The diversity of the Dorset landscape ranges from the grandeur and geological importance of its 87 mile coastline to the biodiversity value of internationally important habitats and rare flora and fauna.

This importance is also evidenced by an impressive array of statistics with 11 National Nature Reserves, 141 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), over 1,254 Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCIs) and 23 sites recognised to be of international or European importance (SACs, SPAs and RAMSAR sites).  There are also 63 Regionally Important Geological Sites (RIGS) and 45 Local Nature Reserves (LNRs).

The following documents describe the physical and human factors, which have influenced landscape evolution as well as outlining information on landscape designations and how landscape diversity has been described and mapped in updated Landscape Character Assessments:

• Physical Influences on the Dorset landscape [147kb] (opens in a new window)
• The historic landscape Human influences on landscape evolution [704kb] (opens in a new window)
• Designated landscapes of Dorset [377kb] (opens in a new window)
• The Dorset landscape character assessment [765kb] (opens in a new window)

Dorset Landscape Change Strategy Report (includes pilot methodology) Jan 2010 [2Mb] (opens in a new window) This work is a pilot for a new approach to understanding landscape sensitivity and change. As a pilot study it has no planning status, but has been placed on this website due to the interest in this new approach from people in other areas. Please note that, due to the file size, this document may take several minutes to open or download.

See also Archaeology, Dorset Landscape (opens in a new window) and Jurassic Coast (opens in a new window) .