Current State, Environment-Forming Activity and Long-Term Forecast of Number Dynamics of Beavers (Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758) (Rodentia: Castoridae) in the Eastern Part of the Polistovo-Lovatskaya Bog System (Novgorod Oblast)

The results of a 20-year monitoring of beavers (Castor fiber) in the eastern part of the Polistovo-Lovatskaya bog system are presented. The animal’s and settlements spatial distributions across different types of water bodies are discussed, and the population density and the impact of beavers on the vegetation of the bog system on the northern and eastern borders of the Rdeysky State Nature Reserve are presented. The forecast of long-term dynamics of the beaver population indicates the maximum possible capacity of the environment in the Rdeysky Nature Reserve. Model estimates indicate that beavers will remain a permanent component of ecosystems for at least the next 200 years; hence, their impact on different components of ecosystems will continue.