|
|
||||||||
|
|
|||||||
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
| |
||||||||
|
Beaver arrived to Finland right after the glacial period had ended. Mankind in stone age had already hunted for beavers. Later on, hunting became ever more efficient, for the sake of precious beaver fur. The efficiency of hunting is illustrated by the fact that already by the end of the 1700s the beaver stock had been significantly decimated in Southern Finland. Overhunting came to an end in the year of 1868, when the last beaver in Finland fell prey to hunters in Salla. Beaver became the first mammal species to be extirpated by Finns. A few decades later the wild forest reindeer was also lost, a species that in fact - much later though - returned to Finland by itself over the Eastern border. The persecution focusing on large predators and predator birds has continued up to the present day. In Finland, in the years from 1935 to ´37, European Beaver was reintroduced (the same species as the beavers that formerly lived in Finland in a natural state) and simultaneously also another species, Canadian Beaver was introduced. European beavers to be released were brought from Norway. European and Canadian Beaver resemble one another quite a lot. Originally, the formation of the Bering Strait separated the beaver stocks from each other, and they developed into species of their own. Beaver species were reintroduced simultaneously to the same areas, but in the competition the stronger one, Canadian Beaver has ousted the European. In Satakunta, among others in the Noormarkku-Pomarkku region there is only the original species to be met, European Beaver, that is. Beavers have succeeded well, and the overall beaver stock is estimated to consist of about 7000 individuals. The introduction of Canadian Beaver to Finland is an example of importing a species that is foreign and inappropriate to an area; a practice which is - based on modern consciousness - suspiciously referred to. A foreign species may cause unexpected changes in an ecosystem, which may be rather damaging. The environment has not been damaged more than by European Beaver, although when reconsidering, a reintroduction of the European Beaver would have been sufficient. European Beaver is classified in the list of threatened species as a species to be kept under observation. There are some 1000 individuals of European Beaver in Finland, and the majority of them is concentrated in the Noormarkku-Pomarkku region. In autumn, beaver activity increases when they collect for winter storing and build dams in ditches to regulate water levels. European beavers may cause harm by felling trees. However, it is mostly forbidden to demolish or even damage any dams by beavers. In the period from 15 th June to 15 th September demolishing dams is allowed with permission by the land owner. Translated from Finnish to English by Volford Péter. Sources: Noormarkun retkeilyreitin kohdeopas
|
