Canada biodiversity data

Miscellaneous events are often the result of the cumulative impact of a combination of abiotic, insect and disease agents or events.  For example, Aspen decline where repeated infestations of Forest Tent Caterpillar, are combined with several seasons of prolonged drought. The Government of Ontario tracks forest damage events to help proactively manage the detrimental effects to our forests.   We monitor the threat and spread of invasive forest pest insect species in Ontario. The data is also important to the Forest Management Planning process in calculating timber volume loss within affected areas. Additional Documentation Forest Misc Damage Event - Documentation (Word) Forest Misc. Damage Event - Data Description (PDF) Status On going: data is being continually updated Maintenance and Update Frequency As needed: data is updated as deemed necessary Contact Calvin Julie, calvin.julie@ontario.ca Recommendations The boundaries for these events were coarsely mapped. This must be taken into account when comparing information from this data class to other NRVIS layers that have a higher spatial accuracy (e.g.:Forest Cover). Otherwise, misleading results will be derived whenever this information is subjected to analysis. This NRVIS data class accommodates history for events spanning several years which includes overlaps. Users should request and/or sort out individual events through the 'Year of Event' ,'Event Name' and 'Forest Damage Ranking' attributes in order to prevent clutter.

Site Regions and Site Districts of Ontario represent an early ELC system originally developed by Angus Hills (1959 and later revisions). This dataset was revised by the ELC Working Group in 2000 to better reflect new information and new technology, while maintaining Hills's original concepts. For further information on the rationale for the revisions, refer to Ecoregions of Ontario Modifications to Angus Hills Site Regions and Districts, Revisions and Rationale (Crins and Uhlig 2000), or the Ecological Land Classification Primer (Crins 2007). Additional Documentation Site Region - Data Description (PDF) Site Region - Documentation (Word) Status Completed: production of the data has been completed Maintenance and Update Frequency Not planned: there are no plans to update the data Contact Peter Uhlig, Peter.Uhlig@ontario.ca

This dataset shows the boundaries of the province's six fire management zones that existed prior to 2014 in which most forest fires received the same type of response. These management zones were based on: Common forest and forest fire management objectives land use density of values at risk fire load forest ecology The 2014 Wildland Fire Management Strategy moved from a zone-based approach to one where each wildland fire is assessed and receives an appropriate response according to the circumstances and condition of the fire.  Additional DocumentationFire Management Zone - Data Description (PDF)  Fire Management Zone - Documentation (Word)   StatusCompleted: Production of the data has been completed  Maintenance and Update FrequencyAs needed: Data is updated as deemed necessary  ContactAviation, Forest Fire and Emergency ServicesAFFES.GIS@ontario.ca

A research point is a feature representing single coordinate or point based locations, where some form of research observation, test, trial, measure, or monitoring activity has, or will take place.  The mapped features are generally small in extent (for example, soil water table monitor, tree cavity nest), and can be used to represent the locations of sampling techniques (for example, basal area prism sweep). This data class is one of three primitive data classes: Research Point (RESPOINT) Research Line (RESLINE) Research Polygon (RESPOLY)   Status:  On going: data is continually being updated Maintenance and Update Frequency: As required  Contact Calvin Julie, Natural Resources Information Unitcalvin.julie@ontario.ca  Note Additional features licensed under the Ontario Geospatial Data Exchange (OGDE) Agreement are available to members of the OGDE for professional, non-commercial use only. To find out more about the OGDE visit Geospatial Ontario on Ontario.ca.

Furbish’s Lousewortis an Endangered plant species in New Brunswick. An updated draft Recovery Strategy was created for the species in 2025, and Survival & Recovery Habitat were delineated. For more information, please refer to the Species at Risk Public Registry. La pédiculaire de Furbish est une espèce végétale en voie de disparition au Nouveau-Brunswick. Une version préliminaire du programme de rétablissement a été mise à jour pour l'espèce en 2025, et des habitats de survie et de rétablissement ont été délimités. Pour en savoir plus, veuillez consulter le Registre public des espèces en péril.

A derived spatial layer generated from research plot source data identifying features and attributes with active temporal protection requirements within a designated management area or polygon. The spatial features and attributes in this layer are sourced from the following data classes: Research Point (RESPOINT) Research Line (RESLINE) Research Poly (RESPOLY) The temporal constraint assesses the active status of source features and facilitates automated lifecycle management of the features included in this derived layer. Temporal constraint PROTECTION_END_DATE is greater than the date this layer was generated. The spatial extents of features in this derived layer are based on source feature extents, to which specified buffer distances has been added. Applied buffer PROTECTION_BUFFER_DIST field value (meters).  This layer is regenerated at scheduled intervals, with the previous version of this layer archived and replaced by the newly generated version.  Status:  On going: data is continually being updated Maintenance and Update Frequency: As required  Contact Calvin Julie, Natural Resources Information Unitcalvin.julie@ontario.ca Note Additional features licensed under the Ontario Geospatial Data Exchange (OGDE) Agreement are available to members of the OGDE for professional, non-commercial use only. To find out more about the OGDE visit Geospatial Ontario on Ontario.ca.

Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) is a biophysical dimensionless quantity (its values range from 0/no absorption to 1/total absorption) used to assess the greenness and health of vegetation. FAPAR anomalies can be used as an indicator to detect and monitor the impacts of agricultural drought on the growth and productivity of vegetation. The data is presented in 10-day time composite of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).

Overview The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), in concert with a trinational group of experts, has identified North American species of common conservation concern (SCCC). These terrestrial and marine species comprise a group of important migratory, transboundary, and endemic species selected from among the continent's great wealth of wild flora and fauna, which require regional cooperation for their effective conservation. This layer shows the terrestrial species of this group. Terrestrial species of common conservation concern were selected in 1999 by an experts' working group convened by the CEC. Initially, consultants to the CEC compiled lists of bird and mammal species taken from national endangered species lists in all three countries, with the intent of identifying species that would benefit most from collaborative action among two or all three countries. Given the respective mandates of the participating wildlife agencies, only birds and mammals were included in the initial lists. A workshop with experts from the three countries was then convened to identify mandatory and recommended selection criteria: mandatory criteria required that species be transboundary or migratory, exist in at least two participating countries, and be either a bird or mammal, with particular interest in species listed under existing bilateral treaties. Recommended criteria gave priority to species that are endangered, threatened, extirpated, or otherwise of special conservation concern in one or more countries; species of ecological or other significance, including keystone, umbrella, flagship, indicator, and endemic species; and species likely to demonstrate the importance of trilateral or bilateral cooperation and raise awareness of biodiversity issues across North America. Each country submitted up to ten candidate species to the CEC, with priority given to species recommended by more than one country and to species occurring in all three countries, while also seeking taxonomic, ecological, and geographic balance. Later in 1999, CEC professionals and consultants, together with SCCC Project Chair Dr. David Brackett, agreed on the final selection: burrowing owl, California condor, ferruginous hawk, golden-cheeked warbler, loggerhead shrike, mountain plover, northern and Mexican spotted owls, peregrine falcon, piping plover, whooping crane, black bear, black-tailed prairie dog, gray wolf, Sonoran pronghorn, lesser long-nosed bat, and Mexican long-nosed bat. Geographic Coverage This layer covers the range of the selected terrestrial species across North America, including Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Data Sources and Licensing Range data were compiled from National Geographic and NatureServe. This material is licensed under CC BY 4.0, allowing non-exclusive rights to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, including for commercial purposes, so long as attribution is given to the creator. Update frequency: Irregular Limitations of use: None. Acknowledgement of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation would be appreciated in products derived from these data. Vintage: 2008 Applications (Intended Use) Regional and trinational conservation planning and collaboration. Biodiversity awareness and public education. Species range assessment and monitoring. Integration with other thematic layers in the North American Environmental Atlas for comprehensive continental analysis. Supporting cross-border environmental cooperation and policy-making among North American nations. Files Download