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Citations
... Reintroductions of beavers were partly to maintain the beaver population, but also to exploit the ecosystem engineering activities of beavers and thus to rewild landscapes and to bring back natural ecological processes (Law et al., 2017;Marr et al., 2018;Halley et al., 2021). The beaver has proven particularly successful in repopulating new territories following reintroductions (Halley et al., 2021, Bouros et al., 2022. ...
... Reintroductions of beavers were partly to maintain the beaver population, but also to exploit the ecosystem engineering activities of beavers and thus to rewild landscapes and to bring back natural ecological processes (Law et al., 2017;Marr et al., 2018;Halley et al., 2021). The beaver has proven particularly successful in repopulating new territories following reintroductions (Halley et al., 2021, Bouros et al., 2022. In Europe, reintroduction programs have restored the beaver population from only 1200 individuals in the early 20th century to more than 1.2 million individuals in 2020 (Wróbel, 2020;Halley et al., 2021). ...
... The beaver has proven particularly successful in repopulating new territories following reintroductions (Halley et al., 2021, Bouros et al., 2022. In Europe, reintroduction programs have restored the beaver population from only 1200 individuals in the early 20th century to more than 1.2 million individuals in 2020 (Wróbel, 2020;Halley et al., 2021). There are several good examples of the natural expansion of beaver populations after releases (Bouros et al., 2022; but see also Ceña et al., 2004). ...
Ecosystem engineering species, such as beavers, may help the restoration of biodiversity. Through the building of dams and lodges and altering the natural hydrology, beavers change the habitat structure and create multiple habitats that facilitate a wide variety of other organisms including terrestrial invertebrate communities. Here we study the effect of beaver reintroduction in Klosterheden in Denmark on biomass of flying invertebrates and diversity of moths. Further, aerial photos were used to assess riparian structure and productivity using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Our findings show that the presence of beavers affected flying invertebrate biomass, but that this was dependent on time of the year. Further, a strong effect of presence of beavers was found on diversity of moths. The results also show an increase in vegetation productivity and structural heterogeneity at sites with presence of beavers. Overall, our results demonstrate the importance of beavers as important ecosystem engineers that affect invertebrate species composition and abundance, as well as riparian structure and productivity.
... This species was widely distributed in Palearctic, but populations started declining during the Middle Ages, up to the 19th century, mainly due to hunting for fur, meat and castoreum (a secretion produced for scent marking and historically used by humans for medical purposes) (Halley and Rosell 2002;Halley et al. 2021). Some estimates account for only 1200 individuals surviving, divided into eight isolated populations in the Palearctic, of which five of them in its Westernmost part (Nolet and Rosell 1998;Halley et al. 2021). ...
... This species was widely distributed in Palearctic, but populations started declining during the Middle Ages, up to the 19th century, mainly due to hunting for fur, meat and castoreum (a secretion produced for scent marking and historically used by humans for medical purposes) (Halley and Rosell 2002;Halley et al. 2021). Some estimates account for only 1200 individuals surviving, divided into eight isolated populations in the Palearctic, of which five of them in its Westernmost part (Nolet and Rosell 1998;Halley et al. 2021). In recent times, legal protection and reintroductions (started since 1922), together with natural recolonization, allowing the species to recover (Halley and Rosell 2002;Halley et al. 2021). ...
... Some estimates account for only 1200 individuals surviving, divided into eight isolated populations in the Palearctic, of which five of them in its Westernmost part (Nolet and Rosell 1998;Halley et al. 2021). In recent times, legal protection and reintroductions (started since 1922), together with natural recolonization, allowing the species to recover (Halley and Rosell 2002;Halley et al. 2021). ...
The Eurasian beaver is a keystone species and landscape-capable ecosystem engineer, which went close to extinction until the 19th century. Recently, thanks to legal protection and reintroduction programs, the species has recolonized much of its past range. However, in some countries this process did not occur. Objectives. Our objective is to model the potential distribution of the Eurasian beaver for current and future conditions, on a continental scale, at river and sub-basin level. We focus on the protected areas of Italy and Portugal for possible reintroductions. Methods. The study area is Europe, with a subset focusing on Italy and Portugal. We produce species distribution models for current and future conditions using climate change scenarios and predicting changes in river flow, including topographic and human disturbance variables. We then deepen suitability-related issues within Italian and Portuguese protected areas. Results. We find that the Eurasian beaver current suitability is comparable to its known distribution, although some potentially-suitable spots occur in Italy (where there are two occurrences), while the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkan countries host scattered suitable spots. Future scenarios predict a general lowering of suitability in Central and Northern Europe. Portuguese protected areas generally host unsuitable territories, while the Italian ones have reported a tangled scenario, depending on the biogeographical sector. Conclusions. Our results may support the large-scale management of the beaver, both for countries already hosting this species and those planning a reintroduction. The framework used may be applied to other species, and for different topics, from biogeography to conservation.
... It became extinct in the Iberian Peninsula around the XVIIth century [1,22]. Recently, it was returned to Spain through an unofficial release in the Ebro River basin in 2003 [38], and it is now considered a protected species in the country [11]. ...
... No habitat suitability studies have been undertaken for the beaver in Portugal or Spain. Yet based on known past presence, habitat requirements [33], populations in similar climates [38] and foraged tree species [17], it is likely that suitable habitats exist [74], with the northern wetter areas potentially preferable to southern drier ones. ...
... In recent years, the population of the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber has increased significantly in both numbers and distribution; at present there are one and a half million beavers recolonizing the species' historical range throughout the northern hemisphere (Halley et al., 2021). Beavers are ecological engineers, substantially modifying the existing environment by altering its biotic and abiotic components (Jones et al., 2010). ...
... The beaver population of Poland, at present increasing in number and range, is estimated at 120 000 individuals, and is common throughout the country (Halley et al., 2021). The current situation is the upshot of a reintroduction programme conducted since 1975, when beavers were still rare in the country (Żurowski and Kasperczyk, 1988). ...
The engineering activities of the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber have far-reaching effects on the components of an environment and therefore modify the functioning of the ecosystem. The wetlands thereby created are the most conspicuous effect of beaver activity and attract water-related species. However, there is some evidence suggesting that beavers influence not only aquatic ecosystems but also the terrestrial habitats adjacent to these wetlands and the organisms occurring there. Because the impact of beavers on terrestrial birds is still poorly understood, this study evaluates the assemblage of birds wintering on beaver sites (N = 65) and paired reference sites (N = 65) in temperate forests of central Europe. We investigated the correlations between beaver presence, parameters of wetland areas, terrestrial vegetation characteristics, distance from the water's edge and bird species richness and abundance. We found a greater species richness and abundance of wintering birds on beaver sites than on watercourses unmodified by this ecosystem engineer (by 38% and 61%, respectively). Species richness and abundance were higher in the terrestrial habitats near the edges of beaver ponds, but for some species this tendency also held in forests growing at some distance from beaver wetlands. Greater species richness was related to beaver presence, but also increased with a more open canopy and greater forest floor diversity, whereas bird abundance was correlated only with canopy openness. The beaver sites attracted primary cavity nesters, secondary cavity nesters and frugivorous species. This study provides evidence that the engineering activities of beavers during the growing season have a delayed cascading effect on the richness and abundance of the bird assemblage in terrestrial habitats in winter. This indicates that beaver ecosystem engineering should be seen as having a potential for carry-over effects, in which the consequences of beaver activity become apparent in subsequent seasons. Birds are considered to be ecological indicators, so our results highlight the importance of beavers for the distribution of terrestrial organisms at the local scale, and therefore the functioning of ecosystems beyond the immediate wetland area.
... Der Biber ist ein Beispiel für erfolgreiche Naturschutzbemühungen, bei denen es aber auch zu Konflikten kommt. Gezielte Umsiedlungen und andere Schutzmaßnahmen haben insbesondere in Süd-und Ostdeutschland zu stabilen BiberpopulaƟonen geführt (Halley et al. 2021). ...
Zusammenfassung
Die menschliche Perspektive in Mensch-Wildtier-Konflikten zu verstehen, ist wichtig für ein ganzheitliches Naturschutzmanagement, da solche Konflikte oft über die direkten Mensch-Tier-Begegnungen und deren negative Folgen hinausgehen. Stattdessen handelt es sich zumeist um Konflikte zwischen Menschen bzw. Interessengruppen („Stakeholder“), die verschiedene Ansichten zu Wildtieren und deren Management vertreten. Als „Human Dimensions of Wildlife“ (HDW) werden die menschlichen oder gesellschaftlichen Aspekte in Bezug auf Natur und Wildtiere bezeichnet. Als eine Teildisziplin der Naturschutzsozialwissenschaften („Conservation Social Sciences“) stellen sie einen inter- und transdisziplinären Ansatz dar, der vielfältige Sichtweisen zur Lösung komplexer Sachverhalte in das Naturschutzmanagement einbezieht. In diesem Kapitel stellen wir gängige HDW-Konzepte vor, illustrieren auf der Grundlage einschlägiger Literatur deren analytisches Potenzial und veranschaulichen praktische Anwendungen in Fallbeispielen zu Wölfen, Wildschweinen, Bibern und Fledermäusen.
Abstract
Understanding people in the context of human-wildlife conflict is important for integrated conservation management, as these conflicts often go beyond people and their direct encounters with or negative impacts from wildlife. They often include social conflicts among people or groups of people (i.e. stakeholders) that have different views about wildlife and how it should be managed. “Human Dimensions of Wildlife” (HDW) is a sub-discipline of “Conservation Social Sciences”, an inter- and transdisciplinary approach including multiple perspectives to solve complex conservation and management matters. Here, we provide an overview of frequently used HDW concepts and illustrate their predictive potential with evidence from the literature, while their practical application is demonstrated with examples and case studies on wolves, boars, beavers and bats.
... In the eighteenth century, it had been exterminated mainly not only due to the damage it caused but also due to the harvesting of castoreum, meat, and fur. The recent return of the beaver began in the 1980s when the first beavers recolonized the Czech Republic along the Morava River from Austria, where the beaver was reintroduced (Halley et al. 2021;Šafář 2002). Over time, beavers also moved into the Czech Republic along the Elbe from Germany and were reintroduced to other places in the Czech Republic during the 1990s (Kostkan and Lehký 1997). ...
Over the last few decades, the beaver has settled most of the European continent including the Czech Republic. Until recently, it was a species typically found in lowland floodplain forests. However, as the population grew, it began to spread into the agricultural landscape, where it has less favorable living conditions. In the Czech Republic, beavers were known to concentrate especially in large forest complexes; little information is so far available about their settlement of the agricultural landscape. At the same time, beaver management in the Czech Republic is applied according to zones with different levels of protection for this species; therefore, the assessment of beaver populations in different environmental conditions is essential. The article focuses on beaver population density, home range length, distribution, and dispersion in the four main types of environments, as well as on differences in food selection. Beaver population density is the highest in forest localities with small streams; the beaver finds the most suitable living conditions there. On average, the agricultural landscape is less populated. While population density in large rivers in the agricultural landscape is comparable to that in large rivers in the forest due to environmental conditions that can be similar, small streams in the agricultural landscape are inhabited 3.3 times less than small streams in forests because they are generally unsuitable environments with limited resources. The lengths of home ranges depend on the environment, the density of beavers, and especially on the availability of food resources. Likewise, the distances that beavers search for food differ, thus affecting their spatial activity.
... Wildlife translocations are valuable conservation tools for recovering imperiled species, reducing human-wildlife conflict, and restoring degraded ecosystems (Germano et al., 2015;Mengak, 2018;Novak, Phelan, & Weber, 2021). American and Eurasian beavers (Castor canadensis and C. fiber) have been translocated for over 70 years after extensive extirpation from much of their historical ranges during the fur trade of the 1700s-1800s (Baker & Hill, 2003;Halley, Saveljev, & Rosell, 2021). Translocations of American beavers (hereafter, beavers) in the United States often focus on removing nuisance individuals from conflict situations where they would otherwise be lethally removed and using them instead as ecosystem engineers for riparian restoration; they may increase the large woody debris contribution and the number of dams in the system to initiate process-based restoration and improve degraded systems (Naiman, Johnston, & Kelley, 1988;Pollock et al., 2014;Pilliod et al., 2018). ...
... Previous beaver studies have tied success to the translocation of entire colonies or opposite-sex pairs, often requiring multiple release efforts Petro et al., 2015;Brick & Woodruff, 2019). Persistent release efforts have also contributed to the successful translocation establishment of Eurasian beaver (Dewas et al., 2012;Halley et al., 2021). ...
Wildlife translocation facilitates conservation efforts, including recovering imperiled species, reducing human–wildlife conflict, and restoring degraded ecosystems. Beaver (American, Castor canadensis; Eurasian, C. fiber) translocation may mitigate human–wildlife conflict and facilitate ecosystem restoration. However, few projects measure outcomes of translocations by monitoring beaver postrelease, and translocation to desert streams is relatively rare. We captured, tagged, and monitored 47 American beavers (hereafter, beavers) which we then translocated to two desert rivers in Utah, USA, to assist in passive river restoration. We compared translocated beaver site fidelity, survival, and dam‐building behavior to 24 resident beavers. We observed high apparent survival (i.e., survived and stayed in the study site) for eight weeks postrelease of resident adult beavers (0.88 ± 0.08; standard error) and lower but similar apparent survival rates between resident subadult (0.15 ± 0.15), translocated adult (0.26 ± 0.12), and translocated subadult beavers (0.09 ± 0.08). Neither the pre‐ nor the post‐translocation count of river reaches with beaver dams were predicted well by the Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool, which estimates maximum beaver dam capacity by river reach, suggesting beaver‐related restoration is not maximized in these rivers. Translocated beavers exhibited similar characteristics as resident subadult beavers during dispersal; they were more vulnerable to predation and many emigrated from the study sites. High mortality and low site fidelity should be anticipated when translocating beavers, but even so, translocation may have contributed to additional beaver dams in the restoration sites, which is the common goal of beaver‐assisted river restoration. Multiple releases at targeted restoration sites may eventually result in establishment and meet conservation objectives for desert rivers. A translocated American beaver was released into the Price River, Utah, after it was fitted with a VHF tag on its tail.
... As a result of successful reintroduction, the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758) has now recovered within its native range (Halley et al. 2021). Beavers need a sufficient water level to protect the access to their dwellings, so they build dams on watercourses, resulting in new water bodies -beaver ponds. ...
Abstract. The factors infuencing molluscs distribution in a small steppe stream were investigated to assess the impact of beavers on their diversity and abundance. Twenty stations—in unafected streams, beaver ponds at diferent stages of development, and anthropogenic ponds—were sampled in May 2019 and June 2021. In each pond, a nearshore area of 1 m2 was completely surveyed using a dip net. Twenty-one mollusc species were found. Old and drained beaver ponds were characterized by signifcantly higher species richness. The damming of the river, by both humans and beavers, initially resulted in decreased
species diversity, then followed by increased species richness due to increased habitat heterogeneity across the valley. Maximum gamma biodiversity was observed when the river habitats included all types of beaver ponds. When ponds were abandoned, a short-term increase in mollusc biodiversity and abundance was observed. Afterward, channel processes returned the habitats to a lotic state, habitat heterogeneity began to decrease, and mollusc community evenness dropped dramatically. To conserve the mollusc biodiversity of the stream valley, it is necessary for beavers to permanently renew some ponds.
... Aside from a few small reservoir populations, the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758) was finally exterminated across much of their range in Europe in the 18th to 19th centuries [1]. Since then, its protected status has allowed it to spread (or be introduced) to all European countries [2,3]. The return of the beaver in the Czech Republic dates back to approximately 1990, since then the species has spread over a substantial area (ca. ...
Native ecosystems have been transformed by humans into cultural landscapes, resulting in the disruption of natural interactions, with some species unable to adapt and disappearing from such landscapes. Other species were able to adapt their behavior to current environmental conditions. In some places, forest management has gradually transformed native diversified forests into stands converted for the greatest profit in the wood matter, thereby affecting the food availability for herbivores, among them the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758). This study summarizes knowledge on non-vegetation diet selection by beavers in commercial and natural forests in the Czech Republic. A sample size of 25,723 woody plant specimens checked in 288 forest stands showed that beavers prefer willow, poplar, or hazel, but where these are less available, commercial tree species such as oak may dominate the diet and cause economic losses in forestry. Significant differences were also observed in a preference for different trunk diameters and distances from water in different types of stands. In terms of stand types, commercial monocultures are the most felled, while the probability of felling decreases with the age of stands. Based on these results and discussion, it is suggested that commercial forest stands including economically valuable woody plant species (e.g., oak, ash) could be protected through appropriate management measures, such as increasing the proportion of deciduous softwood stands along the riverbanks, which would distract the beavers from commercial woody plant species.
... Following large-scale extermination up until the 20th century, the Eurasian beaver, together with their close relative, the North American beaver (C. canadensis), have been reintroduced and are recovering throughout both continents (Gibson and Olden, 2014;Halley et al., 2021). Partly due to increased recognition of their role as ecosystem engineers by constructing dams and wetlands and thus increasing biodiversity, beavers are reintroduced throughout large parts of their historical range (Wright et al., 2002;Halley et al., 2021). ...
... canadensis), have been reintroduced and are recovering throughout both continents (Gibson and Olden, 2014;Halley et al., 2021). Partly due to increased recognition of their role as ecosystem engineers by constructing dams and wetlands and thus increasing biodiversity, beavers are reintroduced throughout large parts of their historical range (Wright et al., 2002;Halley et al., 2021). They are opportunistic foragers, and as typical generalists, they forage on a variety of plants to obtain different nutrients (Nolet et al., 1994;Vorel et al., 2015). ...
The surface of the Earth is increasingly dominated by human-modified ecosystems, and many wildlife species are adapting to live within agricultural landscapes. Crops offer a predictable and nutritious food source that may become an integral part of the diet of some wildlife species. Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) are closely associated with forests and wetlands, but recolonizing their previous range following centuries of persecution, they settle into a highly anthropogenic landscape. We investigated spatial patterns of beaver foraging on cereals in southeastern-Norway, 2019 and 2020, as well as beaver movements in crop fields using GPS tags, 2010–2021. Beavers foraged mostly on wheat (Triticum aestivum), followed by oats (Avena sativa), barley (Hordeum sativum), and rye (Secale cereale). The probability that a beaver would forage on cereals decreased with the width of the forested buffer zone, and with increasing elevational gain from water. The extent of foraging increased while cereal plants ripened in early fall, and beavers removed larger areas when foraging further away from water. The extent of foraging varied among beaver territories, but we could not identify the cause of these differences. However, we found that beavers that moved extensively in crop fields also displayed an improved body condition. During late summer to early fall, cereals might provide a supplementary food source for this generalist and opportunistic species. As wildlife populations settle into agricultural land, crops might become a vital part of their diet, which requires research attention to reduce conflicts and improve our understanding of wildlife foraging ecology within anthropogenic landscapes.
