The Impacts of Beaver Dams on Groundwater Regime and Habitat 6510

Changes in land usage, increasing climatic uncertainty, and dynamic development of the rate of natural population growth of the Eurasian beaver will lead to increasing benefits and disadvantages from beaver activity. During three growing seasons from 2020 to 2022, four cross-sections were marked on...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Land (Basel) 2024-11, Vol.13 (11), p.1902
Main Authors: Oleszczuk, Ryszard, Bajkowski, Sławomir, Urbański, Janusz, Pawluśkiewicz, Bogumiła, Małuszyński, Marcin J., Małuszyńska, Ilona, Jadczyszyn, Jan, Hewelke, Edyta
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural production
Analysis
Beavers
Biodiversity
Creeks & streams
Dam removal
Dams
Ditches
Drainage
ecosystem services
Greenhouse gases
Groundwater
Growing season
Habitats
Hydrology
Irrigation
Irrigation systems
Land use
Meadows
Mineralization
Mowing
natural habitat
nature-based solution
Organic soils
Plant communities
Population growth
Protection and preservation
River beds
Runoff
Soil moisture
Soil water
subject of protection
Surface water
Water depth
Water levels
Water shortages
Water table
Water, Underground
Weight analysis
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Summary:Changes in land usage, increasing climatic uncertainty, and dynamic development of the rate of natural population growth of the Eurasian beaver will lead to increasing benefits and disadvantages from beaver activity. During three growing seasons from 2020 to 2022, four cross-sections were marked on unused sub-irrigation systems with the periodic occurrence of beaver dams, located on organic soils in parts of the facility protected by the Habitats Directive (natural habitat 6510) in Central Poland. Periodic water table measurements in wells, the beds of adjacent ditches, and the riverbed were carried out. Identification of the states and structures of plant communities was done using the botanical-weight analysis of several samples with an area of 1 m2. Beaver dams increased water levels in the river, ditches, and groundwater depth in over 78% of events in 2020–2022 years. A large impact of precipitation on the hydraulic conditions in the meadow was observed. In the studied area, since a moderately moist habitat (6510) is protected within the Natura 2000 network, phenomena increasing soil moisture, in the absence of mowing of meadows and the occurrence of expansive herbaceous vegetation that tolerates increased moisture, may lead to the disappearance of these habitats, especially in the zone near the riverbed.
ISSN:2073-445X
2073-445X
DOI:10.3390/land13111902