Society for Conservation Biology Long-Term Population Development of a Reintroduced Beaver (Castor fiber) Population in Long-Term Population Development of a Reintroduced Beaver (Castor fiber) Population in Sweden

  • Author S
  • Hartman G
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Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. Abstract: Deliberate reintroductions of locally extermi-nated animal species to areas within their former ranges is an increasingly important conservation tool. Most reintro-ductions are fairly recent and still in an initial phase of population development. There are few long-term studies of reintroducedpopulations. The aim of this study was to see if the population development of the reintroduced European beaver (Castor fiber) population in Sweden exhibits the same pattern of population development as other introductions, in accordance with general theories, and to discuss possible management consequences. Since the European beaver was reintroduced to Sweden 70 years ago, the population has developed in a way predicted by the Riney-Caughley model for introduced ungulates, exhibiting an irruption and a sub-sequent decline. In two study areas, the rate of population increase (r) turned negative after 34 and 25 years and at densities of 0.25 and 0.20 colonies/km2, respectively. The data suggest that managementpolicy for an irruptive species should allow hunting during the rapid-increase phase, thus maintainingfood resources and avoiding uncontrolled pop-ulation decline. Desarrollo a largo plazo de unq pobaci6n reintroducida Castor (Castor fiber) en Suecia Resumen: Las reintroducciones deliberadas de espec animales exterminados enforma local en areas dentro antigua zona de distribuci6n es una manera de conserva-ci6n de importancia creciente. La mayor parte de las rein-troducciones son bastante recientes, y todavia estdn en una fase inicial del desarrollo poblacional. Ya que estudios re-alizados durante una larga temporada son escasos, no se sabe si se comportardn del mismo modo que otras especies reintroducidas. Elproposito de este estudio fue comprobar si el desarrollo poblacional de la poblaci6n de castor europeo (Castor fiber) reintroducido en Suecia exhibe el mismo pa-tr6n de desarrollo poblacional de otras introducciones, de acuerdo con teorias generales, y tambien discutir las posi-bles consecuencias para el manejo de especias reintroduci-das. El castor europeo fue reintroducido en Suecia hace 70 anos. En este estudio mostramos que la poblaci6n se ha desarrollado segutn lapredicci6n del modelo Riney-Caughley para ungulados inroducidos, mostrando una irrupcion y mds tarde una disminucion. Si se pone r observada, de dos areas estudiadas, en relaci6n con la temporada despues de la colonizacion y se ajustan las curvas a los datos, se obtienen modelos donde rpasa a ser negativa despues de34y 25 afos, y con densidades de 0.25 y 0.20 colonias/km2. Los datos sugieren que las estratejias de manejo de especie irruptivas deberian permitir la caza durante la fase del creciemento rdpido para mantener los recursos alimentarios, y tratar de evitar una declinacion problacional descontrolada 713 Conservation Biology, Pages 713-717

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Author, S., & Hartman, G. (1994). Society for Conservation Biology Long-Term Population Development of a Reintroduced Beaver (Castor fiber) Population in Long-Term Population Development of a Reintroduced Beaver (Castor fiber) Population in Sweden. Source: Conservation Biology, 882108120(3). Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2386513

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