KNOWLEDGE BASE

North American beavers have severely impacted Patagonian ecosystems since their arrival in 1946. Eradicating them is now a priority, but predicting where they'll be is challenging. For recently-colonised sites, the 'bendiness' of the river is a good predictor of beavers' presence. This enables the use of satellite imagery for predicting the presence of beavers, which is useful for the remote areas of Patagonia.

This article reviewed the history of contributions made by Russia's Voronezhsky Nature Reserve to beaver research, conservation, and management. Summarising activities from the 1930s to the 1980s, the Reserve's contributions included beaver protection programmes, breeding and reintroduction programmes, public engagement, and studies on beaver disease and ecology. The article includes a phenomenal collection of photos of this activity, from as early as the 1930s.

This article reports on studies of Swedish beaver ponds, and the influence they had on the processing of dissolved organic material: that is, material which contains carbon. The age of the beaver pond was very important, with differences in processing between ponds and un-dammed streams disappearing as the pond ages. Therefore, beaver ponds temporarily increase organic matter in the water, diversifying the ways that carbon gets processed in the ecosystem.

In the context of widespread re-introduction efforts, this study tried to understand why North American beavers did not settle in certain areas of the USA. They found that typical cattle grazing disrupts the relationship between beavers and willow trees. By grazing, cattle make stretches of rivers unsuitable for beaver. Livestock management will have to change for successful beaver restoration in these areas. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

Published in 2016, at the time of writing the two wild populations of beavers in Scotland were present on a trial basis with the case of their full reintroduction is being considered by Scottish ministers. This review investigated the mechanisms by which beavers act as ecosystem engineers and discussed the possible impacts of beavers on the biodiversity of Scotland. The review states that a widespread positive influence on biodiversity would be expected, though detrimental impacts on certain woodland habitats and species of conservation importance is to be considered.