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close| Location | Belgium, Vlaams Gewest |
| Central coordinates | 5o 20.00' East 51o 7.00' North |
| IBA criteria | C6 |
| Area | 8,864 ha |
| Altitude | 32 - 70m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2000 |
Ornithological information This is a breeding area for meadow birds and woodland passerines.
Site description An extensive heathland on the Kempen plateau, with oligotrophic fens and sand-dunes, and the Zwarte Beek wil valley, a well-preserved, semi-natural landscape with bogs, moorland, marsh, woodland and extensive arable land.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurasian Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus | breeding | 1993 | 30-40 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bocholt, Hechtel-Eksel, Meeuwen-Gruitrode, Neerpelt en Peer - BE2217310 | Birds Directive | 9,863 | protected area is adjacent to site | 0 | |
| Militair domein en vallei van de Zwarte Beek - BE2218311 | Birds Directive | 8,889 | protected area contains site | 8,864 | |
| Vallei van de Zwarte Beek | Nature Reserve | 827 | protected area contained by site | 827 | |
| Vallei- en brongebied van de Zwarte Beek, Bolisserbeek en Dommel met heide en vengebieden. - BE2200029 | Habitats Directive | 8,306 | protected area overlaps with site | 7,505 |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | Mixed woodland | 20% |
| Shrubland | Heathland | 30% |
| Grassland | Humid grasslands; Mesophile grasslands | 10% |
| Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) | Arable land; Forestry plantations | 40% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| military | 70% |
| agriculture | 20% |
| tourism/recreation | 5% |
| nature conservation and research | 10% |
Management considerations The area suffers from planting with exotic tree species. Additionally, one of the most significant threats to the extensive heathland and inland dunes is the future use of the military area (`Other' threat), as an increasing number of military areas are being sold and developed. The area is included in the `Ecologisch Impulsgebied', an integrated conservation and development project. Intensive research on the influence of hydrology on land management is currently being carried out. Almost 1,000 ha is managed as a nature reserve by BNVR/RNOB. 8,100 ha of IBA covered by proposed Site of Community Importance (Vallei-en brongebied van Zwarte Beek, Boliserbeek, 8,689 ha).
Protection status National Partial International High827 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Vallei van de Zwarte Beek, 827 ha). 8,864 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Militair domein en de vallei van de Zwarte Beek, 8,864 ha).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Vallei van de Zwarte Beek. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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