Sandy terrain
The disappearance of wooded banks and shelter belts has brought about an upscaling of the varied landscape of arable fields, pastures, heathland and forest on the sandy soils. Many of the brooks have been made into canals.
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Characteristics
The sandy landscape consists of a gently rolling plain with many shallow depressions and low ridges. The plain is dissected by meandering brooks. In some places, such as the Veluwe and Salland, there are higher hills that were pushed up by the ice sheets.
Reclamation created a landscape of arable fields and pastures, alternating with heath and woodland. These are the es and kamp landscapes. Es is the name given to the mediaeval open arable field, cleared communally and then divided into plots. A kamp is a small enclosed privately-owned pasture plot.
Trends
In the 19th century the es and kamp landscapes were drastically altered by afforestation and reclamation of heaths. The dwindling of the heathland continued in the 20th century, but in the last few decades of the century the position stabilised, as heath reclamation all but ceased. However, in the absence of traditional management, trees are encroaching on the heathland.
As a result of land consolidation and land use planning, many of the linear elements (wooded banks, shelter belts, hedges) have disappeared.
In the 20th century almost two-thirds of the total length of the meandering watercourses was straightened and canalised, to accelerate discharge. The result has been that the hinterland has become much drier.
Technical note
The data are from an analysis of the changes in the cultural landscape based on random samples from the 1x1 km grid squares of the 1:25 000 topographical map. The graphs have been indexed, using 1900 as the benchmark year (=100).
References
- Dijkstra, H., J.F. Coeterier, A. van der Haar, A.J.M. Koomen en W.L.C. Salden (1997). Veranderend cultuurlandschap. Signalering van landschapsveranderingen van 1900 tot 1990 voor de Natuurverkenning 1997. Rapport 544. DLO-Staring Centrum. Wageningen.
- Geertsema, W. (2002). Het belang van groenblauwe dooradering voor natuur en landschap. Achtergronddocument Natuurbalans 2002. Reeks 'Planbureau-werk in uitvoering', Werkdocument 2002/02. Natuurplanbureau/Alterra. Wageningen.
