Science database
KNOWLEDGE BASE
We have gathered decades of scientific research from Great Britain, continental Europe and North America to share with people interested in diving deeper into the world of beavers.
This list of resources is being constantly amended and updated.
Showing 551 articles
The Scottish Beaver Trial: Monitoring and further baseline survey of the aquatic and semi-aquatic macrophytes of the lochs 2009
Published by: Scottish Natural Heritage
1st January 2011
This report was written as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial in Knapdale. It generated baseline data by surveying three ponds in which beavers had not yet settled, recording which species of aquatic plants were present. Elsewhere in the trial site, beaver dam construction had influenced on the types of plants growing by raising water levels.
First set of microsatellite markers for genetic characterization of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) based on tissue and hair samples
Published by: European Journal of Wildlife Research
29th December 2010
This study identified new genetic markers for the Eurasian beaver which can help scientists to identify which subspecies the beaver is from. This information can be used to understand how beavers have dispersed over time. These markers can be identified from DNA samples in the beavers' hair, which can be taken from the beaver without hurting them. The author recommends this as a tool in conservation going forward.
The River Discontinuum: Applying Beaver Modifications to Baseline Conditions for Restoration of Forested Headwaters
Published by: BioScience
1st December 2010
Billions of dollars are spent on river restoration in the USA. Often this is without a clear reference condition; instead, practitioners may aim for a free-flowing, continuous watercourse. However, North American beavers, as a natural part of rivers' ecological processes, build dams which create discontinuities in river systems - the exact opposite. This article explores the ecological benefit of such discontinuities and proposes that river restoration efforts should use human engineering only when it is not possible to reintroduce beavers.
The importance of aquatic vegetation in beaver diets and the seasonal and habitat specificity of aquatic‐terrestrial ecosystem linkages in a subarctic environment
Published by: Oikos
18th November 2010
In this text, scientists sought to understand how much North American beavers in subarctic regions rely on aquatic plants for food. They found that beavers consumed 60-80% aquatic vegetation. Comparing pond- to stream-dwelling beavers, they found that pond-dwelling beavers rely on aquatic plants more in winter, whereas stream-dwelling beavers rely more on shrubs growing on land. This is influenced by the fact that ponds freeze over during the winter in this region. Please note, this resource is not open-access.
Re-Evaluation of Sinocastor (Rodentia: Castoridae) with Implications on the Origin of Modern Beaver
Published by: PLoS One
15th November 2010
The study analyses the skull shape of an ancient beaver ancestor found in China. The scientists describe very different features to modern day species. As a result, they enters into a debate amongst historians around the classification of species, confirming that a genus called Sinocastor was different from that of modern beavers. They suggest that today's species of beaver may have evolved from animals from Asia.
