Kalmthout Heath
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| - | '''De Zoom – Kalmthoutse Heide''', is a cross-border park on the Belgian-Dutch border. It is a merger of two former parks, the '''Kalmthoutse Heide''' in Belgium and '''De Zoom''' in the Netherlands), together extending over 37.50 km2. A very large part of the park is covered with [[Heath (habitat)|heath]]. | ||
| - | The park is managed by a special commission in which both [[Flanders|Flemish]] and [[Netherlands|Dutch]] organisations are represented. The park is owned by the state of Flanders, the municipality [[Kalmthout]], ''[[Staatsbosbeheer]]'', ''[[Natuurmonumenten]]'' and several private owners. The best known part of the border park lies in [[Belgium]], in the north of the province of [[Antwerp (province)|Antwerp]] (Kalmthout and [[Essen, Belgium|Essen]]). The Dutch part lies in the municipality [[Woensdrecht]] (province [[North Brabant]]) and stretches from the border to the villages [[Woensdrecht|Huijbergen]] and [[Putte (Netherlands)|Putte]]. | + | The '''Kalmthout Heath''' is one of the oldest and largest nature reserves of [[Flanders]], bordering the [[Netherlands]] and part of the Dutch-Belgian cross-border park [[De Zoom – Kalmthoutse Heide]]. It used to be part of a vastly larger European [[heath]] landscape. Its name stems from its location: the [[Belgian]] municipality [[Kalmthout]]. |
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| + | It has been protected as a [[landscape]] since 1941, and officially became a state reserve ({{lang-nl|staatsreservaat}}) in 1964 due to a petition of over 100,000 signatures. | ||
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| + | == Geography == | ||
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| + | The [[heath]] is an [[Infiltration (hydrology)|infiltration]] area located in a cover [[sand]] region, in the north of the [[Antwerp (province)|province of Antwerp]]. Its relief consists mainly of [[clay]] sediments from the [[Early Pleistocene]] Kempen Formation. Dunes formed during the [[Preboreal]] and the [[Boreal (age)|Boreal]] epochs. At least some of the heath's larger dune systems were still active up until at least the 1990s. In these dune systems, dune-forms (featuring dry [[podzol]]s or undifferentiated [[soil]]s) such as parabolic dunes and longitudinal dunes alternate with vast deflation planes (featuring wet podzols) with multiple moorland pools. All of the soils are sandy, transported by [[Saltation (geology)|saltation]]. Its water is low in minerals and profoundly [[acid]]. | ||
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| + | == Visitor centre "De Vroente"== | ||
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| + | "De Vroente" is a NME-centre ({{lang-nl|Vlaams Kennis- en Vormingscentrum voor Natuur & Milieu}}) of the [[Flemish Government]] located at the main entrance of the ''Kalmthout Heath'', and is the main visitor centre for the cross-border park "De Zoom – Kalmthoutse Heide" which spans six thousand hectares. The centre also features nature exhibitions. | ||
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| + | == The Steertse Heath == | ||
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| + | [[File:Corn field in the sand of the Kalmthout Heath (11 September 2016).jpg|thumb|Corn field in "The Steertse Heath", amidst the Kalmthout Heath, on 11 September 2016]] | ||
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| + | Because of the desiccation and dramatic reduction of biodiversity in "De Groote Meer" in [[Ossendrecht]]; in 2015, seven nature organisations advocated for buying lands of the agriculature enclave "The Steertse Heath" located on the Belgian territory of the ''Kalmthout Heath''. | ||
| - | ==Fauna== | ||
| - | As we walk in the Kalmthoutse Heide, we can notice some remarkable species, such as [[Coronella austriaca|Smooth snake]], [[Viviparous lizard]] and [[Crested newt]], as well as [[Moor frog]]. Rare butterfly species are [[Green hairstreak]], [[Grayling (butterfly)|Grayling]], [[Silver-studded blue]], [[Chequered skipper]] and [[Clouded yellow]]. In nearby nature reserves, we can find even rarer species: | ||
| - | [[Klein Schietveld]]: [[Grizzled skipper]]: one of the largest and last remaining populations of this species in [[Flanders]]. | ||
| - | [[Groot Schietveld]]: [[Alcon blue]]: even threatened on European scale and ofcours very restricted in [[Flanders]]: only found in the north-east of Belgium. This species used to occur in the wet heathlands of the Kalmthoutse Heide, but because of the lack of larval foodplants, this species is now considered extinct, even though occasionally eggs are found. | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| - | *[[Kalmthout Heath]] | + | * [[De Zoom – Kalmthoutse Heide]] |
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| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
Revision as of 18:15, 23 September 2017
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The Kalmthout Heath is one of the oldest and largest nature reserves of Flanders, bordering the Netherlands and part of the Dutch-Belgian cross-border park De Zoom – Kalmthoutse Heide. It used to be part of a vastly larger European heath landscape. Its name stems from its location: the Belgian municipality Kalmthout.
It has been protected as a landscape since 1941, and officially became a state reserve (Template:Lang-nl) in 1964 due to a petition of over 100,000 signatures.
Contents |
Geography
The heath is an infiltration area located in a cover sand region, in the north of the province of Antwerp. Its relief consists mainly of clay sediments from the Early Pleistocene Kempen Formation. Dunes formed during the Preboreal and the Boreal epochs. At least some of the heath's larger dune systems were still active up until at least the 1990s. In these dune systems, dune-forms (featuring dry podzols or undifferentiated soils) such as parabolic dunes and longitudinal dunes alternate with vast deflation planes (featuring wet podzols) with multiple moorland pools. All of the soils are sandy, transported by saltation. Its water is low in minerals and profoundly acid.
Visitor centre "De Vroente"
"De Vroente" is a NME-centre (Template:Lang-nl) of the Flemish Government located at the main entrance of the Kalmthout Heath, and is the main visitor centre for the cross-border park "De Zoom – Kalmthoutse Heide" which spans six thousand hectares. The centre also features nature exhibitions.
The Steertse Heath
thumb|Corn field in "The Steertse Heath", amidst the Kalmthout Heath, on 11 September 2016
Because of the desiccation and dramatic reduction of biodiversity in "De Groote Meer" in Ossendrecht; in 2015, seven nature organisations advocated for buying lands of the agriculature enclave "The Steertse Heath" located on the Belgian territory of the Kalmthout Heath.
See also
