Weerribben-Wieden National Park

Weerribben-Wieden National Park
Water and land shape the "Weerribben"
Coordinates: 52 ° 46 ′ 0 ″  N , 5 ° 56 ′ 0 ″  E
Location:	Netherlands
Next city:	Steenwijk
Surface:	9000 ha
Map of the Weerribben-Wieden

Together with De Weerribben , De Wieden forms the 90 km² Weerribben-Wieden National Park in the Dutch province of Overijssel . This is the largest swamp landscape in Western Europe , consisting of moorland and wet meadows , reed areas , swamp and swamp forests .

Emergence

Although the landscape of the Weerribben-Wieden Nature Park appears unspoilt, it has been continuously shaped by humans since the 12th century. Dikes were built (which made the Zuiderzee less impactful) and artificial ditches that drained the area to make it habitable. For centuries, the region owed its most important livelihood to the discovery of peat as fuel.

Peat extraction

The peat was first cut out in long strips, always leaving out sections (called “legakkers”) in order to allow the excavated material to dry on it. The demand for peat as fuel was so great that the draw holes were made wider and wider. As a result, storms destroyed the narrow intermediate embankments, creating large ponds in the Wieden. After two major storms (1775 and 1776) even the village “Beulake” disappeared in the floods.

In the Weerribben peat extraction only started later. Due to the negative experiences in the Wieden, fixed rules were drawn up for the minimum width that the intermediate embankments had to have. This prevented large accumulations of water. The peat mining culture is also reflected in the name “Weerribben”: “Ribben” (ribs) is the name given to the narrow sections on which the cut peat was laid to dry. "Weren" ( weirs ) are the "cut off" places that again filled with water.

Development from 1920

Peat extraction remained of great importance for the region until 1920. However, with the advent of new fuels, it became unprofitable. The residents looked for other sources of income and found them in agriculture, fishing and reed growing. One also became increasingly aware of the natural and cultural-historical wealth of the landscape, which was designed by human hands. Since agriculture in a moorland is very labor-intensive because everything has to be brought in by boat, many farmers gave up and sold their land to nature conservation organizations .

nature and landscape

Water and land alternate in the Weerribben-Wieden National Park. This creates habitats for all kinds of animals and plants, such as the great fire butterfly , the black tern , the otter and - among the plants - the marsh milkweed , the heart leaf or the marsh featherweed . The Weerribben and Wieden owe their status as a national park to the enormous biodiversity of the area. There you will find lakes, ditches and canals, pastures, reeds and swamp forests. Each of these landscape types is valuable because it encourages the occurrence of specific plants and animals.

Open waters

Caddis fly larva when leaving its housing

Water is the main determining factor in the Weerribben-Wieden National Park. In the calm waters of the ditches and draft holes, the European sea can , the frog bite and the crab claw grow among others . Sedges , river dock , water mint and reed thrive along the banks . Typical swamp dwellers live on and in the water; in addition to the otter, there are many species of waterfowl and insects. In clean waters you can find fish such as the roach , the wolffish or the pike as well as numerous aquatic insects, for example the back swimmer or dragonfly and caddis fly larvae .

Rocking bogs

The so-called " rocking bogs " are also particularly valuable . As an important stage in the process of silting up , they form floating plant covers that are not good or not yet accessible. This silting phase can only get under way with the help of clean, clear water. Here you can find orchids such as the swamp glossy herb or the swamp soft orchid and the very rare Scorpidium scorpioides can be recognized by the trained eye .

Meadows and reeds

Roots or rhizomes tend to intertwine underwater, creating floating “carpets of plants”. Once they have reached a certain strength, they can even be walked on. Plants can be found on their edges that thrive in moist, nutrient-poor meadows. The cuckoo's carnation , the marsh lice weed and various kinds of orchids grow here. The flowery hay meadows attract all kinds of insects such as the aurora butterfly and the brown-spotted mother-of-pearl butterfly , which in turn are a source of food for numerous bird species.

In the reeds themselves, there are other species such as the rush edge or the swamp goose thistle . The reeds have a special meaning for birds; the bluethroat and the bittern find breeding and shelter there. It is therefore important that a part of the reed is left standing every year - the so-called "overjarige advised". Reed warbler and marsh warbler build their nests preferably in Ried old stems, as well as the harvest mouse can be found there.

Bog forests and duck traps

Duck trap trap in the "t'Broek" nature reserve

Numerous swamp forests did not emerge until after 1950. Less and less reed was mowed because the yield decreased due to old, dried-up reeds. Even young trees were no longer removed and could therefore thrive. Many swamp forests were created around Kalenberg , Dwarsgracht and Belt-Schutsloot , but the forests around the duck traps are much older. Most of the bird beds were set up in the 19th century, with the hunter planting trees around the fishing grounds. The cage formed a “protective” place in the open landscape, where the ducks came to rest. Currently, otters and pine marten seek shelter and peace in the old cages.

In Western Europe, large-scale catching of waterfowl was carried out in these so-called "duck bunks". Such a facility usually consisted of a central pond with canals that were spanned with nets and ended in a dead end. By using decoys , feeding and driving by specially trained dogs, mass catches of thousands of ducks could be achieved in this way. Today one uses the experience with duck bunks for catching water birds for the ringing in the migratory bird research .

literature

• Pieter-Paul van Laaske: Netherlands - walks through old and new natural idylls. Bergverlag Rother GmbH, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-7633-4064-4 .
• Charlotte Mooij: De Wieden. A cultuurhistorische fietstocht. Uitgeverij Matrijs, Utrecht 2018, ISBN 978-94-6148-061-3 .

Web links

• Welkom in Nationaal Park Weerribben-Wieden on np-weerribbenwieden.nl.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Pieter-Paul van Laaske: Netherlands - walks through old and new natural idylls. Pp. 87, 89.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Natuur en landschap. on Nationaal Park Weerribben-Wieden. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
3. ↑ planned end. on Nationaal Park Weerribben-Wieden. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
4. ↑ Gerhard Aubrecht: The hunt for water birds. In: Catalogs of Upper Austria. Landesmuseums NF 8, Linz 1987, pp. 125–131 ( PDF on ZOBODAT , accessed on March 26, 2014).