This project by order of the Flemish government aims at drawing up an ecosystem management plan for the valley of the A-beek (province of Limburg, Belgium). According to the awarding authority (i.e. the Flemish government), an ecosystem management plan has to describe the locations where certain nature types have to be conserved, restored and/or developed within a specified area (in this case the valley of the A-beek). Based on the actual condition of nature and a reference condition (mostly based on the past) and taking in account the ecological potentiality, on or more wanted future conditions of nature will be described, in which is indicated where which nature types have to be developed.The ecosystem management plan needs to serve as a tool for the environmental policy in order to optimize the quality and structure of ecosystems in the valley.Based on the limiting conditions and the potentials for nature in the valley ecosystem, the study describes on or more wanted future conditions. The plan has to serve as a basis for the nature conservation and development policy in order to maximize the ecological functioning in the valley of the A-beek.