Recovery of humid alluvial forest with European black poplar along the Common Meuse

In 2001 and subsequent years, European black poplar (Populus nigra L.) was planted along the Common Meuse. The aim was to create a source population for the spontaneous recovery of alluvial forest with black poplar as the key species. These trees have now reached an age at which they produce seeds. These seeds may be species-pure, or they may have been produced by crossing with the Canadapoplar (P. x canadensis) or other exotic poplars (P. x generosa), the frequently planted non-indigenous species in Flanders. In recent years, the habitat of black poplar has also been restored to the site. This project aims to investigate whether all conditions are present for the further spontaneous development of valuable alluvial forests (humid alluvial forests, Code H91E0) with black poplar as key species.