Mapping our natural capital

Have you ever wanted to know more about our natural capital and where it is? The concept of natural capital recognises that the natural environment provides many benefits to people, in terms of our health, wealth and well-being. In recognising that natural resources are a form of ‘capital’, in the same way that ‘built’ or ‘social’ capital are, we ensure that they cannot be ignored in decision making about environmental change. The Natural Capital Committee define natural capital as “the elements of nature that directly or indirectly produce value to people, including ecosystems, species, freshwater, land, minerals, the air and oceans, as well as natural processes and functions”. With an ever increasing interest in natural capital there is a need to understand the important elements of natural capital which underpin our well-being and where they are located. With the aim of making the best available maps of natural capital widely accessible, Natural England and the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) have produced a suite of ten maps of terrestrial natural capital in England. The natural capital maps are available at a 1km resolution available through dedicated web pages on the CEH website.