natuurtoetsing & ecologisch veldwerk

03/01/2025

• 2024 :: Hidden on the Roof of the World: Mitochondrial Data Reveals Exceptional Genetic Diversity of Himalayan Ablepharine Skinks (Reptilia: )
novataxa.blogspot.com/2024/12/ablepharine.html 🦎
DOI: doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2024-31-6-351-368
Researchgate.net/publication/387296242

Abstract :: Snake-eyed, or skinks, are common residents of the highest mountain ranges on Earth, including the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, Karakoram, Pamir, and Tian Shan, colloquially known as the Roof of the World. Historically, these skinks were alternatively assigned to the genera , Ablepharus, Asymblepharus, and , but recent revisions proposed to group them in only two genera, namely (the eastern Himalayan taxa) and (all other taxa). The of this group yet remains in a state of flux due to the limited informativeness of available phylogenies (often with little material from the Himalayan region), discrepancies in morphological patterns of variation, and the potentially high yet unconsidered degree of diversity of the group. To shed some light, we assess the mitochondrial diversity and evolution of Himalayan snake-eyed skinks based on >200 individuals sampled across Pakistan, India, Nepal, and China, representing nine out of ten Himalaya currently recognized species. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred from 2998 bp of mitochondrial sequences (12S, 16S, ND2, cyt b). Our analyses reveal a remarkably high cryptic diversity, including 14 to 16 species-level lineages within Ablepharus and four species-level lineages within Protoblepharus, which would substantially increase the number of species by at least twofold. This hidden diversity highlights the as a center of phylogeographic and endemism, likely shaped by geological and climatic factors associated with orogenesis, which now houses over half of the ablepharine skink species.




A. M. Bragin, S. N. Litvinchuk, ... et N. A. Poyarkov. 2024. Hidden on the Roof of the World: ... Russian Journal of Herpetology. 31(6); 351 – 368.
DOI: doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2024-31-6-351-368
Researchgate.net/publication/387296242
facebook.com/NickPoyarkov/posts/10231542599622451

29/10/2024

Alle drie de slangen van de Veluwe gespot en gefotografeerd op een middag rond midden Oktober, midden op de Veluwe.
All three snakes of the Veluwe spotted and photographed on an afternoon around mid Oktober at the middle of the Veluwe.

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11/10/2024

Adders on the Veluwe and the Gelders district 2024 reference work a short preview
Around 2010 we started writing about the critical development of distribution and clear decline of the adder on the Veluwe . This extensive file was further expanded and after years this a complete book document was developed with dozens of chapters with specific topics around the status of the adders at the Veluwe and surrounding areas. The foundation for an comprehensive reference work was laid for the central region of the Netherlands and adjacent areas
Around the fall of 2021 a document was ready with 500+ pages with the title Adders at the Veluwe-massief & Gelders district.
When we talk about the well-known adder on the Veluwe that is generally known. This was previously reported from practically all Veluwe heathland areas, peatlands, moist poor lands, railway embankments, thickets, open forests and rough paths with blueberry/sedge/heath associations.
During the past 25 years, intensive attention has been given to the declining adder and the also vulnerable smooth snake that had to give up their habitats in recent decades. The adder in particular has already had to give up a population of around 62% at hourly squares, but at km-square level, especially on the Veluwe, this could be a much greater loss of its presence.
Adders are more or less iconic animals about which every farmer, green/gardener and or forest manager had experienced a beautiful or exciting story. Old stories from the 19th and 20th centuries frequently made it into the local and interregional newspapers with incidents and encounters with adders or smooth snakes and the hunt for the adder in particular, which was still seen as a devilish monster at the time due to its poisonous bite. The hunts in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, among others, were legendary, in which many hundreds of thousands of unfortunate animals were killed, up to 25.000+ snakes in one year (!) according to German research.

Adders op de Veluwe en 't Gelders district 2024 preview van een naslagwerk in productie. Adder (vipera berus ) op droge heide op de Noord...

21/07/2024

Recently here described is the detection of Paranannizziopsis sp. fungus in a wild population of vipers in Europe. Fungal infections were severe, and 1 animal likely died from infection. Surveillance efforts are needed to better understand the threat of this pathogen to snake conservation.

Over the past few decades, fungal pathogens have been implicated in wildlife population declines, posing a substantial challenge to the conservation of many species, including herpetofauna (1). In reptiles, most fungal pathogens are within the genera Nannizziopsis, Paranannizziopsis, and Ophidiomyces, members of the order Onygenales (2). Of those genera, the most well-documented genus in wild reptiles is Ophidiomyces, consisting of the single species O. ophidiicola, which is responsible for ophidiomycosis, also called snake fungal disease (SFD) (3). Infections with Paranannizziopsis spp. fungi, on the other hand, are not well documented, possibly because of wide overlap with ophidiomycosis in how the disease manifests (4). Disease associated with Paranannizziopsis infection has been described in captive collections in North America (2,5–7) and Australasia (2,8). In wild populations, Paranannizziopsis spp. fungi have only been detected in nonnative free-living panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) from central Florida, USA (9), and in wild snakes in the United States and Canada (4). The geographic extent in wild host populations and severity of infection associated with Paranannizziopsis spp. fungi is unknown and deserves more thorough evaluation. We report infection with a Paranannizziopsis sp. fungus in 2 wild Seoane’s vipers (Vipera seoanei) from northwestern Spain. Handling of snakes was reviewed and approved by Virginia Tech Institute for Animal Care and Use Committee protocol 20-055. Vipers and tissue samples were collected under permit from Xunta de Galicia, Spain (permit no. EB-015/2021).

The Study
On May 14, 2021, two V. seoanei vipers, a subadult male (body length 31.7 cm, weight 10.3 g) and an adult female (body length 44.7 cm, weight 61 g), were captured near Zamáns in Vigo, Spain (42.16N, 8.68W; WGS1984). Both animals were in the process of molting and displayed many skin lesions on the head and body. The lesions were particularly abundant for the subadult male, for which the molting process was abnormal (i.e., dysecdysis). The animal was lethargic and appeared moribund. This snake was brought into captivity for supportive care but died the next day. The carcass was placed in ethanol until we performed necropsy and histopathological analyses. The adult female was reproductive, and, after we collected biometric data and skin swab samples, she was immediately released at the place of capture.

We swabbed the ventral and dorsal areas of the snakes in duplicate using a premoistened, sterile polyester-tipped applicator (Puritan, https://www.puritanmedproducts.comExternal Link) and stored frozen swab samples at −20°C until analysis. We extracted DNA from the samples using PrepMan Ultra Sample Preparation Reagent (ThermoFisher Scientific, https://www.thermofisher.comExternal Link). In addition, we excised 7 skin lesions (≈2 × 4 mm) from the subadult male at various locations across the body and stored them in 70% ethanol. We extracted DNA using a QIAGEN Blood and Tissue kit (QIAGEN, https://www.qiagen.comExternal Link) following manufacturer’s instructions, which included a lyticase lysis step (200 U for 30 min at 30°C) to degrade fungal cell walls.

We swabbed the ventral and dorsal areas of the snakes in duplicate using a premoistened, sterile polyester-tipped applicator (Puritan, https://www.puritanmedproducts.comExternal Link) and stored frozen swab samples at −20°C until analysis. We extracted DNA from the samples using PrepMan Ultra Sample Preparation Reagent (ThermoFisher Scientific, https://www.thermofisher.comExternal Link). In addition, we excised 7 skin lesions (≈2 × 4 mm) from the subadult male at various locations across the body and stored them in 70% ethanol. We extracted DNA using a QIAGEN Blood and Tissue kit (QIAGEN, https://www.qiagen.comExternal Link) following manufacturer’s instructions, which included a lyticase lysis step (200 U for 30 min at 30°C) to degrade fungal cell walls.

Conclusions;
The effects of fungal diseases on reptiles have been difficult to evaluate, especially in cryptic species such as snakes. We report detection of a Paranannizziopsis sp. fungal infection in a wild population of V. seoanei vipers in Spain, and at least 1 viper likely died because of the infection. The pathology and fungal morphology were consistent with Paranannizziopsis spp. infections reported elsewhere (2,4–7). Although the strain detected in the snake that died was most similar to P. australasiensis, we were unable to identify the strain to a particular species of Paranannizziopsis fungus. Additional genetic analyses on the Paranannizziopsis sp. fungus detected in Spain might help better resolve its taxonomy.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/30/5/23-1317_article

Paranannizziopsis spp. Infection in Wild Vipers

11/06/2024

https://www.vliz.be/testerep/nl/2022-08-boomkikker-aan-zee

Vaak is het kommer en kwel als we de toestand van onze biodiversiteit onder de loep nemen. Dat geldt ook in ons druk bezet en gegeerd kustgebied. Soms echter kunnen natuurbeheerders successen voorleggen die aan de ribben blijven plakken. En dat plakken kun je bijna letterlijk nemen in het geval van, zo niet onze mooiste, dan toch zeker wel onze meest bijzondere inheemse kikker: de boomkikker of ‘plakpuut’. Het verhaal van een lokaal nagenoeg volledig verdwenen soort, die nu rond het Zwin terug kwakend door het leven gaat.

– JAN SEYS

Eind vorige eeuw leefden nog hooguit een handvol boomkikkers aan onze kust. Ze hadden in de tuin van Maurice Lippens in Knokke hun laatste toevluchtsoord. Dat het al jaren bergaf ging met dit boegbeeld van het kleinschalig landschap had veel, zo niet alles te maken met habitatverlies en watervervuiling. Gelukkig was de schade net over de grens met Nederland iets minder groot – met nog zowat honderd roepende mannetjes – en kon van daaruit het herstel van start gaan. Diverse overheden en natuurverenigingen sloegen de handen in elkaar, mét resultaat. Vandaag telt de populatie rond het Zwin terug 1500-1600 roepende mannetjes, en groeide het Zeeuwse bestand aan tot 2650 kwakers. En nog is de opmars niet gestuit. Met een Actieplan Boomkikker zet de Provincie West-Vlaanderen de volgende jaren in op een verdere uitbreiding richting Damme.

Een boomkikker? Echt?
Je herkent hem meteen, dit sympathieke grasgroene kikkertje van nauwelijks vijf centimeter groot. Met witte buik en donkerbruine oog- en flankstreep. Ook de verbrede hechtschijfjes aan de toppen van vingers en tenen zijn kenmerkend. Anders dan bij zuignapjes, zijn het de zeer fijne kanaaltjes in die schijfjes – waaruit vocht kan worden gedreven – die de kikker toelaten moeiteloos te klimmen. Volksnamen als ‘hagepuit’, ‘takkepuit’ of ‘plakpuit’ liegen er niet om. De boomkikker kan tot wel 10 m hoog opduiken, al vind je hem toch vooral in struikgewas en braamstruweel.

Vaak is het kommer en kwel als we de toestand van onze biodiversiteit onder de loep nemen. Soms echter kunnen natuurbeheerders successen voorleggen die aan de ribben blijven plakken. Zo is er het verhaal van de boomkikker, een lokaal nagenoeg volledig verdwenen soort, die nu rond het Zwin terug kwak...

18/05/2024

Week van de Biodiversiteit!

22/12/2022

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, and its objections raised the prospect of legal challenges
Eve Bazaiba Masudi, Vice-Prime Minister and Environment Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, center, and Brazil Foreign Minister Leonardo Cleaver de Athayde, left, and Daniel Tumpal Sumurung Simanjuntak of Indonesia raises their arms following a discussion at the COP15 U.N. conference on biodiversity in Montreal, on Monday, Dec. 19, 2022.
Ève Bazaiba, centre, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s environment minister, had earlier objected to the text of the Cop15 agreement. Photograph: Paul Chiasson/AP
Patrick Greenfield and Phoebe Weston in Montreal
Tue 20 Dec 2022 07.00 GMT
A once-in-a-decade deal to halt the destruction of Earth’s ecosystems finally won full support at Cop15 in Montreal on Monday after the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) dropped its opposition.
Earlier on Monday, Ève Bazaiba, the DRC’s environment minister, threatened to throw the integrity of the historic UN biodiversity agreement into doubt just hours after it was signed, when China’s summit president appeared to ignore her country’s objections to the text and forced it through.
Objection by DRC sours ‘paradigm-changing’ Cop15 biodiversity deal
Read more
But on Monday evening, just before the final plenary, the Chinese Cop15 president, Huang Runqiu, approached Bazaiba to shake her hand in an apparent apology – to the applause of the entire conference hall at the Palais des congrès– and she later gave a speech in which she congratulated the Chinese environment minister on the deal, acknowledging it had passed. The DRC’s concerns over finance will be registered as part of the final report of the Cop.
It came after intense negotiations on the plenary floor between the big three rainforest nations – Brazil, Indonesia and the DRC – who signed a cooperation agreement at the G20 last month for their conservation, dubbed the “Opec of rainforests”.
The Brazilian head of delegation, Leonardo Cleaver de Athayde, could be heard encouraging the DRC minister to soften her opposition to the agreement in a huddle. Once convinced, they posed with the lead Indonesian negotiator, holding hands and smiling.
Speaking to the Guardian on Monday morning, Bazaiba had said she did not support the deal, throwing into doubt action on targets to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030, reform $500bn (£410bn) of environmentally damaging subsidies, and take urgent action on extinction. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, home to a large chunk of the Congo basin rainforest.
The objection raised the possibility of legal challenges to the process, a potentially disastrous outcome for action on biodiversity loss. Her objections had the support of DRC civil society groups, who are calling for more money for conservation.
Following the rapprochement, Prescilia Monireh from the Indigenous organisation ANAPAC in DRC, said: “We are confident that the DRC government will implement the agreement, securing the important rainforests in Central Africa and securing Indigenous people’s territorial rights. We do however support DRC’s call for more financial support, structured in a way that allows Indigenous people to access the money. This has proven very difficult with the current funding mechanisms.”
Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features
… as 2022 draws to a close, and you’re joining us today from the Netherlands, we have a small favour to ask. It’s been a challenging year for millions – from the war in Ukraine, to floods in Pakistan, heatwaves across Europe, protests in Iran, global economic turbulence, and continued repercussions from the global pandemic. The Guardian has delivered rigorous, fiercely independent reporting every day. It’s been no mean feat. Will you support our work today?
Being a reader-funded news publication allows us to keep our journalism open and free for everyone across the world. This feels more vital than ever. In 2022, millions have turned to us for trusted reporting on the events that shaped our world. We believe equal access to fact-checked news is essential for all of us.
Unlike many others, the Guardian has no shareholders and no billionaire owner, so our reporting is always free from commercial and political influence. This emboldens us to seek out the truth, and fearlessly demand better from the powerful.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, and its objections raised the prospect of legal challenges

13/04/2021

Peatlands are one of the most valuable terrestrial ecosystems in our fight against climate change. These deep layers of partially decayed plants and other organic material are tens of thousands of years old.

Globally, peatland covers more than three million square kilometers, and contains more than 550 gigatonnes of carbon—more than any other type of terrestrial ecosystems, including forests. In fact, one square meter of northern peatlands contains five times the amount of carbon as one square meter of Amazon's tropical forest.

Unfortunately, peatlands have been heavily exploited and damaged. They've been drained, converted into agricultural fields and burned or mined for access to natural resources.

But the United Nations Environment Program is leading the Global Peatlands Initiative to spearhead a co-ordinated effort to save peatlands, helping keep the global average temperature increase under 2C above pre-industrial levels. Through trial and error, peatland scientists like myself are finding the best ways to return peatlands to a functional state after they've been disturbed by oil and gas activity.

What are peatlands?

Peatlands are wetlands characterized by the thick accumulation of peat (more than 40 centimeters by the Canadian definition) due to an imbalance between the growth of plants and decomposition by micro-organisms in waterlogged conditions.

Field view of a boreal peatland of northern Alberta. Sphagnum mosses form the ground base and drive ecosystem functions. Credit: Bin Xiu, Author provided
The removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and its storage in peat has had a cooling effect on global climate over the past 10,000 years. If all this stored carbon were released, it would more than double the current atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (to more than 800 parts per million), a scenarios of disastrous consequences for human civilization and natural ecosystems.

Unfortunately, peatlands have been heavily exploited and damaged. Around 15 percent of global peatland has been drained by trenching, contributing to 5.6 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions (1.3 gigatonnes) already. Natural disturbances such as wildfires also pose serious threats to the the health of peatlands and the stability of stored carbon.

Canada is endowed with the world's second-largest area of peatlands, the majority of which are found in the boreal and sub-Arctic regions. Yet human activities, such as forestry, agriculture and resource extraction, and natural disturbances, including increasing temperature and fire frequency, are threatening their health and stability.


For example, winter roads and seismic lines created for resource exploration are extensive across the boreal forest, leading to permafrost disappearance, woodland caribou habitat fragmentation and population decline, and a seven percent increase in Canada's annual methane emission from land use change.

Bryophytes: A keystone species of boreal peatlands

In Canada, the boreal peatlands are dominated by bryophytes, a group of small, ancient land plants, whose importance to peatlands is often overlooked. Some of the most important bryophytes, commonly known as "peat moss" or "black dirt," belong to Sphagnum, the keystone genus of boreal peatlands.

Bryophytes form the ground surfaces of peatlands, produce plant tissues that are difficult to decompose and release chemicals that slow down microbial activities that produce important greenhouse gases including methane and carbon dioxide. Over time, the undecomposed plant material of bryophytes form the bulk of peat.

Aerial view of multiple seismic lines and winter roads through a bog in Alberta. Credit: Bin Xu, Author provided
Peatland restoration: Learning from nature

The restoration of boreal peatland is a relatively new field of practice with the early trials developed for horticultural peatlands in Québec and Ontario in the late 1990s. In Alberta, the restoration of peatland disturbed by oil and gas activities has relied on trial-and-error approaches with variable and limited success.

One of the key issues is the lack of understanding of bryophytes and the misplaced focus on trees. There has been a tendency to introduce trees through planting as a restoration practice and to use the establishment of a tree canopy as a measure of success. But these practices are best suited for upland forested ecosystems.

The approach ignores the fact that boreal peatlands are shaped by the ground-layer bryophytes. Without the keystone bryophytes, important peatland functions will not return.

By studying fossil records of peatland plant fragments, pollens and spores, scientists have been able to reconstruct the development and succession of boreal peatlands over time. Many of Alberta's peatlands formed through a process called "paludification," the direct establishment and formation of peat in areas formerly occupied by forest vegetation on mineral soil. The majority of Alberta's boreal peatlands started to form through paludification around 8,000 years ago.

As the climate became cool and soil moisture increased, Sphagnum mosses slowly expanded into forest areas. Eventually, the growth and expansion of mosses led to the different types of peatlands we now see.

Close-up of Sphagnum magellanicum, a common peat-forming moss of boreal peatlands. Credit: Bin Xu, Author provided
In North America, blocking drainage ditches and introducing live moss fragments with spores, seeds and roots, have restored Sphagnum moss-dominated horticultural peat fields in eastern Canada. This method is known as the moss layer transfer technique (MLTT).

In Alberta, limited field trials have shown that reclaimed industrial sites (for example, a former in-situ oil and gas well pad) can support the development of peatland mosses once appropriate soil conditions are established.

Donor moss material can be collected from nearby winter roads and seismic lines. In all cases, the introduction of donor moss fragments was essential to the success of restoring peatland vegetation.

Successful growth of keystone mosses can ensure the return of critical peatland functions over time. Other plants will develop concurrently from seeds and roots in the donor material. Trees will establish naturally or through planting.

When it comes to peatland restoration, we should switch our focus from trees and canopy closure to promoting the development of a carpet of ground-layer bryophytes. We need to learn to use these small but important plants to our advantage in our fight against climate change.

Peatlands are one of the most valuable terrestrial ecosystems in our fight against climate change. These deep layers of partially decayed plants and other organic material are tens of thousands of years old.

05/03/2021

EU plans for 2030 climate target can shape Cop26 momentum, ministers warn
Published on 03/03/2020, 3:44pm
Brussels is due to unveil its EU climate law on Wednesday, amid concerns the timetable for action doesn’t align with this year’s global ambition push
The EU's draft climate law suggests the union will review its 2030 climate target and explore option to increase it "by September 2020" - only two months before Cop26. (Photo: Renew Europe/Flickr)
By Chloé Farand
The timing of plans to enhance the EU’s 2030 climate target could determine global efforts to galvanise political momentum for action ahead of this year’s climate talks, environment ministers have warned.
In a letter to the EU Commission’s climate chief Frans Timmermans, environment ministers from 12 EU countries said the EU should present plans for a new 2030 climate target by June 2020, three months earlier than the Commission’s proposed date of September.
The ministers raised concerns Brussels’ timetable would leave too little time for the goals to be agreed by every member state “well ahead of Cop26”, the annual UN climate conference to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

As part of its “green deal for Europe”, the EU Commission has pledged to work to increase the bloc’s 2030 emission reduction cuts to 50% or 55% below 1990 levels, up from 40% currently.
Countries are under pressure to toughen their 2030 climate plans, also known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and submit long-term decarbonisation strategies to the UN by the start of Cop26.

So far, only the Marshall Islands, Suriname and Norway have submitted new 2030 climate plans.
A leaked draft of the EU climate law, which the Commission is due to present on Wednesday in a high-attention event, attended by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, confirms Commission plans to review the bloc’s 2030 target “by September 2020” and explore options to increase it to 50-55%.
African countries need rich nations to take the lead on ambition at Cop26
The draft text said the review would include “a comprehensive impact assessment” of the EU’s 2030 target, including each member states’ national energy and climate plans for the next decade.
Assessments to align EU legislation to meet the new 2030 and 2050 targets would then take place by the 30 June 2021.
But ministers urged the Commission to present its plan for the 2030 target “as soon as possible and by June 2020 at the latest” – in good time ahead of a critical EU-China summit hosted by Germany in September 2020, when Brussels hopes to broker a climate deal to leverage Beijing into stronger action.

Brussels is due to unveil its EU climate law on Wednesday, amid concerns the timetable for action doesn't align with this year's global ambition push

11/06/2020

22/04/2020

Kort overzicht van veldbemonsteringen /inventarisaties naar herpetofauna op de Veluwe en Ijssel/Vechtdal van diverse rode lijst soorten .
Eerste fotos zijn vanaf de Dellen,Epe vv Salamandergat,Ugchelen, Edese heide en een aantal van Knoflookpadden uit de Overijsselse Vecht van 1- 7-April 2020

29/12/2019

Call for articles: Diversity journal Special Issue "Systematics and Conservation of Neotropical Amphibians and Reptiles"
"The purpose of this special issue is to gather original studies focusing on herpetological systematics and conservation. We welcome contributions focusing on any Neotropical group of amphibians and/or reptiles, and which use original data or modeling of available data, aimed at improving the use of systematic and taxonomic knowledge for conservation. We also encourage papers proposing new methods to accelerate taxonomic studies, including those that present technological advances to quickly generate molecular data. This special issue will be open to all facets of conservation, ranging from applied conservation (i.e., to improve captive breeding programs, help design protected areas, or to design education projects) to policymaking and assessments of species threat status. We especially encourage reports of successful conservation initiatives that rely on the use of newly generated taxonomic information".

Call for articles: Diversity journal Special Issue "Systematics and Conservation of Neotropical Amphibians and Reptiles"

"The purpose of this special issue is to gather original studies focusing on herpetological systematics and conservation. We welcome contributions focusing on any Neotropical group of amphibians and/or reptiles, and which use original data or modeling of available data, aimed at improving the use of systematic and taxonomic knowledge for conservation. We also encourage papers proposing new methods to accelerate taxonomic studies, including those that present technological advances to quickly generate molecular data. This special issue will be open to all facets of conservation, ranging from applied conservation (i.e., to improve captive breeding programs, help design protected areas, or to design education projects) to policymaking and assessments of species threat status. We especially encourage reports of successful conservation initiatives that rely on the use of newly generated taxonomic information".

Learn more here: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/diversity/special_issues/neotropical_amphibians_reptiles

05/11/2019

https://www.natuurkennis.nl/natuurtypen/n07-droge-heiden/

Droge heiden omvat zowel heiden, struwelen, kleine open zandige plekken en grazige vegetaties op basenarme zand- en leemgronden. Het beheertype komt voor op de drogere delen van de hogere zandgronden, met name in Midden Nederland en soms op rivierduinen. De vegetatie wordt gekenmerkt door dwergstruiken, struikheide is meestal de dominante soort.


Op ongestoorde bodems kunnen bosbessoorten en kraaiheide een hoge presentie bereiken, open plekken bevatten veel korstmossen. Soms overheersen grassen als bochtige smele of struiken als jeneverbes, brem en braamsoorten. Op iets lemiger plaatsen zijn vaak ook soorten van heischrale graslanden present, maar door verzuring en vermesting zijn deze evenals veel anders soorten van heide sterk achteruitgegaan.

Droge heiden zijn in Nederland meestal ontstaan op uitgeputte bodems. Door het rooien van bomen; het plaggen of begrazen van de heide, zijn eeuwenlang mineralen afgevoerd. Er waren meerdere methoden om te plaggen; ondiep waardoor strooisel en houtige resten geoogst werden; en diep door te steken met een schop waardoor humus en de humeuze toplaag van de bodem afgevoerd werden. Op de hogere zandgronden ontstond hierdoor een open landschap met dwergstruiken, aangepast aan deze voedselarme en vrij zure omstandigheden. De heiden werden door runderen of schapen begraasd. Hierdoor bleef het landschap open. De mineralen uit mest en plagsel kwamen vaak op de essen rond de dorpen terecht.

Variatie in vegetatiestructuur is van groot belang voor warmteminnende diersoorten zoals adder en zandhagedis en veel insecten zoals het heideblauwtje en de bruine vuurvlinder. Het gaat om een afwisseling van jonge heide, oude heide, (plaatselijk) struweel en verspreide bomen, open zandige delen en (plaatselijk) dominantie van grassoorten. Ook soorten van meer besloten landschappen als nachtzwaluw en draaihals kunnen voorkomen. Op de Sallandse Heuvelrug komt de laatste natuurlijke populatie van het korhoen in Nederland voor.

https://www.natuurkennis.nl/natuurtypen/n07-droge-heiden/n07-01-droge-heide/algemeen-n0701/

Droge heiden omvat zowel heiden, struwelen, kleine open zandige plekken en grazige vegetaties op basenarme zand- en leemgronden. Het beheertype komt voor op de drogere delen van de hogere zandgronden, met name in Midden Nederland en soms op rivierduinen. De vegetatie wordt gekenmerkt door dwergstrui...