Woodland Opportunity Map 2021

Welsh Government

The on-line viewer provides a general guide to land managers, and aims to identify areas of Wales which are most suited to new woodland creation using spatial data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It is relevant to all woodland creation proposals whether public or privately funded and is used in the assessment of applications for Welsh Government planting schemes. Its aim is to ensure that trees are planted in the right place for maximum benefit.

An overall score map for woodland creation in Wales is shown at a medium scale in green, highlighting the best opportunities at a strategic level for new woodland creation. This overall score is based on data layers of ecosystem services or benefits arising from new woodland creation, and support a range of Welsh Government’s forestry and environmental policies. The separate data layers that make up the overall score can be viewed individually at a smaller scale.

The map also includes information to show areas that are potentially sensitive to new woodland creation and signposts further guidance on consultation with the appropriate authority. These sensitivity layers show areas of Wales where biophysical, landscape designations and archaeological sites have been identified that require further investigation and advice. These layers can be analysed using the map tools to show where a planting proposal potentially intersects with a sensitive area. Detailed further guidance can be found in pop-up text boxes accompanying these layers.

To access the Woodland Opportunity Map User Guide, click here

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OWS endpoints

Find out how to use OWS (WMS and WFS) endpoints

  • WOM21 Grassland Fungi

    Grassland fungi assemblages and some individual species are on the Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 list and …

  • WOM21 Wales High Water Mark

    Wales (High water mark). This data has been derived from Ordnance Survey Boundary-Line data. https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/business-and-government/products/boundary-line.html

  • WOM21 Red Squirrel Areas

    Red squirrels are a Protected Species (Schedule 5, Wildlife & Countryside Act, 1981) and are classified as Endangered in Wales. …

  • WOM21 Community Wards

    This data set was derived from Ordnance Survey boundary data showing Community Ward boundaries. This is intended to help work …

  • WOM21 Social Benefits

    This layer shows where woodland creation is expected to contribute to social benefits of improved mental health and access to …

  • WOM21 Tree Suitability

    This layer shows areas of Wales where a combined basket of 7 tree species can be expected to thrive under …

  • WOM21 Non-Habitat Land

    This layer shows areas identified by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) as not sensitive to woodland creation. This includes habitat that …

  • WOM21 Flood Mitigation

    This layer shows where woodland creation will potentially alleviate flooding. This data layer comes from “Working with Natural Processes” (WWNP) …

  • WOM21 Diffuse Water Pollution

    This layer shows pollutant impacts on water quality within Water Framework Directive (WFD) sub-catchments – specifically focused on Phosphate (P), …

  • WOM21 World Heritage Site (WHS)

    World Heritage Sites are places that the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO has inscribed on a list of international sites …

  • WOM21 National Park

    National Parks are extensive tracts of country that are protected by law for future generations because of their natural beauty …

  • WOM21 Scheduled Monument

    Under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 (as amended by the Historic Environment (Wales) Act, 2016) the Welsh …

  • WOM21 Water Bodies

    This layer shows mapped water bodies in Wales. These are present to indicate areas that are highly likely to be …

  • WOM21 Acid Sensitive Catchment

    Forestry is known to affect the acidification of waters, principally due to the ability of forest canopies to capture more …

  • WOM21 Woodland Creation Score

    This overall scoring layer gives a strategic overview of the areas which have the best opportunities for woodland creation. The …

  • WOM21 Air Pollution - PM2.5

    Air pollution mitigation is scored in the Woodland Opportunity Map (WOM) using two different datasets identifying the ability to mitigate …

  • WOM21 Summarised Sensitivities

    This layer summarises all the Woodland Opportunity Map potential sensitivities into a single data set. This data is merged and …

  • WOM21 Air Pollution - Ammonia

    Air pollution mitigation is scored in the Woodland Opportunity Map (WOM) using two different datasets identifying the ability to mitigate …

  • WOM21 Carbon Sequestration

    This layer shows, from modelling at a spatial resolution of 250m2, the maximum possible tonnes of carbon sequestered per hectare …

  • WOM21 Open Access

    This dataset shows land designated as Open Access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW) over …

  • WOM21 Commons

    This datalayer shows registered Common Land in Wales. Woodland creation on common land may affect access and other rights held …

  • WOM21 Woodland Habitat Network

    This layer shows where tree planting is encouraged to achieve more robust and resilient woodland networks to benefit biodiversity. Woodland …

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Type:
Map
Category:
Environment

Environmental resources, protection and conservation. Examples: environmental pollution, waste storage and treatment, environmental impact assessment, monitoring environmental risk, nature reserves, landscape

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Creation date:
25 June 2021
License:
Not Specified

Copyright:

Not applicable

Keywords:
Environment, Forestry, Woodland
Point of contact:
Edition
Draft map
Language
English
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