KNOWLEDGE BASE

One challenge of managing conflicts between humans and beavers is the fact that people's views vary and change over time. In the USA, after a law was passed banning certain beaver traps, surveys were carried out to understand public opinion. This article reports on these surveys. Overall, people had positive views of beavers but those who had had negative experiences with beavers held less favourable views. The authors suggest that conservation efforts should be responsive to changing public attitudes. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

Between 2002 and 2004, feces from 62 beavers in the USA were tested for certain parasite species using microscopy and genetic analysis. The study showed that 6.4% of the beavers, all young ones, had these parasites.

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.