Assessing the impact of water management options upon vegetation development in drained lake side wetlands

Lake-side wetlands and their original vegetation have become rare in The Netherlands. The few remaining lake-side wetlands (also called: boezemlands) are mostly managed as nature reserves. Much attention is given to the preservation and restoration of species-rich meadows (Calthion palustris). In lake-side wetlands, both desiccation and acidification endanger the characteristic environmental conditions of these plant communities.The aim of this study was to develop guidelines for water management in different types of boezemlands. Three sites, representing different hydrological conditions, were selected. The steady-state groundwater model FLOWNET was used to describe water movement. The results of vegetation surveys were used to produce response curves for important species, giving correlations between their presence and environmental conditions (groundwater levels, soil pH).