If you ask someone what ‘nature’ looks like, no one talks about barbed wire and fences. But about trees and bushes mixed together, without borders, and large and small animals living next to each other. People introduced structure and control, for example by indicating property boundaries and fencing off animals. In De Maashorst nature reserve, we are striving for process nature again. In this, nature develops itself through natural processes. So without human intervention. This is also called rewilding.
Rewilding is also important in the Netherlands
Rewilding literally means: ‘making wild again’. The starting point is the trust that nature can take care of itself. Pristine wilderness without human influences no longer exists. And that has consequences for our climate, biodiversity and for our flora and fauna. By giving space to nature and natural processes, ecosystems can recover. Also in the Netherlands.
Scientists are investigating the opportunities for rewilding areas in the Netherlands and Europe. This can be done, for example, by giving more space to rivers, improving connections between land and water or giving large grazers and predators the chance to return to ecosystems. Rewilding can contribute to improved biodiversity, more wild animals and offer solutions for the effects of climate change, such as reducing the chance of flooding and wildfires.
In De Maashorst the large grazers are managers
Traditional forest management involves mowing, planting and cutting down trees, and placing lots of fencing. Process nature lets go of this. This requires courage, space and time. We must trust that nature is self-reliant – and that nature is then also at its strongest and most resilient!
In the nature core of De Maashorst, management is now mainly done by the large grazers; the wisent, tauros and Exmoor pony. They graze the herb-rich grasslands and peel the trees. This creates a large variety of plant and animal species. As humans, we now mainly ensure that the conditions for the animals are as favourable as possible and we manage the recreational facilities.
Species come and go
Process nature also means that species come and go. Nature itself arranges for a new balance to be created with a rich biodiversity. This effect is already visible in De Maashorst. Special birds have returned, such as the grey shrike, raven and eagle owl.
In process nature, carcasses remain; they attract scavengers such as foxes, beetles, butterflies and flies. Carcasses return nutrients and minerals to the cycle. That is good for the soil.
This also applies to dead trees that are left lying around. Dead trees attract many insects, which in turn attract insectivores. In a truly old forest, there are 150 to 200 cubic metres of dead wood per hectare. In De Maashorst, this is now only 20 cubic metres. This makes sense, because our forests are still relatively young. And depending on the species, a tree only dies after 100 to 200 years of age. We will continue to create dead wood ourselves in the coming years, very subtly. To increase the quantity and not to lose the dead wood species that we have built up over the past 25 years. And trees also die from pests such as the bark beetle, climate change, nitrogen and major storms.
Water on its course
Process nature ultimately also means that the water is not controlled. No water is drained. Dry and wet years alternate. Some parts of the area are then under water for months. This offers opportunities for water birds such as the grebe, for example. By allowing the water to take its course, nature adapts and the most suitable species diversity is created. Because agricultural activities still take place in and around the area, the water system is still controlled.
Self-reliant OER-area
The choice for process nature thus leads to a self-reliant and powerful OER-area, with a great variety of flora and fauna!
Collaborate, learn and develop together
A vision 2050 has been created for nature reserve De Maashorst. You can read more about the vision here Visie en beleid | Natuurgebied De Maashorst. 5 partners are responsible for the nature reserve. They call on specialists for help. For process nature with the use of large grazers, the expertise of specialists is used: Free Nature [Maashorst | FREE Nature] and Grazelands Rewilding [Herstel van Europa’s landschap – Grazelands Rewilding]. You can learn much more about process nature and rewilding on their websites.