Overview

• Researchers documented beaver-driven patch dynamics in the Evo region of southern Finland over more than five decades, tracking how dams and flooding reshaped the landscape.
• The study, led by Sonja Kivinen and Petri Nummi, was published on August 28, 2025 in Science of The Total Environment (DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180341).
• Beaver-modified areas included new and old inundated sites and meadows formed after flooding, creating a mosaic of habitats at different successional stages.
• A habitat suitability index for multiple species groups increased almost tenfold, indicating broader biodiversity potential and improved habitat connectivity.
• The authors cite benefits for species such as moose, voles, and diving beetles, and call for continued long-term monitoring as beavers recolonize parts of Europe where they were once hunted to extinction.