Activity 2
Long-term monitoring of populations of the European beaver in SCIs (measure 3.3.2 of Management Programme for the Eurasian Beaver in the Czech Republic)
Regions occupied by beavers for longer term have previously been included in the Natura 2000 network and beavers are protected in seven Sites of Community Importance (SCIs). Further information on the Natura 2000 network as well as individual SCI can be found here. In terms of the zoning - according to Management Programme for the Eurasian Beaver in the Czech Republic - all these regions belong into the A-zone, where protection of beavers is superior to other interests. Eurasian beaver is a subject of protection in these SCIs:
· EVL Kateřinský a Nivní potok (CZ323151)
· EVL Labské údolí (CZ0424111)
· EVL Strážnická Morava (CZ0624068)
· EVL Niva Dyje (CZ0624099)
· EVL Soutok - Podluží (CZ0624119)
· EVL Litovelské Pomoraví (CZ0714073)
· EVL Morava - Chropyňský luh (CZ0714085)
We repeatedly collect information on the species quantity in Sites of Community Importance, so there is already an extensive file describing the historical and current state of the beaver population in these areas. It is necessary to continue long-term monitoring of the development of populations to be able to estimate if there is no significant increase or decrease of quantity.
Currently it is possible to observe alleviation of a growth rate in majority of these long-termly monitored regions, which indicates stabilization of the population due to the saturation. When we monitor the population regularly, sharp declines in some population parameters can draw our attention to significant disturbance factors immediately (e.g. high level of illegal reduction, parasitosis, loss of food resources, etc.). The only possibility how to choose correctly the appropriate management measures to protect the species is to know a phase and development of the population state.
The base for the mapping of the populations is to collect information about residential signs created by beavers during autumn and winter on the banks of rivers and waterways (more details in Management Programme). Examples of residential signs are browsing, lodges, food piles, dams, scent marks, etc. Each residential sign is located using a GPS and described in the form. Collected data are subsequently transferred to the geo-information system, where they are analyzed using kernel estimates (i.e. Kernel Density Estimation). Based on the outcomes of this analysis, it is possible to estimate the number and size of beaver territories and their centres.
All data are stored in The Nature Conservation Information System provided by Nature Conservation Agency and Landscape of the Czech Republic and via the websites they are shared with nature conservation authorities.
Monitoring results of SCI's and A-zones from 2015:
SCI Kateřinský a Nivní potok (A-zone Český les) – mapped 161.5 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 39, population density: 0.24 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: steady, a slight increase compared to 2012, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
SCI Labské údolí (A-zone Labe) – mapped 48.8 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 18, population density: 0.37 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: steady, a slight increase compared to 2013, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
SCI and A-zone Litovelské Pomoraví – mapped 202.1 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 42, population density: 0.21 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: steady, almost identical to the situation in 2010, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
SCI and A-zone Morava – Chropyňský luh – mapped 164.2 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 30, population density: 0.18 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: steady, a slight decrease compared to 2009, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
Monitoring results of SCI's and A-zones from 2016: