This dataset provides treed area dynamics across Canada's 650 Mha forested ecosystems from 1984 to 2022, derived from Landsat-based annual land cover layers at a 30-m spatial resolution. It is developed within the framework of Canada’s National Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (NTEMS). This dataset identifies areas that remained treed, transitioned to treed (newly treed), or transitioned to other cover that is not treed vegetation (was-treed). The data enable national and regional assessments of long-term changes in treed area, capturing trends in treed area, post-disturbance recovery, and shifts in forest extent. When using this data, please cite as: Hermosilla, T., Wulder, M.A., White, J.C., Bater, C.W., Baral, S.K., Leach, J.A., 2025. Expansion of treed area over Canada’s forested ecosystems: spatial and temporal trends. Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research 98(5) 786-799. https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpaf015. (Hermosilla et al. 2025)

High-resolution binary wetland map for Canada (2001-2016). Wetland map for the forested ecosystems of Canada focused on current conditions. It is developed within the framework of Canada’s National Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (NTEMS). The binary wetland data included in this product is national in scope (entirety of forested ecosystem) and represents the wall to wall characterization for 2001-2016 (see Wulder et al. 2018). This product was generated using both annual gap free composite reflectance images and annual forest change maps following the Virtual Land Cover Engine (VLCE) process (see Hermosilla et al. 2018), over the 650 million ha forested ecosystems of Canada. Elements of the VLCE classification approach are inclusion of disturbance information in the processes as well as ensuring class transitions over time are logical. Further, a Hidden Markov Model is implemented to assess individual year class likelihoods to reduce variability and possible noise in year-on-year class assignments (for instances when class likelihoods are similar). For this product, to be considered as currently a wetland a pixel must have been classified as wetland at least 80% or 13 of the 16 years between 2001 and 2016, inclusively. For an overview on the data, image processing, and time series change detection methods applied, see Wulder et al. (2018). Wulder, M.A., Z. Li, E. Campbell, J.C. White, G. Hobart, T. Hermosilla, and N.C. Coops (2018). A National Assessment of Wetland Status and Trends for Canada’s Forested Ecosystems Using 33 Years of Earth Observation Satellite Data. Remote Sensing. For a detailed description of the VLCE process and the subsequently generated land cover product, including an accuracy assessment, please see Hermosilla et al. (2018).

High resolution forest change for Canada (Binary Change/No-change) The forest change data included in this product is national in scope (entire forested ecosystem) and represents the first wall-to-wall characterization of wildfire and harvest in Canada at a spatial resolution commensurate with human impacts. It is developed within the framework of Canada’s National Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (NTEMS). The information outcomes represent 25 years of stand replacing change in Canada’s forests, derived from a single, consistent spatially-explicit data source, derived in a fully automated manner. This demonstrated capacity to characterize forests at a resolution that captures human impacts is key to establishing a baseline for detailed monitoring of forested ecosystems from management and science perspectives. Time series of Landsat data were used to characterize national trends in stand replacing forest disturbances caused by wildfire and harvest for the period 1985–2010 for Canada's 650 million hectare forested ecosystems (https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0034425717301360 ). Landsat data has a 30m spatial resolution, so the change information is highly detailed and is commensurate with that of human impacts. These data represent annual stand replacing forest changes. The stand replacing disturbances types labeled are wildfire and harvest, with lower confidence wildfire and harvest, also shared. The distinction and sharing of lower class membership likelihoods is to indicate to users that some change events were more difficult to allocate to a change type, but are generally found to be in the correct category. For an overview on the data, image processing, and time series change detection methods applied, as well as information on independent accuracy assessment of the data, see Hermosilla et al. (2016; http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17538947.2016.1187673). The data available is, 1. a binary change/no-change; 2. Change year; and, 3. Change type. When using this data, please cite as: White, J.C., M.A. Wulder, T. Hermosilla, N.C. Coops, and G. Hobart. (2017). A nationwide annual characterization of 25 years of forest disturbance and recovery for Canada using Landsat time series. Remote Sensing of Environment. 192: 303-321. DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2017.03.035. https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0034425717301360 Geographic extent: Canada's forested ecosystems (~ 650 Mha) Time period: 1985–2010

Forest Percent Above Mean 2015 Percentage of first returns above the mean height (%). It is developed within the framework of Canada’s National Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (NTEMS). Represents the canopy cover above mean canopy height. Products relating the structure of Canada's forested ecosystems have been generated and made openly accessible. The shared products are based upon peer-reviewed science and relate aspects of forest structure including: (i) metrics calculated directly from the lidar point cloud with heights normalized to heights above the ground surface (e.g., canopy cover, height), and (ii) modelled inventory attributes, derived using an area-based approach generated by using co-located ground plot and ALS data (e.g., volume, biomass). Forest structure estimates were generated by combining information from lidar plots (Wulder et al. 2012) with Landsat pixel-based composites (White et al. 2014; Hermosilla et al. 2016) using a nearest neighbour imputation approach with a Random Forests-based distance metric. These products were generated for strategic-level forest monitoring information needs and are not intended to support operational-level forest management. All products have a spatial resolution of 30 m. For a detailed description of the data, methods applied, and accuracy assessment results see Matasci et al. (2018). When using this data, please cite as follows: Matasci, G., Hermosilla, T., Wulder, M.A., White, J.C., Coops, N.C., Hobart, G.W., Bolton, D.K., Tompalski, P., Bater, C.W., 2018b. Three decades of forest structural dynamics over Canada's forested ecosystems using Landsat time-series and lidar plots. Remote Sensing of Environment 216, 697-714. Matasci et al. 2018) Geographic extent: Canada's forested ecosystems (~ 650 Mha) Time period: 1985–2011

The maps show a multiyear ground deformation rate caused by small-scale deformation processes in Canada, measured in meters per year. Horizontal-east and vertical deformation components were computed from data acquired on ascending and descending orbits. This horizontal-east/vertical 2D decomposition is approximate and assumes constant viewing geometry and the absence of horizontal-north deformation. In the line-of-sight (LOS) map computed from ascending orbit data, a negative signal approximately corresponds to either subsidence or eastward motion, while a positive signal corresponds to uplift or westward motion. In the LOS map computed from descending orbit data, a negative signal approximately corresponds to either subsidence or westward motion, while a positive signal corresponds to uplift or eastward motion. In the horizontal-east map, a negative signal corresponds to westward motion, while a positive signal corresponds to eastward motion. In the vertical map, a negative signal indicates subsidence, while a positive signal indicates uplift. The maps were calculated from Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar data collected between 2017 and 2024 during the snow-free season. Interferometric analysis of Sentinel-1 data was performed using GAMMA Software (https://www.gamma-rs.ch), and the long-term deformation rate was computed with the Multidimensional Small Baseline Subset (MSBAS) Software Version 10 (https://doi.org/10.1080/07038992.2024.2424753) at the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation, Natural Resources Canada. Long-wavelength signals caused by postglacial rebound and tectonic motion were filtered to enhance the visibility of small-scale deformation processes, such as those originating from landslides and mining. Field studies have confirmed only a few of these processes to date. The maps are expected to contain processing artifacts, which will be addressed in future work. References: Samsonov, S. V., & Feng, W. (2023). Deformation Retrievals for North America and Eurasia from Sentinel-1 DInSAR: Big Data Approach, Processing Methodology and Challenges. Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, 49(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/07038992.2023.2247095 Samsonov, S. V. (2024). Multidimensional Small Baseline Subset (MSBAS) Software for Constrained and Unconstrained Deformation Analysis of Partially Coherent DInSAR and Speckle Offset Data. Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, 50(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/07038992.2024.2424753 Limitation of Liability : The information contained on this website is provided on an “as is” basis and Natural Resources Canada makes no representations or warranties respecting the information, either expressed or implied, arising by law or otherwise, including but not limited to, effectiveness, completeness, accuracy or fitness for a particular purpose. Natural Resources Canada does not assume any liability in respect of any damage or loss based on the use of this website. In no event shall Natural Resources Canada be liable in any way for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, or other damages based on any use of this website or any other website to which this site is linked, including, without limitation, any lost profits or revenue or business interruption.

This dataset provides wall-to-wall maps of forest structure across Canada's 650 million hectare forested ecosystems for the year 2022, generated at a spatial resolution of 30 m.It is developed within the framework of Canada’s National Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (NTEMS). Structure estimates include key attributes such as canopy height, canopy cover, and aboveground biomass, derived using a combination of airborne lidar and Landsat-based spectral composites. Structure models were trained using the - lidar-plot framework - (Wulder et al. 2012), which integrates co-located airborne lidar data and ground plot measurements with Landsat time-series composites (Hermosilla et al. 2016). A Nearest Neighbour imputation approach was applied to estimate structural attributes across the full extent of Canada's forested area. These nationally consistent products are intended to support strategic-level forest monitoring and assessment and are not designed for operational forest management. For further details on the methods, accuracy assessment, and source data, see Matasci et al. (2018). Matasci, G., Hermosilla, T., Wulder, M.A., White, J.C., Coops, N.C., Hobart, G.W., Bolton, D.K., Tompalski, P., Bater, C.W., 2018. Three decades of forest structural dynamics over Canada's forested ecosystems using Landsat time-series and lidar plots. Remote Sensing of Environment, 216, 697-714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.07.024 (Matasci et al. 2018)

Satellite-based forest area consistent with FAO definitions for Canada. It is developed within the framework of Canada’s National Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (NTEMS). The forest area is based on the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) definition. The FAO definition incorporates land use, whereby trees removed by fire and harvesting for instance, remain forest as the trees will return. The included map displays the current forest cover for year as noted (i.e. 2022), plus the satellite-based temporally informed forest area where tree cover has been temporarily lost due to stand replacing disturbances (i.e., fire, harvest). For an overview of the methods, data, image processing, as well as information on accuracy assessment see Wulder et al. (2020). Open Access: Wulder, M.A., T. Hermosilla, G. Stinson, F.A. Gougeon, J.C. White, D.A. Hill, B.P. Smiley. (2020). Satellite-based time series land cover and change information to map forest area consistent with national and international reporting requirements. Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research 93(3), 331-34, https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpaa0063 . ( Wulder et al. 2020)

Heat Wave Days are the number of days in the forecast period with a maximum temperature above the cardinal maximum temperature, the temperature at which crop growth ceases (dhw_cool). This temperature is 30°C for cool season crops. Week 1 and week 2 forecasted index is available daily from April 1 to October 31. Week 3 and week 4 forecasted index is available weekly (Thursday) from April 1 to October 31. Cool season crops require a relatively low temperature condition. Typical examples include wheat, barley, canola, oat, rye, pea, and potato. They normally grow in late spring and summer, and mature between the end of summer and early fall in the southern agricultural areas of Canada. The optimum temperature for such crops is 25°C. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have together developed a suite of extreme agrometeorological indices based on four main categories of weather factors: temperature, precipitation, heat, and wind. The extreme weather indices are intended as short-term prediction tools and generated using ECCC’s medium range forecasts to create a weekly index product on a daily and weekly basis.

An accumulated value of heat degrees that the average temperature is above a specified threshold, 5°C for cool season crops. This condition must be maintained for at least 5 consecutive days in order for EGDD to be accumulated (egdd_cool). Week 1 and week 2 forecasted index is available daily from April 1 to October 31. Week 3 and week 4 forecasted index is available weekly (Thursday) from April 1 to October 31. Cumulative heat-energy satisfies the essential requirement of field crop growth and development towards a high yield and good quality of agricultural crop products. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have together developed a suite of extreme agrometeorological indices based on four main categories of weather factors: temperature, precipitation, heat, and wind. The extreme weather indices are intended as short-term prediction tools and generated using ECCC’s medium range forecasts to create a weekly index product on a daily and weekly basis.