It's All Interconnected!

The Water vole is a seriously endangered mammal in the UK. Its precarious position is down to wetland habitat loss and predators. Water voles have been especially decimated by American mink escapees, from now unfashionable fur farms. European beavers, reintroduced to a Scottish rainforest, have created habitat where Water voles can flourish (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jun/17/beavers-create-habitat-suitable-for-water-voles-in-scottish-rainforest). The extensive dam-making activities of the beavers, slows water flow. Rainforest, consequently, retains its water for longer. This reduces the chances of flooding in nearby, lower laying locations. It also, of course, creates habitat for Water voles to burrow into bank systems (their entrances are generally underwater). Beaver activity also makes it easier for Water voles to avoid detection by predators (like the mink). Beaver reintroduction will benefit a large number of species, associated with temperate rainforest. They should, consequently, be part of the preferred biota in such locations.