Saskatchewan's woodland caribou range is divided into two conservation units, based on the ecozone boundaries of the boreal shield (SK1) and the boreal plain (SK2). The SK2 Caribou Conservation Unit is further divided into three administrative units: SK2 East, SK2 Central and SK2 West.The SK1 (Boreal Shield) Caribou Conservation Unit encompasses the rocky shield, sandy plains and many lakes of northern Saskatchewan. The SK2 (Boreal Plain) Caribou Conservation Unit encompasses the more productive mixed-wood forests and lakes of central Saskatchewan, including large areas of low-lying peatlands. While these two units represent important differences in ecological conditions (e.g., habitat types, fire regimes, landforms, etc.) and human land use and management (e.g., overall levels and types of land use, fire management, etc.), the boundary between SK1 and SK2 does not represent a population boundary, as caribou move freely between the two areas. The large size of the SK2 Caribou Conservation Unit (i.e., 109,717 km2) is not well suited for range assessment and range planning activities, given the large variation in ecological conditions, habitat types, land use, and natural disturbance regimes across the Boreal Plain of Saskatchewan. As a result, three smaller caribou administrative units within SK2 were developed: SK2 East, SK2 Central and SK2 West. SK2 West is further subdivided into two smaller management subunits. At present, the SK1 area has not been sub-divided into administrative units. Find out more about woodland caribou and what the province is doing to manage their habitat and protect their populations: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/environmental-protection-and-sustainability/wildlife-and-conservation/wildlife-species-at-risk/woodland-caribou-program

The “Terrestrial Ecoprovinces of Canada” dataset provides representations of ecoprovinces. An ecoprovince is a subdivision of an ecozone and is characterized by major assemblages of structural or surface forms, faunal realms, and vegetation, hydrology, soil, and macro climate. For example, the Newfoundland ecoprovince (no. 6.4) is one of six ecoprovinces within the Boreal Shield Ecozone

Predictive ecosite map of Saskatchewan's provincial forests and adjacent parks within the boreal plain, boreal shield and taiga shield ecozones: version 01.Download: Here The Predictive Ecosite Map of Saskatchewan is based on the classifications of McLaughlan et al. (2010). This version (v01) is an interim proof-of-concept product and is not considered highly accurate or finalized. Ecosite prediction accuracy is anticipated to between 40% and 65%, depending on geographic location. For the boreal plain ecozone, ecosites were derived using a random forest imputation with the yaImpute package in R and mapped by L. Gelhorn (2014-07-24). Pixel values presented here are prefixed with a 2. Non-forest / non-water pixels are often assigned a BP28 ecosite code (228). For the boreal shield and taiga shield ecozones, ecosites were derived using a random forest imputation with the yaImpute package in R and mapped by S. Oldford (2019-11-20). Pixel values presented here are prefixed with a 3 and a 4, respectively. In the case of the taiga shield ecozone, there were limited sample plot data. To increase the sample size for modelling, the majority of taiga shield ecosites data are combined and modeled with boreal sheild ecosites using the ecozonal synonyms of McLaughlan et al. (2010). Ecosites TS01 (401), TS04 (404) and TS17 (417) were modeled as such because no ecozonal synonyms exist. This map is clipped to the Saskatchewan provincial forest and adjacent park boundaries. Water bodies are masked according to the 2015 Landcover Map of Canada of White et al. (2017) and have a pixel value of zero (0). References: McLaughlan, M.S., Wright, R.A. and Jiricka, R.D. (2010). Field guide to the ecosites of Saskatchewan’s provincial forests. Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, Forest Service. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. 343 pp. White, J.C., Wulder, M.A., Hermosilla, T., Coops, N.C. and Hobart, G.W. (2017). A nationwide annual characterization of 25 years of forest disturbance and recovery for Canada using Landsat time series. Remote Sensing of Environment. 192: 303-321.

This spatial data represents the boundaries of Manitoba's forest sections. Forest sections are administrative areas comprised of Forest Management Units (FMU's). There are 14 uniquely named forest sections in Manitoba, 9 of which are capable of growing commercial forests.Manitoba's f orest sections are administrative areas comprised of Forest Management Units (FMU's). There are 14 uniquely named forest sections in Manitoba, 9 of which are capable of growing commercial forests. The Aspen Parkland forest section in the south along with the northern forest sections of Boreal Shield, Taiga Shield, Hudson Plains and Southern Arctic are incapable of growing commercial forests. The four northern forest sections were previously called the 'white zone' and all have retained the previous white zone forest section number of 10. The northern forest section boundaries are based on the following ecozones:Hudson Plains: A subarctic area encompassing the coastal areas of Hudson Bay. The area is formed into a wide, level plain, characterised by poor drainage that has resulted in large and numerous peatlands, lakes, coastal marshes, and tidal flats. Alder, willow, black spruce, and tamarack are the most common tree species.Taiga Shield: Terrain is typically flat or with rolling hills caused by glacial retreat; long eskers and uplands are common. Shallow soils remain damp year-round and regularly freeze and thaw; this leads to tilted growing trees, sometimes called ‘drunken forests’. The northern edge of the forest section is delineated by the tree line. Black spruce, jack pine, birch, tamarack, white spruce, balsam fir, trembling aspen, and balsam poplar are common tree species.Southern Arctic: The southern boundary designated the tree line. Moraines, eskers, kettle lakes, and ponds are common. Permafrost occurs in a continuous sheet throughout the section; polygonal hummocks often result from the freeze and thaw of the soils.Boreal Shield : This forest section represents the upper boundary of the boreal shield ecozone, characterised by long, cold winters and warm summers. Permafrost is widespread. Uplands and lowland tree species are common. Soil varies from poorly drained muskeg to glacially-deposited sand. Coniferous trees include white and black spruce, balsam fir, jack pine, and tamarack; hardwood tree species include birch, trembling aspen, and balsam poplar. Forest fires and insect outbreaks are the natural drivers of forest succession. The ten forest sections south of forest section 10 are sometimes referred to as the 'green zone' and include the following: Pineland, Aspen Parkland, Mountain, Interlake, Lake Winnipeg East, Churchill, Nelson River, Hayes River, Saskatchewan River and Highrock. Fields Included: S ECTION : Forest section number . SECTION_NAME : Forest section name .

This feature class represents Manitoba's Forest Management Unit (FMU) boundaries.Forest Management Units (FMU's) define a forested area with common forest conditions that are managed in a similar manner. Forest Sections are comprised of FMU's. Forest inventories within Forest Management Units are analysed to determine allowable harvest limits of softwood and hardwood tree species within each Forest Management Unit. Version 3: The southern portion of FMU 67 within the Highrock Forest Section has been adjusted to align with base features captured in 2009. Additionally, an 11 hectare portion of the Saskatchewan River Forest Section (FMU 59) has been added to the Highrock Forest Section. Version 4: The northern portion of FMU 68 along the Rail Haul within the Highrock Forest Section has been adjust so that the boundary falls within water only. Additionally, version 4 splits the 'White Zone' forest section (FMU 76) by ecozones, creating FMU 76 (Taiga Shield), FMU 77 (Southern Arctic), FMU 78 (Hudson Plain) and FMU 79 (Boreal Shield). Version 4 is dated February 8, 2013. Fields Included: OBJECTID: Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated . MANAGEMENT_UNIT_NUMBER : Management Unit (MU) number . S ECTION : Forest section number . SECTION_NAME : Forest section name .

This dataset shows 1:250,000 scale faults/lineaments of the Precambrian Shield area of Saskatchewan.This dataset shows the 1:250,000 scale bedrock geology faults/lineaments of the Precambrian Shield area of Saskatchewan. The faults/lineaments layer has been merged from the 1:250,000 scale Compilation Bedrock Geology map series.  **Please Note – All published Saskatchewan Geological Survey datasets, including those available through the Saskatchewan Mining and Petroleum GeoAtlas, are sourced from the Enterprise GIS Data Warehouse. They are therefore identical and share the same refresh schedule.

This dataset is the bedrock geology layer of the Precambrian shield area of the Province of Saskatchewan merged from 1:250,000 scale compilation map series.This dataset shows 1:250 000 scale bedrock geology of the Precambrian Shield area of the Province of Saskatchewan. Mapping in support of the dataset includes many years of field observations which were compiled at 1:250 000 scale and integrated into this dataset. The data was created as a file geodatabase feature class and output for public distribution. **Please Note – All published Saskatchewan Geological Survey datasets, including those available through the Saskatchewan Mining and Petroleum GeoAtlas, are sourced from the Enterprise GIS Data Warehouse. They are therefore identical and share the same refresh schedule.

"Vegetation Zones of Canada: a Biogeoclimatic Perspective" maps Canadian geography in relation to gradients of regional climate, as expressed by potential vegetation on zonal sites. Compared to previous similar national-scale products, "Vegetation Zones of Canada" benefits from the work of provincial and territorial ecological classification programs over the last 30+ years, incorporating this regional knowledge of ecologically significant climatic gradients into a harmonized national map. This new map, reflecting vegetation and soils adapted to climates prior to approximately 1960, can serve as a broad-scale (approximately 1:5 M to 1:10 M) geospatial reference for monitoring and modeling effects of climate changes on Canadian ecosystems. "Vegetation Zones of Canada: a Biogeoclimatic Perspective" employs a two-level hierarchical legend. Level 1 vegetation zones reflect the global-scale latitudinal gradient of annual net radiation, as well as the effects of high elevation and west to east climatic and biogeographic variation across Canada. Within the level 1 vegetation zones, level 2 zones distinguish finer scale variation in zonal vegetation, especially in response to elevational and arctic climatic gradients, climate-related floristics and physiognomic diversity in the Great Plains, and maritime climatic influences on the east and west coasts. Thirty-three level 2 vegetation zones are recognized: High Arctic Sparse Tundra Mid-Arctic Dwarf Shrub Tundra Low Arctic Shrub Tundra Subarctic Alpine Tundra Western Boreal Alpine Tundra Cordilleran Alpine Tundra Pacific Alpine Tundra Eastern Alpine Tundra Subarctic Woodland-Tundra Northern Boreal Woodland Northwestern Boreal Forest West-Central Boreal Forest Eastern Boreal Forest Atlantic Maritime Heathland Pacific Maritime Rainforest Pacific Dry Forest Pacific Montane Forest Cordilleran Subboreal Forest Cordilleran Montane Forest Cordilleran Rainforest Cordilleran Dry Forest Eastern Temperate Mixed Forest Eastern Temperate Deciduous Forest Acadian Temperate Forest Rocky Mountains Foothills Parkland Great Plains Parkland Intermontane Shrub-Steppe Rocky Mountains Foothills Fescue Grassland Great Plains Fescue Grassland Great Plains Mixedgrass Grassland Central Tallgrass Grassland Cypress Hills GlaciersPlease cite this dataset as: Baldwin, K.; Allen, L.; Basquill, S.; Chapman, K.; Downing, D.; Flynn, N.; MacKenzie, W.; Major, M.; Meades, W.; Meidinger, D.; Morneau, C.; Saucier, J-P.; Thorpe, J.; Uhlig, P. 2019. Vegetation Zones of Canada: a Biogeoclimatic Perspective. [Map] Scale 1:5,000,000. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service. Great Lake Forestry Center, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada.

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 dataset displays the Canadian geographic ranges of the priority species identified under the Pan-Canadian Approach for Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada (“Pan-Canadian Approach”). These species include Barren-ground Caribou (including the Dolphin and Union population); Greater Sage-Grouse; Peary Caribou; Wood Bison; Caribou, Boreal population (“Boreal Caribou”); and Woodland Caribou, Southern Mountain population (“Southern Mountain Caribou”). The priority species were chosen following a number of criteria and considerations in collaboration with federal, provincial, and territorial partners. These include, but were not limited to, the species' ecological role on a regional or national scale, their conservation status and achievability of conservation outcomes, their social and cultural value (particularly to Indigenous peoples), and the leadership/partnership opportunities that they present. Delivering conservation outcomes for targeted priority species can have significant co-benefits for other species at risk, and wildlife in general. For more information on the Pan-Canadian Approach and the priority species, see https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/wildlife-plants-species/species-risk/pan-canadian-approach.html.This dataset includes: 1) the range for the Boreal Caribou (see https://species-registry.canada.ca/index-en.html#/consultations/2253); 2) the local populations for the Southern Mountain Caribou (see https://species-registry.canada.ca/index-en.html#/consultations/1309); 3) the range for the Greater Sage-Grouse (see https://species-registry.canada.ca/index-en.html#/consultations/1458); 4) local populations for the Peary Caribou (see https://species-registry.canada.ca/index-en.html#/consultations/3657); 5) range for the Barren-ground Caribou (see https://www.maps.geomatics.gov.nt.ca/Html5Viewer/index.html?viewer=NWT_SHV English only); 6) range for the Barren-ground Caribou, Dolphin and Union population (https://www.maps.geomatics.gov.nt.ca/Html5Viewer/index.html?viewer=NWT_SHV English only); 7) range for the Wood Bison (see https://species-registry.canada.ca/index-en.html#/consultations/2914).