The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, Access Appeals. (England)
The Access Inspector's handbook - Annexe 5.3
Data Sets used by the Countryside Agency for identifying open country
The use of data sets by the Countryside Agency is discussed in paragraphs 74-77 of the Mapping Methodology for England. This Annexe summarises those named together with the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) and includes a note on satellite data.. The data sets are used in compiling the draft map and are unlikely to be used by the CA when responding to appeals; nevertheless Inspectors should be aware of their range.
Phase 1 habitat survey
The Phase 1 habitat survey methodology (Handbook for Phase 1 habitat survey - a technique for environmental audit, Nature Conservancy Council, 1990) is applicable to surveys of semi-natural vegetation and wildlife habitats of the whole countryside, in which every parcel of land is classified and recorded.
The habitat classification system is based principally on vegetation, augmented by reference to topographic and substrate features, where vegetation is not the dominant component of the habitat.
Phase 1 Methodology. Land parcels are visited by a trained surveyor and the vegetation mapped on to Ordnance Survey maps (usually, 1:10,000), in terms of some 90 specified habitat types, using standard colour codes. In practice much of the mapping may be carried out from public rights of way, using binoculars to identify the vegetation. Aerial photographs may be used, especially in upland and urban areas, as an adjunct to ground survey.
Additional data may be included in the survey, by the use of dominant species codes within the main habitat types and by 'target notes', which give a brief account of particular areas of interest.
The purpose of Phase 1 . Phase 1 was designed to enable conservation planning, to acquire knowledge of the nature, location, extent and distribution of habitats. Whilst the application was designed for nature conservation purposes, the information upon the distribution of habitats is also useful in the preparation of local authority planning documents, such as structure and local plans.
Application to mountain, moor, heath and down. The Phase 1 categories generally use the same terms as used by the Countryside Agency, Mapping Methodology for England. For example, the Agency's definition of 'moor' includes -
mires (including blanket bog)
heath
rough unimproved acid grassland
upland calcareous grassland
These have an equivalent in Phase 1 as -
E. mire (all categories)
D. heath (all categories)
B1. Acid grassland / 1. unimproved
B3. Calcareous grassland / 1. unimproved
The Countryside Council for Wales, in Preparing maps of open country and registered common land, page 16, provides a table linking Phase 1 habitats with vegetation types present in mountain, moor, heath and down.
Limitations and accuracy . Phase 1 surveys are based on surveyors determinations of habitats. The survey results will be limited by 'observer error', depending upon the knowledge and training of the surveyor and the extent to which the surveys are independently verified. The quality of the field survey may also be limited by access, if the site was only viewed from a distance with binoculars and by the season of the survey.
National Vegetation Classification (NVC) / Phase 2
The National Vegetation Classification was commissioned by the Nature Conservancy Council in 1975 and the results published in five volumes (J.S. Rodwell, British Plant Communities, 1992 - 2000). The NVC methodology is used in many surveys - National Parks, ESAs and for SSSIs.
NVC provides a comprehensive coverage of British vegetation types with standardised descriptions of named and systematically arranged vegetation types of all natural, semi-natural and major artificial habitats. Whilst the NVC uses several hundred categories, the hierarchical nature of the system enables the 'communities' to be aggregated into the terms used by the Countryside Agency (c.f. CCW ibid.).
NVC plant communities are based upon a quantitative measure of the abundance of all species present. The methodology enables any given homogeneous stand of vegetation to be sampled and assigned to a NVC community.
Land Cover Map 2000 (LCM2000)
LCM2000 provides a census of habitats and landscape features of the UK countryside. LCM2000 was made by analysis of spectral reflectance data from earth observation satellites. The satellite sensors record the earths surface on a grid of approximately 25 metre pixels. The data is used, together with sample based field surveys, to provide information on the UK landscape and its mosaics of habitats in the Countryside Survey 2000 (CS2000). The data is provided in a hierarchical system of 'broad habitats', designed for monitoring elements used in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, which are similar to the terms used by the Countryside Agency to define mountain, moor, heath and down. Additionally, subclasses are included at three levels.
More information is available at http://www.cs2000.org.uk/
Satellite data
LCM2000 is based upon the Landsat 7 satellite, which is one of a number of earth orbiting satellites recording the surface reflectance. Other satellite systems, such as SPOT have a smaller pixel size, down to 10 metres, but with reduced spectral resolution. All systems record an average reflectance for each pixel, such that areas of small habitats can give inaccurate data.
Section 3 Conservation Maps of National Parks
In response to the continued loss of moor and heath in the National Parks of England and Wales from agricultural improvement operations over the previous 30 years, particularly on Exmoor, section 43 of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act required National Park Authorities (NPAs) to prepare maps showing areas of moor and heath that they considered to be particularly important to conserve.
Section 3 of the Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1985 extended the provisions of section 43 of the 1981 Act by requiring the NPAs to prepare maps of their parks showing areas of mountain, down and woodland in addition to moor and heath. These maps have come to be known as "Section 3 Conservation Maps".
The Act required the maps to be prepared in consultation with interested parties; be published for sale and reviewed at intervals of not more than 5 years.
Although Section 3 Conservation Maps were never intended to be used as a basis for identifying areas suitable for public access in the National Parks, the maps were included as one of the many data sets used by the Countryside Agency in the preparation of the draft maps of open country under the provisions of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
