International significance of Dutch landscapes
Certain types of Dutch landscape - particularly the polders and peat reclamations - are very uncommon elsewhere in north-west Europe.
Current situation
Polders reclaimed from lakes, old polders on marine clay, and land reclaimed from peat - all of which are in the lowest part of the country - have international significance. Over 95% of the polders in north-west Europe are situated in the Netherlands. Peat reclamations with strip plots, and old marine clay polders with dwelling mounds are mainly restricted to the Netherlands. The Netherlands therefore has a great responsibility to maintain these landscapes.
| Landscape type | Area NW Europe(km2) | Area in NL (km2) | Dutch proportion of NW Europe. total |
| Reclaimed lakes | 2 600 | 2 500 | 95% |
| Marine clay polders | 15 500 | 5 400 | 35% |
| Peat reclamations, pumped drainage | 10 000 | 5 100 | 50% |
| Levee & basin reclamations | ? | 2 100 | <50% |
| Dunes (excl. dune reclamations) | 5 300 | 400-450 | 10% |
| Wadden Sea | 6 000-9 000 | 2 700 | 30-45% |
| Peat settlements | 2 500 | 1 800 | 75% |
| Kamp reclamations with local essen | ? | 4 500 | 20->50% |
| Ice-pushed ridges | ? | 1 850 | approx. 50% |
| Saline & brackish estuaries with saltmarshes | ? | 970 | 10% |
| Source: Farjon et al., 2001 | |||
Technical note
Literature and experts were consulted to find out which Dutch landscapes types are of international significance because of their landforms, reclamation history and ecosystems. The aspects considered were: distinctiveness, whether the locality is a type locality, and its rarity in north-west Europe i.e. Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg and France (exc. French Mediterranean coast). In this context, a type locality is the place where the phenomenon in question arose, was first described and/or occurs in its most characteristic form. To determine a landscape type's rarity and the Dutch percentage of the international total of that landscape, a GIS database of comparable landscape types in north-west Europe was compiled from topographical maps at scales of 1:50 000 and 1:100 000.
References
- Farjon, J.M.J., G.H.P. Dirkx, A.J.M. Koomen, J.A.J. Vervloet en G.W. Lammers (2001). Neder-landschap Internationaal: Bouwstenen voor een selectie van gebieden landschapsbehoud. Rapport 358. Alterra. Wageningen
- Haartsen, A.J., A.P. de Klerk, J.A.J. Vervloet m.m.v. G.J. Borger (1989). Levend Verleden: een verkenning van de cultuurhistorische betekenis van het Nederlandse landschap. Achtergrondreeks Natuurbeleidsplan 3. SDU Den Haag.
- Landschappen van wereldformaat. 1998. Historisch Geografisch Tijdschrift 98(3). Matrijs. Utrecht.
- Ven, G.P. van de (Eds.) (1993).Man-made lowlands: history of water management and land reclamation in the Netherlands. Matrijs. Utrecht.
- Wolf, W.J., J. Berdowski, F.A. Bink en S. Broekhuizen (1989). De internationale betekenis van de Nederlandse natuur: een verkenning. SDU. 'Den Haag.
