Some plant and animal species are expanding in numbers, others are in decline. But the species with specific habitat requirements are doing worse, so that nature is becoming less diverse and more uniform in character.

Dutch nature becoming more uniform

When it comes to plant and animal species, the question of the state of Dutch nature is not easy to answer. Butterflies are in decline, meadow and arable farmland birds are struggling to survive, and the Dutch flora is being eroded. On the other hand, waterbirds such as the Mute Swan, Red-Crested Pochard and Grey Heron are doing well, and the numbers of amphibians, reptiles and fish are increasing.
Dutch nature appears to be losing diversity. Heaths contain fewer characteristic species, such as the Silver-studded Blue butterfly, but more of the common grassland butterflies. The numbers of butterfly species characteristic of wetlands and woodland are also in sharp decline.

Characteristic heathland species, such as the Silver-studded Blue, are in decline (photo: Mark van Veen)

The Dutch flora is not in good shape. During the period 1990–2000 almost half of all native Dutch plant species had declined in number compared with the period 1975–1990. On the other hand, more than 30% of Dutch plant species are on the increase. Rare species have become rarer, and plant species of sensitive habitats, such as fen carr (wet woodland) and wet heath, are losing ground the fastest.

 
Populations of butterflies with specific habitat requirements are declining on average faster than the habitat generalists (source: Statistics Netherlands, NEM)

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