Canada’s Forest Soil Database Schema and Structure (No Data Included)

__Introduction__

This repository provides the code and documentation used to generate the structure of Canada’s Forest Soil Database, developed by the Canadian Forest Service. The database structure was designed to support the organization, integration, and long-term management of forest soil data collected across Canada. 

By defining a standardized and flexible data model, this repository helps address the diversity and fragmentation of existing soil datasets and provides a foundation for compiling legacy data, supporting future data collection, improving data accessibility in alignment with FAIR data principles and supporting data integration with related databases and data compilations efforts.

__Repository content and related tools__

This repository contains the SQL code and Docker configuration required to generate and deploy the database structure. 

More technical documentation available soon.


__Data model origin__

The database structure is built on a flexible data model adapted from the [ISO 28258](https://iso28258.isric.org/) and [OGC Observations and Measurements](https://www.ogc.org/standards/om/) conceptual model. It is organized around three core categories: ___Features of Interest___, ___Observations___, and ___Results___. 

This approach provides a consistent framework for representing the objects being described, the measurements or descriptions associated with them, and the resulting values or information produced by those observations.

__Model adaptations__

Several adaptations were made to better support the needs of Canada’s Forest Soil Database. 

___Features of Interest___ derived from ___ ISO 28258___ are represented as separate elements. The data model created for Canada’s Forest Soil Database provides a unified way to manage these elements within a single table. 

Similarly, specific ___Observations___ made on specialized ___Features of Interest ___ are handled within a unified ___Observations___ table. 

In addition, the ___Feature of Interest context___ and ___Observation context ___ concepts from the ___OGC Observations and Measurements___ conceptual model are implemented through a many-to-many relationship, allowing the database to capture complex links between features and their observational context.

__Design rationale__

These design choices were made to streamline data processing and improve the long-term flexibility of the database. 

By using a common structure for different types of Features of Interest, Observations, and Results, the database is not limited to soil and can accommodate a wider variety of above and below-ground forest data without requiring changes to the underlying database schema each time new data types are introduced. 

This makes the model better suited for integrating legacy datasets, supporting future data collection, and maintaining consistency across diverse sources of information.

__Citation__

Please cite this code repository as:

> Natural Resources of Canada – Canadian Forest Service, Norris, C., Paré, D., Laganière, J., Webster, K., Malet, X., & Dallaire, C. (2026). « Canada’s Forest Soil Database Schema and Structure » (Version 1.0.0) [Database]


Organization: Natural Resources Canada | Ressources naturelles Canada