The Impacts of Beaver Dams on Groundwater Regime and Habitat 6510

Ryszard Oleszczuk, Sławomir Bajkowski, Janusz Urbański, Bogumiła Pawluśkiewicz, Marcin J. Małuszyński, Ilona Małuszyńska, Jan Jadczyszyn and Edyta Hewelke ()
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Ryszard Oleszczuk: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Sławomir Bajkowski: Institute of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Janusz Urbański: Institute of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Bogumiła Pawluśkiewicz: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Marcin J. Małuszyński: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Ilona Małuszyńska: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Jan Jadczyszyn: Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation—State Research Institute (IUNG-BIP), 24-100 Puławy, Poland
Edyta Hewelke: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: 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 m 2 . 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.

Keywords: organic soils; subject of protection; natural habitat; ecosystem services; nature-based solution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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