The data represents the occurrence of saline soils in the agricultural area of Alberta. A Saline Soils is a non-alkali (pH less than 8.5 and exchangeable-sodium less than 15%) soil containing soluble salts in great enough quantities that they interfere with the growth of most crop plants. This resource was created in 2002 using ArcGIS.

This data was produced under contract for Alberta Forestry and Parks, 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.

This map displays an assessment of soil erosion risk for the agricultural area of Alberta. Loss of protective residue cover through cultivation will increase the potential risk of soil erosion. The vulnerability of the soil to erosion combined with the intensity of cultivation determines the degree to which the soil may be at risk. The classes shown on the map were ranked from 0 (lowest risk) to 1 (highest risk). This resource was created in 2002 using ArcGIS.

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

This map displays the percentage of organic matter in the surface layer of cultivated soils in the agricultural region of Alberta. Soil organic matter (SOM) is derived primarily from the decomposition of plant biomass. SOM improves both the physical and chemical properties of soil and has beneficial effects on agricultural soil quality. SOM is reported on the map as a percentage using the following classes: less than 2 (very low), 2 to 4 (low), 4 to 6 (medium), 6 to 8 (high) and greater than 8 (very high).This resource was created in 2002 using ArcGIS.

This dataset contains boundaries of Management Areas, which are geographic areas of managerial responsibility within Parks Operations Division, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas. Management Areas are groupings of Districts, which are geographic areas of operational responsibility within Parks Operations Division. Parks Operations Division Districts nest within Management Areas, which in turn nest within Regions. These boundaries are administrative/operational in nature, and are subject to change.

The Aquifer Vulnerability Index (AVI) is a method of assessing the vulnerability of aquifers to surface contaminants in Alberta. An aquifer is a geological formation that is permeable enough to transmit sufficient quantities of water to possible to support the development of water wells. In the assessment of aquifer vulnerability to potential contamination, the depth to the aquifer and the types of geological materials above them are considered. For example, aquifers closer to the surface overlain with pervious surface materials are more vulnerable to contaminants, as compared to aquifers found deeper and covered with a thick layer of impervious material. The AVI ratings indicate the potential of surficial materials to transmit water withy contaminants to the aquifer over a period of time. This data was created in 2002 using ArcGIS.

The Alberta Regeneration Information System (ARIS) requires a unique identifier assigned to a cutblock to enable tracking within ARIS. This number is generated from a point roughly derived from the centre of the cutblock. The number is a concatenation of the point's legal description plus a grid cell number. The format is MRRTTTSSGG where M - Meridian, RR - Range, TTT - Township, SS - Section, GG - grid cell. The MRRTTSS information is derived with reference to the Alberta Township System. The grid cell is derived from a 10 by 10 grid that is overlaid on the section that the centre of the cutblock is contained in. Grid cells are numbered between 00 - 99 with the grid origin at the bottom left corner of the section and anchored to the centre of grid cell 00. The first digit represents the grid column and the second digit is the grid row of the 10 by 10 matrix. Note that in some cases a letter may be appended to the end of the opening number where an opening number had to be split between two cutblocks for some reason. For example, cutblocks may have the same basic opening number but one is differentiated from the other with one having an A and the other having a B appended to the end of the base opening number.This dataset contains all the potential opening numbers in the Green Area of the province, either as a whole or by Forest Management Unit (FMU).

This map illustrates the distribution of soil parent material textures in the agricultural region of Alberta. Soil texture is defined by the relative proportions of the sand, silt and clay particles present. Soil textures are identified by classes using the Soil Texture Triangle illustrated below. The Soil Texture Triangle identifies the textural class of a soil at the intersection of the percent sand (x-axis) and the percent clay (y-axis). The percent silt of the soil is the remainder to add up to 100 percent. This resource was created in 2002 using ArcGIS.

This map displays the distribution of organic soils in the agricultural region of Alberta. Organic soils consist of layers of material with greater than 30 percent organic matter and a total thickness of greater than 40 cm. Organic soils are generally saturated with water for most of the year unless drained. Saturation inhibits decomposition and encourages continued accumulation of organic material. Drainage of these soils can result in a rapid increase in decomposition and a reduction in the thickness of the organic material. This resource was created in 2002 using ArcGIS.