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The outputs are maps that illustrate the suitability of each parcel of land for change to (native) woodland given different priorities. The baseline prediction (Woodland Expansion) assumes all the criteria have equal weighting.
These scenarios illustrate the suitability of each parcel of land for change to (native) woodland given different priorities.
The scenario “Prime Land Protection” default settings provide a map of woodland suitability when prime land protection has three times the weighting of the other criteria and therefore downgrades the suitability for woodland in areas that are currently and have the potential to become prime land under the climate change scenario that the tool is using.
The scenario “Reducing Flood Risk” default settings provide a map of woodland suitability when planting trees on riparian strips is has three times the weighting of the other criteria. This creates a map to that increase the suitability of area for woodland if it may also help reduce flooding.
The scenario “Improving Water Quality” default settings provide a map of woodland suitability when planting trees in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones; in sub-catchments with high N export and in sub-catchments with high Sediment Export have three times the weighting of the other criteria. This creates a map to that increase the suitability of area for woodland if they may also help improve water quality.
The scenario “Woodland and Landscape Character” default settings provide a map of woodland suitability where there are two additional criteria: One that increases the positive weighting for woodland suitability within 2 km of internal settlements and the other that decreases woodland suitability within 2 km of the coast. This assumes that the open landscape character of coastal areas is preferred whereas a more wooded landscape is preferred near inland settlements. This only applies to settlements of 2000 people or more.
The scenario “Woodland and Public Access” default settings provide a map of woodland suitability as described in the Woodland and landscape character but trebles the positive weighting of the inland settlement criteria and the “within 500 m of a core path” criteria and has the effect of increasing the amount of land suitable for woodland that can be easily accessed by people in the inland settlements of over 2000 people in Aberdeenshire.
The Aberdeenshire Regional Land Use Pilot is an Aberdeenshire Council project developed with the James Hutton Institute and funded under the Scottish Government's Land Use Strategy.
This site is hosted by The James Hutton Institute