Definitions of Habitats
In order to ensure that specific conditions are directly
applied to the relevant area of land it is necessary to
have working definitions of the basic land categories which
are shown in the Environmental Audits. These definitions
are for practical rather than legal use and therefore their
wording differs slightly from that used in the
legislation.
2.1 Wetlands
Wetland means an area of land where there is
conservation interest because it is normally saturated with
water for a significant proportion of the year. Examples of
such areas are fenland, mires, rushy pastures, willow carr,
saltmarsh and reedbeds.
2.2 Lowland Raised Bog
An isolated peat deposit over one metre thick that is
surrounded by non-peat soils.
2.3 Water Margin
A strip of in-bye land which borders still or flowing
water.
2.4 Unimproved Grassland
In cases of doubt, unimproved grassland can be
identified on the same basis as land which is ineligible
for the Better Land Supplement under the Woodland Grant
Scheme in LFAs. Further details of this test are found in
Appendix II. Apportionments (area apportioned from common
grazings), reclaimed from the hill, may now have the
characteristics of inbye land - improved grassland or,
perhaps, reverted to to an extent to unimproved grassland
or even species-rich grassland.
2.5 Reverted Improved Grassland
This category of land is included to ensure that where
there is a conservation interest, the area will be subject
to the general environmental conditions even if there is
evidence of improvement in the past. The same test should
be applied to the ground to determine conservation
interests as is used for Unimproved Grassland.
2.6 Coastal Heath
Unimproved land bordering the sea containing
characteristic moorland or species-rich grassland
vegetation dependent on salt spray or exposure.
2.7 Lowland Heath
Land generally found below 300 metres in altitude
usually characterised by plants such as heather, dwarf
grass and cross-leaved heath. Within the heather layer,
there are generally scattered areas of trees and scrub.
2.8 Woodlands
Under the General Environmental Conditions of RSS,
Woodlands are usually qualified by the reference to
amenity, native or semi natural woodlands. The general
environmental conditions should not be applied to
commercial conifer plantations. If Environmental Audits
identify such coniferous plantations it will convey to the
applicant that these areas have an equal conservation value
to semi natural and broad-leaved plantations. Woodland with
conservation interest will range from mature broad-leaved
or mixed plantations through semi natural woodlands to
areas of scrub woodland and bushes.
2.9 Archaeological Sites
Features or areas of historical or archaeological
interest include all unoccupied sites, whether scheduled or
not, created prior to the survey of the 1st edition OS map,
including all relict landscape features, in addition to
selected types of more recent date according to Historic
Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and
Historical Monuments of Scotland practice. To find out what
archaeological or historical features are on their land,
applicants are required to consult the Sites and Monuments
Record (SMR) if there is one for the area concerned. Where
there is no SMR or if the local SMR is unable to assist,
he/she must consult the National Monuments Record of
Scotland (NMRS) in Edinburgh. Access can be obtained to the
locations of all Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Scotland
and the Gardens & Designed Landscapes recorded on the
SNH/Historic Scotland Inventory at:
www.pastmap.org.uk
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