KNOWLEDGE BASE

Researchers build three quantitative models to help understand how populations of ecosystem engineers - in this case beavers - lead to changes in ecosystem structure over time. They explore how factors including proportion of abandoned sites, resource consumption, and immigration affect an ecosystem in the Adirondack mountains (USA).

This text reviews the feasibility of reintroducing large carnivores like wolves, bears, and lynx in the UK. It sets out some crurrent challenges but also highlights how these re-introductions could be beneficial for the UK mammals. The case of the beaver is explored to understand some of the political dynamics around species re-introductions, including the distribution of public opinion. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

Tularaemia is a disease found across Europe; outbreaks occur around once a decade in Finland and Sweden. Here, researchers reviewed the literature on this disease and the bacteria that causes it. They highlighted how the place the bacteria lives between outbreaks is as yet unknown, but may be linked to natural water sources. Beavers have been shown to have high levels of antibodies for the bacteria. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

This article reports on the death of a 5-month-old orphan beaver whilst in a rehabilitation centre. The beaver died of a disease called systemic toxoplasmosis which hadn't been reported in beavers before. The authors present technical information on how this disease affected the beaver and suggest that this disease should be considered as a risk when rehabilitating young beavers. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

Researchers implanted radio transmitters in 22 adult Eurasian beavers. They tested two different anesthesia combinations. One group experienced muscle issues and sensitivity to sound while under anaesthetic. The other group, with an added drug, had better muscle relaxation and didn't react to sound. One beaver died after surgery, but all others continued to live in their original territory unaffected by the surgery.