Markermeer & IJmeer (1216)
Netherlands, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Markermeer & IJmeer
Central coordinates: Latitude: 52.5333, Longitude: 5.2500
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): -8 to -1
Area of KBA (km2): 684.73961
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A stagnant freshwater lake, separated from Lake IJsselmeer (034) by the closing of the Houtribdijk in 1975, and bordered to the east by the polders Oostelijk and Zuidelijk Flevoland (reclaimed in 1957 and 1968). The lake is connected to Lake Gooimeer (044) in the south-east, and is also adjacent to Oostvaardersplassen (066) and Lepelaarsplassen (067) in the east, via the Zuidelijk Flevoland polder. The lake has been locally deepened to more than 30 m by sand extraction. This site, together with site 034, formed part of a single, larger site (former site NL030) in the previous international IBA inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: Numbers are based on aerial counts which tend to underestimate species with a scattered occurrence (e.g. Chlidonias niger). This is the main feeding area of the Phalacrocorax carbo that breed at Lepelaarsplassen (067) and Naardermeer (074), and is an important moulting area for (subadult) Cygnus olor, Aythya fuligula and Aythya ferina.
Delineation rationale: 9 March 2017: name and area edited. Now equal to the designated Special Protection Area (Birds Directive).
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture (90%) | hunting (5%) | tourism/recreation (100%) | urban/industrial/transport (40%) | water management (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main problems are over-fishing, water management (the water-level is deliberately kept high during summer), land reclamation for building IJburg (660 ha will be reclaimed near Amsterdam), pollution by nutrients and by trace pollutants such as cadmium, mercury and DDT (`Other' threat, above), entanglement in fishing nets, and disturbance caused by wildfowl hunting and recreation (leisure navigation). A small part of the area lies in the `Eemmeer, Gooimeer en IJmeer' SPA (as part of the IJmeer).
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases | Unspecified species | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Industrial aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Excess energy | Thermal pollution | Only in the future |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of ground water (agricultural use) | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Unspecified species | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Only in the future | |
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Only in the future | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Only in the future | |
| Energy production & mining | Renewable energy | Only in the future | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future |