The National Ecological Framework for Canada provides a consistent, national spatial framework that allows various ecosystems to be described, monitored and reported on. It provides standard ecological units that allow different jurisdictions and disciplines to use common communication and reporting, and a common ground to report on the state of the environment and the sustainability of ecosystems in Canada. The framework was developed between 1991 and 1999 by the Ecosystems Science Directorate, Environment Canada and the Center for Land and Biological Resources Research, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Over 100 federal and provincial agencies, non-governmental organizations and private sector companies contributed to its development. For more information, visit: http://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/3ef8e8a9-8d05-4fea-a8bf-7f5023d2b6e1

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Surface Material by Ecodistrict” dataset provides surface material information within the ecodistrict framework polygon. It provides surface material codes and their English and French language descriptions as well as information about the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies. Surface material includes the abiotic material at the earth's surface. The materials can be: ICE and SNOW - Glacial ice and permanent snow ORGANIC SOIL - Contains more than 30% organic matter as measured by weight ROCK - Rock undifferentiated MINERAL SOIL - Predominantly mineral particles: contains less than 30% organic matter as measured by weight URBAN - Urban areas. Note that only a few major urban area polygons are included on SLC source maps, therefore, do not use for tabulating total urban coverage.

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Landform by Ecozone” series contains tables that provide regional landform information for components within the ecozone framework polygon. It provides landform codes and their English and French-language descriptions as well as information about the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies. Regional landforms generally describe a region and include the various shapes of the land surface resulting from a variety of actions such as deposition or sedimentation (eskers, lacustrine basins), erosion (gullies, canyons), and earth crust movements (mountains). The regional landform classes are: plateau or tableland, hill and mountain, organic wetland, plain, scarp or valley.

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Soil Texture by Ecodistrict” dataset contains tables that provide soil texture information within the ecodistrict framework polygon. It provides soil texture codes and their English and French language descriptions as well as the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies. Soil texture indicates the relative proportions of the various soil separates (sand, silt, clay) as described by classes of texture. Soil separates are mineral particles, 2.0 mm in diameter and include: gravel 0.2 -7.5 cm and cobbles 7.5-25.0 cm. There are 12 texture group classes definitions and one class definition for Not Applicable (which indicates, for example, water, ice or urban areas).

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Land Cover by Ecoregion” dataset provides land cover information within the ecoregion framework polygon. It provides landcover codes and their English and French language description as well as information about the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies.

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Land and Water Area by Province/Territory and Ecodistrict” dataset provides land and water area values by province or territory for the Ecodistrict 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.

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Total Land and Water Area by Ecoprovince” dataset provides land and water area values for ecoprovince framework polygons, in hectares. It includes attributes for a polygon’s total area, land-only area and large water body area.

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Soil Texture by Ecoregion” dataset contains tables that provide soil texture information within the ecoregion framework polygon. It provides soil texture codes and their English and French language descriptions as well as the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies. Soil texture indicates the relative proportions of the various soil separates (sand, silt, clay) as described by classes of texture. Soil separates are mineral particles, 2.0 mm in diameter and include: gravel 0.2 -7.5 cm and cobbles 7.5-25.0 cm. There are 12 texture group classes definitions and one class definition for Not Applicable (which indicates, for example, water, ice or urban areas).

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Total Land and Water Area by Ecodistrict” dataset provides land and water area values for ecodistrict framework polygons, in hectares. It includes attributes for a polygon’s total area, land-only area and large water body area.

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Surface Form by Ecoprovince" dataset contains tables that provide surface form information for components within the ecoprovince framework polygon. It provides surface form codes and their English and French-language descriptions as well as information about the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies. Surface form descriptions describe assemblages of slopes or recurring patterns of forms that occur at the earth's surface. When applied to consolidated materials (material that has been transformed to hard rock), it refers to the form produced after modification by geological processes. The mineral soil surface forms are: dissected; hummocky (irregular); inclined; level, rolling; ridged; steep; terraced; undulating. The wetland surface forms are: bog; fen; marsh; swamp.