Carbon and Peatland 2016 map
NatureScot has prepared a consolidated spatial dataset of ‘carbon rich soil, deep peat and priority peatland habitats’ in Scotland derived from existing soil and vegetation data (James Hutton Institute 1:25,000 and 1:250,000 scale soil data and Land Cover Scotland 1988). The resulting Carbon and Peatland map updated earlier work undertaken by NatureScot for the identification of natural heritage features of national importance available from Scotland’s soil website.
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 and priority peatland habitat.
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Identification info
- Alternative title
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Carbon and Peatland 2016 v2
- Metadata Language
- English
- Character set
- UTF8
- Dataset Reference Date (Creation)
- 2016-06-01
- Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
- 2016-06-29
- Identifier
- 51b36efb-3521-4243-9bb0-93f8a7a60a71_resource
- Maintenance and update frequency
- Unknown
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GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
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Soil
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- Limitations on Public Access
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- © SNH and JHI Available under a Non-Commercial Government Licence
- Limitations on Public Access
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- © SNH and JHI Available under a Non-Commercial Government Licence
- Spatial representation type
- Vector
- Topic category
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- Environment
- Geoscientific information
- Farming
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Temporal reference
Temporal extent
Temporal extent
Distribution Information
Data format
- Data format
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Name Version ESRI File geodatabase
ESRI Shapefile
GML
GeoJSON
Geopackage
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- Resource Locator
Data quality info
- Quality Scope
- Dataset
- Statement
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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 https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/planning-and-development/planning-and-development-advice/planning-and-development-soils
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. Most 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 https://www.nature.scot/doc/guidance-spatial-planning-onshore-wind-turbines-natural-heritage-considerations-june-2015
The map should be used in conjunction with SNH guidance Spatial Planning for Onshore Wind Turbines – natural heritage considerations ( https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/planning-and-development/planning-and-development-advice/renewable-energy/onshore-wind-energy)
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 https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/planning-and-development/planning-and-development-advice/planning-and-development-soils)
Metadata
- File identifier
- 51b36efb-3521-4243-9bb0-93f8a7a60a71 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Hierarchy level name
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dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2025-01-08T13:04:10.918Z
- Metadata standard name
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UK GEMINI
- Metadata standard version
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2.3
Point of contact
- Individual name
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Data Supply
- Individual name
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Patricia Bruneau
- Organisation name
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NatureScot
- Organisation name
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NatureScot
- Organisation name
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NatureScot
- Position name
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Geographic Data Supply
- Position name
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Policy & Advice Officer / Soil Science
- Electronic mail address
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data_supply@nature.scot supply@nature.sco data_supply@nature.scot
- Electronic mail address
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Patricia.Bruneau@nature.sco Patricia.Bruneau@nature.scot
- Electronic mail address
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data_supply@nature.scot supply@nature.sco data_supply@nature.scot
- Role
- Point of contact
- Role
- Point of contact
- Role
- Distributor