81ff5ccb-71c9-4f16-813d-f42eb97adca2 en utf8 dataset land nature food pointOfContact land nature food author 2026-03-18T23:43:03Z ISO 19115:2003 - Geographic information - Metadata ISO 19115:2003 4326 EPSG 6.11 geonode:tow_wales Trees Outside of Woodlands 2026-03-13T00:00:00Z publication date 1 mapDigital The Trees Outside Woodland (TOW) for Wales dataset comprises polygon features representing tree canopy cover located outside the National Forest Inventory (NFI) woodland extent. Included features have a minimum tree canopy top above 3m in height and more than 5m2 in area. Canopy extent is then measured down to 1.3m above the ground. There may be areas of contiguous tree canopy greater than 0.5 hectares within this TOW dataset if they do not meet all parameters for inclusion to the NFI. However, for areas of woodland more than 0.5 hectares the NFI should be used. Canopy polygons were generated from continuous patches extracted from Canopy Height Models (CHM) derived from the Wales LiDAR Survey. Each polygon includes calculated area attributes, a classified woodland type, and associated height metrics. Canopy polygons are further subdivided into defined height-class polygons. This data was created by the Forest Research ‘Remote Sensing Team’, in February 2026. To note: To maximise drawing performance, the data is only visible when zoomed to 1:100,000 or closer.  Woodland type classifications are derived using a rule-based spatial algorithm that evaluates: The number of individual treetops detected within each canopy polygon; The polygon area; and Polygon geometry (e.g., roundness). These parameters are used to assign each feature to one of four woodland type classes: Lone Trees – Single trees, shown as small, separate canopy areas with usually one treetop within them. Groups of Trees – Small clusters of trees growing close together within the same canopy patch. Small Woodlands – Larger, continuous tree areas that meet a minimum size or number of trees. Overhanging Canopy (NFI OHC) – Tree areas that hang over or are next to National Forest Inventory woodland. Height Classes Canopy polygons are stratified into height classes based on derived canopy height metrics. The defined height bins are: Class 3: 1.3 m – <10 m Class 10: 10 m – <15 m Class 15: 15 m – <20 m Class 20: 20 m – <30 m Class 30: ≥30 m These classes enable structured analysis of canopy structure and vertical distribution. completed land nature food originator ESRI Shapefile 1.0 TOW theme Global place Europe place United Kingdom place license Open Government Licence for Public Sector Information (OGL): (https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) vector en utf8 environment -5.45872950712217 -2.6439258665769394 51.33424516454941 53.450003708856904 Attribute Name Description TOW_ID (unit: N/A): Unique identifier for each TOW canopy polygon. The ID suffix corresponds to the British grid 1 km tile name. TOW_Area (unit: m2): Area of the canopy polygon. Woodland_Type (unit: N/A): Woodland classification: Lone Tree, Group of Trees, Small Woodland, or NFI OHC. Height_Class (unit: N/A): Height class bin. Bin_Area (unit: m2): Area of height class polygon. Min_Height (unit: m): Minimum height within the height bin. Max_Height (unit: m): Maximum height within the height bin. Mean_Height (unit: m): Mean height within the height bin. Stdv_Height (unit: m): Standard deviation of heights within the height bin. Sub_ID (unit: N/A): Identifier for height bin multipolygons within a canopy polygon. Lidar_Year (unit: N/A): Year the LiDAR was acquired. Lidar_Date (unit: N/A): Date the LiDAR was acquired. British_Gr (unit: N/A): British Grid reference for the 1 km square within which the polygon is located.   https://datamap.gov.wales WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Online link to the 'Trees Outside of Woodlands' description on GeoNode /static/geonode/img/missing_thumb.png?v=9d718120 WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download .png Trees Outside of Woodlands (Thumbnail Format) https://datamap.gov.wales/geoserver/ows?service=WMS&request=GetLegendGraphic&format=image/png&WIDTH=20&HEIGHT=20&LAYER=geonode:tow_wales&STYLE=tow_wales_bilingual&version=1.3.0&sld_version=1.1.0&legend_options=fontAntiAliasing:true;fontSize:12;forceLabels:on WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download .png Trees Outside of Woodlands (Legend Format) https://datamap.gov.wales/geoserver/ows?service=WMS&request=GetMap&layers=geonode%3Atow_wales&format=image%2Fpng&height=550&width=441&srs=EPSG%3A27700&bbox=170175.0%2C164634.84375%2C355280.75%2C395015.0625 WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download .png Trees Outside of Woodlands (PNG Format) https://datamap.gov.wales/geoserver/ows?service=WMS&request=GetMap&layers=geonode%3Atow_wales&format=application%2Fpdf&height=550&width=441&srs=EPSG%3A27700&bbox=170175.0%2C164634.84375%2C355280.75%2C395015.0625 WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download .pdf Trees Outside of Woodlands (PDF Format) https://datamap.gov.wales/geoserver/ows?service=WMS&request=GetMap&layers=geonode%3Atow_wales&format=image%2Fjpeg&height=550&width=441&srs=EPSG%3A27700&bbox=170175.0%2C164634.84375%2C355280.75%2C395015.0625 WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download .jpg Trees Outside of Woodlands (JPEG Format) https://datamap.gov.wales/download/8605 WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download .zip Trees Outside of Woodlands (Original dataset Format) https://dmwproductionblob.blob.core.windows.net/downloads/tow_wales.gpkg WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download .gpkg Trees Outside of Woodlands (OGC Geopackage Format) https://datamap.gov.wales/geoserver/ows OGC:WFS geonode:tow_wales Service - Provides Layer: Trees Outside of Woodlands https://datamap.gov.wales/geoserver/ows OGC:WMS geonode:tow_wales Service - Provides Layer: Trees Outside of Woodlands dataset A Canopy Height Model (CHM) was created using a Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Digital Terrain Model (DTM). The CHM was then masked, to create a Vegetation Object Model (VOM), using several datasets available to FR. This step removes non-vegetation features from the raster. Existing NFI Woodland is also removed during this step. Canopy delineation was then carried out, to create the Trees outside of Woodlands polygons. This canopy was then split into height bins and attributes assigned. Data Processing and Additional Notes Canopy features with an area of less than 5 m² were excluded from the dataset. A treetop detection algorithm was applied to the CHM, with a minimum treetop height threshold of 3 m. Consequently, any polygons with a maximum canopy height below 3 m were excluded from the dataset. The 2024 National Forest Inventory map was used to remove NFI woodland areas from the TOW dataset. Small woodland polygons were further subdivided into groups of trees when identified as thin, linear arrangements, providing a more accurate representation of actual canopy structure. The overhanging canopy areas (NFI OHC) should not be included in routine forest statistics, but may be included when considering the total canopy area of trees across Wales.