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 525 articles
Influence of watercourse depth and width on dam‐building behaviour by Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber)
Published by: Journal of Zoology
1st January 2006
This study investigated how stream depth and width affect beavers' dam-building behaviour. In Sweden, researchers measured 39 beaver lodges without dams and 74 dam sites. Lodge sites tended to be deeper and wider than dam sites. A number of possible explanations are given but more research is needed to understand why beavers choose to build or not build a dam in a given spot.
Transverse and longitudinal variation in woody riparian vegetation along a montane river
Published by: Western North American Naturalist
1st January 2006
This study examines how different plants grow along a river in Colorado, USA, focusing on how often they get flooded. They found that certain plants, like sandbar willows, prefer areas that flood more often, while others, like river birches, like less frequent flooding. Beavers play a role in shaping these areas, disrupting the riverbank habitats to help maintain plant life.
Genetic Variation and Population Structure of the Eurasian Beaver Castor fiber in Eastern Europe and Asia
Published by: Journal of Mammalogy
14th December 2005
The study looked at genetic variation in Eurasian beavers in eastern Europe and Asia, focusing on small, isolated populations. The results show limited genetic variation despite big geographical distances. The subspecies with the most different genes is likely that way because it has been isolated for the longest time. Overall, the data suggests that the present beaver populations in eastern Europe and Asia have a single shared ancestor from around the end of the last ice age.
Sequence diversity of the MHC DRB gene in the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber)
Published by: Molecular Ecology
1st December 2005
This study explores how a specific set of genes - the Major Histocompatibility Complex - vary in beavers. In general, these genes are very diverse in animals but scientists found limited variation in most of the beaver populations studied. This lack of diversity may be due to the population bottleneck created by over-hunting. The authors set out some implications for beaver conservation.
Amplification of negative impact of beaver dams on fish habitats of rivers in extreme climatic conditions
Published by: Journal of Fish Biology
1st December 2005
Researchers in Estonia found that, during drier years, fish migrated downstream for refuge. In rivers with beaver dams, fish migration was blocked, leading to fish death in reservoirs above dams. After the drought, fish came back, but beaver dams again hindered this process. Beaver dams may impede fish restoration after environmental disturbances like droughts. Please note, this resource is not open-access.
