TY - JOUR
T1 - The response of a brown trout (Salmo trutta) population to reintroduced eurasian beaver (castor fiber) habitat modification
AU - Needham, Robert J.
AU - Gaywood, Martin
AU - Tree, Angus
AU - Sotherton, Nick
AU - Roberts, Dylan
AU - Bean, Colin W.
AU - Kemp, Paul S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s).
PY - 2021/11/11
Y1 - 2021/11/11
N2 - Globally, freshwaters are the most degraded and threatened of all ecosystems. In northern temperate regions, beaver (Castor spp.) reintroductions are increasingly used as a low-cost and self-sustaining means to restore river corridors. River modifications by beavers can increase availability of suitable habitat for fish, including salmonids. This study investigated the response of a population of brown trout (Salmo trutta) to reintroduced Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) habitat modifications in northern Scotland. The field site comprised two streams entering a common loch; one modified by beavers, the other unaltered. Electrofishing and PIT telemetry surveys indicated abundance of post-young-of-the-year (post-YOY) trout was higher in the modified stream. Considering juvenile year groups (YOY and post-YOY) combined, abundance and density varied with year and season. In the modified stream, fork length and mass were greater, there was a greater variety of age classes, and mean growth was positive during all seasons. Beavers had profound effects on the local brown trout population that promoted higher abundances of larger size classes. This study provides important insight into the possible future effect of beavers on freshwater ecosystems.
AB - Globally, freshwaters are the most degraded and threatened of all ecosystems. In northern temperate regions, beaver (Castor spp.) reintroductions are increasingly used as a low-cost and self-sustaining means to restore river corridors. River modifications by beavers can increase availability of suitable habitat for fish, including salmonids. This study investigated the response of a population of brown trout (Salmo trutta) to reintroduced Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) habitat modifications in northern Scotland. The field site comprised two streams entering a common loch; one modified by beavers, the other unaltered. Electrofishing and PIT telemetry surveys indicated abundance of post-young-of-the-year (post-YOY) trout was higher in the modified stream. Considering juvenile year groups (YOY and post-YOY) combined, abundance and density varied with year and season. In the modified stream, fork length and mass were greater, there was a greater variety of age classes, and mean growth was positive during all seasons. Beavers had profound effects on the local brown trout population that promoted higher abundances of larger size classes. This study provides important insight into the possible future effect of beavers on freshwater ecosystems.
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U2 - 10.1139/cjfas-2021-0023
DO - 10.1139/cjfas-2021-0023
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85117963790
SN - 0706-652X
VL - 78
SP - 1650
EP - 1660
JO - Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
JF - Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
IS - 11
ER -