Restoration of the tidal lagoon of the Zwin

The tidal tloodplain of the Zwin between Knokke (Belgium,Flanders) and Cadzand(Netherlands) is a border-crossing relic of the sound that once connected the medieval ports of Damme and Sluis with the North Sea and gave Bruges its golden age. Historic land reclaim, that only ended in 1872, reduced the Zwin to a tidal lagoon with a superficies of only 200 hectares, comprising salt marshes, mudtlats, tidal gullies and coastal dunes. Once an important sanctuary for coastal bird-species, the Zwin is in both concerned European Union member states included in the European Natura 2000 network. Since the years 1980, accelerated silting up of the lagoon and gullies and encroachment of the salt marshes with Elymus athericus have resulted into a significant loss of biodiversity. The accelerated silting up is caused by the lack of dynamics in relation to the too small scale of the remaining sea-inlet. After the necessary hydrodynamic modelling and an Environmental Impact Assessment were carried out, it was decided that the tloodplain of the Zwin should be enlarged with 120 hectares by moving the searetaining dike inland. The Agency for Nature and Forest (Flanders) has, together with the Province of Zeeland (Netherlands), also elaborated an arrangement-plan for the presently existing tidal site. This arrangement-plan prescribes rejuvenation of the salt marshes by cutting off sods and grazing by cattle and livestock as well as restoration of a tidal lagoon and expansion of the main sea-inlet by excavations

Invasive scrub and trees in the coastal dunes of Flanders (Belgium): an overview of management goals, actions and results

Even in nature reserves and under the European Habitat Directive protected dunes of the Flemish coast, species and habitats of the open dune landscape (especially Habitat-types 2130, 2170 and 2190) have become seriously endangered. On the other hand, natural dune scrub and pioneer woodland (Habitat-types 2160 and 2180), together with alien species and manmade habitats (plantations,…), strongly increased. Since the Nature Division became responsible for nature management in Flanders (1995) and with the aid of European funding (Life-projects ICCI and FEYDRA), action was undertaken to stop and reverse this trend. The management dilemma (species rich open dune vs. natural scrub and woodland) is tackled on the basis of an Ecosystem Perspective for the Flemish Coast and by drawing up scientifically based management plans. This paper gives, from a nature managers point of view, an overview of the history and nature of these changes, the problems and dilemmas for nature conservationists, the extent and management techniques of scrub and alien tree removal and of open dune restoration, and a first evaluation of results