Management of tern and plover habitat

Several nationally threatened terns and plovers breed exclusively on barren pioneer soils. That habitat is rapidly disappearing, especially in fresh waters with stable water levels. We cannot escape artificially creating them if we want to offer breeding habitat for these species in our wetlands. It often requires some form of "gardening" to create and maintain breeding islands. But how? Nature managers tried all sorts of things, but usually did not document their results. Thanks to a three-year field experiment, we now conclude that it is important to keep the topsoil high and dry. Root canvas does not inhibit plant growth, but applying a thin layer of salt in March does. We published our results in De Levende Natuur.

download: article (in Dutch)