This product consists of maps of predicted average annual application rates of three different inorganic chemical fertilisers – nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) - in England across a six-year period (2010-2015). The estimates, along with their respective estimates of uncertainty, are provided at a 1 km x 1 km resolution. These data were modelled from Defra British Survey of Fertiliser Practice (BSFP) data using a spatial interpolation procedure. These maps were created under the NERC funded ASSIST (Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems) project to enable exploration of the impacts of agrochemical usage on the environment, enabling farmers and policymakers to implement better, more sustainable agricultural practices. Different uses and potential applications of the produced maps, including the following: 1) Modelling nutrient fate to predict impacts of changes in farming practices (intensification/extensification) on nutrient runoff to water; 2) Estimating greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions due to fertiliser application to crops and grassland (linked with air quality impacts); 3) Quantifying past and future impacts of eutrophication and/or agricultural management on agricultural ecosystems and indicators such as arable plants, farmland birds, pollinators; 4) Linking crop growth models to predict areas where better nutrient management may improve yields; 5) Improving policies aimed at mitigating negative impacts of fertiliser use (e.g. catchment sensitive farming to reduce pollution and/or improve water quality).

It should be noted that this data is now somwhat dated! Areas of intensive agriculture and production forestry are typically areas where a monoculture land-use has replaced a more biologically …Show full descriptionIt should be noted that this data is now somwhat dated! Areas of intensive agriculture and production forestry are typically areas where a monoculture land-use has replaced a more biologically diverse system. The loss of biodiversity through agriculture is not something that can be easily reversed through planning and management. Remaining areas of native habitat are sensitive to catchment land-use changes. An intensive agricultural land-use coverage was obtained from the NLWR (2000) National Land-Use map (1:1M). Intensive agriculture was mapped as all areas with cropping or modified pasture systems. The scale of the land-use map is relatively coarse and the data has been compiled from SL land-use data mapped to grid cells based on satellite imagery interpretation. Reliability is variable. Intensive agriculture and plantation forestry cause a dramatic reduction in biodiversity. By definition, the ecological integrity of an area where a monoculture dominants, is poor; the indicator is unequivocal. Less intensive agriculture also undermines biodiversity, but arguably not to the extent found in cropping and improved pasture systems. The indicator has not been validated against biotic function, but is an indicator that is easily understood by users. Whilst a substantial impact of intensive agriculture is on biotic condition it can also impact on waterways (water extraction and chemical transfer), and on soil structure (the ability of the soil to avoid hard packing or erosion). Intensive agriculture coincides with good soils on gently sloping or flat land, in higher rainfall areas, or where water is available for irrigation. The 500 km2 and 5A5 km scale maps give a well recognisable expression of the intensive agriculture areas of Australia. Major impacts on catchment condition are well expressed in the AWRC map. Impact on catchment condition are seen for parts of central and southern Queensland, the western slopes and plains of New South Wales, throughout most of southern and south-eastern South Australia, central and northern Tasmania, most of Victoria and south-western Western Australia.Data are available as: continental maps at 5km (0.05 deg) cell resolution for the ILZ; spatial averages over CRES defined catchments (CRES, 2000) in the ILZ; spatial averages over the AWRC river basins in the ILZ. See further metadata for more detail.