Get consolidated soil data mapped on a county basis in a digitally stitched and standardized product. This soil survey data was mapped by a number of soil surveyors from the 1920s to the 1990s. The product incorporates soil information from a variety of map scales. The project has brought the individual county or regional municipality surveys together to reveal inconsistencies in soil data across county boundaries. The soil complex database contains other descriptive information including: * slope class * Canada Land Inventory (CLI) ranking * stoniness * drainage class * texture

The “Agro-Pedological Atlas of Quebec” is a dataset that shows the characteristics, the fertility, the quality of the water regime, the vulnerability to degradation and the potential of the agricultural soils and land in the Monteregian region of the province of Quebec.

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.

Total soil moisture is the modelled amount of plant available water (mm) in the root zone of the soil. The value given is the amount calculated to be present on the modeled day of the product.Values are computed using the Versatile Soil Moisture Budget (VSMB)

The “Soil Landscapes of Canada V.2.2/V.3.1 - Soil Order” displays the highest (most general) level of soil classification. Within the Canadian System of Soil Classification there are ten recognized soil orders (Soil Classification Working Group 1998). This system is hierarchical (from general to specific). Soil orders are further subdivided to great groups, subgroups, families, and series.

Water wells where ground water quality samples were collected by the Naquadat Program between 1954 and 1980

This map displays the risk of soil degradation by water in the agricultural region of Alberta. Water erosion is a concern because it reduces soil quality by removing soil particles and nutrients, and reduces water quality if these particles are carried into nearby water bodies. The map uses five classes to describe the water erosion risk on bare, unprotected mineral soil: negligible, low, moderate, high and severe.This resource was created using ArcGIS, originally published as a print map in 1993 .

## Purpose The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) is responsible for Ontario’s provincial soil maps and maintains and update them as necessary. Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) is a modern methodology using spatially explicit soils and environmental data to predict soil variation throughout a landscape at a high, consistent resolution. Digital soil maps are being rolled out throughout Ontario’s agricultural land base to update provincial soil maps. ## Reach Provincial soil maps are used in many decision-making processes including: * land use planning * land evaluation * farming practices * best management practices * ecological monitoring * land resource mapping Potential users of this data include: * farmers * certified crop advisors * conservation authorities * academic researchers * land use planners ## Potential impacts Digital soil maps provide more accurate and precise soils data and enables improved management of soil resources across multiple stakeholders. This allows for better decision making to maximize land use efficiency, improve economic efficiency of soil resources and promote soil health and soil conservation. ## Technical description Digital soil mapping combines geo-referenced soil observations with geo-referenced environmental layers to mathematically model soil variation as a function of environment variation. These models are based on well established, but often complex relationships, between soil properties and topography, biology, geology and hydrology.

The Agri-Environmental Indicator (AEI) dataset series provides information that was created using indicators that assess the environmental impact of agricultural activities. These agri-environmental indicators integrate information on soils, climate and land surface features with statistics on land use and crop and livestock management practices. The datasets provide valuable, location-specific information on the overall environmental risks and conditions in agriculture across Canada and how these change over time.This dataset series collects AEI data that is related to geographic features and can be represented on a map. Other types of AEI data are not included.The datasets can be organized into the following major groups:• Farm land management• Soil health• Water quality• Air quality• Food and beverage industry (not included)Farm land management datasets:• Soil cover• Wildlife habitat• Farm land management (not included)Soil health datasets:• Soil erosion• Soil organic matter• Trace elements• Soil salinityWater quality datasets:• Nitrogen• Phosphorus• Coliforms• PesticidesAir quality datasets:• Greenhouse Gases• Ammonia• Particulate Matter

This map displays the distribution of the main soil types found within the province of Alberta. The distribution pattern of soils in Alberta is strongly linked to climate and parent materials. Climate affects the location of different soil groups. The driest area in southeastern Alberta is represented by the presence of Brown Chernozems. As one proceeds north and west, the soils and associated vegetation reflect the increase in available moisture.In Alberta, Organic soils generally occur in association with Luvisolic soils. These soils form under wet conditions where the organic layer (greater than 30% organic matter) accumulates faster than it decomposes. The organic layer varies in thickness from 40 to 160+ cm, and under natural conditions, the water table is at or near the surface. In some areas of the province, Organic soils may be artificially drained and used for agricultural production. This resource was created in 2002 using ArcGIS.