MONITORING VEGETATION CHANGE IN THE NETHERLANDS

The Dutch national vegetation monitoring scheme collects sample-based surveillance data at a national scale. The objectives are (i) to assess if changes in eutrophication, acidification and desiccation lead to changes in the vegetation of natural habitats and (ii) to assess changes in botanical quality of natural habitats and farmland and (iii) to assess botanical changes in verges of traffic highways. The first results demonstrated that the national monitoring scheme is sensitive enough to track relevant changes in the vegetation. Examples are the increasing coverage of shrubs in natural areas and the signs of recovery of the vegetation of wet dune valleys in areas with hydrological measures.