The Scottish Beaver Trial Monitoring Programme

We have produced a Monitoring Programme  for the trial which sets out why we need to monitor, how we will work with other organisations and what sort of work is being done.

Who's monitoring the trial?

We've listed below the monitoring projects we're leading on in collaboration with our Independent Monitoring Partners:

• Beaver ecology - in partnership with the University of Oxford 
• Riparian mammals - in partnership with the University of Oxford 
• Fish ecology - in partnership with the Argyll Fisheries Trust 
• Dragonflies and damselflies - in partnership with the British Dragonfly Society 
• Woodland habitat - in partnership with The James Hutton Institute     (previously called the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute)
• Aquatic plants - in partnership with the University of Stirling 
• River habitat - in partnership with the University of Stirling 
• Hydrology - in partnership with the University of Stirling 
• Socio-economics - in partnership with the Scotland's Rural College  (previously called the Scottish Agricultural College)

A number of other monitoring projects are being led by these independent organisations:

• Beaver health - Led by the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies 
• Water chemistry - Led by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency 
• Public health - Led by Argyll and Bute Council   
• Archaeology - Led by Historic Scotland 

Reports on the monitoring of the Trial

We will publish the reports that come out of the monitoring process, and details of any other types of outputs (such as scientific papers). Here are the reports that we have published so far, in chronological order and with the most recent ones first:

2013 publications

• Moore, B.D., Sim, D.A. & Iason, G.R. (2013).  The Scottish Beaver Trial: Woodland monitoring 2011. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 462.

2012 publications

• Moran, D. & Hanley-Nickolls,R. (2012).  The Scottish Beaver Trial: Socio-economic monitoring - First report 2011. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.482.
• Harrington, L.A., Feber, R. & Macdonald, D.W. (2012). The Scottish Beaver Trial: Ecological monitoring of the European beaver Castor fiber and other riparian mammals - Second Annual Report 2011. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 510 (iBids No. 7062).

2011 publications

• Perfect, C. & Gilvear, D (2011).  The Scottish Beaver Trial: Collection of fluvial geomorphology and the river habitat data 2010. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 489.
• Kettle-White, A.H.J., MacIntyre, C.M., Stanworth, H.A. & Donnelly, A. on behalf of the Argyll Fisheries Trust (2011).  The Scottish Beaver Trial: Survey of fish populations 2009. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.467 (iBids No.7062).
• Moore, B.D., Sim, D. & Iason, G.R. (2011). The Scottish Beaver Trial: Woodland monitoring 2010. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 462 (iBids No. 7062).
• Willby, N.J., Casas Mulet, R. & Perfect, C. (2011).  The Scottish Beaver Trial: Monitoring and further baseline survey of the aquatic and semi-aquatic macrophytes of the lochs 2009. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 455 (iBids No. 7062).
• Harrington, L.A., Feber, R. & Macdonald, D.W. (2011).  The Scottish Beaver Trial: Ecological monitoring of the European beaver Castor fiber and other riparian mammals - First Annual Report 2010. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 450 (iBids No. 7062).

2010 publications

• Argyll Fisheries Trust (2010).  The Scottish Beaver Trial: Survey of fish populations 2008. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 399 (iBids No. 7062).
• Moore, B.D., Iason, G.R. & Sim, D. (2010).  The Scottish Beaver Trial: Woodland monitoring 2009. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 393 (iBids No. 7062).
• Gilvear, D. & Casas-Mulet, R. (2010). The Scottish Beaver Trial: Collection of fluvial geomorphology and river habitat baseline data 2008. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 392 (iBids No. 7062).
• Willby, N.J. & Casas-Mulet (2010).  The Scottish Beaver Trial: Baseline survey of the aquatic and semi-aquatic macrophytes of the lochs 2008. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 391 (iBids No. 7062).
• Campbell, R.D., Feber, R., Macdonald, D.W., Gaywood, M.J. & Batty, D. (2010).  The Scottish Beaver Trial: Ecological monitoring of the European beaver Castor fiber and other riparian mammals - Initial methodological protocols 2009. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 383 (iBids No. 7062).

Historic Scotland have also published a report:

• Cavers, G. (2009).  Loch Coille-Bharr crannog condition survey. Report produced by AOC Archaeology Group on behalf of Historic Scotland.

Some earlier reports on work done at Knapdale

We also published some earlier reports on Knapdale when the possible release of beavers was first being considered. They weren't produced as part of this current Trial, but some of the information is still relevant:

• Armstrong, H M, Poulsom, L, Simson, P, Wilson, J, and Tracy, D (2004).  Testing methods for monitoring beaver impacts on terrestrial vegetation in Knapdale. SNH Commissioned Report 26, Battleby.
• Morrison, A (2004).  Trial re-introduction of the European beaver to Knapdale: public health monitoring 2001-3. SNH Commissioned Report 77, Battleby.
• Rushton, S, South, A, and Lurz, P (2002).  Predicting the outcome of a proposed re-introduction of the European beaver Castor fiber at Knapdale, Argyll. SNH Commissioned Report F022AC327, Battleby.