LIFE Dutch Dune

Revival:Voorne

andGoeree

Contents

• Introduction: threats & causes

• Dune restoration project

• Preparation: data gathering, map drawing, calculations, permits

• Preparation: work descriptions, project management

• Implementation: actions and methods

• Future management

• Communication (by Ted Sluijter)

• First results: an impression

• Conclusions

Introduction: threats & causes

• Calcareous dune areas very valuable, also on an

international scale. High biodiversity in dune

grasslands, shrublands and humid dune slacks.

• Threat: strong decline in the past decades of the

open and dynamic dune landscape.

• Threat: rapid vegetation succession: loss of dune

grasslands, dune slacks and accompanying

species.

• Causes: reduced dynamics (coastal defence),

collapsing rabbit populations, nitrogen

deposition, vegetation succession.

Introduction: threats & causes

•(h

a)

5 sub areas:

Voornes Duin

• Waterbos 2011

• Stekelhoek 2013

• Quackjeswater 2013

Duinen van Goeree

• Vuurtoren 2011

• Strand Noord 2013

Dune restoration project

Preparation: data analysis, map drawing

Historical data • target species

• target habitats

Current distribution• species and habitats

Abiotics• hydrology

• seepage

• humus layer

Data essential for• choice of measures and locations

• t=0

• preparation of maps

• implementation of measures

Preparation: map drawing, calculations

Designation of locations and measures:

• What?

• Where

• How much?

• When?

Ecological protocol:

• Current values

• N2000 habitats and species

• Other species

• Vulnerable situations

• Mitigation and improvement

Preparation: permits

Flora and Fauna Law

Nature Protection Law

Environmental Law

Forest Law

…and others

Furthermore:

Explosives,

transport routes

etc.

Preparation: work descriptions and project management

External expertise: Eelerwoude

• Technical work descriptions and maps

• Permits

• Tender procedure

• Co-supervision on the implementation

Implementation: actions and methods

• Humid dune slacks: sod-cutting

• Dune grasslands: mowing

• Shrubs and trees: removal

• Start: October 2011

• End: March 2014

Habitat type Before LIFE (hectares) After LIFE (hectares) Difference (hectares)

H0000 (No habitat type) 1244,79 1183,52 -61,27

H2110 (Embryonic shifting dunes) 5,02 5,02 0,00

H2120 (White dunes) 2,53 4,16 1,62

H2130 (Grey dunes) 16,32 119,35 103,03

H2160 (Dunes with Hippophae rhamnoides) 72,63 18,67 -53,97

H2180 (Dune forest) 24,35 20,62 -3,73

H2190 (Humid dune slacks) 1,43 18,72 17,29

Sub area Waterbos Voornes Duin

• Very wet conditions

• Rapid expansion of shrubland and forest

• Small remnants of

– dune slacks

– calcareous dune grasslands

• Aspen colonization

Waterbos Actions

• Shrub and tree removement

• 56 ha dune grasslands H2130

• Sod cutting

• 16 hectares of humid dune slacks H2190

• 22.000 m3

• Burried in coastal defense zone

• 5,5 kilometers of fencing

Waterbos Main Improvements

• Connection with other dune restoration project

– exchange of species

– connected landscape (H2130)

• More landscape dynamics

• Humid dune slacks (H2190)

• Target species (a.o.):

– bog pimpernel (Anagallis tenella)

– variegated horsetail (Equisetum variegatum)

– fen orchid (Liparis loeselli).

Sub area Vuurtoren Duinen van Goeree

• Very dry circumstances

• Calcareous dune grasslands

• Rapid increase of shrubland

• Still lots of good quality dune

grasslands

Vuurtoren Actions

• Shrub removal: 13 ha

• Mowing of rough dune

grassland: 25 ha

• Very detailed work to spare dune

grasslands in good quality

Vuurtoren Main improvements

• 25 ha calcareous dune grasslands (H2130)

restored

• Quality of H2130 improved

• Target species (a.o.):

– European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur)

– Sand lizard (Lacerta agilis)

– Carline thistle (Carlina vulgaris)

Sub area Stekelhoek Voornes Duin

• Dense shrubland

• Sandy slopes

• Steep slopes

• Dune slacks covered by shrubland

Stekelhoek Actions

• Removal of 17 ha of shrubs and trees

• Sod cutting of 9000 m2 of dune slacks

• 3500 m3 of soil burried in the coastal defence zone

• 2,2 kilometers of fence

Stekelhoek Main improvements

• Connection with other dune restoration project

– exchange of species

– connected landscape (H2130)

• Humid dune slacks (H2190) and dune grasslands

(H2130)

• Target species (a.o.):

– Round-leaved wintergreen (Pyrola rotundifolia)

– Marsh helleborine (Epipactis palustris)

– Common twayblade (Neottia ovata)

– Blue winged grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens)

– Queen of Spain fritillary (Issoria lathonia).

Sub area Quackjeswater Voornes Duin

• Dune lake

– Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

– Little egret (Egretta garzetta)

– Black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)

• Isolated dune grasslands

• Humid dune slacks

• Aspen expansion

• Shrubland increase

Quackjeswater Actions

• Shrubs and trees: 12 ha removed

• 3200 m2 top soil removement in dune slacks

• 2700 m3 of soil removed

• 3,3 kilometers fencing

Quackjeswater Main improvements

• Connection with other dune restoration

project

– exchange of species

– connected landscape (H2130)

• Humid dune slacks (H2190) and dune

grasslands (H2130)

• Target species (a.o.):

– Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata)

– Seaside centaury (Centaurium littorale)

– European stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)

Sub area Strand Noord Duinen Goeree

• Tiny remnants of dune grassland (H2130)

• Overgrown by shrubland

• Quality of shrubland with sea buckthorn (H2160)

is decreasing

– Overgrown by bramble

Strand Noord Actions

• Removal of shrubs: 22 ha

• Removal of 2600 m3 of top soil

(shrubland with a thick humus layer)

Strand Noord Main improvements

• Improvement of dune grassland (H2130).

• 22 ha of dune grassland (H2130) restored.

• Target species (a.o.):

– European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

– Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

– Grey hair-grass (Corynephorus canescens)

– Common milkwort (Polygala vulgaris)

Future management

The work is not finished:

Intensive management due to

regrowth of shrubs and trees

Nutrient removal in

• dune grasslands (nitrogen!)

• humid dune slacks (nitrogen!)

Future management

• Mowing with machines

– dune slacks

– dune grasslands

• Mowing manually

– slopes

– regrowth of shrubs and trees

• Grazing

– extensive, year round.

Communications

Strategy

Excecution

Means

Communications

No platform for

bawlers

Individual

contacts

Communications

Intern: Own staff

Volunteers

Supporters

Extern: Targeting audience

Communications

Experts

a.o. St. Duinbehoud

Communications

‘Green’ organizations Voorne & Goeree:

-Zuidhollands Landschap

-KNNV

-IVN

-Staatsbosbeheer

-RAVON

-Sticht. Natuur- en Landschap Voorne Putten

-Vereniging Natuur- en Landschap Goeree-

Overflakkee

-WNF afd ZH Eil.

-WBE’s Voorne & Goeree

Communications

Visiting clubs & associations

-Scouting

-Atletiekver. De Stelle Runners

-Nordic Walking Fitt Up

-Meer bewegen voor ouderen

-De Stelle Vrouwen

-Vrouwen rondom Goeree

-Chr. Vrouwenver. CVB

-Vrouwengespreksgroep

Communications

Residents

Communications

Production & distribution DVD

Voornes Duin

Communications

Flyer

Communications

Displays

Communications

Newspaper

Communications

Work in progress; information

Communications

on machinery

Communications

Website

Communications

Local & nationwide media

Communications

Permanent information

panels

First results: an impression

T=1 Waterbos finished

T=1 in the other sub areas in 2015

First results of the Waterbos area

are promising

Results in nearby reference areas

with comparable restoration

measures are encouraging

First results: an impression

Sub area Waterbos:

Before measures: 44 plant species of the Red List

present

Months after the project: already 59 plant species

of the Red List present

Many species have expanded their distribution

and numbers have been increased

Quote of a report of an external party (Van der Goes en Groot, 2012):“Big areas of the forest in the west and north have been removed. Also, many shrubland in the west part has been removed. Lower parts have been sod-cut. Those places are filled with water in spring and they already contain well developed vegetations of common stonewort (Chara vulgaris) and a few bristly stonewort (Chara hispida).Various-leavedpondweed (Potamogeton gramineus) has established in pools. Development can be really quick, proved byrecolonization of several species within just a few months: yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata), seaside centaury(Centaurium littorale), distant sedge (Carex distans), seamilkwort (Glaux maritima) and even bog pimpernel (Anagallistenella)”.

Van der Goes en Groot, 2012:

“People have been enthusiastic about the humid dune slacks.

And not without reason. The restored valleys show a splendid

development. The quality of these areas is improving. The

first results of the area Waterbos are very promising”

First results: an impression

What else can we expect in the

LIFE DDR project area?

Reference areas in Voornes Duin:

Vogelpoel (restoration project 2007)

De Pan (restoration project 2005)

Quality and surface of H2130 and

H2190 has been improved.

Recolonization of (amongst others): bog pimpernel (Anagallis tenella), variegated horsetail (Equisetum variegatum),

bee orchid (Ophrys apifera), Grass-of-parnassus (Parnassia palustris),

small-fruited yellow-sedge (Carex viridula), yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata)

Conclusions

Habitat restoration works

Thanks to LIFE we managed to reach our goals

Threats still exist: intensive management

afterwards remains necessary

Do not underestimate the importance of proper

communication

Monitoring might be improved: landscape

processes

Thank you for your attention.

Questions?

Excursions

Please choose:

Location 1: De Pan / Stekelhoek / Quackjeswater

Guides: Wouter van Steenis, Matthijs Broere

Emphasis on ecology

Location 2: Waterbos

Guides: Gert de Groot, Ted Sluijter

Emphasis on technical issues and communication

Both excursions will depart from the parking lot at

13:00 h and will return around 16:00 h.