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Enhancing and visualising data on soils, land use and the environment.
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1998-12-01
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eopr-4104.pdf
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Coulter, B.S., McDonald, E., Lee, J., Enhancing and visualising data on soils, land use and the environment, End of Project Reports, Teagasc, 1998.
Abstract
A computer based system was developed to produce new information,
charts and map data on soils, environment and land use for
environmental decision support. The process involved manipulation
of data in tabular and electronic map form by combining features from
digitised maps and tables to develop an information system of linked
and harmonised data. This report reviews and illustrates the findings
with outputs in the form of maps and tables.
Maps presenting sheep census information for the years 1970-
1991 show greatly increased livestock densities, in the latter years.
These changes mainly occurred in the (i) traditional drystock areas of
the midlands (ii) south east arable areas and (iii) south east Connacht
dry stock/sheep areas and reflect economic and structural changes
arising out of Government policy and membership of the EU. Maps
depicting the temporal changes in dairy livestock densities were not so
dramatic; however the structural change is particularly reflected in the
reduction of dairying in the Connacht/Midlands regions. The introduction
of milk quotas in the 1980's accelerated the changes which
had been taking place since the early 1970's.
In comparison to dairy cows, the increased concentration of drystock
seems to be more widely spread. High concentrations of drystock
occurred in the east midlands in 1970. By 1980, the high concentration
of dry cattle had spread to North and South Midlands. The
density of cattle increased further in Leinster and Munster areas by
1991. In Connaught, where sheep numbers had increased markedly
between 1970 and 1991, cattle numbers remained relatively static.
The digitisation of detailed soil survey maps was undertaken in
this project and a new soil survey map of the Lough Derg Catchment
was produced using Great Soil Groups as the mapping unit. This map
is included in the report.