The persistent drought has dealt a severe blow to nature, hydrologists from Staatsbosbeheer and Natuurmonumenten say in conversation with NU.nl on Thursday. It is feared that many rare species of amphibians and butterflies have disappeared, while many more trees have died and heather died. “More and more you will find birch without leaves.”
Hydrologist Corine Geujen of Natuurmonumenten explains that one dry summer is enough to disrupt the cycle of butterflies, dragonflies and amphibians. However, serious consequences are observed after three dry years.
Some rare butterflies would have disappeared completely. Geujen mentions the peat hay beast, heather blue, gentian butterfly and brown fire butterfly as examples.
Ecologist Roy van Grunsven of the Butterfly Foundation has added a few more species, including the (small) heather moth. Only eleven specimens were reported to have been spotted in one year, he is not sure whether that butterfly will still occur in the Netherlands next year.
Butterflies and caterpillars perish from lack of food
Butterflies would often starve to death. “The drought is disastrous for their habitat. There are far fewer nectar plants,” says Van Grunsven. He emphasizes that many caterpillars no longer even become butterflies because of the drought. “Plants that they have to eat have also disappeared rapidly.”
Not only butterflies seem to be disappearing, Geujen and colleague Rob van Dongen of Staatsbosbeheer report. Forest and tree frogs, dragonflies, the garlic toad and nursery and meadow birds also have a hard time. The birds still breed enough young, but many die after birth from a lack of food.
All species need moist areas. However, underground water levels have been declining for years, and the little bit of rain that does fall is nowhere near enough for nature to recover, Van Dongen concludes.
In the past, damage was mainly observed in nature reserves in Overijssel, Drenthe, Gelderland and parts of Noord-Brabant and Limburg. However, the consequences are now becoming increasingly visible nationwide. In particular, stream valleys or areas with raised or vibrating moors suffer considerable damage.
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The tree frog. (Photo: René Vencken)
‘Are the Dutch aware of the damage their nature is being sustained?’
Van Dongen is concerned about the developments and wonders how many Dutch people are aware of the state of Dutch nature. “This year it only rained in the first two months, but from March there was hardly a drop anymore. You don’t notice that on the surface: meadows still look green, but appearances are deceptive.”
Geujen does not want to call the damage irreversible. However, she is of the opinion that the Netherlands must rapidly deal better with water structurally. Retaining the coveted rainwater, she says, is very difficult, but possible. “There must be structurally different actions. Fens and brook valleys must be used in winter to store water, so that it is available to nature in summer, in drier times.”
The hydrologist also sounds critical about the quantities of groundwater pumps in the Netherlands. “There is no clear picture of how many there are in the Netherlands, but it is clear that they get the last bit of water out of the ground.”
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