Published In
Journal of Urban Ecology
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2026
Subjects
Beavers -- ecology, Urban Landscapes, Urban Beavers
Abstract
Urban beavers provide ecological benefits, yet their presence in cities can generate visible tensions related to flooding, infrastructure, and land use. This study examined how perceptions of beaver impacts, endorsement of management practices, ecological knowledge of beavers, and legal protection preferences varied across sociodemographic and spatial factors at three sites along an urbanisation gradient using a voluntary survey of 180 respondents. Overall sentiment toward beavers varied significantly by site context and length of residence. Respondents at the peri-urban site (37.3% developed land cover) reported more positive perceptions than those at the urban site (96.5% developed land cover). Respondents who had resided in the area for at least five years also reported more positive sentiment than those who had resided there for less than five years. In contrast, simple distance measures to water or green space were not associated with overall perceptions. Support for coexistence-enabling practices was generally high, whereas endorsement of beaver-limiting strategies was comparatively lower. Liberals had substantially lower odds of selecting beaver-limiting strategies than conservatives. Preferences for strong legal protection increased sharply with more positive overall perception, while ecological knowledge and management endorsement did not independently predict legal protection. Open-ended responses also reflected the urbanisation gradient across sites. Flooding and infrastructure concerns were raised most frequently at the urban site, while ecological benefits were more frequently noted at the peri-urban and the wildlife refuge site. These findings suggest that affect, political orientation, and experiential landscape context, rather than proximity alone, structure public perceptions toward urban beavers.
Rights
Copyright (c) 2026 The Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
DOI
10.1093/jue/juag020
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/45342
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Citation Details
Guziejka, M., & Chang, H. (2026). Urban beavers at the crossroads: understanding public perceptions and coexistence preferences across urban landscapes. Journal of Urban Ecology, 12(1).