The role of GIS in landscape assessment: using land-use-based criteria for an area of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Landscape is increasingly under pressure from developments, and landscape assessment programmes offer the opportunity to monitor changes. These programmes have the advantage of reducing the need for fieldwork as there is often a strong relationship between landscape quality and ecological value. We present a method using GIS and land-use data for landscape assessment at the regional scale which includes sufficient detail to be used as a basis for management strategies. Three land-use-based criteria were used to score patches for an area of the Chiltern Hills AONB. The approach demonstrates the potential for GIS usage in landscape assessment