Historic Woodlands 1891-1914 (AI predicted) dataset for England

<p>The dataset is intended to support the development of forestry projects, analysis, interpretation and decision making by providing an indication of where historic woodland was mapped. &nbsp;It can help inform strategy, planning and research. &nbsp;To use this data appropriately, it may be necessary to apply additional quality assurance, filtering or validation processes.</p><p>Historic OS map tiles were processed and analysed using an image segmentation model trained to recognise woodland symbols and patterns initially within Wales. &nbsp;The model was trained using manually labelled historic OS map data and designed to detect different types of woodland based on their cartographic representation.</p><p>Access to the historic mapping used in this dataset was provided by the National Library of Scotland. &nbsp;The dataset was developed in partnership between the Welsh Government Data Science Unit and the Forestry Commission. &nbsp;The AI predictions were subject to post processing to create a consistent, usable national dataset for England published under an Open Government Licence.</p><p>The dataset consists of polygon features representing areas where woodland was mapped on historic OS maps. &nbsp;Each polygon includes confidence scores that indicate how strongly the model predicts the presence of different woodland types within that area.</p><p>In some cases, more than one woodland type may be associated with a single polygon, reflecting uncertainty or mixed woodland characteristics in the underlying historic map.</p><p>Woodland types included in the dataset are:<br />•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;broadleaf<br />•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;brushwood<br />•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;bushes<br />•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;conifer<br />•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;mixed woodland<br />•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;orchard<br />•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;osiers</p><p>This dataset is derived from the predictions of an AI model and therefore includes a degree of uncertainty. &nbsp;It does not necessarily represent a definitive or complete record of historic woodland and should not be interpreted as such.<br />Accuracy is influenced by the quality and consistency of the underlying historic OS maps, as well as the ability of the AI model to correctly interpret different map symbols. &nbsp;Some areas of England have lower map quality or use alternative symbology, which can affect prediction accuracy.</p><p>The outputs should not be relied on in isolation and should be interpreted alongside other available evidence, including modern datasets, local records and specialist knowledge. &nbsp;To use this data appropriately, it may be necessary to apply additional quality assurance, filtering or validation processes. &nbsp;Therefore, the dataset is not suitable for precise measurement of woodland extent or for use in statutory or regulatory decisions without supporting evidence or acknowledgement of these limitations.</p>