The environmental baseline report is structured as follows:
Section 2 describes the approach to the presentation and analysis of the baseline environmental information and the reason for the 'natural capital stock' approach which has been adopted in this report.
Section 3 presents the appraisal of the natural resources capital stock which includes land use and land supply, agriculture and fisheries, freshwater resources, minerals, aggregates and energy resources, and waste arisings and disposal.
Section 4 presents the terrestrial and marine ecological resources capital stock.
Section 5 reviews the assimilative capacity of the natural capital stock through appraisal of the existing natural assimilative capacity and assimilative capacity enhancers.
Section 6 resents a review of the heritage functions capital stock.
Section 7 reviews the other natural capital stock functions including their significance for existence values, scientific resources, recreational values and landscape resources.
Section 8 provides a discussion on the overall implications of the state of the natural capital stock examined in the report and identifies areas where current trends may be unsustainable and which may form the focus of future policy objectives.
Section 9 presents a list of reference material used in preparing the report.
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