Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
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.
This is a breeding area for meadow birds and woodland passerines.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
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).
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).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Vallei van de Zwarte Beek (Belgium). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/vallei-van-de-zwarte-beek-iba-belgium on 23/11/2024.
