Research on the impact of management actions on beaver behaviour

The construction of burrows and tunnel systems by beavers poses a risk of damage to dikes and possible flooding of the areas behind them. This raises the question of how great these risks are and to what extent they can be managed. In 2020 we published a first report on habitat use by beavers and the possible implications for damage management. In 2022, reinforcement works are planned on a dike along the Durme in Lokeren, where beavers live. This projects aims to follow up on habitat use of these beavers by using VHF-telemetry before and after the works planned.