Wet heath

On either side of the raised path are well-developed patches of wet heath. Here, the heather grows, which blooms from early summer with clusters of pink urn-shaped flowers. They are an important source of nectar for numerous insects such as bees and butterflies. You will also find cotton grass (May/June) and white and brown beak rush (summer) here. Especially to the left of the path, there is a lot of small sundew (April/October), an insect-eating plant. Small insects get stuck to the sticky hairs on the leaves. These leaves secrete digestive enzymes, allowing the sundew to obtain extra nutrients in the nutrient-poor soil. In 2000, turf cutting was carried out here. During this process, the vegetation and the humus layer are completely scraped off by machine. This management measure is applied to overgrown heath and in wet areas to restore valuable pioneer vegetation. After the removal of the humic top layer, a nutrient-poor environment is created, where grasses are less favored. Typical heath species then get the opportunity to germinate again from seeds still present in the soil.

Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos