Heathland: habitat fragmentation

There are numerous small and isolated heathlands in which the survival prospects for many species are poor.

Trends

Continuous tracts of heathland are now fragmented into numerous smaller areas. Most are no larger than 10 ha (upper figure) although these together make up only about 10% of the total area of this habitat (bottom figure). On small heathlands there is a particular risk that species such as the common viper will ultimately disappear; this is particularly the case if the heathland in question is isolated from others. For many populations of species, an area less than 100 ha is too small for sustainable survival. This is aggravated by the fact that in practice it is often not feasible to manage small areas adequately.

Certain species, such as birds of prey, need a continuous area of heathland larger than 1000 ha. Of the more than 2300 heathlands in the Netherlands, only two meet this criterion. Only by physically linking the heathlands can the effects of isolation be negated.