KNOWLEDGE BASE

Since beavers defecate directly into the water, their role in spreading parasites is considered important for public health monitoring (and science more generally). Here, parasites were collected and identified from 47 beavers in Hungary. Only three species of parasite were identified, a low diversity compared to other European countries.

This study explored the impact beavers have on biodiversity in Germany. In an enormous effort, the researchers collected over 1,100 species to understand the type of biodiversity which beaver ponds supported in comparison to other stretches of river or forest. Among other results, birds and bats were more abundant in beaver ponds, highlighting their importance in promoting biodiversity. The authors suggested their expansion could aid in ecosystem restoration. Whilst the writing is scientific, the article contains a number of graphics and tables which make the findings easier to understand.

Here, an analysis of Eurasian beavers' teeth is described. Taking samples from Polish beaver teeth stored in a museum, scientists examined which elements were found in the beavers' tooth enamel. They found that fluoride was crucial for making the enamel hard and that many other elements (including iron, magnesium, and cobalt) contribute to their teeth's durability. Clearly, these adaptations are crucial for beavers' wood-munching behaviour. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

In this paper, scientists compared the biodiversity of beaver ponds with other rivers and forests in Germany. The results showed that, on almost every metric analysed, the beaver pond hosted greater biodiversity, including: more species of conservation concern, higher populations of bats and birds, and greater presence of indicator species. These findings underlined the contribution beavers can make to restoring freshwater ecosystems.

When all the prime spots are taken, beavers may end up living in areas with fewer trees like the agricultural landscapes of the Czech Republic. In this study, researchers investigated how Eurasian beavers adapt their feeding strategies in this context. In winter, the beavers still mainly fed on woody plants but used species they would normally avoid. In the summer, herbaceous vegetation - including crops - dominated their diet. Some beavers also left their summer territory to find more trees, which they need to survive the winter.