Northern Ireland Countryside Survey

Last updated: 12 May 2010

Northern Ireland Countryside Survey (NICS) is an ongoing, sample-based, surveillance programme across Northern Ireland. It assesses the distribution and condition of land habitat types and provides reliable estimates of how land cover changes over time. This is accomplished using the survey of a random selection of quarter kilometer squares; the location of which are kept confidential to maintain the scientific integrity of the survey methodology.

How is this information used?

Results provide a consistent basis for analysis of the affects of countryside, agricultural and other policies, pressures or drivers of change upon the fabric of the Northern Ireland countryside. Habitat changes are tracked using repeat surveys. NICS2000 was the first repeat year and the results demonstrated large and significant changes in land use and habitat type. NICS2007 is the second repeat and significant results at the broad habitat level show;

a continuation of the increase in broadleaved/mixed and yew woodland noted in the NICS2000 results
a decrease in neutral grassland - which includes many of our biodiversity-rich grassland types
an increase in built up areas and gardens - largely as a result of building of new homes in the countryside
an increase in roads and hard verges

Previous Countryside Surveys

Information on previous Northern Ireland Countryside Surveys can be found at - History of the Northern Ireland Countryside Survey and previous reports at the NICS reports repository.

Northern Ireland Countryside Survey 2007 (NICS2007)