A cool reception. Eurasian beavers returning to Western European Landscapes frequently trigger human-wildlife conflicts. Landespflege Freiburg researcher in dialog with BWagrar
After being eradicated to most parts of Germany, reintroductions and conservation efforts lead to the return of the species to German waters. However, the story of success, as perceived by many conservationists, is in danger to reverse. Particularly true for Western Europe, anthropogenic land use is often processed directly until the edges of rivers and streams, which were mostly canalized. It is exactly the capability of the beaver to modify habitats and alter landscapes that causes conflicts with human land use. Against this background, the eco-engineering potential of the rodent for river and wetland restoration is in danger to be greatly overlooked.
Since Landespflege Freiburg is deeply involved into research addressing the potentials of the beaver for habitat restoration in cultural landscapes, our researchers were asked for an interview with bwagrar. Read the interview here (in german).
