Restoration programme for Natura 2000 fen areas in the Netherlands
The central objective of the LIFE project is to restore, improve and/ or enlarge the area of fen habitats, with an emphasis on the young successional fen stages (including water vegetations). The project is performed in seven different fen areas in the lower parts of the Netherlands, being the Natura 2000 sites Rottige Meente, De Wieden, Naardermeer, Oostelijke Vechtplassen, Botshol, Nieuwkoopse Plassen and Wormer- en Jisperveld.
The proposed measures aim at the following habitats:
After carrying out the measures abovementioned habitats are restored or expected to develop on the short to medium term. On the long term also Bog woodland (H91D0*) is served as this habitat type can develop from these young habitats.
Additionally many characteristic fen species associated with the target habitats, both flora and fauna (e.g. root vole and large copper), benefit from the measures.
To achieve the project objectives many measures have to be performed. The main activities are:
The measures reduce the area of older successional stages and increase the area of young successional stages. By this the measures highly add to restoration and enlargement of young fen habitats and by that to cyclical rejuvenation.
The measures mean direct restoration/ quality improvement or short to medium term enlargement of target habitats.
The outputs per project area for the different habitats in hectares are:
Direct restoration/ quality improvement
H3140 and H3150 and H7140A/B are mostly mentioned together since these habitats often occur together at app. the same locations or in a small scale, mosaic-like situation. Thus it is often hard to distinguish the exact hectares with restoration/ quality improvement.
Enlargement
* Moreover 3611 m. ditches are created or restored and 2970 m wood is removed along ditches to serve different habitats.
The exact direction of development is not always predictable by creating new possibilities for habitats, e.g. in case of digging peat holes. Also, most habitats succeed each other in the succession process. In situations like this the areas of enlargement are totalled.