Natuurpunt foto

Life Uitkerkse Polder in English

Summary: LIFE-Nature project 'Uitkerkse Polder: a surplus value for nature and people' (April 2003 - March 2008)

Halophilous habitats are a very rare and vulnerable habitat within the whole European Union, mostly confined to estuaries. However, in the polders along the eastern Flemish coast, and at the 'Uitkerkse Polder' especially, salt meadows also occur outside the intertidal holdings. The salty environment of the grasslands has developed over several centuries.

The vegetation is influenced by seepage of seawater and/or high concentrations of historical salt in the peat. The result is a very typical 'shore like' habitat: species of dynamic and salty shores are missing, but rare and vulnerable 'brackish' species such as Glasswort, Sea Aster, Annual Seablite, Sea Milkwort, Saltmarsh-grass (4 sp.), Sea Arrowgrass, Strawberry Clover, Sea Club-rush, Greater Sea-spurrey and Distant Sedge do occur.

Therefore, the salt meadows, Salicornia-vegetations and Glauco-Puccinellietalia, at the Uitkerkse Polder can be considered as a geographically unique variety of the halophilous habitats in the European Union.

These salt meadows, characterised by their relief, are also a favourable breeding spot for Annex I species like Avocet, Bluethroat, Common Tern and Marsh Harrier. Without doubt, the Uitkerkse Polder is of European importance for migrating birds such as Spoonbill, Ruff, Bar-tailed Godwitt and Golden Plover. Perhaps, the project area is most known as an outstanding wintering area for thousands of waders, geese and ducks.

Among them is the Pinkfooted Goose: no less than 90% of the entire Western population (Svalbard-population) winters in the Uitkerkse Polder! They strongly depend on the grasslands as feeding area. For several waterbird species the project area holds more than 1% of the world population (Ramsar criteria). As a result, the project area is covered by a SPA and large parts are also included in the proposed Site of Community Interest (pSCI) 'Poldergraslanden'.

Unfortunately, these unique habitats are highly threatened by the recent developments and intensification of modern agriculture. On a increasing scale, the wet grasslands are drained, excessively manured, transformed into fields, and/or their microrelief destroyed. Therefore, the presence of the unique and vulnerable habitats and their associated species are more and more limited to the present-day nature reserve, which is managed by our NGO.

Objective

  • Large scale restoration of the unique salt meadows, concerning Salicornia-vegetations and Glauco-Puccinellietalia and their associated breeding species like Avocet, Common tern, Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, Spoonbill and Bluethroat.
  • Restoring a inshore variety of 'Kreken' (large shallow inlets and bays), Magnopotamion habitats, grey dunes and Calthion/Arrhentherion meadows as well. All these habitats have almost or completely disappeared nowadays.
  • Creating outstanding migrating, foraging and/or wintering conditions for species like Pinkfooted Goose, White-fronted Goose, Spoonbill, Short-eared Owl, Golden Plover, Ruff and Black-tailed Godwitt.
  • Promoting and developing nature oriented tourism to ensure the social and economical embedment of Natura 2000.

Actions

  • the production of the necessary management schemes and a monitoring survey of the first results;
  • the acquisition of approximately 120 ha of land of which 30 ha arable land in order to restore halophilous grasslands;
  • large scale restoration of salt meadows, extension of the existing 'core areas' and the creation of new ones, with a total surface of app. 90 ha;
  • commencement of recurring management (grazing management, hayfields) to obtain the optimal development and management of salt and hay meadows and their associated species;
  • the development and realisation of a broad program to develop the socio-economic potentials of the project area by means of the enlargement and re-styling of our visitor centre and the parking, the construction of new visitor facilities like an a new bridge and footpath, an observation hide, new signposting and information panels, the drafting of a tourist walking brochure, the construction of a new permanent exposition at the visitor centre, the publication of articles, a layman's report and website for the general public;
  • organisation of several activities in order to exchange experiences between other Life-projects and authorities, organisation of information meetings to inform local people.

Results

  • large-scale restoration and long-lasting conservation of the Salicornia-vegetations and Glauco-Puccinellietalia in the project area;
  • development and long-lasting conservation of shallow inlets and bays, Magnopotamion and Calthion/Arrhentherion meadows;
  • new, outstanding breeding, foraging and/or wintering conditions for species like Avocet, Little Plover, Common Tern, Marsh and Hen Harrier, Pinkfooted and White-fronted Goose, Spoonbill, Golden plover, Ruff and Black-tailed Godwitt.
  • new, increasing visitor facilities (enlarged and re-styled visitor centre, observation hide, new footpath and bridge, brochures and leaflets) with respect for the natural values and socio-economical embedment of the Natura 2000 area.