CASE STUDY 1
Swedish Case Study
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.
RESTORATION &
INTERVENTION MEASURES
Nature restoration
Reforestations
Restoration of aquatic-terrestrial linkages
Wetland restoration
Restoration of wildlife corridors
Rewilding
hawk
owl
beaver
Public health interventions
Yes
ENVIRONMENTAL
SAMPLES
Reservoirs
rat
bat
reindeer
beaver
Vectors
mosquito
tick
Environment
water
soil/sediment
HUMAN
DIMENSION
Case Study Activities
In the Swedish Case Study Area, we study the expected increase in environmental biodiversity and potentially associated disease risk resulting from the restoration of riparian habitat by beavers. The study sites include areas in southern-central and northern Sweden. Biodiversity is partly studied in collaboration with Horizon Europe project MERLIN.
Using passive (e.g., sound and bat recorders and camera traps) and active monitoring (field sampling) techniques we aim to quantify biodiversity aspects that are relevant to explain pathogen prevalence in vectors (mosquitoes and ticks), reservoirs/reservoir hosts (small mammals and beaver) and the environment (water and soil). In the work, we also collaborate with local beaver hunters that provide tissue samples for pathogen analyses while they are using beavers as a natural resource.Expected outcome:1. Insight into the role of beavers as nature-based solution to the biodiversity crisis in Fennoscandia2. Beavers create species-rich communities that in line with the dilution effect decrease disease risk.