Acidification, desiccation and eutrophication of natural areas generally cause unwanted changes in biodiversity. In Flanders, evaluation and knowledge of the impect of these disturbances on terrestrial ecosystems are hampered by a lack of accurate data. To address this problem, the Flamish authorities plan the installation of a network of monitoring sites during the period 2001-2003. This project aims at developing a methodology for the integrated monitoring of the abiotic environment in wetlands. More specifically, monitoring schemes for the site hydrology, for soil processes, and for the vegetation dynamics will be designed. In a second phase, these schemes will be implemented in two selected wetland sites in Flanders.