MAP
ANALYSIS AND PREPARATION OF MAP OVERLAYS
Analysis of map and related information (Box
4.1) and aerial photographs, contributes to an understanding of
the 'bird's eye' view of landscape and is essential in deciding how the
different factors which shape the landscape come together and interact
to create patterns of landscape character.
As discussed in more detail below, map overlays ideally should
encompass:
Natural
factors
 geology
landform
river and drainage systems
soils
land cover (including semi-natural vegetation)
Cultural/social
factors
land use (including farm types)
settlement pattern
patterns of field enclosure
'time depth' - the historic dimension of the
landscape
Where
resources are limited and time is short, the
desk study may need to be limited to an
assessment of geology, landform, land cover
and settlement distribution. In these cases the opportunity should be
taken to update and amplify the data collected, especially in terms of
the historic dimension, when time and resources become available.
In
preparing map overlays it is usually best to interpret the raw
information to emphasise those aspects which are really
influential in determining landscape character. For
example, contours on Ordnance Survey (OS) data must be interpreted into
landform units such as valleys, plateaus, scarps, rolling hills or
mountain peaks, and land use categories should be derived from data
about farm types or from land use or land cover surveys
|
