Project number: MGS II - 38
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.
Programme: CZ02 – Environment: Small Grant Scheme - Action Plans for specially protected species II
Project leader: Ing. Aleš Vorel, Ph. D.
Project schedule: 01/2015 – 04/2016
Total project budget: 3.130.540, 05 CZK
Partners: Czech Technical University in Prague and The Šumava National Park
Abstract:
The project consists of 3 main parts (Activities). The main aim of the project is the 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.
The first part of the project (Activity 1) is focused on the preparation of a handbook dealing with damage caused by the Eurasian beaver. With the increasing size of the beaver population the frequency of conflicts has recently increased. The Czech Republic has no document that would offer methodological procedures to eliminate the damage already incurred, and preventive measures which would prevent damage caused by beavers. Concurrently there is not any comprehensive overview of economic instruments dealing with damage already incurred.
The aim of Activity 2 is to determine the current level of saturation of the most important and oldest populations of the Eurasian beaver in the Czech Republic. 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.
Activity 3 is concernet 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. 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.
More information about the project: http://bobr.webnode.cz