ALCL12192: Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification Survey Maps and Reports

Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) site survey data includes scanned original paper maps and reports for individual sites surveyed in detail between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. Surveys map land grades, including the subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, using methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' guidelines. Some surveys also include unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Use Cases

• Classify agricultural land capability based on detailed soil survey reports and grading methodology.
• Analyze historical land quality changes from 1989 to 1999 based on the survey time range.
• Integrate soil point data and pit descriptions for localized land assessment where available.

Strengths

• Original survey maps and reports scanned from detailed site surveys between 1989 and 1999.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b for finer classification.
• Some surveys contain unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (surveys), Natural England (copyright).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with maps and reports, scanned from original paper documents.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data covers 1989-1999; last platform update unknown.

Geography

England and Wales, specific to surveyed sites (e.g., Cramlington South West Sector).