Peatland Data Portal Map Layers
Wales Peatland Data Portal
The Wales Peatland Data Portal shows where peatlands are and the areas that need restoring. The interactive maps include:
- habitats that are supported by peat
- estimates of the carbon stored in Welsh peatlands
- estimates of greenhouse gas emissions
We will update the Portal as peatland is restored. This will include the effects on peatland condition, biodiversity and mitigating climate change.
Peatland restoration
Restoration activity footprint
This dataset shows the total area of peatland restoration across Wales up to present day. The data is presented as a polygon shapefile, with the unit of measurement being hectares.
Restoration activities
This dataset shows the total area, measured in hectares, of peatland restoration that carried out across Wales up to the present date. The data is presented as a polygon shapefile that captures restoration activities. Restoration activities have been divided into five broad groups: Hydrological Management, Erosion Control, Tree Management, Vegetation Management and Grazing.
Hydrological Management aims to reverse the impact of harmful activities that have resulted in adverse changes to hydrological regimes.
Erosion Control aims to reduce the effect of erosional features such as haggs and gullies. These features expose areas of bare peat which are prone to further degradation if left uncontrolled.
Tree Management aims to reduce the impact of trees on peatland. Most Tree Management techniques for peatland restoration involve conifer plantation, there are also activities addressing the presence of broadleaf trees.
Vegetation Management aims to control the dominance of small numbers of abundant species (e.g. Molinia, Calluna) to ensure the recovery and persistence of mire vegetation.
Grazing activities aim to restore and manage peatlands through modifying grazing regimes.
The data is broken down into polygons with columns detailing the broad activity types, sites, delivery organisation, start and end dates of restoration activity, and the financial year it occurred in.
Further information on the structure of the dataset can be found in the technical metadata (include hyperlink) and information on the restoration activities and how they are reported can be found in the Restoration Activities Guidance Document/Technical Manual.
Peat distribution
Peatlands of Wales maps
The Peatlands of Wales map series provides an updated distribution of Welsh Peatlands (to 2022) based on current evidence sources.
The data layers were created on a 50m grid whereby the presence and thickness of peat are elucidated from a range of sources for each 50m grid cell across Wales.
A peatland evidence score defines the level of confidence in the presence of peat in any given grid cell, with those cells scoring more than 2 on this scale of 1-10, captured in the ‘Peatlands of Wales’ peat distribution map.
Full details of the sources of data used to build this map as well as the methodologies used to define the level of evidence for the presence of peat and derivation of the peat evidence score as well as estimates of peat thickness (depth), carbon stock estimates and greenhouse gas emissions are presented in the Peatlands of Wales mapping methodology report Production of the Peatlands of Wales Map
Peatlands of Wales
This dataset provides the distribution of peat across Wales, with peat defined as having a thickness of more than 40cm of organic material within the upper 80cm of a soil profile.
It is an outline of all the 50m sites that have an ‘Evidence score’ of 2 or greater (as provided in the ‘Peatlands of Wales evidence’ map layer).
Peatlands of Wales evidence
This dataset shows the ‘Evidence score’ for all 50m sites with a value of 1 or greater. These scores, ranging from 2 to 10 in this map, indicate the confidence in peat being present at a given location, based on the quality of available evidence.
Full details of the data sources, and their combined ranking, used to produce this ‘Evidence score’ are provided in the report on the methodology used to derive this suite of peatland data maps.
Peatlands of Wales Thickness
This dataset shows the estimated depth of peat across the Peatlands of Wales area as ‘Peat thickness’ (cm). It also shows, as ‘Measured thickness’, cm, where the peat thickness is taken from measured values (averaged over the 50m cell) which covers nearly 10% of the cells in the Peatland of Wales area.
Peatlands of Wales Emissions
This dataset shows the CO2 Emissions across the Peatlands of Wales area. Calculated from the Broad Habitat Condition categories. ‘Emissions’ are given in t ha-1 yr-1 and ‘Total emissions’ are calculated by cell in t yr-1 using the area of the cell (tCO2e /ha /yr).
Peatlands of Wales Carbon Stock
This dataset shows the carbon stock levels across the Peatlands of Wales area. All deep peats are assigned to one of 6 peat soil series. Carbon stocks are calculated from standardised profiles from the Cranfield University HORIZON datasets.
The mean carbon stock levels (tonnes) within each cell was then calculated from the carbon stock to 150cm in kg/m2 from the standard profile data adjusted by the thickness of peat in the profile and then multiplied by the area in m2. This map shows the carbon stock per unit area (‘Carbon stock’) plus the total carbon stock (‘Total stock’) in each polygon (kg/m2).
Habitats
Habitat classification systems applied within these datasets are provided in Welsh when the classifications have been formally defined in the Welsh language, such as for ‘Priority Habitats’ defined under the interim Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.
Where no classification scheme is yet defined in the Welsh language, the English terms are retained to preserve the standardisation of data, for example, the habitat types as defined in Article 17 of the EU Habitats Directive.
Welsh Lowland Raised Bog Inventory
NRW Welsh Lowland Raised Bog Inventory
This is a map of the area in hectares (‘Area Ha’) of Lowland raised bog sites, ‘Site name’, in Wales. Also provided is the site’s designation ‘ Status’ and ‘Elevation’ of the site in metres. The column called ‘Multiple or Single bog dome’ indicates whether the bog consists of ‘single’ or ‘multiple’ domes.
The ‘Context’ column contains descriptors of the landscape context in which the bog sits. When the identity of the site as a raised bog was confirmed by palaeoecological and/or other evidence, this is indicated in the ‘Confirmed Raised Bog’ column as ‘yes’, otherwise a ‘probable’ response was returned.
Lowland Peatland Phase 2 Habitat Surveys
NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland Veg
The ‘Vegetation type’ column provides the type of vegetation classified according to Phase 2 habitat types as defined in: Bosanquet, S.D.S, Jones, P.D., Reed, D.K, Birch, K.S. & Turner, A.J. (2013) Lowland Peatland Survey of Wales – Survey Manual, CCW Staff science Report No. 13/3/2.
Each row represents a separate polygon defined by a unique ‘Poly ID’ code. ‘Area ha’ provides the area of each polygon in hectares. ‘Condition’ includes additional notes on the ecological condition of the area.
NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland mospolys
The Lowland Peatland ‘mospolys’ layer refers to ‘mosaic polygons’ that provide a visual representation of the detailed mosaic of different vegetation types contained withing areas (polygons) referred to as ‘mosaic’ in the ‘Vegetation type’ column of the ‘NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland Veg’ layer.
The ‘Poly ID’ codes refer to the Polygons captured in the ‘NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland Veg’ layer. The full mosaic data table ‘NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland Mosaic.xls’ contains the percentage and area of the vegetation types contained within the Mosaic polygons and is available to download from the Data Map Wales website.
Further information on using the mosaic can be found in Bosanquet, S.D.S, Jones, P.D., Reed, D.K, Birch, K.S. & Turner, A.J. (2013) Lowland Peatland Survey of Wales – Survey Manual, CCW Staff science Report No. 13/3/2
NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland features
The ‘Habitat feature’ column provides the peatland features that are either those qualifying for lowland Sites of Special Scientific Interest or key habitat types encountered in non-designated sites.
The ‘Vegetation type’, ‘Condition’ and ‘Area ha’ are also provided here for each polygon (‘Poly ID’) representing a habitat feature. This dataset should be used in conjunction with the ‘NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland Deep peat’ map.
NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland sites
Boundaries of all the sites within the Lowland Peatland Survey of Wales with fields indicating the ‘Site code’, ‘Site name’, ‘First survey date’, ‘First survey date’ and area in Hectares ‘Area ha’ of surveys.
The following additional datasets are also available to download from Data Map Wales
NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland notes [point, line, polygon, text]
Point, line and polygon data of target notes on notable species or features such as habitat condition. The text layer is used to identify different compartments using letters.
NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland quadrats
Point data representing the locations of all quadrats recorded in the Lowland Peatland Survey of Wales.
NRW Phase 2 Lowland Peatland photos
Point data representing the locations of all photographs taken for the Lowland Peatland Survey of Wales.
Upland Phase 2 Habitat Surveys
NRW Phase 2 Upland Veg
The ‘Vegetation type’ column provides the type of vegetation classified according to Phase 2 habitat types along with notes on the ecological Condition’ of the area. Each row represents a separate polygon defined by a unique ‘Poly ID’ code. ‘Area ha’ provides the area of each polygon in hectares.
NRW Phase 2 Upland mospolys
The ‘Upland mospolys’ layer refers to ‘mosaic polygons’ that provide a visual representation of the percentage coverage of different vegetation types contained withing areas (polygons) in the ‘Vegetation type’ column of the ‘NRW Phase 2 Upland Veg’ layer.
Article 17 (Habitats Directive) Habitats
Article 17 Habitats are classified according to types defined under the EU Habitats Directive. The surveys presented here are the most current version of each. In cases where the most recent survey is at a coarse 10km grid scale, the previous detailed survey is also provided.
For each layer, the habitat type defined in Article 17 of the Habitats Directive is that given in the layer name. The area (‘HABITAT AREA HA’) of each polygon is provided in hectares. Informal ‘CONDITION’ descriptors usually refer to dominance by a particular species where relevant.
- NRW Art17 2012 H7130 Blanket bogs
- NRW Art17 2012 H210 Calcareous fens with Cladium
- NRW Art17 2018 H7110 Active Raised Bogs
- Art17 2012 H7120 Degraded raised bogs
- NRW Art17 2018 H7120 Degraded Raised Bog 10km
- NRW Art17 2012 H7140 Transition Mires - Art17 2012 H7140 Transition mires
- NRW Art17 2018 H7230 Alkaline Fen Calcium Rich Springwater
- NRW Art17 2012 H7150 Rhynchosporion
Priority Habitats
‘Priority Habitats’ are defined under Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016. This list is an interim list. It is the same as the previous list under section 42 of the NERC Act 2006 and is currently under review in consultation with NRW.
Priority Habitats of Peatlands are ‘Blanket Bog’, Lowland ‘Raised Bog’, ‘Upland Flushes Fens and Swamps’ and ‘Lowland Fens and Reedbeds’, the distribution of each is presented as a separate map layer. The area (‘Area Ha’) of each polygon is provided in hectares.
- NRW Priority Habitat Blanket Bog
- NRW Priority Habitat Raised Bog
- NRW Priority Habitat Upland Flushes Fens and Swamps
- NRW Priority Habitat Lowland Fens and Reedbeds
Forestry
NRW Forest Ownership
Water Catchments
Main Rivers
The ‘River Name is the name of each watercourse, the length of which is given in ‘LENGTH KM’.
Ordnance Survey (OS) Open Rivers
OS Open Rivers is a generalised open water network showing the flow and the locations of rivers, streams, lakes and canals across the whole of Great Britain.
NRW WFD Ground Water Bodies Cycle 2 2015
The ‘Name’ of each ground water body includes information on the geological formation in which the ground water resource is situated.
Operational areas
Unitary Authorities Wales
This map layer provides the ‘NAME ’ and extent of the Local Authorities in Wales.
NRW Operational Areas - Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Operational Areas
NRW manages Wales’ natural resources across seven Operational Areas, each of which has its own ‘Area Statement’.
Designations
Areas of Wales with special protection under local, national and international designations are presented as separate map layers for each type of designation.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)
Special Protection Areas (SPA)
Local Nature Reserves (LNR)
National Nature Reserves (NNR)
National Parks
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB)
Biosphere Reserves
The inner two zones follow firstly Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) boundaries (Buffer Zone) and then the Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) boundaries (Core Zone). The largest area is called the Transition Zone.
Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance
Topography
Historic LiDAR archive
This dataset contains surveys from the "Historic LIDAR Archive" updated to 2016. DSM (Digital Surface Model) and DTM (Digital Terrain Model) layers are presented in the map as coloured, shaded relief images at the same resolution as the input LiDAR data grids at 25cm, 50cm, 1m and 2m, respectively. For height (elevation data), download the full dataset from the Data Map Wales LiDAR Composite Dataset.
- DSM (25cm)
- DSM (50cm)
- DSM (1m)
- DSM (2m)
- DTM (25cm)
- DTM (50cm)
- DTM (1m)
- DTM (2m)
LiDAR 1m resolution 2020-22
This dataset contains LiDAR data collected at 1m resolution across the whole of Wales between 2020 and 2022. The DSM (Digital Surface Model) is a representation of the heights recorded in the in the LiDAR survey that includes upstanding features, such as trees and buildings. The DTM (Digital Terrain Model) is a representation of the bare Earth.
The dataset is not currently available to download but is available to view on Data Map Wales and as WMS web services:
Greyscale multidirectional hillshade image of the Digital Surface Model (DSM) derived from the LiDAR 1m resolution data collected over the 2020-22 winter seasons. The DSM is a representation of the heights recorded in the in the LiDAR survey that includes upstanding features, such as trees and buildings.
Metadata and web service links
- LiDAR 1m resolution 2020-22 DSM (16bit)
DSM layer - 16bit integer data resolution 1m by 1m (rounded to nearest 1m) The DSM (Digital Surface Model) is a representation of the heights recorded in the in the LiDAR survey that includes upstanding features, such as trees and buildings
Metadata and web service links
- LiDAR 1m resolution 2020-22 DTM (16bit)
DTM layer - 16bit integer data resolution 1m by 1m (rounded to nearest 1m) The DTM (Digital Terrain Model) is a representation of the bare Earth.