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Leś. Pr. Bad., 2009, Vol. 70 (4): 363–371.
Wpływ stawów bobrowych na zasoby wodne zlewni na przykładzie
badań w Nadleśnictwie Browsk
The impact of beaver ponds on water resources in the catchment area in
the Browsk Forest District – a case study
Andrzej Boczoń1, Michał
Wróbel1, Valentyn
Syniaiev2
1Instytut Badawczy Leśnictwa, Sękocin Stary, ul. Braci
Leśnej 3, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland;
Fax +48 22 7150539; e-mail A.Boczon@ibles.waw.pl
2Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry & Forest
Melioration, Pushkinska St. 86, 61024 Kharkiv, Ukraine
Abstract. The aim of the research was to estimate
changes in the water resources in a river valley after the construction
of reservoirs in the framework of the small-scale water retention
program and dams on watercourses by beavers. A comparison of beaver
ponds and reservoirs was made to show their effectiveness in increasing
water resources. The research was conducted on watercourses running
through the territory of the Browsk Forest District in the Białowieża
Primeval Forest. Measurements of the depth of groundwater levels were
carried out on study plots established in 2004 being under the impact
of artificial dams and those made by beavers. The measurement results
enabled determination of the volume of stored water and raising the
groundwater level on the land adjoining the flooded areas. The research
confirmed that beaver ponds created as a result of expanding the
existing man-made hydrotechnical structures have markedly larger area
and store more water. On the other hand, the advantage of man-made
reservoirs is that they are being constructed for a specific purpose so
that their impact on the environment can be planned. In areas where the
population of beavers is high, water retention caused by them should be
sufficient in those sections of watercourses where water flows all year
long. The human activity aimed to increase water retention should take
place in those fragments of watercourses where water flows seasonally,
especially in headwater areas.
Key words: European beaver, small-scale retention, Białowieża Primeval Forest.
