Groups of river beaver (Castor fiber) in the vicinity of the Kamin-kashirskyi city, Volyn region

Abstract

The research was conducted in the vicinity of the city of Kamin-Kashirskyi, Volyn region. The purpose of the work is  studying the ecological features of the river beaver on the territory of the outskirts of the city of Kamin-Kashirskyi. Based on the objective, the formula of research tasks is performed: to identify European beaver ettlements in the vicinity of the city of Kamin-Kashirskyi; to study the ecological and ethological features of this animal species in the studied area; to analyze the influence of the river beaver on the biogeocenosis of the outskirts of the city of Kamin-Kashirskyi. Six beaver settlements were found on the studied territory, one of them was abandoned. A dam has been built near each of them. In total, there are 6 living and 10 abandoned burrows in these settlements. According to our data, 10 river beavers live in the discovered settlements, although a significant number of abandoned burrows indicates that there were much more of them in the past. The reasons that forced the animals to migrate from the studied area are a decrease in the water level due to summer droughts and a lack of fodder. The feed base of the European beaver in the studied area in the summer is represented by a variety of grasses: sedge, cattail, reed, nettle, plantain, reed and others, and in winter - mainly branches and parts of the trunks of willow and aspen harvested in the fall. The consequences of beaver activity in the studied territories are mostly positive. Beaver ponds, which were formed during the construction of dams, led to an increase in species diversity in biocenoses. Waterlogging and flooding of the surrounding areas near the studied reservoir is not observed.

Animals cause some damage, hurting agricultural crops in the fields and gardens adjacent to the studied area.