Oostvaardersplassen
Encyclopedia
The Oostvaardersplassen (oːstˈvaːrdərsplɑˌsəⁿ) is a nature reserve in the Netherlands
, covering about 56 square kilometres (21.6 sq mi). Despite having developed recently (it is in a polder
which was only created in 1968) it already has international importance as a European wetland.
The Oostvaardersplassen can be divided into two areas: wet and dry. In the wet area along the Markermeer
, there are large reedbeds on clay, where moulting geese often feed. This area is also home to Great Cormorant
, Common Spoonbill
, Great Egret
, White-tailed Eagle
and Eurasian Bittern, among many other animals.
trees, and in the first year hundreds of seedlings could be found on each square metre. This led to concern that a dense woodland would develop, significantly reducing the value of the habitat for water birds. To avoid this, the park's managers brought in a number of large herbivores to keep the area more open, including Konik
ponies, red deer
and Heck cattle
. These large grazing animals are kept out in the open all year round without supplemental feeding, and are allowed to behave as wild animals (without, for example, castrating
males). The ecosystem developing under their influence is thought to resemble those that would have existed on European river banks and deltas before human disturbance.
Before they were driven to extinction, large herbivores in this part of Europe
included the tarpan
(wild horse), wisent
(European bison), red deer
, elk (known as moose
in North America) and aurochs
(wild cattle). The tarpan and aurochs are extinct, but Konik ponies and Heck cattle are able to act as functional equivalents, occupying a similar ecological niche. The only native large herbivores now missing from Oostvaardersplassen are the elk, the wild boar and the wisent
. It is unlikely that elk will be introduced due to its similar ecological niche to the three established grazing herds, putting too much pressure on plant growth; but there is hope for wisent as it fills a different niche from cattle. There is a chance that the wild boar will find its way naturally from the Veluwe
.
Given that the Oostvaardersplassen is below sea level, many of its primary processes have been regulated. As the wetlands have been so spectacular, a dyke
was made around it to prevent the process of groundwater-related subsidence
. While this had temporary advantages, it created a water body with no open connections to the rest of the polder
and the negative effects are only now being understood.
The cattle, deer and horses have multiplied in the Oostvaardersplassen. However there is a limit to the number of animals the area can sustain. In the absence of natural predators the rangers shoot animals that are unlikely to survive. It is quite natural for 30% to 60% of the population to die in this way. After a die off, the vegetation has a chance to recover and this will get the first natural afforestation of the area under way.
s connecting it to other nature reserves. The "Ecological Main Structure" (a proposed connection of nature reserves in the Netherlands) calls for a corridor to be created to the nearby Horsterwold. The resulting network, called Oostvaardersland, would be part of Natura 2000
, the European-wide network of habitats to which Oostvaardersplassen belongs. Oostvaardersland is expected to be finished by 2015 and will comprise a total area of 150 square kilometres (57.9 sq mi). Furthermore, there is an option for a connection to the Veluwe
forest. Eventually this could allow wild animals to move to and from Germany and France.
The advocates of natural processes are also planning for the wet part of the Oostvaardersplassen to be drained. It is expected that the natural subsidence will lower the ground level and that this will result in a more natural and dynamic system.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, covering about 56 square kilometres (21.6 sq mi). Despite having developed recently (it is in a polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
which was only created in 1968) it already has international importance as a European wetland.
The Oostvaardersplassen can be divided into two areas: wet and dry. In the wet area along the Markermeer
Markermeer
The Markermeer is a lake in the central Netherlands in between North Holland, Flevoland and its larger sibling, the IJsselmeer. A shallow lake at some 3 to 5 m in depth, it is named after the small former island, now peninsula, of Marken that lies within it...
, there are large reedbeds on clay, where moulting geese often feed. This area is also home to Great Cormorant
Great Cormorant
The Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds...
, Common Spoonbill
Common Spoonbill
The Eurasian Spoonbill or Common Spoonbill is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, breeding in southern Eurasia from Spain to Japan, and also in North Africa. In Europe, only The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece have sizeable populations...
, Great Egret
Great Egret
The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...
, White-tailed Eagle
White-tailed Eagle
The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers...
and Eurasian Bittern, among many other animals.
History
Before the establishment of the reserve, the dry area was a nursery for willowWillow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
trees, and in the first year hundreds of seedlings could be found on each square metre. This led to concern that a dense woodland would develop, significantly reducing the value of the habitat for water birds. To avoid this, the park's managers brought in a number of large herbivores to keep the area more open, including Konik
Konik
The Konik or Polish primitive horse is a small horse, a kind of semi-feral horse, originating in Poland. The Polish word konik is the diminutive of koń, the Polish word for "horse" . However, the name "konik" or "Polish konik" is used to refer to certain specific breeds...
ponies, red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
and Heck cattle
Heck cattle
Heck Cattle are a hardy breed of domestic cattle. They are the result of an attempt to breed back the aurochs, which became extinct in 1627, from modern aurochs-derived cattle...
. These large grazing animals are kept out in the open all year round without supplemental feeding, and are allowed to behave as wild animals (without, for example, castrating
Castration
Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicles or a female loses the functions of the ovaries.-Humans:...
males). The ecosystem developing under their influence is thought to resemble those that would have existed on European river banks and deltas before human disturbance.
Large herbivores
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
included the tarpan
Tarpan
Tarpan is an extinct subspecies of wild horse. The last individual of this subspecies died in captivity in Russia in 1909....
(wild horse), wisent
Wisent
The wisent , Bison bonasus, also known as the European bison or European wood bison, is a species of Eurasian bison. It is the heaviest surviving land animal in Europe; a typical wisent is about long, not counting a tail of long, and tall. Weight typically can range from , with an occasional big...
(European bison), red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
, elk (known as moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
in North America) and aurochs
Aurochs
The aurochs , the ancestor of domestic cattle, were a type of large wild cattle which inhabited Europe, Asia and North Africa, but is now extinct; it survived in Europe until 1627....
(wild cattle). The tarpan and aurochs are extinct, but Konik ponies and Heck cattle are able to act as functional equivalents, occupying a similar ecological niche. The only native large herbivores now missing from Oostvaardersplassen are the elk, the wild boar and the wisent
Wisent
The wisent , Bison bonasus, also known as the European bison or European wood bison, is a species of Eurasian bison. It is the heaviest surviving land animal in Europe; a typical wisent is about long, not counting a tail of long, and tall. Weight typically can range from , with an occasional big...
. It is unlikely that elk will be introduced due to its similar ecological niche to the three established grazing herds, putting too much pressure on plant growth; but there is hope for wisent as it fills a different niche from cattle. There is a chance that the wild boar will find its way naturally from the Veluwe
Veluwe
The Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts....
.
Natural processes
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
was made around it to prevent the process of groundwater-related subsidence
Groundwater-related subsidence
Groundwater-related subsidence is the subsidence of land resulting from groundwater extraction, and a major problem in the developing world as major metropolises swell without adequate regulation and enforcement, as well as a being a common problem in the developed world...
. While this had temporary advantages, it created a water body with no open connections to the rest of the polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
and the negative effects are only now being understood.
The cattle, deer and horses have multiplied in the Oostvaardersplassen. However there is a limit to the number of animals the area can sustain. In the absence of natural predators the rangers shoot animals that are unlikely to survive. It is quite natural for 30% to 60% of the population to die in this way. After a die off, the vegetation has a chance to recover and this will get the first natural afforestation of the area under way.
Future development
In many ways the Oostvaardersplassen is an isolated area; it is in a polder and there are currently no corridorWildlife corridor
A wildlife corridor or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities . This allows an exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur within...
s connecting it to other nature reserves. The "Ecological Main Structure" (a proposed connection of nature reserves in the Netherlands) calls for a corridor to be created to the nearby Horsterwold. The resulting network, called Oostvaardersland, would be part of Natura 2000
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union.-Origins:In May 1992, the governments of the European Communities adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. This legislation is called the...
, the European-wide network of habitats to which Oostvaardersplassen belongs. Oostvaardersland is expected to be finished by 2015 and will comprise a total area of 150 square kilometres (57.9 sq mi). Furthermore, there is an option for a connection to the Veluwe
Veluwe
The Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts....
forest. Eventually this could allow wild animals to move to and from Germany and France.
The advocates of natural processes are also planning for the wet part of the Oostvaardersplassen to be drained. It is expected that the natural subsidence will lower the ground level and that this will result in a more natural and dynamic system.
External links
- Oostvaardersplassen animal photos & much more details
- Oostvaardersplassen fauna photos
- Birds Calendar Oostvaardersplassen
- Animals and plants found in the Oostvaardersplassen
- largeherbivore.org/oostvaardersland-oostvaardersplassen-oostvaarderswold-horsterwold
- Oostvaarderswold ecological corridor (nl)