Note: This data has been replaced by the [Ontario Watershed Boundaries (OWB)](https://geohub.lio.gov.on.ca/datasets/mnrf::ontario-watershed-boundaries-owb). We are no longer updating this data. It is best suited for historical research and analysis. A watershed, also known as a catchment basin, includes all land that is drained by a watercourse and its tributaries. Watersheds are split into four categories: * primary * secondary * tertiary * quaternary These divisions are based on the federal framework originally known as the Water Resources Index Inventory Filing System. Ontario has 3 primary watersheds: * Great Lakes – St. Lawrence * Southwestern Hudson Bay * Nelson River Secondary watersheds are subdivisions of primary watersheds in Ontario. Most secondary divisions are either large river systems or groupings of small coastal streams. Tertiary watersheds are subdivisions of secondary watersheds in Ontario. Quaternary watersheds are subdivisions of tertiary watersheds. There are more than 1000 quaternary watersheds in Ontario.

In 2012, the Earth Observation Team of the Science and Technology Branch (STB) at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) repeated the process of generating annual crop inventory digital maps using satellite imagery to for all of Canada (except Newfoundland), in support of a national crop inventory. A Decision Tree (DT) based methodology was applied using optical (DMC, SPOT) and radar (RADARSAT-2) based satellite images, and having a final spatial resolution of 30m. In conjunction with satellite acquisitions, ground-truth information was provided by provincial crop insurance companies and point observations from our regional AAFC colleagues.

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Soil Development by Ecodistrict” dataset contains tables that provide soil development information for components within the ecodistrict framework polygon. It provides soil development codes and their English and French-language descriptions as well as the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies. The soil development descriptions are based on the second edition of the Canadian System of Soil Classification (Agriculture Canada Expert Committee on Soil Survey, 1987).

NGO Nature Reserves are polygon features describing lands held by nature trusts and other non-government agencies for the purpose of nature conservation. We are no longer updating this data. It is best suited for historical research and analysis. This product requires the use of GIS software. *[NGO]: non-government agency *[GIS]: geographic information system

The Prince Edward Island Detailed Soil Survey is a dataset series describing the spatial distribution of soils and associated landscapes in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. Soil landscape information compiled and published over the previous several decades provided the basis for the development of this relational database. The graphic soil landscape polygons are intended to be represented at a scale of 1:75,000. The associated soil landscape information and soil characteristics are described in a standard format in the Component (CMP), Soil Name File (SNF) and Soil Layer File (SLF) tables.

The Canadian Wildlife Service - Ontario Region Biodiversity Atlas represents the Canadian Wildlife Service biodiversity portfolio across the Ontario portions of the Boreal Hardwood Shield (Bird Conservation Region 12) and Mixedwood Plains (Bird Conservation Region 13) ecozones. These data are the derived product from an extensive landscape assessment that assessed the Canadian Wildlife Service biodiversity portfolio (Species at Risk, migratory birds, habitat) at various resolutions. Biodiversity is mapped by forest, grassland (open country) and wetland quality and quantity, and then progressively combined to identify local High Value Biodiversity Areas. At the finest resolution, scores were applied to each unit of analysis (5 hectare hexagon in Bird Conservation Region 12; 2 hectare hexagon in Bird Conservation Region 13), based on over 30 criteria for landscape habitat condition, Species at Risk and migratory birds. Habitat condition scores were derived from guidance in Environment and Climate Change Canada's existing How Much Habitat is Enough? and in Bird Conservation Region 12, where the landscape is less fragmented, habitat was also based on draft guidance in How Much Disturbance is too Much? Individual scores were summed and various combinations (e.g. top 25% of forest scores + top 25% of Species at Risk (SAR) scores) were calculated to identify areas with multiple conservation value. For each habitat type (forest, grassland and wetland), study units with more than one conservation value were aggregated into High Value Habitat which were subsequently aggregated into High Value Biodiversity Areas (HVBA). The results are areas on the landscape that have high value from a Canadian Wildlife Service specific lens; that is, they are high quality habitats that are important for Species at Risk and/or migratory birds. High value habitats are those forests, grasslands and wetlands with potential high conservation value (PHCV). They contain at least 1 of a possible 3 potential high conservation values: top 25% of overall habitat scores, top 25% of Species at Risk (SAR) scores, and/or top 25% of relevant migratory bird scores. High value forest, grassland and wetland were derived by combining landscape, Species at Risk (SAR) and migratory bird elements (see Table 1). Overall habitat scores were assigned to each study unit based on the combined scores for each forest, grassland and wetland. These overall habitat scores were divided into quartiles, and the top 25% of each total score (overall forest, overall grassland and overall wetland) are considered to be potential high conservation value. Similarly, SAR scores were assigned for each study unit, totalled and broken into quartiles. The top 25% of SAR scores that intersect each of forest, grassland and wetland are considered to be the highest quality habitats important to SAR and have potential high conservation value. Finally, relevant migratory bird scores were totalled within each study unit, divided into quartiles and the top 25% of migratory bird scores that intersect each of forest, grassland and wetland are considered to be the highest quality habitats important to migratory birds and have potential high conservation value. Study units with a PHCV greater than 0 (i.e., contains at least 1 of the possible 3 potential high conservation values) were aggregated together by 750 m to create High Value Habitats. High value biodiversity areas (HVBAs) are those study units that contain multiple high value habitats (high value forest and/or high value grassland and/or high value wetland). High value biodiversity areas (HVBA) were derived by aggregating high value forest, grassland and wetland. Study units with a potential high conservation value greater than 1 were aggregated together by 750 m. Biodiversity sites are areas greater than 20 ha, and secondary biodiversity sites are areas less than 20 ha in area.

Extent of vegetation cover formed by trees on the territory of the City of Montreal. The canopy is the sum of the projections on the ground of each tree crown or group of trees that are more than 3 meters high. It is represented in surfaces, even for isolated trees. No cells are used in this layer.**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

Wishing to participate in the adaptation of agricultural businesses in a context of climate change, MAPAQ commissioned a study to better identify the current and future challenges of water management. The mandate involved drawing a portrait of the regional water needs of the various users (agricultural, residential, as well as institutional, commercial and industrial sectors) in order to understand which uses and users of water could be most affected in the future by climate change. The project also aimed to identify innovations that would help mitigate conflicts over water use. Beyond data, the project was based on a participatory approach and sought the participation of the regional actors concerned. A first phase (RAFT 1) started in 2016 covers the Montérégie, Estrie, Chaudière-Appalaches, Lanaudière and Centre-du-Québec regions. A second phase (RAFT 2) began in 2017 for six other regions: Mauricie, Laval, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Capitale-Nationale, Laurentides and Outaouais.**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Land and Water Area by Province/Territory and Ecoregion” dataset provides land and water area values by province or territory for the Ecoregion framework polygon, in hectares. It includes codes and their English and French descriptions for a polygon’s province or territory, total area, land-only area and large water body area.

Natural areas abutting Lake Simcoe are areas of a continuous vegetation community class that have a minimum size of 1 ha and are wholly or partially within the 30 m buffer zone of the Lake Simcoe shoreline. These areas may be a narrow band of vegetation along the shoreline or larger areas, which extend a greater distance from the shoreline. As described in policy 6.31-SA, the MNR and the MOE will map the location of natural areas abutting Lake Simcoe.