CASE STUDY 1

The Swedish case study focuses on rewilding. Beavers are acknowledged as a nature-based solution to the biodiversity crisis in Fennoscandia. As ecosystem engineers, and especially via their dam-building, beavers promote aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. However, we have limited knowledge on the role of beavers and beaver habitats in either mitigation or amplification of disease risk. What role do the more than 120 000 beavers in Sweden have in various vector-borne and zoonotic diseases? An additional important aspect that we address is the role of owls as sentinels of zoonotic diseases.