Beaversarerepresentedbytwoextantspecies,theEurasianbeaver(Castorfiber)andtheNorthAmericanbeaver(Castorcanadensis);eachhasplayedasignificantroleinhumanhistoryanddominatedwetlandecologyinthenorthernhemisphere.Theirbehaviourandecologybothfascinateandperhapseveninfuriate,butseeminglyneverfailtoamaze.Bothspecieshavefollowedsimilarhistoriesfromrelentlesspersecutiontothevergeofextinction(largelythroughhunting),followedbytheirsubsequentrecoveryandactiverestorationwhichisviewedbymanyasamajorconservationsuccessstory.BeavershavenowbeenreintroducedthroughoutEuropeandNorthAmerica,demonstratingthattheirroleasakeystoneengineerisnowwidelyrecognisedwithprovenabilitiestoincreasethecomplexityandbiodiversityoffreshwaterecosystems.Whatanimalsotherthanhumanscansimultaneouslyactasengineers,forestworkers,carpenters,masons,creatorsofhabitats,andnaturemanagers?Overthelast20years,therehasbeenahugeincreaseinthenumberofscientificpaperspublishedontheseremarkablecreatures,andanauthoritativesynthesisisnowtimely.Thisaccessibletextgoesbeyondtheirnaturalhistorytodescribetheimpactsonhumans,conflictmitigation,animalhusbandry,management,andconservation.Beavers:Ecology,Behaviour,Conservation,andManagementisanaccessiblereferenceforabroadaudienceofprofessionalacademics(especiallycarnivoreandmammalianbiologists),researchersandgraduatestudents,governmentalandnon-governmentalwildlifebodies,andamateurnaturalhistoriansintriguedbythesewildanimalsandtheextraordinaryprocessesofnaturetheyexemplify.
