UK Land Cover Map at 10-Metre Resolution

Land Cover Map 2020 provides a 10-metre resolution classification of the UK's land surface into 21 distinct habitat classes, based on the Biodiversity Action Plan. This is the first 10m resolution land cover map produced by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH). The service is hosted by the Environmental Information Data Centre and was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Classify land cover into 21 UKCEH habitat classes using high-resolution satellite imagery.
• Analyze spatial patterns of Biodiversity Action Plan broad habitats across the UK.
• Monitor changes in land cover over time by comparing the 2020 classification with other temporal layers.
• Model habitat connectivity and fragmentation using the 10m resolution land cover classes.

Strengths

• First UK land cover map produced at 10-metre spatial resolution.
• Classifies land into 21 distinct UKCEH land cover classes.

Limitations

• Data is delivered as a Web Map Service (WMS), limiting direct access to the underlying raster data for analysis.
• Specific details on the classification algorithm's accuracy metrics or validation are not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).

Collection Method

Derived from satellite imagery and classified into land cover classes.

Time Range

2020

Freshness

Map is based on 2020 data, with the service last updated in April 2026.

Geography

United Kingdom