50 years of beaver in Germany– Knowledge, interests and opinions
Background
Unless relic occurrences, the beaver (Castor fiber) has been exterminated in Germany for about 200 years. In the course of the past five decades the species spread successfully in the water systems of Germany and, nowadays, is present in almost all German federal states. In its return, the beaver encounters water bodies and riparian areas that are massively changed by humans. Due to its life strategy, the beaver can enhance degraded aquatic ecosystems. At the same time, the return of the “ecosystem-engineer” constitutes a high potential conflict with land use.
Objective and method
The return of beavers affects many different stakeholders and areas of interest. A conference in 2012 bringing together scientists, practitioners and administrators from the fields of conservation and water development was a first step for merging available expertise. However, the meeting revealed that cooperation and information exchange concerning beaver issues is virtually non-existent between these fields. As a next step in order to initiate and intensify the communication process between the relevant fields, we plan the edition of a joined publication from species experts, conservationists and water-development experts.
Duration:
01.02.2012 – Abschluss bis Ende 2015 geplant
Funding:
Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)
Supervisor:
Dr. Thomas Kaphegyi & Prof. Dr. Werner Konold
Researcher:
Dr. Thomas Kaphegyi, Yvonne Christoffers
