European bison introduction pilot in Kraansvlak, the Netherlands
Evaluation of the scientific background and the viewpoint of stakeholders of the “European bison introduction pilot in Kraansvlak”, the Netherlands
Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Mareike Kröner, Research Project: Land Use, Environment and Biodiversity.
This research project evaluates the Bison Introduction Pilot in the Kraansvlak situated in the national park „Zuid Kennemerland‟, the Netherlands. The objectives of the project are to gain insight in bison ecology, bison behavior, and impact of bison on dune land and interactions of bison with other grazers. Another important aspect is to gain experience with management of the bison in a Dutch context, experiences with visitors of the national park, and overall the global goal of the project is the facilitation of a reintroduction of bison in the Netherlands.
This objective is achieved by adopting a three-step methodology, in which:
- past scientific students‟ researches are summarized
- the main project stakeholders are interviewed face-to-face or through email correspondence, and
- a survey campaign is carried out among visitors of the national park 'Zuid Kennemerland' and citizens of nearby cities: Zandvoort and Overveen.