Patterns of population dynamics of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.) after reintroduction into nature reserves of the European part of Russia

Abstract

This paper presents the results of analysis of the population dynamics of Eurasian beaver after its reintroduction into the Lapland, Darvinsky, Central-Forest, Prioksko-Terrasnyi, Oksky, and Khopersky natural reserves that are located in European Russia in the northern, southern and central parts of the beaver range. The paper analyzes the effectiveness of a discrete time model that includes a feedback between animals and their food resources for the quantitative description of the population dynamics in the optimal, suboptimal, and pessimal habitats. It is shown that the beaver population dynamics demonstrates four grows types (patterns): the eruptive type (Lapland Reserve); single-stage type with a quasi-periodic oscillation (Prioksko-Terrasnyi Reserve), multi-stage type with quasi-periodic oscillations (Darvinsky, Central-Forest, and Khopersky reserves) and the logistic curve of population growth with periodic oscillations around it (Oksky Reserve). The biotic and abiotic factors that determine these types of animal population dynamics are discussed.