European beaver (Castor fiber) in open agricultural landscapes: crop grazing and the potential for economic damage

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62156489%3A43410%2F20%3A43918658" target="_blank" >RIV/62156489:43410/20:43918658 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/68081766:_____/20:00535582

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-020-01442-6" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-020-01442-6</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10344-020-01442-6" target="_blank" >10.1007/s10344-020-01442-6</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

European beaver (Castor fiber) in open agricultural landscapes: crop grazing and the potential for economic damage

Original language description

The European beaver (Castor fiber) has extended its range into most Central European countries over the past 30 years, resulting in increased forestry damage and water management issues. As the number of beavers increases populations become established in new types of habitat. In the Czech Republic, for example, established beaver populations are now found on rivers flowing through agricultural landscapes, where living conditions differ significantly to those found in forest landscapes. To date, there have been no studies on the impact of beavers on agricultural production. The aim of this study was (1) to describe how beavers graze field crops, and (2) to estimate potential damage to agricultural production. This 2-year study examined five beaver territories in agricultural landscapes where crops were separated from watercourses by a narrow strip of bank vegetation. Beavers fed on all crop types grown in their territories throughout the growing period (May-October), peaking from mid-June to mid-July. The beavers clearly preferred oilseed rape, which (along with wheat and barley) represented the largest part of the grazed area. Rape was usually grazed at during vegetation growth and flowering, while cereals were usually grazed from the milk ripe kernel stage to harvest. Damage to agricultural production was up to EUR20-30 per ind./year. While beaver population density in the agricultural landscape remains low, damage to agricultural production is relatively insignificant; however, field crops clearly represent an important part of the beavers&apos; diet in such areas, helping them survive in such open landscapes.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

40101 - Agriculture

Project

—

Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2020

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

European Journal of Wildlife Research

ISSN

1612-4642

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

66

Issue of the periodical within the volume

6

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

10

Pages from-to

101

UT code for WoS article

000592523300001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85096633890