Alternate title

Carbon and Peatland 2016 v2

Date ( Creation )

2016-06-01

Date ( Publication )

2016-06-29

Identifier

https://gateway.snh.gov.uk/natural-spaces / PEAT

Presentation form

mapDigital Digital map

Maintenance and update frequency

unknown Unknown

Keywords ( Place )

• GB-SCT

Keywords ( Theme )

• Soil, carbon, peat, Scotland planning policy, wind farm

Keywords

• Downloadable Data

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 ( Theme )

• Soil

Use limitation

© SNH and JHI available under an Open Government Licence http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

Access constraints

otherRestrictions Other restrictions

Use constraints

otherRestrictions Other restrictions

Other constraints

© SNH and JHI available under an Open Government Licence http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

Metadata language

eng English

Topic category

• Environment
• Geoscientific information
• Farming

N

S

E

W

Reference system identifier

EPSG / OSGB 1936 / British National Grid (EPSG:27700) / 7.9

Reference system identifier

EPSG / ETRS89 (EPSG:4258) / 7.9

Topology level

geometryOnly Geometry only

Geometric object type

composite Composite

Geometric object count

439700

Distribution format

• GML (3.2.1 )

• ESRI Shapefile (1.0 )

OnLine resource

SNH Natural Spaces  

Hierarchy level

dataset Dataset

Statement

Data are derived from the James Hutton Institute’s (and its predecessors, Macaulay Institute for soil Research and Macaulay Land Use Research Institute) 1:250 000 Scale National Soil Data (revised version 2013) and 1:25, 000 scale Soils Data (part of Scotland) (revised version May 2016) to assess the carbon richness of soil and presence of deep peat and from the Land Cover Scotland 1988 (LCS88) data to define priority peatland habitats. The methodology built upon the approach published in SNH information note 318 for the categorization of carbon rich soil and Bruneau et Johnson (2011) to derived information on priority peatland habitat. Further information and access to all reports via SNH website http://www.snh.gov.uk/planning-and-development/advice-for-planners-and-developers/soils-and-development/

GIS methodology (simplified):

1- Creating a single soil layer with carbon attribute. Joins created between the 1:25k and 1:250k data and their respective tables. Add carbon class value

2- Reclassifying of LCS88 for priority peatland habitats and defined new Peatland_class based on relative distribution of primary and secondary habitats types.

3- Creating a join between above data using Carbon and Peatland lookup tables.

What the map is:

The map is a high-level planning tool to promote consistency and clarity in the preparation of spatial frameworks by planning authorities.

The map is a predictive tool which provides an indication of the likely presence of peat on each individually-mapped area, at a coarse scale. The types of peat shown on the map are:

• Carbon-rich soils

• Deep peat

• Priority peatland habitat

Development Plans are expected to include wind farm spatial frameworks (paragraph 161 in SPP) – these should be informed by the Carbon and Peatland 2016 map (it maps the carbon-rich soils, deep peat and priority peatland habitat listed in Table 1 in SPP).

Spatial frameworks can provide more than just an initial steer in the development plan. They can help to inform the scoping stage of an EIA and provide a framework for site selection, environmental assessment and decision-making.

What the map shows:

The map shows the areas of peat referred to in Table 1 in SPP – carbon-rich soil, deep peat and priority peatland habitat. On the map, the top two classes (1 and 2) taken together identify the nationally-important resource:

Class 1 Nationally important carbon-rich soils, deep peat and priority peatland habitat - Areas likely to be of high conservation value

Class 2 Nationally important carbon-rich soils, deep peat and priority peatland habitat - Areas of potentially high conservation value and restoration potential

*Priority peatland habitat is land covered by peat-forming vegetation or vegetation associated with peat formation.

Areas of highest value (class 1) warrant the most careful consideration because their combined soil and habitat characteristics indicate a strong likelihood they include carbon-rich soil, deep peat and priority peatland habitat.

Other classes include:

Class 3 Dominant vegetation cover is not priority peatland habitat but is associated with wet and acidic type. Occasional peatland habitats can be found\\nMost soils are carbon-rich soils, with some areas of deep peat

Class 4 Area unlikely to be associated with peatland habitats or wet and acidic type - Area unlikely to include carbon-rich soils

Class 5 Soil information takes precedence over vegetation data - No peatland habitat recorded. May also show bare soil. All soils are carbon-rich soil and deep peat.

Class -2 Non-soil (i.e. loch, built up area, rock and scree)

Class -1 Unknown soil type – information to be updated when new data are released

Class 0 Mineral soils - Peatland habitats are not typically found on such soils.

How the map could be used:

The purpose of the map is to inform the preparation by planning authorities of spatial frameworks for onshore wind. It has been created to help provide a consistent approach across Scotland.

The map provides planning authorities with the information they need to implement SPP. SPP requires PAs to develop spatial frameworks for onshore wind – and Table 1 in SPP sets out what should be shown in these spatial frameworks. Alongside other areas to be included, planning authorities are required to include carbon-rich soils, deep peat and priority peatland habitat – and to afford these areas significant protection, although this is not a ban on development.

Although the map can only indicate that carbon-rich soils, deep peat and priority peatland habitat are likely to be present, it will be helpful in the initial site selection process undertaken by developers. The map should not be used in development management decision-making. A detailed site survey and EIA will be required.

SNH’s guidance on spatial planning emphasises: ‘The location of a proposal in the mapped area does not, in itself, mean that the proposal is unacceptable, or that carbon rich soils, deep peat and priority peatland habitat will be adversely affected. The quality of peatland tends to be highly variable across an application site and a detailed assessment is required to identify the actual effects of the proposal.’

Spatial Planning for Onshore Wind Turbines – natural heritage considerations, SNH June 2015 http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/A1663759.pdf

The map should be used in conjunction with SNH guidance Spatial Planning for Onshore Wind Turbines – natural heritage considerations (http://www.snh.gov.uk/planning-and-development/renewable-energy/onshore-wind/)

Attribute definitions:

OBJECTID_12 - identifier

PRIMARY - Primary vegetation classes of the LCS88 dataset - Code

PRIMARY_LA - Primary vegetation classes of the LCS88 dataset - description

SECONDARY - Secondary vegetation classes of the LCS88 dataset - Code

SECONDARY_ - Secondary vegetation classes of the LCS88 dataset - description

CONC_CODE_ - Combined value of Recoding of Primary vegetation LCS88 class and Secondary vegetation LCS88 class according to peatland vegetation interest

LCS88_RECL - Peatland Habitat category ( 0, A1,A2, B, C1, C2, D, E) based on CON_CODE_values

QMUNIT, QMUNIT – For 1:250,000 scale data only

ASSOC - Soil association – For 1:250,000 scale data only

COMPSOIL - Soil type description - For 1:250,000 scale data only

SMU_CODE - Soil Map Unit – For 1;25,000 scale data only

PHASE_CODE - Soil phase – For 1:25,000 scale data only

ASSOC_NAME - Soil Association - For 1:25,000 scale data only

SMU_NAME - Soil map unit name - For 1:25,000 scale data only

MSG_Comb - Major soil group (Scotland soil classification revised 2013) of main soil type (code) – For all data

MSSG_Comb - Major soil sub group (Scotland soil classification revised 2013) of main soil type (code) - all data

MSSG_Name - Major soil sub group (Scotland soil classification revised 2013) of main soil type (name) – For all data

CONC_CARBO - Soil carbon code - for all data

CONC_CODE1 - Combined Soil carbon code (CONC_CARBO) and Peatland habitat category ( LCS88_RECL) - For all data

IMPORTANCE - Carbon and Peatland class – For all data

For detail see part 3 of SNH Carbon-rich soils, deep peat and priority peatland habitat mapping - consultation analysis report (A1590738 – available from http://www.snh.gov.uk/planning-and-development/advice-for-planners-and-developers/soils-and-development/cpp/ )

Metadata

File identifier

51b36efb-3521-4243-9bb0-93f8a7a60a71   XML

Metadata language

eng English

Hierarchy level

dataset Dataset

Hierarchy level name

dataset

Date stamp

2017-11-02

Metadata standard name

ISO 19115:2003/19139

Metadata standard version

1.0