Accounting for Nature: Assessing habitats in the UK countryside
2.   The National Picture

The UK is largely an agricultural landscape. The generally intensive agricultural habitats of improved grasslands and arable crops make up nearly half of the land. Broadleaved and coniferous woodlands share, in nearly equal proportions, 12% of the land. Other semi-natural habitats, such as bog, heath and ‘acid’ grassland, make up about a quarter of UK land, a large part of which occurs in Scotland. Built-up areas and other developed land, comprise the remaining 10%.

Contents of chapter 2 Introduction Broad Habitats: UK stock and change - The Stock of Broad Habitats - Quality of Life Counts indicator - landscape features - Habitat condition: understanding vegetation change - Classification of vegetation types - Quality of Life Counts indicator - plant diversity - Other changes in ecological condition Conclusions