Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to today's Land App webinar on "Data-Powered Decisions: Your Key to Efficient Land Management." This is a roundtable discussion, not a Land App demo. I'm delighted to be joined by some of our partners from Ordnance Survey, Wendling Beck, and Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Panelist Introductions
Dan Geerah: I'm one of the directors at Land App. I'll be chairing today's roundtable. I have a background in agri-advice and zoology and am passionate about using data to drive real-world change in land use.
Sophie Coley: Customer Development Manager at Ordnance Survey in the environment team. She will give us an update on what OS is currently working on.
Glenn Anderson: A fifth-generation farmer and the co-founder of the Wendling Beck Environmental Project, a privately financed nature recovery project. At over 2,000 acres, it's one of the largest Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) sites on the register.
Matt Guilliatt: The GIS and Data Manager at Surrey Wildlife Trust. With over 20 years of experience in conservation and GIS, he manages GIS resources to make information accessible for real-world application.
The Wendling Beck Project: A Data-Driven Approach to Nature Recovery
Glenn Anderson shared insights into the Wendling Beck Environmental Project, a large-scale, privately financed nature recovery initiative.
Project Vision and Data's Role The project aims for a significant land-use change, creating a broad mosaic of high-distinctiveness habitats. They are using nature markets, specifically Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and nutrient mitigation, to finance the project over the long term. Data and mapping have been absolutely key to this process.
Land App has served as the bedrock for the project's evolution, from its initial design to tracking habitat establishment and monitoring. The team worked with Land App to create a best-guess baseline for BNG, incorporating multiple third-party data sources to inform their decisions.
From Baseline to Transition
Initial State: A baseline survey in May 2021 showed a landscape with a mix of intensive arable land surrounding the Wend River.
Transition: The project is now transitioning this land to create a contiguous area with multiple high-quality habitat mosaics. They have 28 different habitat types in the BNG metric and are also stacking nutrient neutrality.
Monitoring and Data Management The project has invested heavily in monitoring to understand what is happening on the ground at a species level. They use a variety of technologies and methods:
Bioacoustics: 22 monitors are deployed to track birds and bats.
Environmental DNA (eDNA): Samples are being used to monitor species in transition areas.
Remote Sensing: This is used to map habitat transition and track changes.
Real-time Sensors: Water quality sensors are providing continuous data.
Carbon Flux Tower: A tower captures data on carbon fluxes to understand sequestration from woody biomass.
Glenn highlighted that while data provides the tools to make decisions, there's always a role for "boots on the ground" and field surveys to validate findings. He noted that the Land App mobile app is used daily to geo-locate and track the precise location and species type of new trees being planted.
Surrey Wildlife Trust: Integrating GIS and Field-Level Data
Matt Gilead explained how the Surrey Wildlife Trust manages its vast amount of geospatial data, balancing powerful, complex systems with user-friendly tools.
GIS and Data Flow The Trust has 70 GIS users, using ArcGIS as their main system. While ArcPro and ArcOnline are powerful, Matt found that non-professional GIS users found Land App to be a more intuitive and user-friendly way to capture data.
API Link: An Application Programming Interface (API) links Land App to the Trust's ArcOnline portal.
Workflow: Ecologists capture land cover data in the field using Land App's UK Habitat Classification template. This data is then automatically published to the Trust's central ArcOnline portal, giving them full control and visibility.
Addressing Data Challenges Matt emphasized that consistency is a major challenge when working with a large team. Previously, data might be submitted on paper maps or even in PowerPoint presentations. By standardizing the workflow with Land App's templates, the team ensures that everyone is using the same dropdown lists and a consistent format, which makes it much easier to analyze data across the entire county.
Ordnance Survey: Updates and Key Principles
Sophie Kohley provided a general update on what Ordnance Survey is working on and its role in the geospatial data sector.
Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA) The PSGA provides a route for public sector members to access and use OS data. This has improved the data as a whole, with new ways to share and access it, including the OS Data Hub. Subcontractors working on behalf of a PSGA member can also access this data for the duration of a project.
Addressing Misconceptions Sophie addressed two common misconceptions about OS:
More Than Paper Maps: While many people associate OS with paper maps for leisure, the data is used for much more. OS makes over 20,000 changes a day to its database, which contains over 500 million geographic features, enabling complex analytical insights.
Licensing: Licensing can be complex, but OS is working to make it easier. They offer licenses for specific purposes, and a data exploration license allows users to try OS data for up to six months for free. The key message is to simply ask questions and have a conversation to find the right license for your project.
Future Developments OS is focused on evolving its National Geographic Database (NGD), which is set up like a "sweet shop" where users can take only the data they need.
Enhanced Data: The NGD provides richer data than current products, such as percentage cover attributions for land parcels (e.g., 50% coniferous trees, 50% rough grassland).
Field Boundaries: OS has released a field boundaries dataset that includes hedgerows, walls, and wooded strips.
Upcoming Releases: Future enhancements include continuous tidelines, river widths, and enhanced land cover mapping with UK Habitat classifications, with some sample data expected in June.
Roundtable Discussion
Small-Scale BNG Projects Glenn advised that small-scale landowners can explore BNG, but they should do it for the right reasons, not just for financial gain. While scale is advantageous, everyone can do something with the right ambition. He emphasized that land-use optimization is critical, which involves integrating multiple data sets, including yield mapping and other agri-business data.
Data's Role in Real-World Impact Matt described the Wishmore project on Barossa, a heathland that was re-wetted using LiDAR data to analyze flow dynamics. This project has already seen positive results, with an increase in water-loving species, demonstrating how an evidence-based approach can improve rare habitats.
Predictive Modeling Matt highlighted the potential for using data to make future predictions. He has used a connectivity analysis model with Land App's best-guess habitat data to show how species can move through a landscape and to model the potential effects of future land use changes.
The Future of Collaboration When asked about the future, the panelists emphasized the need for joined-up, collaborative action. Glenn and Sophie stressed the importance of a consistent, foundational base of data that is used by all stakeholders. Matt added that this collaboration is vital for making changes across the whole country, ensuring everyone is "singing from the same hymn sheet."
Key Takeaways
Data is essential: It is crucial for making evidence-based decisions, managing large-scale projects, and ensuring consistency across teams.
Collaboration is key: Platforms like Land App facilitate collaboration between land managers, conservation bodies, and government agencies.
The future is dynamic: As datasets become richer and more real-time, we can use them for predictive modeling and adaptive management to build more resilient landscapes.
Ask questions: Don't be afraid of data or licensing. OS and its partners are there to help you find the right data for your needs.