Northern Ireland Countryside Survey 2007 News
Northern Ireland Countryside Survey 2007 results are available at NICS2007: Broad Habitat Change 1998-2007.
The companion report, NICS2007: Field methods and technical Manual, provides additional methodological detail.
Habitat changes between 1998 and 2007 are presented as well as any trends from earlier surveys carried out in the late eighties early nineties. Changes are presented at the Primary Habitat level as well as Broad Habitat. Whilst Broad Habitat reporting is a useful classification of habitats for reporting purposes, more detailed exploration of the results is possible using the Primary Habitat infomation, which is the classification used in the field recording.
Interesting results include:- the rate of loss of seminatutral habitats had slowed from 1998
- continued loss of species-rich dry grassland was reported; due to woodland/scrub succession and agricultural conversion
- increase in area of rural buidlings was nearly twice that reported in 2000. Such building was primarily in agricultural grasslands, highlighting a loss of agricultural land use
- the rate of increase of woodland/scrub succession increased from 1998. Succession was associated with species-rich grasslands and other grasslands with agricultural constraints, fragmented heath and bog edge
- an increased rate of broadleaved tree planting was recorded, and is related to policy initiatives for tree planting
More detailed analyses of the NICS2007 data are currently being carried out, including boundaries and condition of habitats.
Further reports will follow during 2010.