Forestry Commission Map codes?...What are they and where do I get the keys?

[Leigh Robinson]

Hi,

I popped into the Forestry Commission office to get a decent map of my favourite woods. They copied one for free. Much thanks for that.

I noticed their map has a lot of codes on it dotted through the woods e.g.:

a BE/MD 56/56
1026 38
OK/BI/SY
37/37/39

I have no idea what they are although I suspect it tells you about the habitat. If it does and I can get a code, the map will become far more important and useful.

Does anyone know what these codes are and where I can get a key?

[Arth]

Why don't you asked FC?

[Leigh Robinson]

lookng for a quick easy answer! but you are right. I should give them a call in the morning.....

[Treemonk]

I think what you have there is compartment 1026 which is 38 hectares in area (these in a circle by any chance?). subcompartment a is a mix of beech and I suspect that is actually MC which is mixed conifer - bothe planted in 1956. The other subcompartment is oak, birch sycamore, planted in 1937and 1939

I'll have a quick look - I suspect the list of species codes might be kicking around on my laptop somewhere...

[Treemonk]

There you go....

Common Name Code Botanical Name
Scots pine SP Pinus sylvestris L.
Corsican pine CP Pinus nigra var. maritima (Alton) Melville
Lodgepole pine LP Pinus contorta Douglas
Austrian pine AUP Pinus nigra var. nigra Harrison
Maritime pine MAP Pinus pinaster Ait.
Weymouth pine WEP Pinus strobus L.
Mountain pine MOP Pinus uncinata Miller
Bishop pine BIP Pinus muricata D. Don
Monterey pine RAP Pinus radiata
Ponderosa pine PDP Pinus ponderosa Douglas
Macedonian pine MCP Pinus peuce Griseb.
Other pines XP Pinus spp.
Sitka spruce SS Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.
Norway spruce NS Picea abies(L.) Karst
Omorika spruce OMS Picea omorika (Pancic) Purkyne
Other spruces XS Picea spp.
European larch EL Larix decidua Miller
Japanese larch JL Larix kaempferi (Lambert) Carr.
Hybrid larch HL Larix eurolepsis Henry
Douglas fir DF Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb) Franco
Western hemlock WH Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.
Western red cedar RC Thuja plicata D. Don
Lawson's cypress LC Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murr.) Parl
Leyland cypress LEC Cupressocyparis leylandii (Jacks. and Dallim) Dallimore
Grand fir GF Abies grandis Lindl.
Noble fir NF Abies procera Rehd.
Silver fir ESF Abies alba Mill.
Other firs (Abies) XF Abies spp.
Japanese cedar JCR Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) Don
Coast redwood RSQ Sequoia sempervirens (D.Don) Endl.
Wellingtonia WSQ Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindl.) Buchholz
Other conifers XC
Mixed conifers MC
Oak OK Quercus spp.
Pendunculate oak POK Quercus robur L.
Sessile oak SOK Quercus petraea (Matt.) Lieblein
Red oak ROK Quercus borealis Michx. f.
Beech BE Fagus sylvatica L.
Sycamore SY Acer pseudoplatanus L.
Norway maple NOM Acer platanoides L.
Ash AH Fraxinus excelsior L.
Birch BI Betula spp.
Poplar PO Populus spp.
Sweet chestnut SC Castanea sativa Mill.
Horse chestnut HCH Aesculus hippocastanum L.
Alder AR Alnus spp.
Common alder CAR Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn
Grey alder GAR Alnus incana (L.) Moench
Red alder RAR Alnus rubra Bong.
Sitka alder SAR Alnus sinuata
Green alder VAR Alnus viridis (Chaix) DC.
Lime LI Tilia spp.
Common lime CLI Tilia europaea L.
Small-leaved lime SLI Tilia cordata Miller
Large-leaved lime LLI Tilia platyphyllos Scop.
Elm EM Ulmus spp.
English elm EEM Ulmus procera Salisb.
Wych elm WEM Ulmus glabra Hudson
Smooth-leaved elm SEM Ulmus carpinifolia Gleditsch
Wild cherry, Gean WCH Prunus avium (L.) L.
Bird cherry BCH Prunus padus L.
Hornbeam HBM Carpinus betulus L.
Roble OBN Nothofagus obliqua (Mirb.) Blume
Rauli PRN Nothofagus procera (Peopp. and Endl.)
Raoul RAN Nothofagus nervosa
Hazel HAZ Corylus avellana L.
Other broadleaves XB
Mixed broadleaves MB


Origin Codings

Lodgepole pine Alaskan A (ALP)
Central & Northern Interior BC C (CLP)
Southern Interior BC I (ILP)
Skeena River K (KLP)
North Coastal N (NLP)
South Coastal S (SLP)

Sitka spruce Alaskan A (ASS)
Queen Charlotte Islands Q (QSS)
Oregon R (RSS)
Washington W (WSS)

Scots pine Caledonian C (CSP)

[Leigh Robinson]

That is magic!

Thanks. Completley changes the usefulnes of the map. Where/how did you get hold of those codes?

[Treemonk]

Occupational hazard - I'm a forester

[Tripitaka]

A question on many peoples lips may be "where can we get hold of these maps for a wide area?" I'm sure FC would be less forthcoming if I walked in and asked for their maps of the Lake District!

[Treemonk]

To put this in context - these maps represent the information held in the database of forest data held by the landowner - in this case the FC. The database breaks the woodland into management areas (compartments and sub-compartments) and for each management area holds information on species, age, stocking etc.
These maps are essentially OS base maps with the database info overlaid. The "basic" stock map is normally a 1:10,000 scale. All this comes of the GIS system, so whilst you can increase map scale to 1;25,000 or 50,000 or greater, the level of information shown will decrease.

So, back to the wider area question. To get these maps for the entire lake district, you would end up with a series of stock maps covering the areas managed by the FC. If you asked very nicely at the FC offices, I'm sure you could get these, although please bear in mind the time and resources required to print them off. The question is do you really need this level of detail? or could you do happily with a 1:25,000 - they share a great deal in common after all!