In September 2023 and May 2024 a resurvey of the wetland invertebrate interest of Hatchmere SSSI and the adjacent Beaver compound in the Delamere Forest of Cheshire was conducted by Dave Bentley Entomology and Ecology Services for the Tanyptera Project, in support of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. This survey was carried out in the years following the Beaver introduction of 2020; after the Beavers had modified their new surroundings.
The pre-introduction survey was undertaken by Dave Bentley Entomology and Ecology Services in August and October 2019 and in March 2020. The original survey was designed to provide a baseline aquatic and wetland invertebrate survey against which the effects of a proposed Beaver introduction project could be measured over time.
The commission was guided by two questions:
Q 1 What will be the impact on aquatic and wetland invertebrates of the Beaver introduction on the downstream wetland SSSI of Hatchmere?
A1 There is no evidence in a reduction in water quality, or an improvement in water quality, using aquatic and wetland invertebrates.
Q 2 What will the impact on aquatic and wetland invertebrates of the Beaver introduction on the Beaver compound where the Beavers will modify the habitat?
A2 The Beavers area (at least that part surveyed) appears to support more invertebrate species, and more species of importance, due in varying parts to activity of Beavers, and activity of humans.
488 invertebrate taxa have been identified in this 2023-24 survey at Hatchmere/Beavers (482 in 2019/20 and 707 both surveys combined). This is a good but not outstanding total for a late summer survey of basically three ponds, two streams and a ditch and adjacent marshland/mossland.
Published January 2025
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