BOOK
The Eurasian Beaver Handbook
Roisin Campbell-Palmer | Derek Gow | Gerhard Schwab | Duncan Halley | John Gurnell | Simon Girling | Skip Lisle | Ruairidh Campbell | Helen Dickinson | Simon Jones | Howard Parker | Frank Rosell
(2016)
Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
Beavers are widely recognised as a keystone species which play a pivotal role in riparian ecology. Their tree felling and dam building behaviours coupled with a suite of other activities create a wealth of living opportunities that are exploited by a range of other species. Numerous scientific studies demonstrate that beaver-generated living environments that are much richer in terms of both biodiversity and biomass than wetland environments from which they are absent. Emerging contemporary studies indicate clearly that the landscapes they create can afford sustainable, cost-effective remedies for water retention, flood alleviation, silt and chemical capture.
Beaver activities, especially in highly modified environments, may be challenging to certain land use activities and landowners. Many trialled and tested methods to mitigate against these impacts, including a wide range of non-lethal management techniques, are regularly implemented across Europe and North America. Many of these techniques will be new to people, especially in areas where beavers are newly re-establishing. This handbook serves to discuss both the benefits and challenges in living with this species, and collates the wide range of techniques that can be implemented to mitigate any negative impacts.
The authors of this handbook are all beaver experts and together they have a broad range of scientific knowledge and practical experience regarding the ecology, captive husbandry, veterinary science, pathology, reintroduction and management of beavers in both continental Europe and Britain.
The authors of this handbook are experienced in working with both wild and captive beavers. This collaboration has involved a truly international range of experts. Their breadth of experience (constituting 201 years between them) and abilities range from academics actively involved in research to wildlife managers working in the field on mitigation and conservationists promoting beaver reintroduction.
Beavers are coming back! Across much their European range from where centuries ago these animals were rendered extinct, successful reintroductions mean that once more these fascinating mammals can be seen in the wild. We know more and more about the benefits of beaver reintroductions, from helping to moderate river flow to improved water quality and from positive impacts on fish populations to the creation of habitats that benefit a range of other wildlife species. While some have expressed concerns about the effects of beavers, for example on trees and flood risk, this comprehensive new guide presents the state of the art of knowledge to enable the full spectrum of benefits to be realised. The Eurasian Beaver Handbook marks an exciting moment for conservation and I hope the different groups with an interest in beavers will make the most of it.
Dr Tony Juniper, naturalist, conservationist and writer
"Hurrah! At last, a factual and pragmatic guide to why we should have beavers in Britain and how we can live with them."
Chris Packham
The authors of this handbook include many of the most significant names in beaver conservation in Europe, drawing on a wide range of experiences and perspectives, which gives this book great depth and insight.... For me, working on the River Otter Beaver Trial here in Devon, this book is already providing a quick reference guide which I’m finding easy to use and full of valuable information. It is well organised and referenced and will become vital for those managing land which beavers recolonise in the decades ahead.
Mark Elliott
... I recommend Eurasian Beaver Handbook for land managers, policy writers, and landowners interested in managing European landscapes that include, or may potentially include, beavers. ... Although this book focuses on the European beaver, practitioners in North America also could benefit from reading this book to compare management styles, tools, and techniques.
Jimmy D. Taylor, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| TItle Page | v | ||
| Contributors | x | ||
| Foreword | xi | ||
| Rhagair | xii | ||
| Acknowledgements | xiv | ||
| 1. Introduction | 1 | ||
| 1.1 Aims and purpose of this handbook | 4 | ||
| 2. The history of beavers in Britain | 5 | ||
| 2.1 Beaver reintroduction in Britain | 6 | ||
| 3. Beaver biology and ecology | 9 | ||
| 3.1 Taxonomy and distribution | 9 | ||
| 3.2 Anatomy and appearance | 11 | ||
| 3.3 Breeding and young | 12 | ||
| 3.4 Habitat and territoriality | 13 | ||
| 3.5 Diet and feeding | 14 | ||
| 3.6 Behaviours | 15 | ||
| 3.7 Parasites and diseases | 18 | ||
| 3.8 Population biology | 19 | ||
| 3.9 North American beaver introductions | 22 | ||
| 4. Legislation | 24 | ||
| 5. Effects of beavers | 32 | ||
| 5.1 Beavers as ecosystem engineers | 33 | ||
| 5.2 Beavers and species of high conservation value | 35 | ||
| 5.3 Beaver effects at a catchment scale | 38 | ||
| 5.4 Beavers in landscape-restoration projects | 40 | ||
| 5.5 Beavers and managed land use | 41 | ||
| 5.5.1 Agriculture | 44 | ||
| 5.5.2 Horticulture | 46 | ||
| 5.5.3 Woodland and forestry | 46 | ||
| 5.5.4 Fisheries | 52 | ||
| 5.5.5 Engineered environments | 55 | ||
| 5.5.6 Recreational areas and water bodies | 61 | ||
| 6. Managing beaver impacts | 63 | ||
| 6.1 Damming activity and associated management techniques | 65 | ||
| 6.1.1 Ecology | 65 | ||
| 6.1.2 Benefits | 66 | ||
| 6.1.3 Issues | 67 | ||
| 6.1.4 Management options | 68 | ||
| 6.1.5 Animal-welfare considerations | 79 | ||
| 6.2 Burrowing and associated activities | 79 | ||
| 6.2.1 Ecology | 79 | ||
| 6.2.2 Benefits | 79 | ||
| 6.2.3 Issues | 80 | ||
| 6.2.4 Management options | 80 | ||
| 6.2.5 Animal-welfare considerations | 82 | ||
| 6.3 Foraging activity and associated management techniques | 83 | ||
| 6.3.1 Ecology | 83 | ||
| 6.3.2 Benefits | 83 | ||
| 6.3.3 Issues | 84 | ||
| 6.3.4 Management options | 84 | ||
| 6.3.5 Animal-welfare considerations | 89 | ||
| 6.4 Animal management | 89 | ||
| 6.4.1 Ecology | 90 | ||
| 6.4.2 Benefits | 90 | ||
| 6.4.3 Issues | 91 | ||
| 6.4.4 Management options | 91 | ||
| 6.4.5 Animal-welfare considerations | 100 | ||
| 7. Survey and monitoring | 103 | ||
| 7.1 Non-invasive monitoring techniques | 103 | ||
| 7.2 Habitat suitability/habitat-use survey | 104 | ||
| 7.3 Monitoring beaver population size and development | 106 | ||
| 7.4 Distribution mapping and population estimates | 107 | ||
| 7.5 Habitat assessment prior to beaver release | 109 | ||
| 8. Learning to live with beavers | 111 | ||
| 8.1 Future management recommendations | 111 | ||
| 8.2 Public relations, education and socioeconomics | 113 | ||
| 8.3 Conclusion | 117 | ||
| Appendix A | 119 | ||
| A.1 Teeth marks | 119 | ||
| A.2 Felled and gnawed trees | 119 | ||
| A.3 Ring-barking/ bark stripping | 120 | ||
| A.4 Grazed lawns and cut vascular plants | 121 | ||
| A.5 Feeding stations | 121 | ||
| A.6 Foraging trails | 122 | ||
| A.7 Lodges and burrows | 123 | ||
| A.8 Food caches | 126 | ||
| A.9 Dams | 126 | ||
| A.10 Canals | 127 | ||
| A.11 Scent mounds | 128 | ||
| A.12 Faeces | 128 | ||
| A.13 Tracks | 128 | ||
| Appendix B\nDiseases and parasites of the Eurasian beaver | 131 | ||
| B.1 Parasites | 131 | ||
| B.2 Bacteria | 134 | ||
| B.3 Fungi | 134 | ||
| B.4 Yeasts | 135 | ||
| B.5 Viruses | 135 | ||
| Appendix C | 136 | ||
| C.1 Flow devices – dam piping | 136 | ||
| C.2 Flow devices – culvert protection | 139 | ||
| C.3 Dam-removal/dam-notching | 142 | ||
| C.4 Burrow management | 143 | ||
| C.5 Bank and flood-bank wall protection | 144 | ||
| C.6 Individual tree protection | 146 | ||
| C.6.1 Mesh protection | 146 | ||
| C.6.2 Paint protection | 147 | ||
| C.7 Electric fencing | 148 | ||
| C.8 Permanent exclusion fencing | 149 | ||
| C.9 Deterrent fencing – ditches and small streams | 150 | ||
| C.10 Trapping and translocation | 153 | ||
| C.10.1 Bavarian beaver traps | 153 | ||
| C.10.2 Boat trapping | 156 | ||
| C.11 Humane dispatch | 157 | ||
| Appendix D\nManagement protocol chart | 159 | ||
| Appendix E\nCaptive beaver fencing recommendations | 161 | ||
| Appendix F\nTerminology for various beaver management devices | 162 | ||
| Appendix G\nBeaver fieldwork risk assessment | 164 | ||
| Appendix H\nBeaver survey data sheets from the Scottish Beaver Trial | 166 | ||
| References | 169 | ||
| Glossary | 185 | ||
| Index | 188 |