A Review on Eurasian Otters in Urban Areas: Principles for the Enhancement of Biodiversity
Eurasian otters, as apex predators in freshwater ecosystems, are crucial to maintaining nutrient cycling and habitat stability. Although Eurasian otters prefer unaltered natural habitats, their adaptive and opportunistic behavior allows them to occupy suboptimal environments, including urbanized are...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| author | Connor Lee Xiaofeng Luan |
| author_facet | Connor Lee Xiaofeng Luan |
| author_sort | Connor Lee |
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| description | Eurasian otters, as apex predators in freshwater ecosystems, are crucial to maintaining nutrient cycling and habitat stability. Although Eurasian otters prefer unaltered natural habitats, their adaptive and opportunistic behavior allows them to occupy suboptimal environments, including urbanized areas. As urbanization increases, the pressure on apex carnivores like the Eurasian otter will continue to grow. To date, urban stream restoration plans have not used the Eurasian otter as a keystone species, but given their influence across the trophic levels, Eurasian otter-focused restoration plans could enhance otter populations and overall biodiversity in urban areas. Here, we lay out six principles designed as a template for enhancing urban habitats for Eurasian otters as well as biodiversity. The principles (enhancing habitat structure complexity, restoring natural riparian vegetation and habitats, safeguarding water quality, providing native prey species, reducing otter mortality, and promoting positive public perception) are essential for urban ecosystem regeneration focused on Eurasian otters. Although there have been no urban restoration projects specifically tailored toward Eurasian otters, initiatives based on similar principles have been effective in promoting biodiversity and otter presence. Overall, an urban habitat restoration plan focused on Eurasian otters will not just increase otter presence but biodiversity across all trophic levels. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
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| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj-art-39b96b8df78e4ccf946b6825abc87cb22025-08-20T03:47:53ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182025-05-0117535610.3390/d17050356A Review on Eurasian Otters in Urban Areas: Principles for the Enhancement of BiodiversityConnor Lee0Xiaofeng Luan1School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Tsinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Tsinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, ChinaEurasian otters, as apex predators in freshwater ecosystems, are crucial to maintaining nutrient cycling and habitat stability. Although Eurasian otters prefer unaltered natural habitats, their adaptive and opportunistic behavior allows them to occupy suboptimal environments, including urbanized areas. As urbanization increases, the pressure on apex carnivores like the Eurasian otter will continue to grow. To date, urban stream restoration plans have not used the Eurasian otter as a keystone species, but given their influence across the trophic levels, Eurasian otter-focused restoration plans could enhance otter populations and overall biodiversity in urban areas. Here, we lay out six principles designed as a template for enhancing urban habitats for Eurasian otters as well as biodiversity. The principles (enhancing habitat structure complexity, restoring natural riparian vegetation and habitats, safeguarding water quality, providing native prey species, reducing otter mortality, and promoting positive public perception) are essential for urban ecosystem regeneration focused on Eurasian otters. Although there have been no urban restoration projects specifically tailored toward Eurasian otters, initiatives based on similar principles have been effective in promoting biodiversity and otter presence. Overall, an urban habitat restoration plan focused on Eurasian otters will not just increase otter presence but biodiversity across all trophic levels.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/5/356Eurasian ottersurbanhabitat enhancementriparian habitat |
| spellingShingle | Connor Lee Xiaofeng Luan A Review on Eurasian Otters in Urban Areas: Principles for the Enhancement of Biodiversity Diversity Eurasian otters urban habitat enhancement riparian habitat |
| title | A Review on Eurasian Otters in Urban Areas: Principles for the Enhancement of Biodiversity |
| title_full | A Review on Eurasian Otters in Urban Areas: Principles for the Enhancement of Biodiversity |
| title_fullStr | A Review on Eurasian Otters in Urban Areas: Principles for the Enhancement of Biodiversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Review on Eurasian Otters in Urban Areas: Principles for the Enhancement of Biodiversity |
| title_short | A Review on Eurasian Otters in Urban Areas: Principles for the Enhancement of Biodiversity |
| title_sort | review on eurasian otters in urban areas principles for the enhancement of biodiversity |
| topic | Eurasian otters urban habitat enhancement riparian habitat |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/5/356 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT connorlee areviewoneurasianottersinurbanareasprinciplesfortheenhancementofbiodiversity AT xiaofengluan areviewoneurasianottersinurbanareasprinciplesfortheenhancementofbiodiversity AT connorlee reviewoneurasianottersinurbanareasprinciplesfortheenhancementofbiodiversity AT xiaofengluan reviewoneurasianottersinurbanareasprinciplesfortheenhancementofbiodiversity |