From heath to forest... and back!

Hengelhoef has not always been a wooded area. The oldest forest sections are thought to have been planted between 1780 and 1830. Evidence of this can be found in the younger pine forests with typical heathland species such as heather and bilberry. The dominance of coniferous forest is reflected in the bird population, with species such as tawny owl, crested tit, and goldcrest. They prefer coniferous woodlands, just like the crossbill, which uses its specially shaped beak to extract the nutritious seeds from pine cones. Under the high-voltage power lines, trees have been felled to ensure that branches do not get tangled in the cables. Due to soil disturbing activities, new small areas of dry heath have emerged. Large, continuous heathlands are no longer possible, and with the nearby heathland areas of De Teut and Ten Haagdoornheide, that is not necessary either. By keeping the heathland patches open, a large biodiversity of butterflies and grasshoppers is created. The field cricket, blue-winged grasshopper, and black wekkertje have already found their way to this 'new heath'.

Limburgs Landschap vzw