Britain’s ambitious tree planting targets intersect with the expanding distribution of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber), a key ecosystem engineer of riparian woodlands. This overlap, coupled with the lack of guidance in woodland creation literature, has raised important questions about the potential impacts of beavers on riparian woodland creation schemes.

To avoid jeopardising either woodland creation projects or beaver restoration, the Beaver Trust are partnering on a project with Forest Research to develop guidelines for planting  effective, sacrificial riparian buffers to minimise impacts on nearby woodland creation schemes.

These buffers are strips of riparian woodland habitat comprising fast-growing, palatable tree species that readily respond to beaver foraging through coppicing, providing long-term forage that acts as diversionary feeding areas between the water’s edge and the main woodland creation area.

By building on findings of previous research, this study aims to provide a practical method to help develop sustainable long-term woodland management, contributing to current best practice guidelines and enabling beavers to coexist with, and even complement, national woodland targets.

Objectives

To develop and evaluate guidelines for planting an effective riparian buffer to minimise impacts on nearby woodland creation schemes. A key recommendation outlined in the NatureScot report “How to create woodlands that are resilient in the presence of beaver (Castor fiber): A review of current evidence”.

Methods and Monitoring

As well as testing willow monocultures, this project will look to assess beaver activity in multi-species woodland riparian buffer zones, in line with UK Forest Standard Practice. Tree species will include a mix of willow, poplar, aspen, and birch (species composition may depend on site location). Annual monitoring visits will be conducted to assess the impacts of beaver browsing on (a) the riparian buffer and (b) trees beyond the buffer. Post-planting monitoring will run for five years, and results will be published in a report.

The Beaver Trust and project partners are looking for suitable sites where a riparian broad-leafed tree buffer can be created and monitored over the next  five years.

If you are interested in this project and would like more information, please contact at [email protected]