Bowland Ecology Ltd was commissioned by Arcadis Ltd on behalf of National Highways, in collaboration with the University of Lancaster, to undertake a series of botanical surveys and collection of soil samples, across 25 pre-selected woodland coppice sites. The purpose of the project was to collect botanical, environmental and soil data to inform a review of the potential for coppicing to be utilised as a method for reducing nitrogen accumulation in the environment and mitigating the impacts arising from proposed road schemes.  The survey sites are distributed along a gradient of nitrogen deposition and were located throughout England, extending from the Isle of Wight to Cumbria.