Can reintroduction of beavers improve insect biodiversity?

Re-establishing historic ecosystem links through targeted species reintroduction: Beaver-mediated wetlands support increased bat activity

Despite the global significance of wetlands, conservation strategies often fall short in preserving these ecosystems due to failures in incorporating processes that sustain the ecosystem functioning, hydrological dynamics, ecological processes, and biodiversity of wetlands. Nature-based solutions, such as the reintroduction of beavers, have emerged as effective tools for promoting wetland restoration. Whilst the impact of beavers on wetland restoration is well known, their broader influence on ecosystem health, particularly in modifying habitats for other species, remains inadequately understood. Here we assess the impact that habitat modification through the reintroduction of beavers has on bat populations. There were significantly greater activity levels within beaver-modified wetland habitats for multiple bat species, including higher activity levels of 393 % for Barbastella barbastellus and 313 % for Plecotus spp.. Additionally, we observed positive effects on bat populations in the woodland habitat surrounding beaver-modified wetland for certain taxa. In the face of escalating challenges posed by climate change and habitat loss, addressing biodiversity loss necessitates a shift toward ecosystem-centric mitigation measures. Our study demonstrates that the reintroduction of keystone species like beavers can re-establish historical facilitative links between aquatic and terrestrial food webs, highlighting the importance of such interventions in fostering the resilience and sustainability of entire ecosystems.

"Oops…a Beaver Again!" Eurasian Beaver Castor fiber Recorded by Citizen-Science in New Areas of Central and Southern Italy

The Eurasian beaver Castor fiber was once present in the Palearctic, ranging from the western Iberian Peninsula to northwestern China. In the Middle Ages, this rodent underwent a severe decline in population due to habitat loss, hunting for fur and meat, and the demand for castoreum. At the beginning of 1900, the range of the Eurasian beaver was limited to scattered refugia in Eurasia. Since 1920, legal protection, reintroduction events, and natural spread triggered the recovery of the species in most of its original range. In March 2021, the presence of the Eurasian beaver in Central Italy (Tuscany and Umbria regions) was confirmed through camera trapping after the detection of unequivocal signs of presence (i.e., gnawed trunks). Recordings are located about 550 km south of the known range of this species, thus suggesting that the presence of beavers in Tuscany and Umbria might be due to a local unauthorised reintroduction. In this work, we also reported the presence of beavers in the Abruzzi region and in Southern Italy (Molise-Campania regions), over 380 km in a straight line south to the southernmost record of beaver presence in Central Italy.