University of Plymouth PEARL https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk 04 University of Plymouth Research Theses 01 Research Theses Main Collection 2012 A GIS BASED SPATIAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT Davey, Faye Elanor http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/1168 University of Plymouth All content in PEARL is protected by copyright law. Author manuscripts are made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the details provided on the item record or document. In the absence of an open licence (e.g. Creative Commons), permissions for further reuse of content should be sought from the publisher or author. A GIS BASED SPATIAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT By FAYE ELANOR DAVEY A thesis submitted to the University of Plymouth in partial fulfilment for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of Marine Science and Engineering Faculty of Science In collaboration with the Tamar Valley AONB Partnership August 2012 Copyright Statement This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and that no quotation from the thesis and no information derived from it may be published without the author's prior consent. i Abstract A GIS BASED SPATIAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT Faye Elanor Davey Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) provides a structured approach to identifying the character and distinctiveness about the landscape. It is a tool used to identify what makes a location unique, a set of techniques and procedures used to map differences between landscapes based on their physical, cultural and historical characteristics. Although the UK has committed to assessing all of its landscapes by signing the European Landscape Convention in 2006, only 60% of coverage has been achieved. The majority of LCAs are carried out by professional environment or landscape consultancies rather than ‘in-house’. Geographical Information Systems are increasingly being used to collate and analyse data and produce character maps. This research presents a Spatial Decision Support System (LCA-SDSS) based in ArcGIS 9.3 that can be used to support decision makers in conducting a LCA. The LCA-SDSS provides a method for storing data, a model base for the assessment of Landform, Ground Type, Land Cover & Cultural attributes and a method for the user to interact with the resulting maps. Using the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) as a study area the SDSS was developed and tested, resulting in character maps for each stage of ii the modelling and a final characterisation map. These maps were compared to a LCA conducted by a professional environmental consultant and were found to have produced a good quality assessment as verified by the end user at the Tamar Valley AONB Partnership. iii Acknowledgements There are many people I would like to thank for their encouragement and support over the period of this research. I would especially wish to thank Dr John Martin, Dr Samantha Lavender and Rosemary Teverson for all their support over the period of this research, this thesis could not have been completed without their invaluable knowledge and encouragement. I would like to thank Plymouth University for jointly funding this research through the Higher Education and Innovation fund with the Tamar Valley Partnership. I am particularly grateful to Dr John Martin for agreeing to be my Director of Studies, and for all of the knowledge, support and patience he has shown me throughout numerous meetings. I would like to thank Dr S Lavender for providing me with many opportunities to develop and for imparting so much knowledge initially as Director of studies and later as supervisor I am very grateful to have had her continued support. I would like to thank the Tamar Valley Partnership, particularly Rosemary Teverson who has bottomless knowledge and passion for the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. I am very grateful to Tim Selman for the funding received for this project and for providing me with a place to work within the AONB offices. My thanks also go to all my colleagues at the Partnership past and present, it has always been a pleasure to work with you. Colleagues past and present particularly those from room B528 in the university have been endlessly supportive. Heartfelt thanks go to my dad for giving me the encouragement I needed to go to university to complete my BSc as a mature student, and for letting me ‘move back home’ during the holidays when he thought he was finally rid of me, I would not have iv got this far without his support. Thanks go to Lou for also welcoming me ‘back home’ I am proud to say we are now family. My thanks go to Mum for listening to me and supporting me through many telephone conversations to and from university and always showing an interest in what I am doing. I thank Brian, Emma, Lauren and Jake for always being there. I am grateful to Judy and Nick for all the love, support and generosity they have shown me and my family over the years, particularly in recent times when you have been amazing grandparents to George. Thanks are due to Nick for providing me with advice and ideas for my research and for taking so much time to help, and Judy thank you for looking after George to give me more time to study. I would like to express my gratitude to the Shears family for all the encouragement you have given me and for all the fun times we have shared. I cannot thank you enough for taking such good care of George while I have been studying and for allowing me to look after Freya in return, it has been a privilege. I look forward to many more happy days spent with Freya and her little sister Evie. Huge thanks to Olly who has been with me since the beginning of my academic journey, who has made life so much richer and I am grateful the limitless love and patience you have shown me, I look forward to many more happy years together. Lastly to George (aka Tubs) thank you for providing me with endless entertainment, making me laugh and cry and for frequently amazing me, you brighten every day. To you and daddy I dedicate this thesis. v Author's Declaration At no time during the registration for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy has the author been registered for any other University award without prior agreement of the Graduate Committee. This study was jointly financed by the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership and the University of Plymouth Higher Education and Innovation Fund (HEIF3). Word count of main body of thesis: 44,643 vi Contents Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………..ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... iv Author's Declaration ................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ........................................................................................................... xiii List of Tables ........................................................................................................... xvii List of Acronyms ....................................................................................................... xix Chapter 1 General Introduction .................................................................................. 1 1.1 Rationale for research .......................................................................................... 1 1.2 Objectives of research .......................................................................................... 3 1.3 Thesis Overview ................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2 Landscape and Legislation ........................................................................ 6 2.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Definition of Landscape ........................................................................................ 6 2.2 Landscape Change ............................................................................................ 14 2.3 Historical Overview of Landscape Legislation .................................................... 18 2.4 Current Landscape Legislation and Policy ......................................................... 23 2.4.1 Regional/ County Legislation ........................................................................... 28 2.5 The Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Study Area ................... 30 2.5.1 Physical Influences of Landscape Character .................................................. 32 vii 2.5.1.1 Geology ........................................................................................................ 32 2.5.1.2 Landform and Hydrology .............................................................................. 33 2.5.1.3 Soils and Agriculture .................................................................................... 35 2.5.1.4 Ecological character ..................................................................................... 37 2.5.2 Cultural Influences of Landscape Character ................................................... 42 2.5.2.1 Prehistory (Neolithic- AD c600) .................................................................... 42 2.5.2.2 Medieval (AD c600 – AD c1600) .................................................................