KNOWLEDGE BASE

This commissioned report is a case study of how BMGs are forming around the unofficial beaver populations. The report draws upon findings from a previous study that captured the experiences of stakeholders involved in governing the River Otter Beaver Trial and explores the applicability of those findings to the River Tamar.
Rather than being a fixed governance structure therefore, Beaver Management Groups themselves are a process, that seeks to facilitate renewed coexistence between humans and beavers in catchment settings.

A strategy to steer wider efforts to identify and actively expand the population to new catchments, alongside appropriate management and mitigation, following the Scottish Government’s change in policy in November 2021 to encourage wider beaver restoration.
It sets out plans to empower and support communities to maximise the benefits of beavers, while minimising negative impacts through effective management and mitigation.
The strategy highlights the need for ongoing research and monitoring of the beaver population and its effects.

The plan should be considered as a ‘working document,’ with actions and timelines being updated as new information is received, and existing actions being completed.
The plan should be viewed in conjunction with Scotland’s Beaver Strategy 2022-2045 and has been organised around the three strategic work themes of the strategy, namely: Conservation Translocation; Management and Mitigation; and Research and Innovation.

In England, researchers predicted how the small (current) population of beavers may grow across a specific catchment over the next 40 years or so. The simulation model was based on six years of observations and geographical information about the area. This model is reproducible and provided important insights into how the population may evolve, with and without certain management interventions. Without management, territories were predicted to increase tenfold over the next 10 to 40 years.

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.