UK Habitat Classification for Practitioners

This course aims to provide ecologists with an introduction to the UK Habitat Classification. UKHab is the base classification for DEFRA’s Biodiversity Metric 2.0 and is becoming the accepted standard for habitat surveys supporting development applications in the UK.

This course will provide an overview of the architecture of UKHab, including how to use primary and secondary codes. The course will provide training in using the Habitat Field Key (V2.0) to identify habitats and how to prepare habitat maps in the field. The course will provide training on how to plan and design a survey, from pre-survey map preparation and research, setting your Minimum Mapping Unit (MMU) and other meta-data and how to display maps and data collected in UKHab. It will also provide guidance on how to store and share UKHab data and why this is important.

The course is aimed at competent habitat surveyors and those with basic skills wishing to expand their knowledge. The correspondence to previous classifications will be discussed and so an understanding of existing classifications, e.g. Phase 1 or UK Broad and Priority Habitat Types would be beneficial.

Trainees would be expected to have downloaded and reviewed the UKHab document set (the manual, definitions, field key and hierarchy) before the training sessions.

Ecological consultants, local authority ecologists, conservation officers, academics/research scientists, environmental data handlers, nature reserve site managers/wardens, students.

Initial training session targeted at ecologists with a degree of competence in ecological habitat survey, i.e. at least basic to competent.

• Understand the mechanics of UKHab, it’s architecture, and how it differs from other classification systems.
• Plan and design a survey, from pre-survey map preparation and the importance of survey meta-data.
• Use the Habitat Field Key and other UKHab resources to determine Habitat types within the Primary Classification.
• Identify and describe habitat features using the Secondary Codes.
• Confidently identify and map broad habitat types using aerial photographs and understand how to collect and interpret ecological field data.