KNOWLEDGE BASE

Preliminary data from small rivers in a Russian nature reserve showed that Eurasian beaver activity had boosted biodiversity. The scientists meaured zooplankton, amphibians, and fish to determine this - beaver-made ponds increased the abundance of all three. However, the impacts on each group varied after the ponds aged, became abandoned, and eventually drained. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

This study compared the fatty acid composition of muscle tissues in pregnant beavers and their foetuses. Foetuses had higher levels of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids but lower polyunsaturated fatty acids. The text discusses what role these different chemicals may have during the baby beavers' development.

This text presented the results of a beaver monitoring process in the Penza region of Russia. Beaver numbers decreased from 42 to 30 due to limited food resources, but still had been busy - building 7-8 dams per km of river across the study area. The text discussed this population's activity and prospects in detail.

Ecosystem engineers, like beavers, shape the habitats around them but this study shows that they contribute to biodiversity in more ways than just the type of habitat they create. By comparing active beaver ponds with other wetlands in Sweden, researchers found that beaver ponds supported more plants and more beetles. The plants were from more diverse species, too. As the researchers say: "while anyone can make a pond there is only one way to make a beaver pond."

Rewilding aims to restore ecosystems and biodiversity while reconnecting people with nature. This paper proposes a new method for measuring the success of rewilding projects. They apply the method to three projects, including one in the Netherlands where beavers were reintroduced. According to this method, that specific project had been moving in the right direction!