Habitat Coding Scheme

Appendix 2. Habitat Coding Scheme

A	Woodland (Level 1)
Level 2		Level 3		Level 4
1	Broadleaved	1	Mixed-aged or semi-natural	1	Dense shrub layer
2	Coniferous	2	Coppice with standards	2	Moderate shrub layer
3	Mixed (10% of each)	3	Coppice without standards	3	Sparse shrub layer
4	Broad-leaved - water-logged	4	Mature plantation (taller than 10m, with closed canopy)	4	Dense field layer
5	Coniferous - water-logged	5	Young plantation (5-10m, open canopy)	5	Moderate field layer
6	Mixed - water-logged	6	Parkland (scattered trees and grassy areas)	6	Sparse field layer
		7	High-medium disturbance from people	7	Grazed (moderate to heavy)
		8	Low disturbance	8	Lightly grazed
		9	Near road (within 50m)	9	Dead wood present
				10	Dead wood absent

B	Scrubland (Level 1)
Level 2		Level 3		Level 4
1	Regenerating natural or semi-natural woodland	1	Broadleaved	1	Predominantly tall (3-5m)
2	Downland (chalk)	2	Coniferous	2	Predominantly low (1-3m)
3	Heath scrub	3	Mixed (10% of each)	3	Dense shrub layer
4	Young coppice	4	Broadleaved swamp scrub	4	Moderate shrub layer
5	New plantation	5	Coniferous swamp scrub	5	Sparse shrub layer
6	Clear-felled woodland with or without new saplings	6	Mixed swamp scrub	6	Extensive bracken
7	Other	7	High-medium disturbance from people	7	Dense field layer
		8	Low disturbance	8	Moderate field layer
		9	Near road (within 50m)	9	Sparse field layer
				10	Grazed (moderate to heavy)

C	Semi-natural grassland / marsh (Level 1)
Level 2		Level 3		Level 4
1	Chalk downland	1	Hedgerow with trees	1	Ungrazed
2	Grass moor (unenclosed)	2	Hedgerow without trees	2	Cattle
3	Grass moor mixed with heather (unenclosed)	3	Tree-line without hedge	3	Sheep
4	Machair	4	Other field boundary (wall, ditch, etc.)	4	Horses
5	Other dry grassland	5	Isolated group of 1-10 trees	5	Rabbits
6	Water-meadow/grazing marsh	6	No field boundary	6	Deer
7	Reed swamp	7	Montane	7	Other grazers
8	Other open marsh	8	High-medium disturbance from people	8	Extensive bracken
9	Saltmarsh	9	Low disturbance	9	Hay
		10	Near road (within 50m)

D	Heathland and bogs (Level 1)
Level 2		Level 3		Level 4
1	Dry heath	1	Montane	1	Ungrazed
2	Wet heath	2	Raised bog	2	Cattle
3	Mixed heath	3	Valley/basin bog	3	Sheep
4	Bog	4	Blanket bog	4	Horses
5	Breckland	5	Heath mixed with rough grass	5	Rabbits
6	Drained bog	6	Heath without grass	6	Deer
7	Bare peat	7	Heath with extensive bracken	7	Other grazers
		8	Undetermined bog	8	Ploughed
		9	Isolated group of 1-10 trees	9	Burned
		10	Disturbance from people	10	Planted with saplings less than 0.5m tall
		11	Low disturbance
		12	Near road (within 50m)

E	Farmland (Level 1)
Level 2		Level 3		Level 4
1	Improved grassland	1	Hedgerow with trees	1	Ungrazed
2	Unimproved grassland	2	Hedgerow without trees	2	Cattle
3	Mixed grass/tilled land	3	Tree-line without hedge	3	Sheep
4	Tilled land	4	Other field boundary (wall, ditch, etc.)	4	Horses
5	Orchard	5	Isolated group of trees	5	Other stock
6	Other farming	6	Farmyard (active)	6	Bare earth/plough
		7	Near road (within 50m)	7	Autumn cereal
		8	No field boundary	8	Spring cereal
				9	Root crops (specify)
				10	Other crops (specify)
				11	Oil seed rape
				12	Other brassicas (specify)
				13	Stubble (clean)
				14	Stubble (weedy)
				15	Unsown/fallow
				16	Recently cut grass

F	Human sites (Level 1)
Level 2		Level 3		Level 4
1	Urban	1	Building	1	Industrial
2	Suburban	2	Gardens	2	Residential
3	Rural	3	Municipal parks, mown grass, golf courses, recreational areas	3	Well-wooded
		4	Sewage works urban	4	Not well-wooded
		5	Near road (within 50m)	5	Area of large gardens
		6	Near active railway line (within 50m)	6	Area of medium gardens
		7	Other	7	Area of small gardens
		8	Rubbish tip	8	Many shrubs
				9	Few shrubs
				10	Disused

G	Water bodies (freshwater) (Level 1)
Level 2		Level 3		Level 4
1	Pond (less than 50m2)	1	Undisturbed/disused	1	Eutrophic (green water)
2	Small water-body (50-450m2)	2	Water sports (sailing etc)	2	Oligotrophic (clear water, few weeds)
3	Lake/unlined reservoir	3	Angling (coarse or game)	3	Dystrophic (black water)
4	Lined reservoir	4	Coarse angling	4	Marl (clear water, large water-weeds)
5	Gravel pit, sand pit, etc	5	Game fishing	5	Slow-medium running
6	Stream (less than 3m wide)	6	Industrial activity	6	Fast-running
7	River (more than 3m wide)	7	Sewage processing ‘rural'	7	Dredged
8	Ditch with water (less than 2m wide)	8	Other disturbance	8	Undredged
9	Small canal (2-5m wide)	9	Small island	9	Banks cleared
10	Large canal (more than 5m wide)			10	Banks vegetated

H	Coastal (Level 1)
Level 2		Level 3		Level 4
1	Marine - open shore	1	Mud or silt	1	Cliff vertical/steeply sloping
2	Marine shore - inlet/cove/loch	2	Sand	2	Dune
3	Estuarine	3	Shingle	3	Flat/gently sloping
4	Brackish lagoon	4	Rocky	4	Small island
5	Open sea	5	Fully vegetated	5	Spit
		6	Sparse/medium vegetation	6	Dune slack
		7	Inter-tidal	7	Sloping ground
		8	Below low-water mark	8	Undisturbed
				9	Disturbed

I	Inland rock (Level 1)
Level 2		Level 3		Level 4
1	Cliff	1	Active	1	Bare rock
2	Scree/boulder slope	2	Disused	2	Low vegetation present (mosses, liverworts, etc)
3	Limestone	3	Montane	3	Grasses present
4	Other rock outcrop	4	Non-montane	4	Scrub present
5	Quarry	5	High disturbance from climbers/walkers etc.
6	Mine/spoil/slag heap	6	Medium disturbance
7	Cave	7	Low disturbance

J	Miscellaneous (Level 1)

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