Introduction to the Ecological Land Classification (ELC) 2017

• Status
• Purpose of the Ecological Land Classification (ELC)
• Preface
• What's new?
• Ecological Land Classification 2017
  • Conceptual framework and definitions
    • Classification structure and codes
    • Alignment with the Soil Landscape of Canada (SLC)
  • Conformity to relevant nationally recognized framework
    • Modifications and new developments
      • Ecozone⁺
      • Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA) 2014
    • Current Developments
  • Explanatory Notes

Status

This standard was approved as a departmental standard on November 20, 2017.

Purpose of the Ecological Land Classification (ELC)

The purpose of the Ecological Land Classification (ELC) is to delineate and classify ecologically distinct areas of the earth's surface, and to provide a consistent national spatial context for better monitoring and reporting. The use of these ecological units can provide a common framework for local to national assessments and reporting of ecological indicators on the state of the environment in Canada.

Preface

The Ecological Land Classification (ELC) is Statistics Canada's official classification for ecological areas in Canada.

The ELC was developed to enable the production of integrated statistics for ecological areas. It is a hierarchical framework that classifies ecological areas or ecosystems and that incorporates all major components of ecosystems: air, water, land and biota. All boundaries in the ecological framework are matched to soil landscape polygons from the Soil Landscapes of Canada (SLC).

The ELC provides unique names and codes for the ecozones, ecoprovinces, ecoregions and ecodistricts of Canada. The range of geographical units is convenient for data collection and compilation, and is useful for spatial analysis of environmental, economic and social statistics.

This classification is based on the following reports:

Ecological Stratification Working Group. 1995. A National Ecological Framework for Canada. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Branch, Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research and Environment Canada, State of the Environment Directorate, Ecozone Analysis Branch. Ottawa/Hull.

Marshall, I.B., Schut, P.H., and Ballard, M. 1999. A National Ecological Framework for Canada: Attribute Data. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Branch, Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research and Environment Canada, State of the Environment Directorate, Ecozone Analysis Branch. Ottawa/Hull. http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/nsdb/ecostrat/1999report/index.html (accessed July 4, 2017).

What's new?

The Ecological Land Classification is a departmental standard.

Ecological Land Classification (ELC) 2017

Ecological Land Classification (ELC) is a common hierarchical framework and terminology for classifying ecologically distinctive areas. According to Ed Wiken, a member of the original committee on land classification, it is:

a process of delineating and classifying ecologically distinctive areas of the surface. Each area can be viewed as a discrete system which has resulted from the mesh and interplay of the geologic, landform, soil, vegetative, climatic, wildlife, water and human factors which may be present. The dominance of any one or more of these factors varies with the given ecological land unit. This holistic approach to land classification can be applied incrementally on a scale-related basis from site-specific ecosystems to very broad ecosystems.^{Footnote 1}

Conceptual framework and definitions

The conceptual framework uses concepts set out by the Canadian Committee on Ecological Land Classification. It is based on a hierarchy system using four levels of generalization: ecozone, ecoprovince, ecoregion and ecodistrict. These levels were determined to be the most suitable for reporting national and regional issues concerning the environment and the suitability of its resources.^{Footnote 2}

Table 1: Ecological framework levels

Level	Definition
Ecozone	At the top of the hierarchy, it defines the ecological mosaic of Canada on a sub-continental scale. Ecozones represent areas of the earth's surface representative of large and very generalized ecological units characterized by interactive and adjusting abiotic and biotic factors.
Ecoprovince	A subdivision of an ecozone characterized by major assemblages of structural or surface forms, faunal realms, vegetation, hydrology, soil and macro climate.
Ecoregion	A subdivision of an ecoprovince characterized by distinctive regional ecological factors, including climate, physiography, vegetation, soil, water and fauna.
Ecodistrict	A subdivision of an ecoregion characterized by distinctive assemblages of relief, landforms, geology, soil, vegetation, water bodies and fauna.
Source: Marshall, I.B., Schut, P.H., and Ballard, M. 1999. A National Ecological Framework for Canada: Attribute Data. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Branch, Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research and Environment Canada, State of the Environment Directorate, Ecozone Analysis Branch. Ottawa/Hull. http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/nsdb/ecostrat/1999report/framework.html (accessed July 4, 2017).

Classification structure and codes

There are 15 ecozones at the top of the Ecological Land Classification hierarchy. They cover the entire terrestrial extent of Canada on a sub-continental scale.

These ecozones are subdivided into 53 ecoprovinces that contain 194 ecoregions, which can be further subdivided into 1,027 separate ecological units called ecodistricts. This relationship is illustrated in Figure 1.

Description of Figure 1

• Level 1 - Ecozones: 15
• Level 2 - Ecoprovinces: 53
• Level 3 - Ecoregions: 194
• Level 4 - Ecodistricts: 1,027

Alignment with the Soil Landscapes of Canada (SLC)

All boundaries in the ecological framework are matched to soil landscape polygons from the Soil Landscapes of Canada (SLC).^{Footnote 3} Ecodistricts are directly linked to 12,353 soil landscape polygons.^{Footnote 4} The boundaries, attributes and file structures in the SLC database have been updated several times over the years. New versions are released as major structural or attribute changes are implemented. This classification uses Version 3.2 of the SLC, released in March 2011.

The SLC provides cartographic base information that provides linkages between soil components and land positions.^{Footnote 5}

Future development

Updates to the Soil Landscapes of Canada database are not done regularly. Statistics Canada will continue to use version 3.2 when disseminating data until further notice.

Conformity to relevant nationally recognized frameworks^{Footnote 6}

This standard classification conforms to the National Ecological Framework developed by a joint initiative between Environment Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada between 1992 and 1995, and published in 1995.

The Canada Committee on Ecological Land Classification was created in 1976 to provide a national forum to encourage the development of a uniform national ecological approach to terrestrial ecosystem classification and mapping, and for the sound application of the ecological approach to sustainable resource management and planning.

In 1991, a collaborative project was undertaken by a number of federal agencies in cooperation with provincial and territorial governments, all under the auspices of the Ecological Stratification Working Group, to revise previous work and establish a common ecological framework for Canada.

The resulting report, A National Ecological Framework for Canada, released by the Ecological Stratification Working Group in 1995, describes the methods used to construct the ecological framework maps, the concepts of the hierarchical levels of generalization, and a narrative description of each ecozone and ecoregion.

A second report was published in 1999, adding the ecoprovince level. The need for ecoprovince boundaries came from the environmental side accord that established the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) in 1994—a trilateral effort between Canada, Mexico and the United States to develop an ecological framework to address common environmental concerns.

Modifications and new developments

Modifications and new developments to the Ecological Land Classification (ELC) have been implemented to meet specific needs.

Ecozone^{+Footnote 7}

Environment Canada frequently uses the National Ecological Framework. In conjunction with many provincial and territorial partners, the department produced the report Canadian Biodiversity: Ecosystem Status and Trends 2010, utilising a modified hierarchy called 'Ecozone⁺' to distinguish it from the National Ecological Framework. Major modifications included adjustments to terrestrial boundaries to reflect improvements in ground truthing, the combining of three Arctic ecozones, and the addition of two ecoprovinces (Western Interior Basin and Newfoundland Boreal) and nine marine ecosystem-based units.

Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA) 2014^{Footnote 8}

In 2014, the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA) released an update to the first digital version of the Canadian Ecological Framework.

CCEA presents both the marine and terrestrial ecozones on one map. The new spatial framework will replace the 1995 ecological framework as well as the Ecozone⁺ framework used in the Canadian Biodiversity: Ecosystem Status and Trends 2010 Report.

This new ecozone map includes 18 terrestrial, 12 marine and 1 freshwater ecozone. The new spatial framework includes the addition of three new terrestrial ecozones: one small extension on an Alaska ecozone, a second in southern British Columbia and a third in the Atlantic regions.

Current developments

Statistics Canada currently uses the ecological framework in the analysis and production of statistical data tables that aggregate Census of Population and Census of Agriculture variables by ecozone and ecoregion. The framework has also been integrated into spatial layers to be used in measuring ecosystem goods and services.

Explanatory notes

The numbering system in this classification uses a ten-digit code (Table 2), of which the first two digits are used to indicate the ecozone (the highest level of generalization), followed by one digit indicating the ecoprovince. The next three digits designate the ecoregion, while the final four digits indicate the ecodistrict.^{Footnote 9}

To provide a standardized classification structure for these ecological units, leading zeros have been added to the ecozone, ecoregion and ecodistrict codes. For example, Ottawa is located in code 08.1.132.0545, which is in the ecodistrict called Ottawa Valley Plain. While identifier codes are unique at these levels, the ecoprovince level must be used in conjunction with the ecozone code to create the unique identifier. For instance, the code for the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands is 08.1.

Table 2: Example of how to code for Ottawa

Name	Ecozone	Ecoprovince	Ecoregion	Ecodistrict
Mixedwood Plains	08	-	-	-
Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands	08	1	-	-
St. Lawrence Lowlands	08	1	132	-
Ottawa Valley Plain	08	1	132	0545

National ecological classification names do not correspond to official toponyms approved by the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names. They are generally derived from a centrally located, prominent physiographic feature such as a mountain range, plateau, plain, basin, or lake within the respective unit.

There are 194 ecoregions. However, some of these contain more than one polygon resulting in a total of 217 numbered polygons. Eleven ecoregions consist of two or more non-contiguous map unit polygons causing skips in ecoregion numbering (Table 3). For example, the Ellesmere and Devon Islands Ice Caps ecoregion in the Arctic is composed of four polygons (001, 002, 003 and 004) but is represented by only one ecoregion: 001 (002, 003 and 004 are skipped). Similarly, the Long Range Mountains ecoregion in Newfoundland and Labrador contains three polygons (108, 110 and 111) but is represented by ecoregion 108 (110 and 111 being skips) (Table 4).

Table 3: Ecoregions with two or more polygons

Name	Ecoregion	Polygon
Ellesmere and Devon Islands Ice Caps	001	001, 002, 003, 004
Ellesmere Mountains	008	008, 010
Northern Alberta Uplands	065	065, 067
Kingurutik–Fraser Rivers	077	077, 081
Mecatina River	080	080, 083, 086
Long Range Mountains	108	108, 110, 111
Mid-Boreal Uplands	139	139, 140, 141, 144, 147, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154
Western Alberta Upland	145	145, 146
Aspen Parkland	156	156, 161
Southwest Manitoba Uplands	163	163, 164
Northern Coastal Mountains	185	185, 186

Table 4: Sample of skips in numbering of ecoregion polygons

Name	Ecoregion	Polygon
Ellesmere and Devon Islands Ice Caps	001	001, 002, 003, 004
Baffin Mountains	005	005
Baffin Island Coastal Lowlands	006	006
Torngat Mountains	007	007
Ellesmere Mountains	008	008, 010
Eureka Hills	009	009
Sverdrup Islands Lowland	011	011

The Ellesmere and Devon Islands Ice Caps ecoregion in the Arctic is composed of 4 polygons (001, 002, 003, and 004) (Table 5).

Table 5: Example of coding a multi-part ecoregion

Name	Ecozone	Ecoprovince	Ecoregion	Ecodistrict
Northern Ellesmere Ice Cap	01	1	001	0001
Agassiz Ice Cap and Prince of Wales Ice Field	01	1	001	0002
Müller Ice Cap	01	1	001	0003
Devon Ice Cap	01	1	001	0004