KNOWLEDGE BASE

Researchers in the USA examined how weekend human activity affects wildlife. Over 6 months, they observed four different species. Whilst animals which are active in the day (diurnal) are often affected by increased human presence on weekends, nocturnal species like beavers and mountain lions did not respond to human activity. However, raccoons (nocturnal) and mule deer (active at dawn and dusk) adjusted their behaviour near campgrounds during the weekend. This suggests that the 'weekend effect' primarily affects diurnal animals. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

This book chapter discusses the role that beavers play in healthy river ecosystems in the USA. Beavers support diverse predator communities and regulate plant growth. Ecology aside, the text also briefly describes the reasons why beavers were over-hunted in the USA: their fur was an important export to Europe in the 1800s. The chapter mentions the damage that livestock can do to riverside ecosystems and discusses restoration strategies.

This study analysed almost 100 real-world beaver restoration projects in the western USA. It found most projects did not consider beaver genetics, disease, or human conflict; most did not undertake any post-release monitoring. Overall, the research on best practice for such projects is not being matched by projects in practice: the authors suggested that additional guidelines should be written up to help improve the situation.

This article reviewed and compared the variety of computer models used to predict where beavers will settle down and make their home in North American river systems. These models are useful, amongst other things, for preventing damage to human infrastructure. The models varied quite a lot, but some factors were consistently applied: stream steepness and forest cover were important influences in beavers' decisions.

This research focussed on the mating decisions of Eurasian beavers and the life of beaver couples. In general, beavers preferred partners of similar age and were mostly monogamous. However, some older females mate with younger 'boy-toy' males who are not in the established pair. The research explores why this might be, and how age also affects territories. Please note, this resource is not open-access.