Duinen Terschelling

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Overview

Duinen Terschelling is one of the larger islands in the Wadden Sea, characterized by sand dunes and an extensive intertidal mudflat surrounded by grassland, conifer crops, small villages and silt polders claimed from the sea. The Site was formerly part of Ramsar Site 1252 (Waddeneilanden, Noordzeekustzone, Breebaart) which was divided in six Sites following Natura 2000 borders in 2014. The site is of international importance for European threatened species of breeding birds such as little tern, northern harrier and western marsh harrier, and endangered species of flora such as pigmy rush and green-winged orchid. The dunes form a natural coastal defence against the erosive forces of the North Sea and they retain rain water ensuring freshwater supply. Human activities include tourism, conservation and research. The main threats to the Site’s ecological character are posed by groundwater extraction and tourism.
Transboundary designation: 
The "Wadden Sea" Transboundary Ramsar Site was declared in 2015 and it includes 13 Ramsar Sites in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands: Site No. 356 in Denmark; Sites No. 501, 537, 80, 81, 82 in Germany; Sites No. 1252, 289, 2212, 2213, 2214, 2215, 2216 in the Netherlands.

Administrative region: 
Province of Friesland

  • National legal designation: 
    • National Ecological Network (NEN) - Duinen Terschelling
  • Regional (international) legal designations: 
    • EU Natura 2000
  • Last publication date: 
    15-07-2022

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)