1st European Congress on Odonatology Programme and abstracts

Protection of Red List species in the Netherlands:
ecological research, monitoring and conservation
Dick Groenendijk 1 & Tim Termaat
1 Dutch Butterfly Conservation, PO Box 506, NL-6700 AM, Wageningen, the Netherlands,
dick.groenendijk@vlinderstichting.nl
Adequately protecting dragonflies is a complicated challenge, which asks for a step-wise strategy and
the co-operation of many people. In the Netherlands, six Red List species have been subject of
species protection plans on national, regional or local scale in the last few years. Two national species
protection plans have been published. One for the localised but rather common Aeshna viridis listed at
the Habitat Directive and one for the rather elusive and threatened Somatochlora arctica. The aim of
these plans is to integrate ecological knowledge in restoration projects for these species. For both
species examples will be shown. Protection of dragonfly starts with putting endangered dragonfly
species on the agenda of policy makers, by making them aware of the endangered status of the
species. Research to the causes of the species’ decline is often a necessary first step in the protection
project. Research examples of different Red List species include a survey on the ecological needs of
Coenagrion hastulatum which will be summarised. The second step is to translate knowledge of
dragonflies into concrete recommendations for habitat management. This is best done in close
consultation with the managers of the nature areas in which the species occurs, or might occur in the
future. Ultimately, the protection plan should be presented to a broad public, in order to get the
needed commitment for the execution of the desired conservation measures. For example, the local
water board, a group of enthusiastic volunteers, local policy makers and the owner of the nature
reserve all worked together in the protection of a small brook in the southern part of the Netherlands,
to protect the rare Cordulegaster boltonii.
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