Native Woodland Survey of Scotland facts for kids
| Start date | November 2006 |
|---|---|
| End date | December 2013 |
| Location | Scotland |
| Method | Desk-based Geographic Information System analysis checked by follow-up walk through survey |
The Native Woodland Survey of Scotland (NWSS) was a big project. It was created by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS). The goal was to gather facts about Scotland's native woodlands. This helped them keep an eye on how much woodland there was and how healthy it was. It also helped them make plans for the future of these forests. The work started in 2006 and finished in 2013. It was the most complete survey of its kind ever done in Scotland.
Contents
Why the Woodland Survey Was Important
The main goal of the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland was to find and map all native woodlands. This included woods that were almost native. It also looked at "plantation on ancient woodland sites" (PAWS). These are places where trees were planted a long time ago, but the land itself is very old woodland.
What the Survey Looked For
The survey aimed to create a detailed map of these woodlands. This map showed:
- The type of woodland.
- How big the woodland areas were.
- What kinds of trees and plants grew there.
- How healthy the woodlands were.
Even if PAWS sites did not have many native trees, they were still surveyed. This was important to help protect and bring back the amazing variety of life (biodiversity) that these old woodland areas still had.
How the Woodland Survey Was Done
The people doing the survey were called field surveyors. They visited every woodland that might be native. They walked through each area carefully.
Steps for Surveying Woodlands
The surveyors followed a detailed set of rules. These rules helped them record many different things about the woodland. They wrote down details about the trees, plants, and even the edges of the woodland areas. This made sure all the information was collected in the same way.
What the Survey Found
After the survey was finished in 2013, the main findings were shared. Reports were published for each local area in Scotland. These reports can be found on the Forestry Commission Scotland website.
Accessing the Survey Information
A national summary report was also created. You can look at the woodland maps and data through the FCS Map Viewer. You can also download the data from the Data Download site. There are guides on the NWSS web-pages to help people understand and use the information.
You can find the full plan, process, and a list of everything the survey checked on the NWSS home website.
