UK Critical Load Exceedance Maps For Acidity And Nitrogen 2015-2017

Two 1x1 km resolution maps quantify excess acid and nitrogen deposition above ecological tolerance thresholds for UK habitats. The dataset includes exceedance calculations for eight acidity-sensitive and thirteen nutrient nitrogen-sensitive habitats, derived from 5x5 km UK deposition data for 2015-2017. It was generated under Defra funding to assess habitat risk from atmospheric pollutants.

Use Cases

• Model habitat vulnerability by analyzing the spatial correlation between 1x1 km AAE values for eight acidity-sensitive habitats and pollution sources.
• Assess policy impact on nitrogen deposition by tracking changes in AAE for thirteen nutrient nitrogen-sensitive habitats across different time periods.
• Identify high-risk regions for conservation by mapping areas where AAE values for both acidity and nutrient nitrogen exceed critical loads simultaneously.
• Calibrate deposition models using the 5x5 km Concentration Based Estimated Deposition (CBED) data that underpin the AAE calculations.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution 1x1 km spatial data for ecological impact assessment.
• Covers two distinct pollutant types (acidity and nutrient nitrogen) across 21 total habitat categories.
• Based on a three-year temporal baseline (2015-2017) of UK deposition data.
• Created for UK Government policy assessment under Defra funding, indicating authoritative provenance.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to a fixed three-year period (2015-2017) and may not reflect current conditions.
• Spatial analysis is confined to the UK, limiting applicability for global or comparative studies.
• Underlying deposition data is at a coarser 5x5 km resolution, which the 1x1 km AAE maps interpolate or model.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Calculated using UK 5x5 km Concentration Based Estimated Deposition (CBED) data for 2015-2017.

Time Range

2015-2017

Freshness

null

Geography

United Kingdom