Introduction to UKHab - Field Course

The course introduces UKHab and describes approaches to desk-based and field mapping, the importance of pre-survey preparation and how to map features using polygons, points and lines. We will focus upon woodland, grassland, heathland and scrub habitats and how to characterize these in the field.

This 2 day beginner course covers the following topics:

• Introduction to habitat classifications, their differences and value to an ecologist
• Itnroduction to the structure of UKHab
• Habitat mapping rules and guidance
• Habitat mapping practice - desk-based preliminary mapping and field survey
• Importance of habitat indicators - field identification of key grasses and flowering plants
• Field survey practices, including an introduction to using quadrats and field-scale survey to inform habitat type
• Practical experience in mapping and identification of a range of habitats, including grasslands, woodlands, hedgerows and scrub.

The course is not designed to cover habitat recording specifically for BNG Statutory Metric or habitat condition assessment, but elements of these will be touched upon.

This course is aimed at professional ecologists with some experience of habitat survey and assessment. The course will consider the use of UKHab in a planning and development context.

Participants should already be familiar with the UKHab classification and may have attended an online course. Participants should be registered users of UKHab, which is completed via our website (www.ukhab.org) .

All participants are expected to have a copy of UKHab classification and resources, to refer to during the course.

• Understand the structure of the UKHab habitat classification.
• Identify and describe UKHab (Version 2.0) habitat features using Primary and Secondary Codes.
• Map area, linear and point habitat features in the field.
• Map habitats, including mosaics, that are frequently encountered in England
• Understand the use of UKHab Survey reports in ecological practice.