Beavers quietly reshaping Scotland’s wildlife
Beavers are quietly transforming parts of Scotland’s countryside. New research from the University of Stirling suggests they may be rescuing some of the nation’s most threatened pollinators in the process.
A study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology has revealed that natural wetlands created by beavers support far more butterflies and hoverflies than human-made ponds. With Scotland’s pollinators facing decades of decline, the findings point to an unexpected, and already active, ally in the fight to restore biodiversity.
A dramatic difference in pollinator numbers
Researchers compared beaver-made wetlands with human-made ponds at Bamff Wildland in Perthshire and nearby farms. Surveying pollinators throughout spring and summer, the results were striking. Beaver wetlands were home to 29 per cent more hoverfly species, 119 per cent more individual hoverflies, and 45 per cent more butterflies. For lead researcher Patrick Cook, a PhD student at Stirling and Senior Ecologist at Butterfly Conservation, the implications are clear.
“Pollinators are undergoing widespread and dramatic declines,” he said. “We urgently need methods to reverse these trends. Beaver wetlands provide a scalable, natural solution — but landowners need to be incentivised to keep them.”
A gap between policy and ecology
Despite the ecological benefits, UK agri-environment schemes still tend to reward the construction of artificial ponds rather than the maintenance of naturally formed beaver wetlands. Cook argues this approach doesn’t reflect the evidence emerging from sites like Bamff.
“This position needs to change if we are to benefit from the buzz, flutter and hum of pollinators that beaver wetlands promote,” he said.
The research team didn’t just count species; they observed how pollinators used the flowers around each site. Beaver wetlands offered richer and more varied foraging opportunities — something that may be increasingly important as climate pressures intensify.
Why removing dams removes benefits
Professor Nigel Willby, Professor of Freshwater Science at the University of Stirling, warns that removing beaver dams risks undoing those gains.
“For every beaver dam removed, a beaver wetland dies,” he said. “And with it go a multitude of benefits – including for pollinators.”
At Bamff Wildland, where beavers have been shaping the landscape for more than two decades, the findings ring true on the ground.
“This brilliant new research shows once again that beavers are vital to the agricultural landscape as well as to biodiversity in general,” said estate manager Sophie Ramsay.
Beavers as partners in Scotland’s nature recovery
With support for beaver reintroductions growing across Scotland, the study adds weight to the argument that these animals aren’t just reshaping waterways, they are helping revive Scotland’s shrinking populations of butterflies, hoverflies and other vital pollinators.
Whether loved or loathed, Scotland’s beavers are shaping the landscape in ways that matter. For now, the country’s smallest pollinators may have their busiest engineers to thank.
Featured Image Credit: University of Stirling
