Network Ecological Monitoring (NEM)

Nature monitoring networks in the Netherlands are part of the Network Ecological Monitoring (NEM) (only available in Dutch). This is a collaboration between the ministries of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W), the provincial authorities and a few government organisations, including CBS, that aims to align nature monitoring networks with the information needs of the government at national and international level. Important international monitoring obligations stem from the European Union's bird and habitat directives, among others.

Many of the mammal species are not monitored, because this is not (yet) possible. For example, bats and martens are active at night or inhabit inaccessible places, so systematic counts cannot be made, or the cost is too high. Another reason for the absence of a species in the trend indicator of mammals is that species that reproduce continuously in the Netherlands for less than 10 years do not have to be reported to the European Union. As a result, wolves and wildcats, for example, are not yet covered by the NEM.

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