ALCR03996: Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Aylesbury Vale

Aylesbury Vale in England is the subject of detailed agricultural land classification surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The data includes scanned original paper maps, survey reports, and for some sites, unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions. Surveys use the grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' report and were mapped at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on the detailed grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyze soil quality variations using the unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions available for some surveys.
• Map land use suitability at a local scale based on the original scanned maps created at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:10,000.
• Study historical land classification changes in England between 1989 and 1999 using the site survey data.

Strengths

• Surveys use a defined national grading methodology as described in 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales'.
• Includes the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing more detailed classification.
• Original data sources like scanned paper maps and survey reports are available for individual sites.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (UK), Natural England, Ordnance Survey

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys involving soil analysis and mapping, conducted between 1989 and 1999.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Geography

Aylesbury Vale, specifically the Aylesbury and Broughton areas in England.