AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Median End Date of Continuous Snow Cover

This map shows the median date of snow-cover loss (defined as the last date with 14 consecutive days of snow cover greater than 2 centimetres in depth) computed over 18 winter seasons (1979 to 1997). In areas with permanent or semipermanent snow cover (for example, Arctic ice caps) or in areas with irregular or ephemeral snow cover (coastal British Columbia), researchers were unable to compute the median values. The end date contours follow topography more closely than start date due to the influence of elevation on total snow accumulation and air temperature. The date of snow-cover loss has important implications for wildlife (for example, bird migration and nesting), vegetation, local climate and hydrology.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Median Start Date of Continuous Snow Cover

This map shows the median date of snow-cover onset (defined as the first date with 14 consecutive days of snow cover greater than 2 centimetres in depth) computed over 18 winter seasons (1979 to 1997). In areas with permanent or semipermanent snow cover (for example, Arctic ice caps) or in areas with irregular or ephemeral snow cover (coastal British Columbia), researchers were unable to compute the median values. The main feature of the map is the rapid southward extension of snow cover over Canada during the September to December period. The moderating influence of Hudson Bay can be seen over northern Quebec, where snow cover starts later than in the equivalent latitudes west of Hudson Bay. The date of snow-cover onset has important implications for animals that rely on snow cover for shelter, as well as climatic influences on air temperature, ground freezing and lake ice formation.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
April Mean Daily Minimum Temperatures

The map shows the mean daily minimum temperatures for April. Minimum temperatures in April are below freezing for most of Canada. Minimum temperatures in April are below freezing for most of Canada. Only extreme southern Ontario, extreme southern Nova Scotia and coastal British Columbia have normal minimum temperatures above freezing. This represents a major warming from January values for all of southern Canada, but winter conditions still dominate the north.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
April Mean Daily Maximum Temperatures

The map shows the mean daily maximum temperatures for April. Below-freezing maximum temperatures in April are restricted to northern Canada and the extreme northern portions of Ontario and Quebec adjacent to Hudson Bay. Lengthening days and strengthening sunshine bring about a moderation in temperature in all parts of the country. In the high Arctic, maximum temperatures range from -15 to -30ºC, so winter is very much present despite the arrival of spring weather across southern Canada.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
January Mean Daily Minimum Temperatures

The map shows the mean daily minimum temperatures for January. January marks the depths of winter across Canada and, with the exception of the coastal parts of southern Vancouver Island, below freezing minimum temperatures are the norm. The deep freeze is particularly evident near Baker Lake in Nunavut and throughout much of the Arctic Archipelago, where normal January minimum temperatures average in the low -30s and even -40ºC. The low sun angle means that much of the rest of Canada experiences minimum temperatures below -15ºC.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
January Mean Daily Maximum Temperatures

The map shows the mean daily maximum temperatures for January. Weak or no sunshine means there is minimal diurnal variation between the maximum and minimum temperatures in January. The far north remains in an icy grip, with maximum temperatures around -30ºC or colder across parts of Nunavut. Throughout the interior of Canada, maximum temperatures are normally lower than -10ºC. The maximum temperature approaches the melting point across southern Ontario and parts of the Atlantic Provinces. Above-freezing maximum temperatures are experienced only in coastal British Columbia and extreme southern Nova Scotia.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
July Mean Daily Minimum Temperatures

The map shows the mean daily maximum temperatures for July. Maximum temperatures in July are above freezing across all of Canada except for high elevations on Ellesmere Island. Maximum temperatures exceed 25ºC in the valley bottoms of southern British Columbia, across the southern Prairies, in southern Ontario and along the St. Lawrence River valley almost to the City of Québec and over parts of central New Brunswick. For many of these southern regions, this is the height of summer, with plentiful sunshine and warm dry days. Maximum temperatures along coastal regions of Atlantic Canada and British Columbia are moderated by the oceans but, even there, maximum temperatures near or above 20ºC are the norm.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
July Mean Daily Maximum Temperatures

The map shows the mean daily maximum temperatures for July. Maximum temperatures in July are above freezing across all of Canada except for high elevations on Ellesmere Island. Maximum temperatures exceed 25ºC in the valley bottoms of southern British Columbia, across the southern Prairies, in southern Ontario and along the St. Lawrence River valley almost to the City of Québec and over parts of central New Brunswick. For many of these southern regions, this is the height of summer, with plentiful sunshine and warm dry days. Maximum temperatures along coastal regions of Atlantic Canada and British Columbia are moderated by the oceans but, even there, maximum temperatures near or above 20ºC are the norm.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
October Mean Daily Minimum Temperatures

The map shows the mean daily minimum temperatures for October. In October, longer nights and a return to below-freezing minimum temperatures is evident across most of Canada except for coastal British Columbia, southern Ontario and Quebec and most of the Atlantic Provinces. Normal minimum temperatures in October of -10°C or colder are prevalent across most of Nunavut, the Mackenzie Delta and the northern Yukon.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Ecological Framework

Fifteen ecozones make up terrestrial Canada, and five make up the marine waters bordering Canada. Canada’s 15 terrestrial ecozones can be subdivided into 53 ecoprovinces, which can be further broken into 194 ecoregions. Ecozones are useful for general national reporting and for placing Canada’s ecosystem diversity in a North American or global context. Ecoprovinces are useful units at an intermediate scale for national and regional planning and reporting purposes. Ecoregions are a useful ecosystem scale for national, provincial, and regional planning and reporting purposes. Regardless of the level in the hierarchy, each unit is distinguished from others by its unique mosaic of plants, wildlife, climate, landforms, and human activities.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Terrestrial Ecozones

Canada has defined a hierarchical classification of ecosystems. At a simple level there are 20 ecozones, fifteen terrestrial and five marine. An ecozone is an area of the earth’s surface that represents a large ecological zone and has characteristic landforms and climate. Each ecozone is distinguished from others by its unique mosaic of plants, wildlife, climate, landforms, and human activities. Ecozones are useful for general national reporting and for placing Canada’s ecosystem diversity in a North American or global context.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Ecosystem Components - Endemic Plant Diversity

Endemic plants are those plants found only in Canada. These plants have genetically adapted to these particular environmental conditions. Because these are found nowhere else, Canada has a special obligation to ensure these plants do not become extinct. The map shows the number of endemic plants per ecoregion from the 93 known nationally endemic vascular plants according to their known presence within each of the 194 terrestrial ecoregions of Canada.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Ecosystem Components: Land Cover Diversity

Ecoregions vary in their make up and complexity. Some are relatively uniform in their composition, structure and processes. Others contain extreme variations in relief, soils, climate, vegetation, and species. This map shows the number of land cover types (up to 29 types are possible) per ecoregion and gives an indication of the level of diversity within a particular ecosystem.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Ecosystem Components - Rare Plant Diversity

Some plants are rare because they naturally occur in very specialized habitats or in very low numbers; others may be rare because they have suffered setbacks because of natural processes or pressures from human activities. The highest number of rare plant species is in southern Ontario, where human activity is intensive and extensive. Farming, deforestation, draining of wetlands, and the use of insecticides and herbicides has reduced the populations and areas of distribution of numerous species. The map shows the rare plant diversity per ecoregion.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Ecosystem Components: Wetland Diversity

Wetlands are lands where water saturation is the dominant factor. Wetlands occupy about 18% of Canada, and Canada has about 25% of the world’s wetlands. Wetlands foster the growth of hydrophytic vegetation and other biological activities such as the sustenance of large numbers of waterfowl, storage and release of large quantities of water, and the production of large amounts of energy in the form of peat. They offer food and shelter, slow down soil erosion, and contribute to the natural water purification process. Wetland conservation is important particularly in the human-dominated ecozones of southern Canada. The map shows the percentage of ecoregions covered by wetland.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Human Activities in Ecosystems - Productive Forest Land Use

Forests sustain hundreds of economies across Canada. The forest industry is an active player in the conservation and sustainability of forested ecosystems. Forests are managed from a legal perspective by provincial and territorial legislation. The primary objective of forest management is timber production, which is achieved through harvesting and regenerating areas that have been harvested or damaged by fire or insects. Clearcutting has been the main method of harvesting in Canada. However, selective cutting methods are being promoted and investigated as alternatives where clearcutting may have negative impacts on wildlife habitat or water resources. Forested areas are managed for timber production, mostly in the Boreal Shield, Atlantic Maritime, Montane Cordillera, and Pacific Maritime ecozones. The map shows the percentage of productive forest land use per ecoregion.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Percentage of Ecoregion Protected

Protected areas are defined as legally established areas, both land and water, that are regulated and managed for conservation objectives. They include parks, wildlife and forest reserves, wilderness and other areas designated through federal, provincial, and territorial legislations. While there are over 3500 of these protected areas, there are approximately 800 areas that are larger than 1000 hectares. These areas capture over 98% of the total area protected in Canada. While there are more protected areas in southern Canada, these are generally small compared with the few, but very large, protected areas in Canada’s North. Note that smaller protected areas (that is, less than 1000 hectares) and private protected areas, although important, are not included in this analysis. Map depicts the area protected for each of the 194 Ecoregions of Canada as a percentage of the total area of the ecoregion.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Threats to Ecosystems - Industrial Discharge Sites

Industrial activities generate waste that is discharged into water bodies, the air or ends up in landfill sites. Air is the most common release medium. Ammonia, methanol, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide are by far the most common industrial pollutants released in Canada. Industrial discharge sites are concentrated in southern Ontario and Quebec, and around major cities in British Columbia and the Prairies. The map shows the number of industrial discharge sites per ecoregion.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Threats to Ecosystems - Population Variation by Ecoprovince, 1971 to 1996

The higher the concentration of people in an ecoprovince, the higher the chance of loss of habitat and species. To better evaluate and minimize population impacts on the environment, it is necessary to study the distribution and variation of population within ecological areas. The map shows the population variation by eco-province, between 1971 and 1996.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Threats to Ecosystems - Road Density

Transportation activities have a great impact on the environment because they fracture natural habitats and create pollution. Roads intrude into natural habitats, separating ecosystems and permanently altering the landscape. Road building has undesirable effects on species that require large tracts of undisturbed land. The main impact of transportation is due to vehicles’ large consumption of fossil fuels. This consumes the fossil fuel reserves, as well as releasing greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. There is a radical difference between high road density in the settled parts of southern Canada, and virtually no roads in the Arctic ecosystems. The map shows the length of roads per ecoregion (in kilometres).

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Threats to Ecosystems - Sewage Treatment

Urban living generates waste that is usually treated to some degree and then discharged into water bodies. Too much waste can pose a risk to aquatic ecosystems and species. Pollutants can remain environmentally damaging even after passing through conventional sewage treatment. Municipal wastewater, including residential, commercial and industrial wastewater, is the major source of contaminants in the marine environment. In southern Canada, where most Canadians live, much of the municipal wastewater is treated by reducing some of the oxygen, suspended solids, phosphorus and sometimes ammonia and nitrogen to reduce the environmental impact on the receiving aquatic ecosystems. The map shows the percentage of the population without access to sewage treatment by ecoregion.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Threats to Ecosystems - Species at Risk

The highest number of species at risk is in the southern areas of Canada where human activity is most extensive and intensive. As of May 2002, 30 animal and plant species had disappeared in Canada. Eleven of these species are no longer found anywhere on the Earth. For most species the greatest threat is the alteration of habitat or essential growing conditions. The major national recovery program of endangered species in Canada is called RENEW, Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife. Canada is committed to implementing sustainable development, and establishment of protected areas representing all of Canada’s landscapes and species. The map shows the number of species at risk per ecoregion. Species at risk include native mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, plants and molluscs that have been assessed as being at risk of extinction at a national level.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Initial Penetration of the St. Lawrence Valley 1534 to 1583

The third phase of exploration in what is now Canada consisted of the initial penetration of the St. Lawrence valley. This was initiated by Jacques Cartier in two voyages - 1534 and 1535 to 1536. Bellenger (1583) made a later voyage of exploration extending Cartier's knowledge. The map also shows the extent of territory known to Europeans in the period 1497 to 1650; and the navigation of all exploration routes during the period of maritime exploration between 1497 and 1599. The historical names found on the map are derived from contemporaneous maps and written documents of the period.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Human Activities in Ecosystems - Mining Sites

In Canada, mines are most heavily concentrated in the Mixedwood Plains, Boreal Shield, Prairie, and Montane Cordillera ecozones. Mines require accessibility, and are therefore strongly correlated with transportation routes. While most mines are designed as closed systems, occasionally water pollution results from problems in the mining, or milling processes, and aquatic ecosystems can be affected. The map shows the number of mines per ecoregion.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Forest Fire Severity Level, 1988 - 1989

Climate warming can bring more frequent and severe forest fires. This map shows the change in forest fire severity levels across Canada from 1980 to 1989, based on Global Generation Circulation Models. The Seasonal Severity Rating (SSR) is a measure of fire danger conditions over a complete fire season. The SSR is developed by averaging daily values over the season. The scale shown is relative, with values above 6 being extreme. A real value of zero is only possible in remote cold regions where no fire danger exists in the summer months.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Forest Fire Hotspots, 2009

A hotspot is a mark on an infrared satellite image indicating a heat source typical of burning vegetation. A hotspot may represent one fire or be one of several hotspots representing a larger fire. Hotspots are located and mapped as part of the Fire Monitoring, Mapping and Modeling System (Fire M3), which is a component of a national fire information system that identifies, monitors and maps large forest fires using the hotspots. The Atlas of Canada has mapped each year from 2001 to 2009 the forest fire hotspots in partnership with the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada. Only the forest fire hotspots for the last recorded day of forest fire activity for the year 2009 have been archived. The original data from 2001 to 2009 are available from the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Fire Danger Rating, 2009

Fire danger rating is the process of systematically evaluating and integrating the factors that determine the ease of a fire starting and spreading, the difficulty of control, and the resulting impacts based on an assessment of ignition risk, the fire environment (fuels, weather, and topography) and values at risk. The Atlas of Canada has mapped each year from 2001 to 2009 the daily forest fire danger ratings in partnership with the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada. Only the forest fire danger rating for the last recorded day of fire danger rating for the year 2009 has been archived. The original data from 2001 to 2009 are available from the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Forest-Reliant Communities, 1996 - 5 Year Mobility Index

The 5-year mobility measures the percentage of the population aged five years or older who moved (changed address) in the five years preceding Census Day, 1996. The values are generally low. Three-quarters of the places have a figure below the Canadian average and the median for the entire set of 298 places is 29%, well below the Canadian average of 40%. The higher values for these places are largely found in Western Canada; where almost all of the values of 50.0% or more are found.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Forest-Reliant Communities, 1996

This map indicates the degree of reliance of each of the 298 communities on forest-related industries. The index range spans the complete range from 50% up to 100% with most communities having values in the lower half of this range. Even though there are two widely-separated zones of these communities in Eastern Canada and Western Canada, there is little difference between the two zones in the overall degree of reliance. Many of these places depend on local forestry activity such as logging and on manufacturing industries such as pulp and paper production for their economic sustainability.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Forest-Reliant Communities, 1996 - Income Index

The income index compares the average employment income value of each community to that for Canada. The value for Canada as a whole is set at 1.00. The range of the index is from 0.12 to 1.65, with the median value for these communities being 0.73. Income index values are generally higher in Western Canada.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Forest-Reliant Communities, 1996 - Education Index

The education index is a measure of the proportion of the population 15 years of age and over who have post-secondary qualifications compared to the Canadian proportion meeting the same criteria. The index values are generally lower than the Canadian average. The median value is 0.78, and 88% of the communities have a value of less than 1.00 which is the Canadian norm. The values tend to be higher in Western Canada, especially in the southern part of British Columbia, and also in the larger communities with a population of 5000 or greater.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Productive Forest Land Use

Forty-five percent of the Canadian territory is forested corresponding to 417.6 million hectares. There are 234.5 million hectares of commercial forests and 0.4% is harvested each year. The forested areas managed for timber production are mostly located in the Boreal Shield, Atlantic Maritime, Montane Cordillera and Pacific Maritime ecozones.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Forested Ecozones

In Canada, there are 20 ecozones, consisting of 15 terrestrial and 5 marine units. The vegetation varies from one ecozone to another. Forests cover totally or partially nine ecozones: Pacific Maritime, Montane Cordillera, Boreal Cordillera, Taiga Plains, Boreal Plains, Prairie, Boreal Shield, Mixedwood Plains, and Atlantic Maritime.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Plant Hardiness Zones

Nine zones indicate the areas where various trees, shrubs and flowers are most likely to survive. These zones are calculated based on average climatic conditions and altitude of each area. The harshest zone is 0 and the mildest is 8. Each major zone is divided into subzones a and b (for example 3a and 3b) where zone a is slightly harsher than zone b.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada
Terrestrial Ecozones (forests)

Ecozones are broad ecological zones on the earth's surface and cover a large range of ecosystems such as temperate forest, mountain ranges, grassland, taiga, arctic tundra, extensive river systems, coastline and farmlands. Each ecozone has its own climate, relief, soil, fauna and flora and distinct human activities. In Canada, there are 20 ecozones, consisting of 15 terrestrial and 5 marine units. Forests of Canada cover in total about nine ecozones.

Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada