Authors: Rodriguez, Esther;

Abandonment of extensive grazing, increasing nitrogen deposition and decline of rabbit populations over the last decades have led to vegetation encroachment of the dune landscapes throughout the Netherlands. To counteract this overgrowth of vegetation, grazing with large herbivores has been widely embrazed in nature areas across the Netherlands. Mostly cattle and horse breeds have been chosen to roam year round.
In the National Park Zuid-Kennemerland, located in the North-Western coast of the Netherlands, a similar approach was taken. Semi-free roaming cattle and horses were introduced to restore the dunes. However, uniquely and for the first time in the Netherlands, in the Kraansvlak dune area (also part of National Park) it was chosen to run a pilot to investigate the role of European bison in the dune ecosystem under natural semi-free living conditions. Ever since the first European bison were released in Kraansvlak in 2007, active research and monitoring have taken place. Along the years, konik horse and highland cattle have been added to the herbivore assemblage of Kraansvlak, giving unique chances to study the three large herbivores together. Feeding ecology, impact on vegetation as well as habitat selection and habitat use have been major focus of attention.