Change to the Estimated area of Broad Habitats in the UK between 1998 & 2007
Total land cover for Great Britain is 22.6 million hectares.
The area of Broadleaved Woodland, Improved Grassland , Neutral Grassland, Acid Grassland and Standing Waters Broad Habitats increased in Great Britain between 1998 and 2007. Arable and Bracken decreased. The area of all other Broad Habitats showed no significant change.
The area of Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland Broad Habitat increased by 5.9 per cent in Great Britain between 1998 and 2007. The corresponding decrease in Coniferous Woodland Broad Habitat was not statistically significant.
The area of Arable and Horticulture Broad Habitat decreased by 9.1 per cent in Great Britain between 1998 and 2007. There was a corresponding increase in area of the Improved Grassland and Neutral Grassland Broad Habitats, by 5.7 and 8.4 per cent respectively.
The area of Bracken Broad Habitat declined by 17.5 per cent, and partly as a consequence of the decrease in Bracken, the area of Acid Grassland increased by 5.7 per cent.
28/04/2009 - Correction: When published, the first sentence incorrectly stated that the Total land cover for Great Britain is 22.6 thousand hectares. This has now been corrected to 22.6 million hectares.
ONS apologises for any inconvenience caused.
Source: 2007 Countryside Survey
Notes: Broad Habitats is a classification of the British countryside which is the framework used in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
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