Notes

2.1 This section deals with statistics of land area and land use.

Geological Map of Scotland

2.2 Map 2.1 is a simplified geological map provided by the Scottish Office Development Department.

Land Area

2.3 Ordnance Survey figures for land area and inland waters are shown in table 2.1. Data for the length of coastline and urban areas were obtained from the Scottish Office Geographic Information Service (SOGIS). The coastline includes developed and underdeveloped mainland coastline. Urban areas are derived from the areas of 'settlement' defined as continuously built up areas, separated by a gap of more than 1km, that had 500 or more resident population at the time of the 1981 Census.

Land Cover: Biodiversity Action Plan broad habitats

2.4 Biodiversity: the UK Action Plan (Anon. 1995) defines 37 broad habitat types which cover the whole of the UK, including the surrounding sea to the edge of the continental shelf. The range of habitats have been chosen to represent a workable number of habitat types which may be easily understood by a broad range of people.

The Land cover of Scotland 1988 (MLURI) 1993) has been re-classified to show land cover groups which are comparable with the Biodiversity Action Plan broad habitat types. Although less than half of the broad habitats could be mapped from the Land Cover of Scotland, these classes account for 95% of Scotland's land area.

Broad habitat types which could not be individually identified from The Land Cover of Scotland have been amalgamated into broader classes. For instance, the heathland class mapped here represents the two broad habitat types of upland heathland and lower heathland.

The class called Other has been introduced to represent land cover features which are present within the Land Cover of Scotland, but are not recorded by the broad habitats classification (e.g. mixed woodland) or areas which the land cover of Scotland could not map due to cloud, shadow or gaps in the original air photograph coverage.

Reference: Anon. 1995 - Biodiversity: The Steering Group Report. HMSO, London. MLURI. 1993 - The Land Cover of Scotland 1988 Final Report. Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen.

Land cover change in Scotland since the 1940s

2.5 A forthcoming publication from Scottish Natural Heritage will describe Changes in Scotland's Land Cover over the past 50 years. It is based on a major study, known as the National Countryside Monitoring Scheme (NCMS), which looks back from the late 1980s to the period of post-war reconstruction in the late 1940s. Land cover change therefore reflects a mainly expansionary era for coniferous afforestation, agricultural intensification and specialisation, and urban development. Despite the very high natural heritage value of Scotland's un-enclosed uplands, extensive areas of mire (mainly blanket bog), heather moorland and rough grassland - all of marginal value for agricultural production - were drained and converted to conifer plantation. In the lowlands there was a tendency towards grassland improvement, arable expansion, and agricultural specialisation. Transport links were transformed though a programme of road building and improvement, and urban development encroached mainly onto lowland agricultural land.

The summary results show an increase in disturbance from human activity on semi-natural land cover features which are often associated with the distinctive character of Scotland. Concluded by Scottish Natural Heritage in 1997, this major land cover study was based on a 7.5% sample by area and employed air photography from around 1947, 1973, and 1988. The NCMS is now used widely for environmental audit and reporting in Scotland.

Reference: Mackey, E.C. Shewry, M.C. and Tudor, G.J. (in prep). Changes in Scotland's Land cover from the 1940s to the 1980s. Scottish Natural Heritage, Battleby.

National Soil Inventory

2.6 The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (MLURI), holds a National Soil Inventory, comprising descriptions of site characteristics and soil profiles located at every 5 km intersect of the National Grid, and soil analytical data for every 10km intersect. The descriptions follow standard notation and include information on parent material, soil drainage, degree of erosion, etc. The analytical data cover standard analyses (e.g. particle size analysis, exchangeable cations, pH, carbon content, etc.) and also special analyses that include information on aqua regia extractable heavy metals like nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb).

Current legislation regarding potentially toxic elements (PTE's) in soils has largely been guided by EU recommendations concerning the concentrations in soils likely to receive sewage sludge. The EC have produced a range of upper limit values lying between a recommended value and a maximum permissible value. When the concentrations of metals in Scottish soils are presented in classes based on these recommendations then it is clear that the lead contents (map 2.3) cause more concern than those of zinc (map 2.5). However, if we consider the ability of soils to retain metals, then a different picture emerges where lead (map 2.4) is more effectively bound by the soils than zinc (map 2.6). It is likely that more weakly bound metals will be more mobile and have a greater biological impact.

A rule-based land suitability classification has been applied to the National Soil Inventory to derive areas of agricultural land suitable for the utilisation of sewage sludge; a ten-fifteen fold increase in sludge volumes applied to land is envisaged by the end of the century because of the requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment directive. The distribution of suitable sites is illustrated in map 2.7, and these have been converted to area estimates per Water Authority (table 2.6). this work highlights the differing land requirements in the different Water Authority areas.

The Land Cover of Scotland

2.7 A census of land cover in Scotland, based on the interpretation of specially flown aerial photography, has provided information on the relative importance of different vegetation types. It shows that over 50% of the country is covered by semi-natural vegetation, of which heather moorland (8.7%) and peatland (8.4%) are the most extensive single cover types. A further 22.3% of the total land area has mosaics with these two vegetation types. Woodland cover is predominantly coniferous plantation which, including recent planting, accounts for some 11.7%. This is broadly similar to the areas with arable agriculture (11.2%) and improved grassland (13.0%). A more comprehensive summary appears in tables 2.4 and 2.5.

The land cover of Scotland data relates to a 1988 baseline and they have been extensively used by Scottish Office Departments, and Scottish Natural Heritage as basis for strategic planning, (e.g. in relation to the Cairngorm Working Party), and the Forestry Commission which is using the data as part of the Woodland Inventory. It is intended that the census be repeated to provide an indication of land cover changes at a national level.

Agriculture

2.8 Map 2.8 outlines climatic guidelines for agriculture.

2.9 The Scottish Agricultural Census of main holdings is carried out in June each year, whereby the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department (SOAEFD) provides information on farm tenure, crop area, livestock and manpower.

A questionnaire is sent to all farm holdings, provided they meet certain criteria - the main ones being :-

a. that the Standard Gross Margin (SGM) - which is a measure of the business size of the holding - is not less than one European Size Unit.

b. that the area of the holding is at least one hectare.

In 1996, nearly 33,000 of the 50,000 holdings in Scotland were included in the annual Census (the remainder were minor holdings), tables 2.7 to 2.9.

2.10 The net losses from agricultural land figures (table 2.10) are from the June Census and show the reasons for any changes in the areas of the holdings. The Five Year Set-aside Scheme (table 2.11) is an EC initiative introduced in 1988 whereby farmers receive annual payments to take land currently used for arable crops out of production for a specified length of time. This scheme ended on 30 September 1996.

2.11 The Pesticide Usage Section of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA) undertakes regular surveys of pesticide usage as part of a UK programme. Surveys on arable crops have been carried out in 1974, 1977, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1996. Table 2.13 shows the use of different groups of pesticides on arable crops between 1992 and 1996, whilst 2.14 shows the use on cereals, potatoes and oilseed rape in 1996. Detailed results are presented in a SOAEFD series of Survey Reports covering pesticide usage in Scotland that include all field crops, various stored products and sheep dips, and are available from SASA on request.

2.12 Map 2.9 and table 2.15 are based on the agricultural land capability classification devised by MLURI and adopted by SOAEFD on 1 July 1987. The percentage cover of each class in Scotland is illustrated in chart 2.3. The agricultural capability of the 7 classes is as follows;

Class	Production capability
1	Very wide range of crops
2	Wide range of crops
3.1	Moderate range of crops - above average yields
3.2	Moderate range of crops - average yields
4	Narrow range of crops
5	Used as improved grassland
6	Used only as rough grazing
7	Very limited agricultural value

The divisions of class 3 represent the separation between prime and non-prime agricultural land (Scottish Development Department Circular 18/1987), but are grouped together in table 2.15.

Forestry

2.13 Information on forestry (maps 2.10, 2.11 and 2.12, and tables 2.16 to 2.23) is provided by the Forestry Commission and MLURI. Map 2.10, table 2.16, and chart 2.6 are based on MLURI forestry capability classification. The percentage cover of each class in Scotland is illustrated in chart 2.6. The classification descriptions are as follows:

Class	Flexibility for growth and management of tree crops
F1	Excellent
F2	Very good
F3	Good
F4	Moderate
F5	Limited
F6	Very limited
F7	Unsuitable

2.14 From 1 April 1992, The Forestry Commission re-organised to make a clear distinction between its regulatory and grant aiding function as a Government Department (carried out by The Forestry Authority) and the management of the Commission's forest estate (carried out by Forest Enterprise which is now a trading body acting as executive agency of the Commission). Tables 2.17, 2.18, 2.19 and 2.21 are derived from the Forestry Commission's Annual Reports and Facts and Figures leaflet; Map 2.11 is based on Forestry Commission records.

The census of woodland and non-woodland trees is carried out at intervals of approximately 15 years. Tables 2.20 and 2.21 are from the 1980 census which involved a survey of woodland areas in Scotland (excluding Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles). A new survey, called the National Inventory of Woodland and Trees (NIWT) is currently under way. Map 2.12 shows woodland areas for 1995 recorded by NIWT; for Scotland these were derived by using Forestry Commission records to update Land Cover of Scotland 1988 digital maps. Further NIWT results for Scotland will be published during 1998.

Planning Applications and Appeals

2.15 Tables 2.24 to 2.27 give information on the number of planning applications and certain appeals submitted to the Secretary of State for Scotland under the Town and Country Planning legislation. The main types of appeal are against decisions by planning authorities on applications for planning permission or advertisement consent, and against enforcement notices served by planning authorities. Although appeals are submitted to the Secretary of State, the great majority are decided by Reporters from the Scottish Office Inquiry Reporter's Unit acting under delegated powers.

Road Lengths

2.16 Information on road lengths (tables 2.28 and 2.29) is obtained from annual returns by Highway Authorities (Scottish councils). Information on traffic volume is obtained from Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions traffic estimates.

Industrial Sites and Land

2.17 The Industrial Sites Register (tables 2.31 to 2.32) is compiled by SODD from annual returns completed by councils and is designed to monitor industrial land supply.

Data are available on : the number of sites and land area available for industrial development; the planning status (i.e. whether sites are allocated in development plans and/or have planning permission); the Assisted Area status; the availability of sites ( i.e . how quickly they can be taken up); the existing state of sites (i.e. brownfield, greenfield, agricultural) and the type of industrial uses proposed for available sites.

Housing Land Supply

2.18 Information on new dwellings completed (tables 2.33 and 2.34) is provided by the Housing Statistics Unit, SODD. Further details are available in their series of statistical bulletins Housing Trends in Scotland.

Vacant and Derelict Land

2.19 The Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey provides information from local authorities on:

a. Derelict sites (i.e. land that has been so damaged by development or use that it is incapable of new development or use without rehabilitation).

b. Vacant sites in urban areas (i.e. areas with a population of 2,000 or more).

c. Vacant sites within 1 km of the edge of urban areas.

Tables 2.35 ands 2.36 are from from the 1996 survey. More detailed information is published in the SODD Economic Advice and Statistics Division statistical bulletin Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 1996 (ENV/1997/1).

Production of Minerals and Aggregates

2.20 Table 2.37 is from the Office for National Statistics publication Mineral Extraction in Great Britain Business Monitor PA 1007. ONS carry out an annual survey of all mineral production in the UK. Other statistical information on minerals is available from the annual British Geological Survey publication United Kingdom Minerals Yearbook.

Waste collection, Disposal and Regulation

2.21 Tables 2.38 to 2.40 and charts 2.7 to 2.9 are derived from responses to the annual survey Waste Collection, Disposal and Regulation Statistics of the former District and Island councils.

2.22 A revised format has been adopted for table 2.38 using a different database to that used in previous editions of Scottish Environment Statistics. Comparisons in numbers of licences and resolutions with the previous versions may not, therefore, be appropriate.

2.23 Tables 2.41 and 2.42 show the types of waste collected for recycling and the origin of such waste, respectively.