KNOWLEDGE BASE

Researchers monitored 47 female wood ducks to understand their habitat use during the period of egg production. Habitat preferences varied between different ducks. Older ducks - and ducks making their nest early - tended to prefer beaver ponds as a habitat more than younger ducks and those who made their nests late. Overall, ducks adapted to different wetlands for breeding, and the authors suggest that habitat diversity is vital for their reproduction. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

Researchers studied how beavers affect vegetation, small mammals, and amphibians. They compared stretches of 5 streams in Oregon, USA - some occupied by beavers and some unoccupied. They found that beaver-influenced areas of the streams had more diverse plant life and had a higher presence of certain mammalian species. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

This study describes the Eurasian beaver's return to Luxembourg. Researchers describe beaver activity along a river between 2000 and 2002, demonstrating a preference for cutting willow trees, especially those which are small and close to the water. This matches findings in other places and shows the importance of riverside plants for beaver conservation.

This study preceded the trial reintroduction of beavers to Scotland. Predictions of their impact had been made based on data from other European countries. This study aimed to improve those predictions by examining beavers in captivity in Eastern Scotland. The first year of monitoring showed that willow trees were most favored for felling, with alder and birch also affected. The study also presents data on beavers' preferences for tree size and location, as well as the rate at which they felled trees.

In this study, scientists researched the behaviour and habitat of a fish species called the Salish Sucker in British Colombia, Canada. One of their findings was that this species rarely crossed beaver dams.