Enhancing and visualising data on soils, land use and the environment.

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.