Detailed information about the MSGSII-38 project
Project title
Creation of methodological manuals on preventing and resolving conflicts of beavers, definition of the current state, and estimation of development of the beaver population in the Czech Republic to increase effectiveness of its Management Programme.
Project objectives
Implementation of selected measures (measures 3.5.1 and 3.3.2, and section 3.3.1) of approved Management Programme for the Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber) in the Czech Republic (which is available here) in czech.
Project aims
1) Handbook for coexisting with beavers – Activity 1
Eurasian beaver in the current cultural landscape raises a number of conflict situations that affect the entities operating in the country. With the increasing size of the beaver population the frequency of such conflicts has recently increased. The Czech Republic had no document that would offer detailed and usable form of methodological procedures to eliminate the damage already incurred, and comprehensive overview of preventive measures and processes which would prevent damage or which would at least minimize potential future damage caused by beavers. Until now, there has been no comprehensive overview of economic tools dealing with the damage already incurred. Handbook for coexisting with beavers is disponible here.
2) To determine the current level of saturation of the most important and oldest populations of the Eurasian beaver in the Czech Republic – Activity 2
Knowledge of the current occurrence of the European beaver is a prerequisite for the successful functioning of Management Programme and for the implementation of other measures as well. In particular, it is a prerequisite for optimizing the overall management and deciding on a possible change of strategy for management of the species. It seeks to identify and describe a state of our main populations of European beavers. According to Management Programme the centre of all these populations is in the A-zone (i.e. in the zone with the highest level of beaver protection) and includes all seven important European areas, where a beaver is a subject of protection. The outputs of this activity were described in detail in the final project report.
3) To obtain information on the current state and extent of the Šumava population with regard to the spread of beavers into the neighbouring C-zone – Activity 3
Possibility of existence and free enlargement of beavers is in the C-zone undesirable because of the high risk of serious harm in this mainly fishpond landscape. In recent years a permanent population has begun to develop in the Šumava Forest and it will gradually grow in the future. Sooner or later, it will start to release redundant individuals that will spread further into waterways which directly supply the C-zone (e.g. the Vltava, the Otava and the Blanice rivers). Definitions of size, strength, quality and potential of the Šumava population are necessary elements of information that will enable to describe the risk for colonization of the contiguous C-zone, and they may also enable to propose elimination procedures of this colonization. For timely prevention of high damage, this measure is significantly relevant and necessary. The outputs of this activity were described in detail in the final project report.
Financial framework
Small Grant Scheme - Action Plans for specially protected species II
Donors
EEA Grants 2009-2014 and Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic
Final beneficiary
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
Partners
Czech Technical University in Prague
The Šumava National Park
Project duration
7. 1. 2015 – 30. 10. 2016