KNOWLEDGE BASE

The return of beavers to a National Park in the USA has led to an 89% increase in wetland habitats between 1944 and 1997. Beavers had converted forested areas to open water and wetlands, benefiting pond-breeding amphibians by providing more breeding sites. Beavers initially favoured larger, lower sites, but later on, beaver sites were smaller and higher up the river. Many were abandoned, creating a diverse habitat mosaic. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

Mammals use scent to mark their territory but this can attract predators. In this experiment, scientists looked at how beavers reacted to intruders, by planting scents of predator and non-predator animals. They found that both predator and non-predator scents reduced beavers' scent-marking activity but the predator scent had a stronger effect. This suggests beavers living in territories with predators may be more vulnerable as there is a trade-off between avoiding predators and defending territory.

This book explores the history of Eurasian beavers in Britain, from the last ice age until their historic extinction. It combines ecology, archaeology, and history, discussing the beaver's habitats, ecological impact, and interactions with humans. The book looks at archaeological evidence and historical records and argues that humans at one point relied a lot on, and learned a lot from, beaver activity! Please note, this resource is not open-access.

This article presents a study of fish communities in Canada. Different variables are tested to see how they influence the presence of different fish species. Beaver dams are shown to be very influential. Walleye and lake whitefish are linked with the absence of beaver dams, while northern pike are associated with their presence. Altitude, longitude, and predation, also play important roles.

Fossil remains of beavers were found in lignite sediments in Italy, dating back around 3 million years. Based on analyses of the beavers' teeth, researchers had been debating what species of beaver these remains belonged to. This study compared these fossils with others and also modern Eurasian beaver populations. The results suggested that the fossils belonged to a different subspecies to modern Eurasian beaver populations. Please note, this resource is not open-access.