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

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Abstract

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 €20–30 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’ diet in such areas, helping them survive in such open landscapes.

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Acknowledgments

This research was undertaken with support from the Specific University Research Fund of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology at Mendel University in Brno (FFWT MENDELU; reg. number: LDF_VP_ 201826). We would also like to thank Kevin Roche for improving the English language and for comments to an earlier version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 613 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Ondřej Mikulka, Jakub Drimaj & Jiří Kamler

  2. Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic

    Miloslav Homolka

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  1. Ondřej Mikulka
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  2. Miloslav Homolka
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  3. Jakub Drimaj
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Correspondence to Ondřej Mikulka.

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Mikulka, O., Homolka, M., Drimaj, J. et al. European beaver (Castor fiber) in open agricultural landscapes: crop grazing and the potential for economic damage. Eur J Wildl Res 66, 101 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-020-01442-6

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