The document discusses beavers as an ecosystem engineer and the potential for reintroducing beavers to Wales. It provides background on the historic and current distribution of beavers in Europe. Reintroducing beavers could provide legal, biodiversity, environmental, and socioeconomic benefits. Beavers manage wetland ecosystems through feeding, building dams and lodges, and digging channels, which can increase biodiversity and water quality. However, beavers may also cause problems through flooding of human areas or felling trees, though many solutions exist to address such issues. The document examines a case study of a beaver reintroduction site in Wales.

1. Species as Ecosystem Engineers THE BEAVER

4. Probable distribution of European beaver in Europe (outwith Russia) after the last Ice Age (Halley, D & Rosell, F. - 2002)

5. Beaver distribution by late 19th Century 1. Telemark, Norway. c.100 2. Elbe, Germany. <200 3. Rhône, France. c. 30 4. Pripet Marshes, Belarus. <400 Approx population: 1,200 animals

7. Present day distribution

10. Feeding

13. Fallen and standing deadwood

21. Beavers increase number of fish species 1964 1967 1992 1994 2002 9 10 8 8 18 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Fish species [N] Beaver dam 1995

28. Building and Digging - Burrows and Lodges

31. Beaver Canals

32. Beavers in a human influenced landscape

37. Beaver trap baited with apples

39. Llanbwchwyn SSSI. 67 acres Radnorshire Wildlife Trust

44. Biodiverse Beaver Landscapes

45. Thank you