PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Enter the heroes of countless cartoons and nature films: the dam-building, plump beaver (Castor fiber) who fells trees, dwells in lodges and is a strict vegetarian, and the playful, supple otter (Lutra lutra), an athletic hunter who enjoys his fish snacks and uses his droppings to plant the flag all over his territory. In real life unfortunately, both of them were nearly exterminated in central Europe in the past as a result of persecution and habitat loss. Along the middle Elbe they still held out, in Lower Saxony for instance: a remnant of 30-50 otters and about 15 beavers in the mid-1990s. In spite of their very divergent lifestyles, both urgently needed the same thing: resting areas, foraging sites and breeding locations undisturbed by humans.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the project was to stabilize the otter population and to support the beaver's attempts to recolonize Lower Saxony, which only started a few years before the project. The lack of natural vegetation along the river banks, of copses and of soft- and hardwood floodplain forests, was one of the principal factors inhibiting the expansion of both species. The Elbe floodplains had essentially been converted to monotonous pasture all the way to the water's edge. Therefore, land in agricultural use located near the river would be bought and developed as habitats suitable for the two species. In all, about 80 hectares were to be purchased and either left to natural succession, or planted with trees to kick off the regeneration of floodplain forests, or converted to bare soil near the river to allow colonization by willow thickets. Close collaboration between the conservation authorities, the services responsible for managing rivers and watercourses and the regional forest administration would be required to implement this programme. In terms of content and geographic location, the project supplemented the 1995 LIFE project "Saving alluvial landscapes along the Elbe".
RESULTS
Detailed site maps and recommendations for actions were already existing, so only further talks and negotiations with relevant authorities and farmers were necessary to start the project. These contacts, especially with the water authorities, were close throughout the project duration. Land purchase took place near the lands that were already in public ownership, in order to create even bigger sites. Altogether 86 ha were bought. As beaver and otter prefer to only venture 20 m from water, the project focused on a 20 metres wide band along watercourses. Sections outside this band were leased to local farmers with contractual obligations to adhere to ecological requirements and with financial support from agri-environment funds. This would create an extensively-used meadow buffer zone between the alluvial forest and the arable land, benefiting the bird population. A floodplain forest for beavers was planted, using 26,000 tree saplings. Because of technical objections from the water authorities, dense forest was not allowed to be planted everywhere - only individual trees and small groups in places. In addition to initial planting actions, six large ponds were excavated and the land around them was remodeled. An experiment to see if elms would germinate naturally on soil stripped of its vegetation cover failed because dense grass grew up and smothered the fragile elm seedlings. Annual inventories and regular monitoring was done. Although no exact figures could be given for the elusive otters, the beaver population increased from 41 to 83 within the project's 4 year duration.Detailed site maps and recommendations for actions were already existing, so only further talks and negotiations with relevant authorities and farmers were necessary to start the project. These contacts, especially with the water authorities, were close throughout the project duration. Land purchase took place near the lands that were already in public ownership, in order to create even bigger sites. Altogether 86 ha were bought. As beaver and otter prefer to only venture 20 m from water, the project focused on a 20 metres wide band along watercourses. Sections outside this band were leased to local farmers with contractual obligations to adhere to ecological requirements and with financial support from agri-environment funds. This would create an extensively-used meadow buffer zone between the alluvial forest and the arable land, benefiting the bird population. A floodplain forest for beavers was planted, using 26,000 tree saplings. Because of technical objections from the water authorities, dense forest was not allowed to be planted everywhere - only individual trees and small groups in places. In addition to initial planting actions, six large ponds were excavated and the land around them was remodeled. An experiment to see if elms would germinate naturally on soil stripped of its vegetation cover failed because dense grass grew up and smothered the fragile elm seedlings. Annual inventories and regular monitoring was done. Although no exact figures could be given for the elusive otters, the beaver population increased from 41 to 83 within the project's 4 year duration.