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.

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 “Terrestrial Ecozones of Canada” dataset provides representations of ecozones. An ecozone is the top level of the four levels of ecosystems that the National Ecological Framework for Canada defines. The framework divides Canada into 15 terrestrial ecozones that define its ecological mosaic on a sub-continental scale. Ecozones represent an area of the earth’s surface as large and very generalized ecological units. These units are characterized by interactive and adjusting abiotic and biotic factors.

The National Ecological Framework for Canada (v2.2) 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: www.agr.gc.ca/atlas/metadata/3ef8e8a9-8d05-4fea-a8bf-7f5023d2b6e1

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Landform by Ecoprovince” series contains tables that provide regional landform information for components within the ecoprovince 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 "Landform by Ecodistrict” series contains tables that provide regional landform information for components within the ecodistrict 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 "Permafrost by Ecoprovince” dataset contains tables that provide permafrost information within the ecoprovince framework polygon. It provides permafrost codes and their English and French language descriptions as well as information about the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies. Permafrost is defined as a state of the ground, whether soil or rock, that remains at or below a temperature of 0° C for long periods (NRC, Permafrost Subcommittee, 1988). The minimum period is from one winter, through the following summer, and into the next winter; however, most permafrost has existed for much longer. This formal definition considers only the temperature of the ground, and thus permafrost is a strictly thermal phenomenon, and not a material. At temperatures below 0° C , almost all of the soil moisture occurs in the form of ground ice. Ground ice usually exists at temperature close to its melting point and so is liable to melt if the ground warms. The extent and nature of permafrost, including estimated ice content and typical ground ice forms are derived from the map "Canada - Permafrost" (Natural Resources Canada, 1995).

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 "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 "Landform by Ecoregion” series contains tables that provide regional landform information for components within the ecoregion 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.