engleski

The activity of European beavers (Castor fiber L.) in young pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) forests

Beaver were brought into Posavina part of Croatia in the period from 1996 to 1998. The research of their influence on lowland forests was carried out in March 2003 in the young pedunculate oak forests (Quercus robur L.), and included the analysis of numbers of damaged trees and bushes, the presence of certain plant species in the field and measuring the height of damages and diameter under the damaged place. The beaver activity on a transect 250 m long, put 15 m from the coast and parallel with the water course inhabited by beavers was also determined. The percentage of damaged trees and bushes was carried out on the sample of 1648 plants analysed on seven transects, while 200 plants were used as samples for measuring the height of damages and the diameter under the place of damages. The following plant species were determined: Corylus avellana L., Cornus sanguinea L., Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl., Ulmus campestris L., Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaerth., Carpinus betulus L., Rhamnus catharticus L., Crataegus nigra Waldst. et Kit., Euonymus europaeus L., Quercus robur L. and Pyrus pyraster Burgsd. 75, 212% of plants were undamaged. The most frequently damaged species was C. avellana. Most plants were damaged on the height between 30 and 40 cm, and the diameter on the place of the damage was from two to four cm.

beaver (Castor fiber L.); Croatia; lowland forests; activity; damage

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