BOREAS CanSIS Regional Soils Data in Vector Format, V2

This data set contains soils data from the Canada Soil Information System (CanSIS) in ESRI Shapefile format for the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. They are provided as part of the BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Staff Science GIS data collection program. Attribute tables provide the various soil data for the polygons. There is one attribute table for Saskatchewan and one for Manitoba. This data product may be useful to someone who is interested in studying this area at a regional scale.

Two ESRI shapefiles (*.shp), two comma-separated value files (*.csv), and one text file (*.txt) are included in this data set.

 

This data set contains soils data from the Canada Soil Information System (CanSIS) in ESRI Shapefile format for the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. They are provided as part of the BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Staff Science GIS data collection program. Attribute tables provide the various soil data for the polygons. There is one attribute table for Saskatchewan and one for Manitoba. This data product may be useful to someone who is interested in studying this area at a regional scale.

Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study: The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study was a large-scale international interdisciplinary experiment in the boreal forests of central Canada. Its focus was improving our understanding of the exchanges of radiative energy, sensible heat, water, CO2 and trace gases between the boreal forest and the lower atmosphere. A primary objective of BOREAS was to collect the data needed to improve computer simulation models of the important processes controlling these exchanges so that scientists can anticipate the effects of global change, principally altered temperature and precipitation patterns, on the biome.

Project data set list for Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study.

Spatial Coverage: Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Spatial Resolution: These vector data are based on soils maps that were created at a scale of 1:1,000,000.

Temporal Resolution: The original vector data set from which these data were derived was published in 1991 (Acton et al., 1991). 

Temporal Coverage: Soils for the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba were mapped between 1982 and 1984 (Shields et al., 1991).

Study Area: (all latitudes and longitudes are given in decimal degrees)

Site (Region)	Westernmost Longitude	Easternmost Longitude	Northernmost Latitude	Southernmost Latitude
Saskatchewan and Manitoba	-110	-89	60	49

 

Data File Information

There are two ESRI Shapefiles representing soil boundaries in this data set. Each shapefile is provided as a compressed (*.zip) file containing six files (*.shx, *.dbf, *.prj, *.sbn, *.sbx, and *.shp). Shapefile attributes are listed in Table 1. There are three companion files that provide soil descriptions that must be used in conjunction with the shapefiles.

 

Shapefiles

Spatial Data Properties

Geometry Type: Polygon

Projected Coordinate System: NAD_1927_Lambert_Conformal_Conic

Geographic Coordinate System: GCS_North_American_1927

Datum: D_North_American_1927

Prime Meridian: Greenwich

Angular Unit: Degree

Projection: Lambert_Conformal_Conic

False Easting: 0

False Northing: 0

Central Meridian: -98.00000000

Standard_Parallel_1: 50.83333333

Standard_Parallel_2: 58.16666667

Latitude of Origin: 0.00000000

Linear Unit: Meter

 

Table 1. Descriptions of attributes included in the ESRI Shapefiles

Attribute	Description
FID	Shapefile feature ID
Shape	Shapefile feature type (polygon)
AREA	Feature area (m^2)
PERIMETER	Feature perimeter (m)
PROV	MN (Manitoba) or SK (Saskatchewan)
POLYNUMB	Polygon number *
COMPLEX	Complexity class of polygon **
ECOREG	Ecoregion

* POLYNUMB – polygon number is referenced in the companion tables.

** COMPLEX – complexity class refers to the relative complexity or variability of the soil in the area. Values can be decoded using the slcanada.txt companion file.

 

Companion Files

The two companion tables (skdom.csv & sksub.csv) provide descriptions of the dominant and subdominant soil landscapes for each polygon in the shapefiles. Rows in these tables can be related to polygons within the corresponding shapefiles using the values in the POLYNUMB column. Columns within these tables are described in Table 2. Values within these two tables can be decoded using the slcanada.txt companion file.

Table 2. Descriptions of column headers in the two companion tables.

Column skdom.csv	Column sksub.csv	Description
PROVINCE	PROVINCE	Provincial code
POLYNUMB	POLYNUMB	Polygon number
DOMKDMAT	SUBKDMAT	Kind of rock outcrop or other material at surface
DOMDISTR	SUBDISTR	Percentage distribution of dominant and subdominant soil landscapes
GRIDLOCN	GRIDLOCN	Grid code for locating polygons
DOMREGFM	SUBREGFM	Regional landform
DOMLOCSF	SUBLOCSF	Local surface form
DOMSLOPE	SUBSLOPE	Slope gradient class
DOMPMDEP	SUBPMDEP	Parent material mode of deposition (or origin)
DOMPMTEX	SUBPMTEX	Parent material texture
DOMDEVEL	SUBDEVEL	Soil development
DOMSRFTX	SUBSRFTX	Surface texture of mineral soil to 15 cm
DOMCFRAG	SUBCFRAG	Coarse fragment content in contro lsection of mineral soils
DOMROOT	SUBROOT	Rooting depth, unrestricted
DOMCMPLR	SUBCMPLR	Kind of compacted, consolidated, or contrasting layer
DOMCMPDP	SUBCMPDP	Depth to compacted, consolidated, or contrasting layer
DOMDRAIN	SUBDRAIN	Drainage class
DOMAVWAT	SUBAVWAT	Available water capacity in upper 120 cm
DOMWATAB	SUBWATAB	Depth to water table, average
DOMICETY	SUBICETY	Ice type
DOMICECT	SUBICECT	Ice content
DOMPERMA	SUBPERMA	Permafrost occurrence
DOMACTLR	SUBACTLR	Active layer depth in soils with permafrost
DOMPATGD	SUBPATGD	Kind of patterned ground in soils with permafrost
DOMPHCAL	SUBPHCAL	pH of upper 15 cm of soil (CaCl2)
DOMPHWAT	SUBPHWAT	pH of upper 15 cm of soil (water)
DOMORGAN	SUBORGAN	Organic carbon of upper 15 cm
DOMNITRO	SUBNITRO	Nitrogen content of upper 15 cm of soil
DOMHUMLR	SUBHUMLR	Thickness of humus layer
DOMCALCA	SUBCALCA	Calcareous class of parent material
DINCLUS1	SINCLUS1	Inclusions 1
DINCLUS2	SINCLUS2	Inclusions 2
DOMVEGET	SUBVEGET	Vegetative cover and/or land use
DOMLAKE	SUBLAKE	Lake size from Landsat
DOMWATBD	SUBWATBD	Water bodies from Landsat as percentage of polygon
DOMRELIA	SUBRELIA	Reliability class of polygon
DOMCOMPL	SUBCOMPL	Complexity class of polygon
DOMNAME1	SUBNAME1	Soil name 1
DOMNAME2	SUBNAME2	Soil name 2
DOMTEXGP	SUBTEXGP	Parent material textural group
AREAKHA	AREAKHA	Area of polygon (kilohectares)

 

The Inventory Section of the Land Resource Research Center of Agriculture Canada compiled a computerized database to record the attributes of the soil and land for all of Canada and to prepare maps from this information at a scale of 1:1,000,000. The compilation was done by standard methods described in Shields et al. (1991) and the maps were divided into polygons. Each polygon is described in terms of a standard set of attributes. These attributes are the factors considered most important for plant growth, general land management, regional planning, terrain sensitivity, and environmental sustainability.  The array of attributes that describe a distinct type of soil and its associated characteristics, such as landform, slope, water table, permafrost, and lakes, is called a soil landscape.  A polygon may contain one or two distinctive soil landscapes, as well as small but contrasting inclusions.

The intended purpose for these data include assessing the productivity of the land nationally or over large regions, identifying potential problems affecting land use, applying general research findings and agro-technology procedure that are successful in other similar soil landscapes, linking soil and land information with other data bases, and educating geography students at colleges and universities.

User Note:  The soils data for these provinces have been updated since the original publication of this data set and are available through Agriculture Canada. 

Potential sources of error in the original data set could be interpretation or digitizing error.  There is also the possibility of coding and keying errors in the attributes.

The source in Canada from whom these data were received has strong caveats about the use of the data. These data represent broad generalizations about the soil characteristics of this area. Caution should be used when inferring information from these data. 

The original vector soils data were compiled using various data sources and techniques. The data sources and techniques included:

1) interpretation of Landsat images (it is unknown whether the Landsat images were from the Multispectral Scanner or Thematic Mapper instruments),

2) soil survey maps produced from field traverses at wide intervals (up to 10 km) and without the use of aerial photographs,

3) maps produced by inspections using fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter and aided by interpretation of Landsat imagery,

4) systematic traverses by helicopter and interpretation of stereoscopic aerial photographs,

5) modern soil survey procedures, which include traversing existing accessible roads in wilderness areas, and aided by interpretation of stereoscopic aerial photographs,

6) and, modern soil survey maps produced from field traverses at <1.6-km intervals and with the aid of stereoscopic aerial photographs.

 

User Note:  Data files were received in ARC/INFO EXPORT format (*.e00) and converted to ESRI Shapefile format (*.shp) for distribution with this data set.

Acton, D.F., G.A. Padbury, and J.A. Shields. 1991. Soil Landscapes of Canada-Saskatchewan Digital Map Data; Scale 1:1000000; CanSIS No. SK018200, version 90.11.30; CLBRR Archive, Agriculture Canada, Research Branch, Ottawa, Canada. CLBRR Contribution No. 91-107D.

Manitoba-Canada Soil Survey Unit. 1990. Soil Landscapes of Canada-Manitoba; Digital Map Data; Scale 1:1000000; CanSIS No. MN068200,version 91.03.31; CLBRR Archive, Agriculture Canada, Research Branch, Ottawa, Canada. CLBRR Contribution No. 91-109D.

Mills G.F., R.G. Eilers, R.E.Smith, W. Michalyna, H. Veldhuis, and W. Fraser. 1990. Soil Landscapes of Canada-Manitoba; Soil landscapes polygon attribute digital data; CanSIS No. MN068200, version 91.03.31; CLBRR Archive, Agriculture Canada, Research Branch,Ottawa, Canada. CLBRR Contribution No. 91-110D.

Padbury, G.A and J.A. Shields. 1991. Soil Landscapes of Canada-Saskatchewan Soil Landscapes Polygon Attribute Digital Data. CanSIS No. SK018200, version 90.11.30; CLBRR Archive, Agriculture Canada, Research Branch, Ottawa, Canada (CLBRR Contribution No. 91-108D).

Shields J.A., C. Tarnocai, K.W.G. Valentine, and K.B. MacDonald. 1991. Soil landscapes of Canada: Procedures Manual and User's Handbook. Land Resource and Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Canada. Publication 1868/E, LRRC Contribution Number: 88-29.