LIFE 10 NAT/NL/ Wuthering heaths. Peter Dam, Projectmanager Natuurmonumenten Gelderland

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1 LIFE 10 NAT/NL/ Wuthering heaths Peter Dam, Projectmanager Natuurmonumenten Gelderland

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3 Subjects Where Why Measures When How Results/Problems/Lessons Bonus Questions

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5 Why Reduced wind dynamics due to the two sand drift cells being surrounded by coniferous woodland High atmospheric Nitrogen deposition causing accelerated succession Population isolation with negative effects on ground beetles, solitary bees and reptiles like Sand lizard (Lacerta viridis) and Adder (Vipera berus) Invasive specie Blackberry (Prunus serotina) And.

6 Breeding birds Eurasian nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) Eurasian wryneck (Jynx torquilla) Wood lark (Lullula arborea) Extinct: Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) Great grey shrike (Lanius excubitor) Tawny pipit (Anthus campestris)

7 Target habitat types H2310 Psammophyle heath with Calluna and Genista H2330 Open grasslands with Corynephorus and Agrostis on inland dunes H4010 North Atlantic moist heathland with Erica tetralix H4030 Dry European heathland H9120 Atlantic acidophilous beech forests with Ilex and sometimes also Taxus in the shrub layer H9190 Old acidophilous oak woods with Quercus robur on sandy plains

8 Measures Enlarging the area of target habitats with 99 hectare by removing forest Quality improvement of target habitats for 250 hectares Creating two ecological corridors Removal of blackberry on 300 hectares Zoning of recreation by creating a new viewpoint, improving an existing one and closing and altering the routing of footpaths in the area Establishing a volunteer group dedicated to Hulshorsterzand only Producing new information panels

9 When Planning was completed in 2012 Work started early 2013 and was completed mid 2015 via three tenders in succession Still to come are Layman s report, After Life Conservation Plan and follow up monitoring

10 How Quality improvement by: 1. Removing top soil 2. Removing young trees (Scots pine, Douglas fir and Blackberry) 3. Sod stripping from heaths 4. Hydrological measures by filling up ditches Creating two ecological corridors by: 1. Felling of trees and removing of top soil 2. Establishing regrowth of young heath by re-using heath sod

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14 How (continued) Continuation management: 1. Sheep grazing 2. Maintenance of active drifting sand using a vibrating tine cultivator 3. A volunteer group that started at the beginning of the project is now able to manage new growth of young trees and shrubs (Blackberry) 4. A number of volunteers monitor the regrowth of Blackberry via gps plotting to be able to plan the activities of the volunteer group

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17 Results 1. The goals for enlargement of the target habitats have been met 2. The corridors are complete, recreation and information tasks are carried out 3. Monitoring results of 2016 are not yet available however: Bat boxes in the western corridor show usage in 2015 by 4 different bat species including Pipistrellus nathusii and Myotis daubentonii Insect monitoring by our own ecologist in 2016 show that all critical insect species are present everywhere The increase of openness and woodland edge enables a rise in number of territories for night jar and wood lark

18 Problems encountered Municipality of Nunspeet was unwilling tot permit the initial routing of one corridor over their grounds Actions in 2013 were carried out by a main-, and subcontractor. That proved to be difficult so later actions were carried out by separate contractors for removing top soil and felling of forest Eradication and controlling of Blackberry had been underestimated in the Application. Eventually we handled 1300 hectares instead of 300 The roads in the area are not the property of Natuurmonumenten and we were not allowed to cross the A28 with removed top soil

19 Lessons learned 1. Corridors with a minimum width of one tree length are functional 2. Sieving removed top soil can best be done by a vibrating sieve 3. As little subcontractors as possible 4. Good communication before and during the project prevents negative media attention

20 Bonus Filling up Roode Spreng with 6000 m 3 removed top soil to restore the original bog area Using m 3 removed top soil to gradually lift the Leuvenumse beek in its brook valley

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22 Questions

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