e-Digest Statistics about: Land Use and Land Cover
Definitions
- Biogenetic Reserves
- established by the Council of Europe to conserve representative examples of European flora, fauna and natural areas, and to encourage biological research.
- Biosphere Reserves
- established in 1974 by UNESCO as areas of protected land which would eventually form a world-wide network of sites linked by common international standards, to facilitate the exchange of information relevant to the conservation of natural and managed ecosystems.
- Crown density
- the amount of light passing through the crown of a tree. Used as an indicator of tree health.
- Reclamation
- formerly derelict land brought back into beneficial use.
- Recycling
- previously developed land, usually urban, brought back into beneficial use. A means of promoting urban renewal and minimising the need to develop previously undeveloped land in the countryside.
- Landscape types
- broad-scale divisions of the countryside into areas which have similar characteristics of geology, altitude and climate, and generally similar patterns of land use, land cover and wildlife:
- Pastural
- mainly grasslands.
- Arable
- land dominated by cereals and other arable crops, as well as intensively managed grassland.
- Marginal upland
- areas which are on the periphery of the uplands, and which are dominated by mixtures of low intensity agriculture, forestry and semi-natural vegetation.
- Upland
- land generally above a height suitable for mechanised farming and frequently dominated by sheep farming and semi-natural vegetation.
Definitions of Linear Landscape Features used within CS2000 (Table 14)
- Hedge
- A more or less continuous line of woody vegetation that has been subject to a regime of cutting in order to maintain a regular shape. This category includes both recently managed and other hedges, including hedges with walls or fences.
- Remnant Hedge
- A woody field boundary feature with a residual hedge structure but without evidence of recent hedge management, with or without a fence.
- Wall
- A built structure of natural stone or manufactured blocks, mostly of traditional dry stone wall construction but including mortared walls. Includes walls with fences and lines of trees or shrubs.
- Line of trees/shrubs and relict hedge and fence
- Line of trees or shrubs, including those originally planted as hedges but lacking any significant hedge structure and with a fence forming a field boundary.
- Line of trees/shrubs and relict hedge
- Line of trees or shrubs, including those originally planted as hedges but lacking any significant hedge structure or a fence. Includes avenues of trees. Not an effective stock proof field boundary.
- Bank/grass strip
- An earth or stone-faced bank with or without a fence. A grass strip without a fence.
- Fence
- A permanent post and wire or rail structure, including wooden, concrete or metal post without any associated feature other than a grass strip, ditch or stream.
Further Information:
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Page last modified: 16 September 2003
Page published: 10 September 2003