Guidance Water draw down; consequences for nature
Index section: Water draw down; consequences for nature
Introduction
In the last hundred years, the habitats in the Netherlands have become drier. The causes are the abstraction of groundwater for domestic consumption and industry, the improved removal of rainfall via drainage and sewers, and the permanent lowering of the water table to benefit agriculture. The result is what Dutch call verdroging, which literally means "drying-up". The impact of this phenomenon on the vegetation is felt over large areas. Falling water tables in the higher-lying parts of an area can lead to a decrease in the upward seepage of alkaline water in lower-lying areas. This seepage is essential for the survival of certain plant species.
The abstraction of drinking water from the sand dunes in the west of the country has led to a sharp decrease in the area of damp and wet dune slacks. This has caused the decline of species like grass of parnassus and the dark green fritillary. There has also been a decline in the area of wet and damp heathland; for example, near Breda and Tilburg. The drying up of the heathland has caused species of these habitats and of fens to decline. The drying up of woodlands has affected the occurrence of certain moths and butterflies, such as the white admiral. And many damp, semi-natural grasslands have disappeared.
