The Soils Parent Materials raster prediction surface was crated using a Random Forest classifier trained with single component polygons from soils, terrain and ecosystem mapping projects, and 18 topographic predictor layers derived from the provincial 25m DEM. It is a prediction of mode of deposition of the soils parent material. The model was run by Ecoprovince and also enforced topographic constraints on some materials. The results of the Ecoprovince models were compiled into a provincial raster layer. The methodology and results are described in the research paper, Improved Soil Mapping in British Columbia, Canada with Legacy Soil Data and Random Forest Digital Soil Mapping Across Paradigms, Scales and Boundaries, 2016, ISBN : 978-981-10-0414-8 C. Bulmer, M. G. Schmidt, B. Heung, C. Scarpone, J. Zhang, D. Filatow, M. Finvers, S. Berch, S. Smith, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-0415-5_24. This layer is used in the [Soils Information Finder Tool](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/af8c3ff1-c64c-4ee5-9412-f02a85bbbfec).

The Agriculture Capability mapping dataset is the digitized equivalent of the legacy [Agriculture Capability Scanned Maps](https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/agriculture-capability-scanned-maps), which date from the 1960's to the 1990s. Agriculture Capability mapping is also known as 'Soil Capability for Agriculture' and 'Agricultural Capability' mapping. Agricultural Capability is an interpreted mapping product based on soil and climate information. In general, climate determines the range of crops possible in an area and the soils determine the type and relative level of management practices required. This is legacy data and changes in climate are not reflected. For more information about the classification system see: [Land Capability Classification for Agriculture](http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/techpub/moe1/moem1.pdf). Use caution utilizing these legacy maps as the classifications were based on common land management practices and typical crops of the 1960s-1990s era, and subsequent site specific land management practices (e.g. installation of drainage) may have modified the soil conditions since the mapping was completed. This Agriculture Capability legacy mapping is included in the [Soil Information Finder Tool (SIFT) mapping application](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=CD4CD7204C2143A1B25695B071AA989A). The SIFT application provides more detailed climate data (e.g. Growing Degree Days, Frost Free Period (5 C), (1960-1990 climate normals). The SIFT 'Soil query tools' may be useful for identifying areas with specific 'growing conditions' of interest based on soils present (soil name), soil texture, drainage, coarse fragment content, slope, elevation, growing degree days and frost free period. Note: This Agriculture Capability Mapping dataset is based on soil mapping at 1:100,000, 1:50,000 or 1:20,000 scale, and is more detailed than the 1:250,000 scale Canada Land Inventory (CLI) Agricultural Capability mapping (available [here](http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/nsdb/cli/index.html)).