The Eurasian beaver handbook: ecology and management of Castor fiber

TItle Page......Page 5
Contributors......Page 10
Foreword......Page 11
Rhagair......Page 12
Acknowledgements......Page 14
1. Introduction......Page 15
 1.1 Aims and purpose of this handbook......Page 18
2. The history of beavers in Britain......Page 19
 2.1 Beaver reintroduction in Britain......Page 20
 3.1 Taxonomy and distribution......Page 23
 3.2 Anatomy and appearance......Page 25
 3.3 Breeding and young......Page 26
 3.4 Habitat and territoriality......Page 27
 3.5 Diet and feeding......Page 28
 3.6 Behaviours......Page 29
 3.7 Parasites and diseases......Page 32
 3.8 Population biology......Page 33
 3.9 North American beaver introductions......Page 36
4. Legislation......Page 38
5. Effects of beavers......Page 46
 5.1 Beavers as ecosystem engineers......Page 47
 5.2 Beavers and species of high conservation value......Page 49
 5.3 Beaver effects at a catchment scale......Page 52
 5.4 Beavers in landscape-restoration projects......Page 54
 5.5 Beavers and managed land use......Page 55
  5.5.1 Agriculture......Page 58
  5.5.3 Woodland and forestry......Page 60
  5.5.4 Fisheries......Page 66
  5.5.5 Engineered environments......Page 69
  5.5.6 Recreational areas and water bodies......Page 75
6. Managing beaver impacts......Page 77
  6.1.1 Ecology......Page 79
  6.1.2 Benefits......Page 80
  6.1.3 Issues......Page 81
  6.1.4 Management options......Page 82
  6.2.2 Benefits......Page 93
  6.2.4 Management options......Page 94
  6.2.5 Animal-welfare considerations......Page 96
  6.3.2 Benefits......Page 97
  6.3.4 Management options......Page 98
 6.4 Animal management......Page 103
  6.4.2 Benefits......Page 104
  6.4.4 Management options......Page 105
  6.4.5 Animal-welfare considerations......Page 114
 7.1 Non-invasive monitoring techniques......Page 117
 7.2 Habitat suitability/habitat-use survey......Page 118
 7.3 Monitoring beaver population size and development......Page 120
 7.4 Distribution mapping and population estimates......Page 121
 7.5 Habitat assessment prior to beaver release......Page 123
 8.1 Future management recommendations......Page 125
 8.2 Public relations, education and socioeconomics......Page 127
 8.3 Conclusion......Page 131
 A.2 Felled and gnawed trees......Page 133
 A.3 Ring-barking/ bark stripping......Page 134
 A.5 Feeding stations......Page 135
 A.6 Foraging trails......Page 136
 A.7 Lodges and burrows......Page 137
 A.9 Dams......Page 140
 A.10 Canals......Page 141
 A.13 Tracks......Page 142
 B.1 Parasites......Page 145
 B.3 Fungi......Page 148
 B.5 Viruses......Page 149
 C.1 Flow devices – dam piping......Page 150
 C.2 Flow devices – culvert protection......Page 153
 C.3 Dam-removal/dam-notching......Page 156
 C.4 Burrow management......Page 157
 C.5 Bank and flood-bank wall protection......Page 158
  C.6.1 Mesh protection......Page 160
  C.6.2 Paint protection......Page 161
 C.7 Electric fencing......Page 162
 C.8 Permanent exclusion fencing......Page 163
 C.9 Deterrent fencing – ditches and small streams......Page 164
  C.10.1 Bavarian beaver traps......Page 167
  C.10.2 Boat trapping......Page 170
 C.11 Humane dispatch......Page 171
Appendix DManagement protocol chart......Page 173
Appendix ECaptive beaver fencing recommendations......Page 175
Appendix FTerminology for various beaver management devices......Page 176
Appendix GBeaver fieldwork risk assessment......Page 178
Appendix HBeaver survey data sheets from the Scottish Beaver Trial......Page 180
References......Page 183
Glossary......Page 199
Index......Page 202