NI Peatland Survey: Northern Ireland Peatland Vegetation Map

Northern Ireland's peatland vegetation was mapped at a 1:20,000 scale for the entire region. The data originates from the 1988 Northern Ireland Peatland Survey, derived from the interpretation of aerial photographs taken in the 1970s and 1980s. This layer is suitable for visualization, dashboard analysis, and download.

Use Cases

• Visualizing historical peatland extent for conservation planning based on mapped vegetation.
• Analyzing habitat distribution in environmental dashboards using the geospatial layer.
• Assessing changes in peatland cover over time by comparing this historical baseline to modern data.

Strengths

• Provides complete coverage of Northern Ireland at a detailed 1:20,000 scale.
• Based on authoritative source: the 1988 Northern Ireland Peatland Survey by Cruickshank and Tomlinson.
• Available under the permissive OGL-UK-3.0 license for reuse.

Limitations

• Data is historical, sourced from aerial imagery from the 1970s and 1980s, and may not reflect current conditions.
• Column names and specific attribute details are not provided in the available metadata.
• A listed future update date (2026-04 15) on one platform conflicts with the historical nature of the source data.

Provenance

Source

Cruickshank, M.M. & Tomlinson, R.W. (1988). Northern Ireland Peatland Survey. Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (Countryside and Wildlife Branch). Belfast.

Collection Method

Interpretation of 1970s and 1980s aerial photographs.

Time Range

1970s-1980s (source imagery); survey published 1988.

Freshness

2026-04-15 14:22:06.682581 (listed, but conflicts with source date)

Geography

Northern Ireland