GCN Strategic Opportunity Areas: Great Crested Newt Habitat Suitability in Lancashire

Natural England's 2020 dataset identifies 25x25m grid squares in Lancashire where new ponds would benefit Great Crested Newt populations. It classifies areas as 'Core' or 'Fringe' based on predicted newt presence and pond density, scoring habitat suitability against eight specific environmental features. The data is derived from multiple sources including Ordnance Survey, the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, and local council records.

Use Cases

• Prioritizing pond creation sites based on core and fringe area classifications.
• Modeling habitat suitability for Great Crested Newts using scored features like arable density and distance from woodland.
• Assessing landscape connectivity for conservation planning using the defined 250m radius criteria.
• Integrating multi-source environmental data (e.g., land cover, soils, elevation) for ecological analysis.

Strengths

• Defines specific, scored habitat parameters (e.g., pH 6.75-7.5, elevation 0-150m) for suitability modeling.
• Distinguishes between 'Core' (2+ ponds within 250m) and 'Fringe' areas with clear spatial rules.
• Derived from authoritative sources including Ordnance Survey and Natural England, with a detailed 2020 attribution statement.

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.
• Geographic coverage is limited to Lancashire, UK.

Provenance

Source

Natural England, incorporating data from Ordnance Survey, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Freshwater Habitats Trust, and multiple Lancashire local authorities.

Collection Method

Likely generated through spatial analysis of pond density, predicted species presence, and habitat feature scoring.

Time Range

Based on source data from 2007 to 2020, with a 2020 attribution statement.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 13:00:48.775354; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Lancashire, United Kingdom.