“In our green but grey land, where nature’s symphony once rang pure and true, a new character emerges upon the stage: the noble beaver, a creature of craft and cunning, whose works doth shape the very ground. Long exiled by the hand of man, these humble engineers return to play their part in the great drama of life…”
The demise and rise of the beaver in the UK reads like a Shakespearean play. Greed. Unexpected twists and turns. The dichotomy of good and evil. It’s all there!
After a ± 400-year hiatus, these resourceful creatures have slowly returned to Britain’s freshwaters. But not without some resistance. This article delves into the intricate history of the beaver, exploring the opportunities and controversies surrounding its reintroduction.
Attend, and let the story unfold.
‘Tis a tale not without conflict
In days of yore, the beaver roamed from Muscovy to the Middle East, yet fell to man’s greed…
Some 10,000 years ago, wild beavers could be found far and wide; in Russia, the Middle East, and across Europe. Sadly, this industrious river-dweller’s fur and castoreum (a natural secretion from sacs near its anus which was used in perfumes) became valuable and it was hunted to extinction.
The last officially recorded beaver in Britain during this time was in the 1500s, although there is evidence (poems and bounty lists) that suggests they might have been around in small numbers until the late 18th century.
Beavers did not return to our waters until 2006.
She returns to mend what hath been broken
Scotland was the first of Britain’s countries to prove the power of the beaver, an influential ecosystem engineer. This means that they have a significant physical impact on the habitat they live in: they ‘modify, maintain and/or create’ it (Oxford Bibliographies, 2015).
After various projects demonstrated that these creatures not only belong in our landscape but bring a wide range of biodiversity benefits, they were released into a national nature reserve. Meanwhile, another beaver colony had been illegally or accidentally released in the Tay Catchment, also in Scotland. Since the formal introduction of Beavers into Scotland in 2006, they have also been introduced into fenced areas in England and Wales.
It wasn’t until 2019 that they were given ‘protected species’ status, although what exactly this means remains unclear.
Sculpting streams, weaving tapestries of wetlands
Some believe humans learnt sustainable woodland management from beavers. When they fell a tree – for food or building materials for their dams – they don’t kill it. The beaver coppices the tree, cutting it down to ground level but leaving the roots and stump intact. Typically, this tree will grow new shoots and change into something more shrub-like, providing a new habitat for birds, insects, and other species.
The deadwood that beavers produce as part of their engineering activities also provides shelter and breeding grounds for insects and fungi. These species are a food source for small mammals, amphibians, and fish.
“As previously dry land flooded, insects such as crane flies and dragonflies returned. In their wake birds such as martins and swallows as well as bats have flown in to feed on them. At some sites, conservationists have seen 12 to 13 different species of bats arrive in the area thanks to the insect nutrition beavers generate.”
Beavers are back, The Guardian
Beavers are also cheap and waste-free flood fighters (like a firefighter, but with less kit and bigger teeth). Their dams slow the peak flow rate which reduces the likelihood of flooding during big dumps of rain or particularly wet periods.
Of course, this filtration system also improves water quality by preventing pollutants and waste from travelling miles downstream.
Other benefits of beavers include:
- Mitigating the effects of drought by keeping the soil wet
- Protecting against and mitigating the spread of wildfires
- Carbon sinkage through the creation of wetlands
Each hath their role, each hath their need. But can they abide together?
Coppicing, damming, naturally changing the course of waterways… To many, this might sound like nature doing what nature does best. Heaven!
However, some people must learn to live — almost literally — side-by-side with this keystone species. Farmers and land managers have valid concerns about the reintroduction of beavers; ones that should be heard and considered, so that appropriate management and mitigation strategies can be developed.
Typical human-beaver conflicts include:
- Damage to crops through flooding
- Loss of valued trees
- Weakening of flood banks and soil erosion
- Damage to infrastructure/machinery through flooding and falling trees
For each of these conflicts, there are recommended strategies for management however some of the farming community is calling for further consultation to ensure that the reintroduction of these animals doesn’t come at a cost to livelihoods.
Agricultural concerns are not the only potential drawbacks of beaver reintroduction. Other factors for consideration include:
- Ponds and meadows shaped by beaver dams can fix or release carbon. Therefore, they are both carbon sinks and carbon sources.
- By reducing tree cover, beavers can impact water temperatures, which doesn’t favour salmonid species. Wild Atlantic salmon is also a keystone species and has declined by 70% in the last 25 years.
While there is plenty of evidence to prove that the reintroduction of beavers will positively impact our landscape, and help in the fight against climate change, it must be done smartly and sensitively. We once lived in cohesion with these creatures and can do it again. But it won’t happen overnight.
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As the curtain falls on our beaverous tale, let us pause to admire nature’s resilience and wit. Behold, an industrious creature, an architect of tooth and tail. May we celebrate her return with both joy and prudence, revelling in what she hath revealed: in guarding the interests of all who dwell upon this land, we shall discover the true beauty of our shared home.
Now, fair friends, ere we bid farewell…
Be curious!
- See how beavers are re-engineering the landscape at Rewilding Network member Cabilla Cornwall.
- The earthworm, the elephant and the oyster are all ecosystem engineers just like the beaver. Learn more about them and what they do in BBC Wildlife magazine.
- This article gives different perspectives and opinions of beavers from around Scotland.
- Find out where it’s possible to see beavers in the UK with the Beaver Trust.
Featured image by McGill Library, via Unsplash.
