Introduction

The land cover enhancements align the OS land cover classifications to European Nature Information System (EUNIS) and UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Broad Habitats classification scheme values and provide a percentage of each land cover classification. These enhancements apply to ‘natural’ topographic area features which exist across several OS NGD themes:

OS NGD Theme	Feature Type
OS NGD Land	Land
OS NGD Structures	Structure
OS NGD Transport	Rail
OS NGD Transport	Road Track Or Path
OS NGD Water	Water

Example map showing Land Cover Enhancement features, including Land, Water, Structure, Rail and Road Track Or Path features.

The feature’s OS Land Cover Tier B attribute is mapped to EUNIS and UK BAP Broad Habitats classification scheme values where the topographic area feature is ‘natural’, i.e. the OS Land Cover Tier A attribute is one of ‘Excavated or Deposited’, ‘Open Vegetation’, ‘Mineral’, ‘Multiple’, ‘Trees’, ‘Under Construction’ or ‘Water’.

A percentage cover value is also assigned to the OS Land Cover Tier B attribute for those features above the Mean High Water (Springs) line. Water features are not given a percentage cover value.

The land cover enhancements are supplied in a new cross-reference table. See the Habitat Coverage Reference table relating to the Land Feature Type.

The image below provides examples of these natural land cover features in the OS NGD:

Example map showing natural land cover features and attribution in OS NGD, including Land, Water, Structure, and Rail and Road Track Or Path features.