Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(6), 1637-1643 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361061637

Diet preference of Eurasian Beaver (Castor Fiber L., 1758) in the environment of Oderské vrchy and its influence on the tree species composition of river bank stands

Jan Dvořák1,2
1 Department of Forest Protection and Game Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
2 Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská l, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

This paper deals with the dietary behaviour and the tree species preference in the river bank stands in the diet of established population Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber L., 1758) in the environment of Oderské vrchy; the objective is to assess the suitability of this environment for future development of the Eurasian Beaver and to asses the influence of the beaver's dietary behaviour on the river bank stands. In the monitored area, the total of 5 tree species with the following preference were recorded: willow (Salix) 42.2%, aspen (Populus) 28%, dogwood (Comus) 15.5%, birch (Betula) 7.4% and alder (Alnus) 6.9%. The most damaged diameter interval recorded within the all damaged tree species ranges from 2.6 to 6 cm, followed by the interval 6.1-12 cm. Over 61% of the trees felled by the beaver had a bigger diameter. The most sensitive reaction to beaver's dietary behaviour was shown by aspen (reduction of numbers by 27.6%) and by willow (reduction of numbers by 16.6%) on the monitored area.

Keywords: Eurasian Beaver Castor fiber, dietary behaviour, tree species preference
Grants and funding:

This paper was supported by the MŠMT 6215648902 project.

Received: April 15, 2013; Published: November 24, 2013  Show citation

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Dvořák, J. (2013). Diet preference of Eurasian Beaver (Castor Fiber L., 1758) in the environment of Oderské vrchy and its influence on the tree species composition of river bank stands. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 61(6), 1637-1643. doi: 10.11118/actaun201361061637
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