Landscape Change in National Parks

This 1991 Countryside Commission report published the results of monitoring of landscape change in National Parks in England and Wales. The project compared aerial photography of each National Park from dates in the 1970s with the late 1980s. This enabled an assessment to be made of change in land cover, as well as linear and point landscape features. Both net change (overall loss or gain) and gross change (which measures change between features) are assessed, with ground surveys carried out to check the accuracy of the interpretation of the aerial photos. Summaries of the changes, supported by maps and bar charts, are given for each National Park in England and Wales, including the Broads Authority. The report concludes with a discussion on the common themes and their scale and significance for our cherished landscapes.