ALT The latest beaver research at a glance Three new insights

ALT New research from Europe has found that beavers have a positive impact on firefly numbers! Firefly populations are in decline, and they rely on wetland habitats. The study compared wetland habitats with and without beavers and found that the beaver-engineered wetland areas were home to a greater abundance of fireflies (particularly males) across two species in Italy and Slovakia. The authors suggest that the diverse mosaic of wetlands beavers create, and the moisture they retain, help to facilitate the firefly populations. A series of box and whisker charts showing higher firefly abundance in beaver habitats. Ancillotto, L., Papajova, I., Ihnacik, L. et al. Lantern bearers and beavers: ecosystem engineers foster abundance of fireflies along European rivers.

ALT Beavers and nitrates in a rewilded system Agricultural runoff can increase nitrate (NO3−) levels in our waterways, and these nitrates can stay in the environment for decades. Researchers compared nitrate levels -and the rate of nitrate removal- in waterways with and without beavers at Knepp estate, a former farm -turned rewilding project. Beaver ponds and areas downstream of them had higher rates of nitrate removal than upstream and control sites. “Results show that stream reaching downstream of beaver activity contain sediments that have a greater ability to facilitate biological removal of NO3− in a low-nutrient rewilded system.” Cacioppo, J., Chadwick, M.A. & Bury, N.R. Beavers affect nitrate storage and transformation at the sediment–water interface. 2026

ALT Impacts of beavers in internationally important peatlands “Analysis showed a delayed onset of drought effects, shorter surface-water drought duration, reduced groundwater drawdown and more gradual rates of water table decline and recovery in the beaver enclosure compared with control sites. These results indicate that beaver-induced hydrological modifications increase peatland water retention and resilience to drought, with potential downstream effects beyondthe enclosure boundary." Baker, M., M. Cousins, and P. Stockley. 2026. “ Natural Drought Mitigation: Hydrological Impacts of Beavers in Internationally Important Peatlands.”