Dutch dune revival Voorne and Goeree

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


– 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



• Humid dune slacks (H2190) and dune grasslands

(H2130)


– 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



• Humid dune slacks (H2190) and dune

grasslands (H2130)


– 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.


– 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


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”


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.