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Data - Habitat Data

Introduction to the Kent Habitat Survey 2003

This is a comprehensive study of Kent's countryside and coast. The survey represents an update of work published 10 years ago, when a team of surveyors visited every field in Kent over a five-year period. The current survey has taken a team of professional surveyors, using the latest technology, just over two years.

Aerial photographs have been used to map the more easily identifiable landcover types and field surveys provide a second layer of information, recording the habitats and plants found. The information is to be stored in a sophisticated data management system, allowing individual locations or habitat records to be retrieved, and trends across the entire county to be studied.

Technical features

This Kent Habitat Survey 2003 is a field-by-field description of habitats within Kent, derived from the interpretation of aerial photography backed up by extensive ground-truthing. The habitat classification uses the Integrated Habitat Classification System developed by the Somerset Environmental Records Centre.

The survey used 4,064 aerial photographs at a scale of 1:10,000 (terrestrial) and 1:5,000 (coastal), and interpretation was carried out by viewing hard copy maps through stereoscopes, then digitising the boundaries on to orthorectified digital imagery at a scale of 1:4,000.

Considerable quality control was implemented, using cross-checking of other interpreters' work, and ground-truthing during the entire digitising period. Habitats for which the interpretation from aerial photography was uncertain and priority habitats were classified through field survey. Around 25,000 ha of selected priority habitats such as unimproved calcareous grassland, heathland and lowland beech and yew woodland, were surveyed in detail.

• Aerial photography at 1:10,000 was acquired from 30.04.1999 to 12.10.99.
• Aerial photography at 1:5,000 was acquired on 10.06.2000.
• Digitising and ground truthing were carried out from 01.04.2000 to 23.12.2002.
• Field surveys were done from 01.08.2001 to 31.08.2001 and 01.04.2000 to 31.10.2002.

Source: Kent County Council

We are able to provide Habitat map including a

Biodiversity Action Plan Habitat map

and a

Designated sites map

. Click here to make an enquiry.

For more information on notable habitats and species in Kent, click here.

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