Elan Valley Trust, Ground Truthing Works,

Description

A ground truthing survey of 159 ha across 4 sites within the Elan Estate will need to be completed, using desktop survey data, confirming the presence of every mapped feature, editing it if it’s mapped incorrectly and mapping any extra features observed. Features to include are both vegetated and unvegetated hag/gully edges that would need reprofiling, gullies (noting if they’re under or over 3m wide), patchwork areas of small hags and bare peat areas. Peat depth measurements will help us to identify which methods of restoration would be appropriate across the site. These will be collected based on your experience and judgement on the ground, but we would expect them roughly every 10m along the base of gullies, similar frequency on patchwork areas with hags, also every so often on the gully banks and on areas of modified peat that are mapped as potential for contour bunding, in order to gain overall knowledge of the sites various depths. Additionally, a Peatland Code survey will be required. This includes survey points across the site, in a 100m grid. At each point, data is to be gathered from a 10m square survey area. This data will include a photo, 3 peat depth measurements and a basic vegetation survey. This method is referred to as the Peatland Rapid Assessment Protocol. We would also like that tenant engagement is incorporated into the surveys, spending half a day per site involving the tenants who manage the land, with the survey work in order for them to be better informed for future projects.