Dec 05, 2023 at 10:02 PM Update: 6 hours ago
The saddle locust is doing badly in the Netherlands. The animal is critically endangered and almost extinct. According to De Hoge Veluwe National Park, the locust is mainly found in Gelderland. That is why the park will create new habitat for the saddle locust.
Saddle locusts have not been seen in the heathlands of the park lately, while they used to occur there. The number of saddle locusts has also declined sharply in other places in Gelderland or the creatures have even disappeared completely.
The fact that there are fewer saddle locusts may be because the quality of the shrub heather has deteriorated. In addition, fewer herbs grow on the heath. The locusts were also unable to lay their eggs properly, because more and more moss was growing.
Various measures are being taken to make the heath attractive to saddle locusts again.
For example, rock dust and lime are spread on De Hoge Veluwe to make the soil less acidic. The park management hopes that this will allow the soil to recover. This should ensure that herbs start growing again and that the quality of heathland plants improves. In addition, moss has been removed from places where saddle locusts were found and herb-rich seeds are being scattered.
Researchers will keep an eye on the heath for five years
When all recovery measures are complete, new saddle locusts will be released. These are descendants of the original populations that have been bred.
Researchers will monitor the effect of the measures for five years to assess whether they are successful and whether other animals and plants do not suffer.
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AnimalsNatureInterior
2023-12-05 21:02:18
#Measures #save #extinct #saddle #locust #Hoge #Veluwe #Animals
