Beavers in anthropogenic landscapes: a Blessing or a Burden?

The beaver is back again in the Netherlands. The diligent ecosystem engineer enriches the low-lying, water-rich, and densely populated landscape for both nature and humans but can also get in the way of people’s engineering plans, resulting in problems. The challenge lies in simultaneously wanting to enjoy beavers and continuing to guarantee safety. For that balance, more knowledge is needed about the effects of beavers in the unique Dutch landscape, both on nature and on humans, and how to deal with this. Together, this study lays the foundation for an envisioned future in which humans and beavers coexist peacefully and sustainably.