Sir, – I refer to Monday’s article featuring Chris Packham’s call for legal protection for beavers.
It was claimed there was evidence suggesting beavers may prevent flooding. The article cited a Stirling University study that “found their dams act like a sponge by storing then slowly releasing water”.
Actually, the Stirling report provides no such evidence.
One assertion theStirling report is definite about is “by building dams, beavers raise and stabilise water levels, thus maintaining asubmerged lodge orburrow entrance. This reduces predation risk while increasing access to inundated wooded riparian zones.”
This I find difficult to square with the notion of reducing downstream flooding by keeping the water in the uplands as, unless the beavers are obliging enough to empty their dams during periods of low rainfall, then any spare capacity has already been used up even before it starts to rain.
Furthermore, the raised water table increases the area ofpermanently saturated ground, thus the sponge the article speaks of is already soaked, resulting in even faster run off.
Finally, even theScottish NaturalHeritage report to the Government acknowledges that during periods of spate, these dams may wash away so water which would otherwise have already passed downstream is then added to the spate waters.
I would await evidence to the contrary, but from any objective position, when you think about it, rather than blandly accepting the assertion, I I think that beavers reducing downstream flooding is a myth.
Now before we all don helmets and retreat to our preconceived positions, it is important to remember this is not an animal issue; beavers will do what beavers do. It is a human issue and goes to the heart of what we want to do with ourcountryside.
There is a straightforward choice, not necessarily a simple one, but it boils down to arable farming in low-lying artificially managed areas or uncontrolled beavers. There cannot be both.
Just about rule number one in any wildlife reintroduction is to not undertake it in an area of maximum human-to-animal conflict.
An area top of such a list to avoid would be the Strathmore Valley.
These animals did not need to be here and their very presence is an actively human engineered result with all sorts of other ramifications which shine a light on the way our country is run.
Tayside is the lead area in this and the rest of the country will not thank us if they feel they have been bounced into an outcome over which they had no knowledge.
Euan Walker-Munro. Mains of Kinnettles, Forfar.
Role of Darwin’s grandfather
Sir, – With reference to your series of articles, Charles Darwin’s grandfather Erasmus deserves a mention in the controversy over PatrickMatthew (1790 to 1874).
Like Charles, he trained at Edinburgh Medical School.
The Scot, JamesHutton, the “father of modern geology”, had published his Theory of the Earth in 1795.
Erasmus Darwin expanded it in 1796 into an entire theory of nature in Zoonomia, or the Laws of Organic Life, suggesting that “all warm-blooded animals have arisen from oneliving filament”, and anticipating the survival of the fittest theory.
Charles Darwin refined that further, helped by anotherScottish geologist Sir Charles Lyell in On the Origin of Species (1859).
Moreover, JamesBurnett (Lord Monboddo, 1714 to 1799), another wide-ranging genius of the Scottish Enlightenment and friend of Burns and Boswell, previouslytheorised about natural selection.
Matthew probably knew that. ErasmusDarwin may have met him; he certainly knew of Monboddo’s work so it is probable that hisgrandson did too.
John Birkett. 12 Horseleys Park, St Andrews.
DNA setbackfor evolution
Sir, – It has been amusing to watch the disgraceful cat-fight betweenscientists over theTheory of Evolution. One has resorted to atrociouslanguage to defend the findings of CharlesDarwin.
Now if that is howevolutionists treateach other, imaginewhat they would do if someone dared tosuggest that CharlesDarwin was wrong. I am sure that will happen more and more when full details of the createdlanguage within DNA becomes more widely known.
Charles Wilson. King’s Road, Rosyth.
Trump may have right idea
Sir, – The latest reports from Brussels indicate that terrorists have killed at least 34 people and wounded many more, some with life-threatening injuries (March 23).
This is yet another massacre of innocents by religious maniacs.
The head of Interpol said that 5,000 jihadists are at large in theEuropean Union, having slipped in from Syria, with an estimated 700 now in the UnitedKingdom.
Jihadists find it too easy to infiltrate Europe posing as refugees and set up cells in no-go areas to plan attacks.
These Muslim no-go enclaves in Europeancities are breeding grounds for Islamicradicalism where the police and otherauthorities have to ask permission to enter.
Imams who tell usthat Islam is the religion of peace will, I trust, now vigorously call for the end of these divisive no-go areas in France, Germany, Sweden and Britain to help ensure the end of terrorist cells in Europe.
If they do not, then Europeans may agree that Donald Trump had the right idea.
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.
Don’t follow Dundee’s lead
Sir, – Perth is right to resist the demolition of its city hall.
Across Europe, cities have retained theirhistoric character by careful preservation and in some cases, reconstruction after wars.
We in Britain on the other hand, have always favoured the wrecking ball of demolition.
Dundee’s greatWilliam Adam Dundee town house was torn down.
In its place was built City Square which isseldom used and home to wind-blown litter.
I cannot believe that this is what the people of Perth wish to copy. I believe there is an appetite to find a new use for Perth City Hall.
A windy square in the middle of town would be out of keeping with a great city like Perth.
Bob Ferguson. North Muirton, Perth.
Square is way ahead for Perth
Sir, – If Perth and Kinross Council demolished the city hall when originally planned we would already have had several years of enjoyment of a civic square.
It is time that thecouncil, would-bedevelopers and Historic Scotland got real, and accepted the building has no future. I cannot be the only one who, even in better times, considered the building to behideously ugly.
On top of that we now have an aura of neglect. This applies also to the degenerating surrounding streets and pavements, which clearly will not be fixed whileuncertainty remains.
Arthur Davis. The Haining, Atholl Park, Dunkeld.
Keep traffic out of city centre
Sir, – With reference to the calls for Dundeecity centre to be re-opened to motor traffic, many of us appreciate that there is at least some space where we canwander without being molested by cars.
It is peaceful and,contrary to what some claim, I am sure itfacilitates rather than discourages shopping.
Antony Black. 79 Blackness Avenue, Dundee.
Businesses in charity guise?
Sir, – Dundee City Council is making reductions in grants to charities. Surely these organisations can use theirvolunteers to fundraise?
Or are they businesses who employ staff and who pretend to be voluntary, in order to make use of the tax breaks?
I am a director of a charitable organisation.
We have no paid staff and raise all of our funds.
None of our volunteers, receive any remuneration or expenses.
Perhaps some other local charities shouldfollow our lead.
Steve Pegg. 8 Davan Place, Broughty Ferry.