A spatially explicit model of beaver river-floodplains: understanding drivers and mapping opportunities for restoration

Summary

This study describes the first national comprehensive model of beaver dam likelihood and associated floodplain development. The subsequent delineation of areas reflecting overall opportunities and conflict reveal that the reintroduction of Castor fiber into Switzerland implies a net benefit from a landscape restoration perspective. Though this is the case measured at the national-scale, we identified concentrated regions of potential land-use conflict where mitigation and management should be focussed. The development of similar models in other contexts, for example, where planned beaver reintroductions are being prepared, could help maximise landscape restoration goals whilst minimising undesirable land-use conflicts which may harm conservation efforts.