Desk Studies
Our preliminary desk studies may include, as relevant to the project:
- identifying nearby sites of biodiversity importance in a local, county, national or international context;
- sourcing and collating existing records of rare, scarce, protected and other valued species on or close to the site;
- checking OS maps and aerial photographs of the site and locality, to identify waterbodies and other significant habitats close to, but not necessarily visible from, the site, and to consider its interconnectivity with such habitats;
- examining geological and/or soil maps to understand the plant communities likely to be native to the area;
- examining historical maps to identify factors which may have influenced the development of existing communities; and
- consulting national and local atlases, floras, avifaunas, local bird or natural history reports, and the county Biodiversity Action Plan or audit.
ESL - Ecological Services
