Meetings of the Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands

Which are the intrinsic values in a certain nature reserve and how is it possible to conserve or to upgrade the actual and potential biological values? As a rule there are several alternatives for the management of a nature reserve. Before a decision is made as to the most desirable alternative, a floristic and phytosociological inventory of the area, including mapping of the vegetation, has to be made. After the choice has been made, e.g. between natural development or conservation of a semi-natural landscape, possibly with an accent on either botanical or zoological values, periodic floristical and phytosociological investigation of the area is indispensible to check whether the desired developments actually take place. A good reporting system of all measures carried out is indispensable; complementary data about changes in hydrology and fauna as well as a calculation of expenses over several years are necessary. Sometimes it may be desirable to try alternative management methods on a small scale before applying them to large areas.