This data was produced under contract for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Forest Management Branch in 2015-2016. Variables used were elevation, aspect, slope, landscape mesotopography (e.g. ridge, upper slope, etc). Where there was LiDAR coverage, resolution was 1m2 pixels. Canopy height was included in this model as a product generated by LiDAR. In these files there is a report assessing accuracy of the models compared with field observation data. detailed accuracy data by township is available upon request.

This dataset defines the ecological areas of Alberta known as the Natural Regions and Natural Subregions, as defined in 2004/2005. This dataset is intended to allow for the stratification of the province of Alberta based on ecological criteria. Natural Regions are the largest mapped ecological units in Alberta's classification system. They are defined geographically on the basis of landscape patterns, notably vegetation, soils and physiographic features. Natural Subregions are subdivisions of a Natural Region, generally characterized by vegetation, climate, elevation, and latitudinal or physiographic differences within a given Region.The intended scale of use of this product is 1:250 000. This version is 2005 Final. Linework changes from the previous Natural Subregion delineation are due both to better information and refined subregion definitions. Note that the Athabasca Plain subregion has been moved into the Boreal Natural Region and that the Boreal Highlands has now been split into Lower and Upper. There is an accompanying report, published 2006: https://albertaparks.ca/media/2942026/nrsrcomplete_may_06.pdf

The Native Prairie Vegetation Inventory (NPVI) Polygons is a quarter section-based vegetation inventory that covers the southern part of Alberta. The native prairie is defined in the Native Prairie Conservation Action Plan as an area of unbroken grassland or parkland dominated by non-introduced species, and an area of previously broken grassland that has reverted back to natural vegetation (30 to 60 years). The Native Prairie Vegetation Inventory extends beyond the Grasslands Natural Region to include data for adjacent areas, such as the Cypress Hills. In addition to the Grassland Natural Region, the Native Prairie Vegetation Inventory (NPVI) Polygons include areas that belong to the Foothills Parkland, Central Parkland, Montane, Dry Mixedwood Boreal and Lower Foothills Natural Subregions.

This dataset is produced for the Government of Alberta and is available to the general public. Please consult the Distribution Information of this metadata for the appropriate contact to acquire this dataset. The Ecological Land Classification (ELC) Status is a supporting dataset to the Ecological Land Classification dataset. The ELC Status represents a geodatabase feature class of the ELC study areas. There is attribution to describe the scale of the study, whether there is a scanned report (.pdf), scanned map (.tif) or GIS-ready feature class available.

Derived Ecosite Phase (DEP) v2.0 is a digital and spatial representation of ecological sites and phases in those areas of Alberta where both Alberta Vegetation Inventory (AVI) and lidar are available. The AVI is an imagery-based digital inventory developed to identify the type, extent and conditions of vegetation, where it exists and what changes are occurring. The most up-to-date ecological site phases can be found in the Ecological Site Guides. Guides are broken into individual Natural Subregions. See the Cross Reference Section for additional information. This dataset is produced for the Government of Alberta and is available to the general public. Please consult the Distribution Information of this metadata for the appropriate contact to acquire this dataset.This dataset covers the areas of Alberta where there is both AVI and lidar coverage (mainly in the Green Area). AVIE and lidar-derived slope position were created by the Forest Stewardship and Trade Branch, Forestry Division, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Rules used to classify the data were developed by the Rangeland Conservation and Stewardship Branch, Lands Division, Alberta Environment and Parks.

The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, MPB) is native to western Canada. It attacks all pine including lodgepole, limber, whitebark and jack pine. Over the past 40 years the range of mountain pine beetle has expanded, possibly due to changes in the area of climatically suitable habitat. Known Limitations: The areas surveyed each year can be different and therefore year over year comparisons may be difficult. the surveyors do not do ground truthing for all disturbances identified, therefore it is not guaranteed that all of the disturbances are caused by MPB. the surveyors do not necessarily map tree patches less than three red trees and therefore the dataset may not include all MPB killed trees. 'grey' attacked trees are not captured. the surveyors attempt to distinguish between 'new' faders and 'old' faders but the accuracy of this distinction is not guaranteed and therefore the data may reflect several years and several generations of MPB attack. Beetle year is August 15 of current year - August 14 of following year. This dataset contains data from 1975 to 2010. Data from 2011 onward is available as a separate dataset.

This data was produced under contract for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Forest Management Branch in 2015-2016. Variables used were elevation, aspect, slope, landscape mesotopography (e.g. ridge, upper slope, etc). DEM was used where there was no LiDAR coverage, with a resolution of 25 m2 pixels. Canopy height was not included in this model because it was a product generated by LiDAR. In these files there is a report assessing accuracy of the models compared with field observation data. detailed accuracy data by township is available upon request.

The data represents the density of wetland habitat in the agricultural region of Alberta in 2002. Wetlands are depressional areas that are wet for a long enough period that the plant and animals living in them are adapted to, and often dependent on, living in wet conditions for at least part of their life cycle. In drier areas of the province, wetlands tend to be more intermittent, while in wetter areas, wetlands tend to be more persistent. Topography also affects the occurrence of wetlands. Hummocky landscapes allow for pooling of water in depressions, while landscapes with longer slopes (e.g. the foothills) generally have better defined surface drainage patterns. A wetland in influenced by the interaction between the wet area, the wetland margin and upland area.Wetlands provide important habitat for waterfowl and many other types of wildlife. Wetlands reduce the impact of flooding, provide erosion control, purify water by removing sediment and nutrients, and contribute to groundwater recharge. This resource was created using ArcGIS.

This data was produced under contract for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Forest Management Branch in 2015-2016. Variables used were elevation, aspect, slope, landscape mesotopography (e.g. ridge, upper slope, etc). LiDAR coverageyielded a resolution of 1m2 pixels. Canopy height was included in this model. In these files there is a report assessing accuracy of the models compared with field observation data. detailed accuracy data by township is available upon request.

The Primary Land and Vegetation Inventory (PLVI) is a photo-based digital inventory developed to identify the type, extent and conditions of vegetation in the forested and parkland areas of the province of Alberta. This includes portions of both the Green and White areas of the province. It will include areas of the province extending north from the extent of the Grassland Vegetation Inventory (GVI) and will include areas where the detail and expense of Alberta Vegetation Inventory (AVI) are not warranted, or time and resources are limiting constraints. Ecological site phase (ecosite phase) is the main level of classification used in PLVI. A polygon may be attributed with up to 3 ecological site phases, depending on complexity and extent. PLVI captures range site attributes only within the Central Parkland Natural Subregion. The most up to date ecological site phases can be found in the Plant Community Guides. Guides are broken into individual Natural Subregions. See the Cross Reference Section for additional information. This dataset is produced for the Government of Alberta and is available to the general public. Please consult the Distribution Information of this metadata for the appropriate contact to acquire this dataset.