This layer contains polygon features of Ecological Units for the state of California as described by ECOMAP (1993) "... mapped based on associations of those biotic and environmental factors that directly affect or indirectly express energy, moisture, and nutrient gradients which regulate the structure and function of ecosystems. These factors include climate, physiography, water, soils, air, hydrology, and potential natural communities."

These divisions were first created by Bailey in 1976 and have been updated since. This dataset is the 2007 (Goudey) version.

This version of the ecoregion subsections was used by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for their Areas of Conservation Emphasis work and their Wildlife Action Plan (https://wildlife.ca.gov/Data/Analysis/ACE & https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/SWAP/Final).

Complete metadata can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/landmanagement/gis/?cid=fsbdev3_048133. The original data can be downloaded in full here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5351343.zip.

This dataset was uploaded to Data Basin and is available with additional information at: https://databasin.org/datasets/81a3a809a2ae4c099f2e495c0b2ecc91/

Ecoregions by state were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 50 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 105 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 85 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level III ecoregions. Methods used to define the ecoregions are explained in Omernik (1995, 2004), Omernik and others (2000), and Gallant and others (1989). Literature cited: Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997, Ecological regions of North America- toward a common perspective: Montreal, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 71 p. Gallant, A. L., Whittier, T.R., Larsen, D.P., Omernik, J.M., and Hughes, R.M., 1989, Regionalization as a tool for managing environmental resources: Corvallis, Oregon, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA/600/3-89/060, 152p. Omernik, J.M., 1995, Ecoregions - a framework for environmental management, in Davis, W.S. and Simon, T.P., eds., Biological assessment and criteria-tools for water resource planning and decision making: Boca Raton, Florida, Lewis Publishers, p.49-62. Omernik, J.M., Chapman, S.S., Lillie, R.A., and Dumke, R.T., 2000, Ecoregions of Wisconsin: Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters, v. 88, p. 77-103. Omernik, J.M., 2004, Perspectives on the nature and definitions of ecological regions: Environmental Management, v. 34, Supplement 1, p. s27-s38. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2011. Level III and IV ecoregions of the continental United States. U.S. EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon, Map scale 1:3,000,000. Available online at: https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/level-iii-and-iv-ecoregions-continental-united-states. Comments and questions regarding Ecoregions should be addressed to Glenn Griffith, USGS, c/o US EPA., 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, (541)-754-4465, email:griffith.glenn@epa.gov Alternate: James Omernik, USGS, c/o US EPA, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, (541)-754-4458, email:omernik.james@epa.gov

Ecoregions by state were extracted from the seamless national shapefile. Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas. The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of patterns of biotic and abiotic phenomena, including geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels for ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 50 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997). At Level III, the continental United States contains 105 regions whereas the conterminous United States has 85 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011). Level IV ecoregions are further subdivisions of Level III ecoregions. Methods used to define the ecoregions are explained in Omernik (1995, 2004), Omernik and others (2000), and Gallant and others (1989). Literature cited: Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997, Ecological regions of North America- toward a common perspective: Montreal, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 71 p. Gallant, A. L., Whittier, T.R., Larsen, D.P., Omernik, J.M., and Hughes, R.M., 1989, Regionalization as a tool for managing environmental resources: Corvallis, Oregon, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA/600/3-89/060, 152p. Omernik, J.M., 1995, Ecoregions - a framework for environmental management, in Davis, W.S. and Simon, T.P., eds., Biological assessment and criteria-tools for water resource planning and decision making: Boca Raton, Florida, Lewis Publishers, p.49-62. Omernik, J.M., Chapman, S.S., Lillie, R.A., and Dumke, R.T., 2000, Ecoregions of Wisconsin: Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters, v. 88, p. 77-103. Omernik, J.M., 2004, Perspectives on the nature and definitions of ecological regions: Environmental Management, v. 34, Supplement 1, p. s27-s38. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2011. Level III and IV ecoregions of the continental United States. U.S. EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon, Map scale 1:3,000,000. Available online at: https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/level-iii-and-iv-ecoregions-continental-united-states. Comments and questions regarding Ecoregions should be addressed to Glenn Griffith, USGS, c/o US EPA., 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, (541)-754-4465, email:griffith.glenn@epa.gov Alternate: James Omernik, USGS, c/o US EPA, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, (541)-754-4458, email:omernik.james@epa.gov

The “Terrestrial Ecoregions of Canada” dataset provides representations of ecoregions. An ecoregion is a subdivision of an ecoprovince and is characterized by distinctive regional ecological factors, including climate, physiography, vegetation, soil, water, and fauna. For example, the Maritime Barrens ecoregion (no. 114) is one of nine ecoregions within the Newfoundland ecoprovince.

The original data was compiled at 1:500,000 to 1:1,000,000 scales in participation with Federal and State agencies and nongovernmental partners. The polygon descriptions are presented for the delineated 190 section ecological units. Brief descriptions of the section map units provide an abstract primarily of the climate, physiographic, and geologic substrate that combine to form ecosystems with distinctive vegetation and other unique ecological characteristics. More information of this data set can be found at the FSGeoData Clearinghouse (http://fsgeodata.fs.fed.us/other_resources/ecosubregions.html).

Level IV Ecoregions of the Continental United StatesThis U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) map layer depicts the Level IV Ecoregions throughout the continental U.S. Per EPA, "Ecoregions denote areas within which ecosystems (and the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources) are generally similar. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components...The ecoregions were identified by analyzing the spatial patterns and the composition of biotic and abiotic phenomena that affect or reflect differences in ecosystem quality and integrity." Eastern Florida FlatwoodsData Currency: Current Federal ServiceData modifications: NoneFor more information: Level III and IV Ecoregions of the Continental United StatesSupport documentation: MetadataFor feedback please contact: ArcGIScomNationalMaps@esri.comEnvironmental Protection AgencyPer USA.gov, "The Environmental Protection Agency protects people and the environment from significant health risks, sponsors and conducts research, and develops and enforces environmental regulations."

The dataset delineates ecological sections within California deserts. These deserts occupy the southeastern portion of California and include two ecoregional provinces comprised of five desert regions ("ecological sections"; Miles and Goudey 1997). The American Semi-Desert and Desert Province (warm deserts) includes the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, and Colorado Desert sections in the southern 83% of the California desert. The Intermountain Semi-Desert Province (cold deserts) includes the Southeastern Great Basin and Mono sections in the northern 17% of the region.

This dataset can be used to identify the outline of California's ecological provinces and regions.

This layer contains polygon features of Ecological Units for the state of California as described by ECOMAP (1993) "... mapped based on associations of those biotic and environmental factors that directly affect or indirectly express energy, moisture, and nutrient gradients which regulate the structure and function of ecosystems. These factors include climate, physiography, water, soils, air, hydrology, and potential natural communities." These divisions were first created by Bailey in 1976 and have been updated since. This dataset is the 2007 (Goudey) version. This version of the ecoregion subsections was used by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for their Areas of Conservation Emphasis work and their Wildlife Action Plan (https://wildlife.ca.gov/Data/Analysis/ACE & https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/SWAP/Final). Complete metadata can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/landmanagement/gis/?cid=fsbdev3_048133. The original data can be downloaded in full here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5351343.zip. This dataset was uploaded to Data Basin and is available with additional information at: https://databasin.org/datasets/81a3a809a2ae4c099f2e495c0b2ecc91/

California ecoregion layer with dominant forest type from FIA data

The dataset delineates ecological zones within California deserts. We derived ecological zones by reclassifying LANDFIRE vegetation biophysical setting types, plus defined various non-wildland (e.g. developed urban/agriculture/roads) and non-burnable (e.g. open water/barren) areas using LANDFIRE existing vegetation types. The 43 biophysical setting types present within the study area were grouped into 13 general vegetation types, which were further grouped into 4 elevation-based ecological zones plus one riparian zone according to their constituent plant associations.

Burned area characteristics for each ecoregion averaged for the period 2003–2020.

In 2013 the California LCC designated these ecoregions as subregions of the LCC.

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Land Cover by Ecoregion” dataset provides land cover information within the ecoregion framework polygon. It provides landcover codes and their English and French language description as well as information about the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies.

This layer contains polygon features of Ecological Units for the state of California as described by ECOMAP (1993),.. "Ecological types are classified and ecological units are mapped based on associations of those biotic and environmental factors that directly affect or indirectly express energy, moisture, and nutrient gradients which regulate the structure and function of ecosystems. These factors include climate, physiography, water, soils, air, hydrology, and potential natural communities."

This dataset is used is used to determine the significance or status of wetland classes and certain other natural heritage features. It is also used to set targets for Wilderness Class Provincial parks, State of the Forest reporting and to study natural disturbance regimes.

This polygon shapefile depicts global ecoregions, major habitat types, biogeographical realms and The Nature Conservancy terrestrial assessment units as of December 14, 2009. Developed originally by Olson, D. M. and E. Dinerstein (2002), Bailey (1995) and Environment Canada (Wiken, 1986), these data layers were modified by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to be used in its Biodiversity Planning exercises in the process known as Ecoregional Assessments. Several Ecoregions were modified from the originals by TNC staff developing the aforementioned assessments. The modifications are based on ecological, bio-physical and political rationales; most changes are noted in the accompanying documentation (attributes). Ecoregions in Canada and Mexico were modified mainly at the border with US territory, where TNC modified-Bailey (1995) ecoregions crossed over the country boundaries and the Olson, D. M. and E. Dinerstein (2002) and (Wiken, 1986) were replaced where the TNC modified-Bailey (1995) overlayed them. This layer was split from the terrestrial ecoregional assessment layer in June 2008.

Ecoregions, in the simplest definition, are ecosystems of regional extent. Specifically, ecoregions represent distinct assemblages of biodiversity―all taxa, not just vegetation―whose boundaries include the space required to sustain ecological processes. Ecoregions provide a useful basemap for conservation planning in particular because they draw on natural, rather than political, boundaries, define distinct biogeographic assemblages and ecological habitats within biomes, and assist in representation of Earth’s biodiversity.This dataset is based on recent advances in biogeography - the science concerning the distribution of plants and animals. The original ecoregions dataset has been widely used since its introduction in 2001, underpinning the most recent analyses of the effects of global climate change on nature by ecologists to the distribution of the world's beetles to modern conservation planning.The 846 terrestrial ecoregions are grouped into 14 biomes and 8 realms. Six of these biomes are forest biomes and remaining eight are non-forest biomes. For the forest biomes, the geographic boundaries of the ecoregions (Dinerstein et al., 2017) and protected areas (UNEP-WCMC 2016) were intersected with the Global Forest Change data (Hansen et al. 2013) for the years 2000 to 2015, to calculate percent of habitat in protected areas and percent of remaining habitat outside protected areas. Likewise, the boundaries of the non-forest ecoregions and protected areas (UNEP-WCMC 2016) were intersected with Anthropogenic Biomes data (Anthromes v2) for the year 2000 (Ellis et al., 2010) to identify remaining habitats inside and outside the protected areas. Each ecoregion has a unique ID, area (sq. degrees), and NNH (Nature Needs Half) categories 1-4. NNH categories are based on percent of habitat in protected areas and percent of remaining habitat outside protected areas.Half Protected: More than 50% of the total ecoregion area is already protected.Nature Could Reach Half: Less than 50% of the total ecoregion area is protected but the amount of remaining unprotected natural habitat could bring protection to over 50% if new conservation areas are added to the system.Nature Could Recover: The amount of protected and unprotected natural habitat remaining is less than 50% but more than 20%. Ecoregions in this category would require restoration to reach Half Protected.Nature Imperilled: The amount of protected and unprotected natural habitat remaining is less than or equal to 20%. Achieving half protected is not possible in the short term and efforts should focus on conserving remaining, native habitat fragments.The updated Ecoregions 2017 is the most-up-to-date (as of February 2018) dataset on remaining habitat in each terrestrial ecoregion. It was released to chart progress towards achieving the visionary goal of Nature Needs Half, to protect half of all the land on Earth to save a living terrestrial biosphere.Note - a number of ecoregions are very complex polygons with over a million vertices, such as Rock & Ice.

Please refer to the following website for additional information including the reports for each Level II Ecoregion (i.e. Taiga Plains, Taiga Shield, Cordillera, Southern Arctic, Northern Arctic (coming soon)).http://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/_live/pages/wpPages/Ecosystem_Classification.aspxATTRIBUTESOne set of variables aggregated under climate data was derived from Level III ecoregion descriptions; the remainder of the attribute list information was derived from Level IV ecoregion descriptions. For non-climate information, the entire ecoregion description and all photos and captions were reviewed to develop the best abstraction of each attribute. Attribute abstraction was completed by the D.Downing (2013) who prepared all of the Level IV ecoregion descriptions and is familiar with the landscapes. There is a certain amount of repetition between some of the categories e.g. glaciers may be represented under surficial geology and surface materials as ice and under permafrost as glaciers. Climate dataClimate information is derived from Level III ecoregion descriptions, specifically the descriptive section titled “Climate”,and assigned to all Level IV ecoregions nested within a Level III ecoregion. For example, the Taiga Plains Low Subarctic Level III ecoregion includes 14 Level IV ecoregions. All 14 of these ecoregions are assigned the same value or value range for mean annual temperature, precipitation and the other climatic variables listed below. Climate attributes are assigned in this manner because there is insufficient climatic information to describe individual climatic parameters for Level IV ecoregions. The information presented for Level III ecoregions in the above-listed reports was largely derived from models produced at the national ecodistrict level by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, which are generalizations derived from very sparsely distributed long-term weather station data.Attribute values included under this general category are typically expressed as numeric ranges, reflecting the degree of inherent variability (geographic and year-to-year) within Level III ecoregions. Attributes include the following:CLIMATE ATTRIBUTESATTRIBUTEDESCRIPTIONMATMean annual temperature, expressed as degrees CelsiusMAPMean annual precipitation, expressed as mm of total rain and snowM_JANMean temperature in the coldest month, typically January (or February where designated by a value followed by (Feb)), expressed as degrees CelsiusM_JULMean temperature in the warmest month (July), expressed as degrees CelsiusSRAnnAverage annual solar radiation, expressed as megajoules per square metre per daySRJunSolar radiation in June (longest days), expressed as megajoules per square metre per daySRDecSolar radiation in December (shortest days), expressed as megajoules per square metre per day Surficial geologyThree dataset attributes (Surfgeo1, Surfgeo2, Surfgeo3) are included under the general category of surficial geology. The attribute values and their definitions are provided below and in the worksheet titled “surficial geology” in the Excel® workbook titled “NWT_ecoregion_searchable_attributes.xls”.Most of the attribute values and their definitions are as presented by Agriculture and Agri-foods Canada (website: http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/nsdb/ecostrat/1999report/data_tables.html. Attribute value definitions for colluvium were augmented by adding a reference to highly weathered tills, mostly related to areas in the Northern and Southern Arctic considered by some researchers to be recently unglaciated. A variable referencing weathered rock (RW) was also added as it is a significant component in some areas. Changes are shown in italics and coloured red in the table below. The first and second variables (Surfgeo1, Surfgeo2) may be codominant or the second subordinate to the first. In most cases, Surfgeo3was a minor component of the ecoregion but some ecoregions were highly complex and all three variables were judged to be of equal importance. The written descriptions should be consulted in cases where analysis requires a more specific assessment of proportion.SURFICIAL GEOLOGYAttribute ValueDESCRIPTIONIGlaciers: Ice and minor morainal debris.AAlluvial Deposits: stratified silt, sand, clay, and gravel; floodplain, delta, and fan deposits; in places overlies and includes glaciofluvial deposits.mMMarine Mud: Fluid silty clay and clayey silt: deposited as quiet water sediments.sMMarine Sand: Sand and locally gravel; deposited as sheet sands, lags, and beaches.mLLacustrine Mud: Fluid silty clay and clayey silt: deposited as quiet water sediments.sLLacustrine Sand: Sand and locally gravel; deposited as sheet sands, lags, and beaches.EEolian Deposits: sand and minor silt: dunes, blowouts, and undulating plains: In most places overlies deltaic sediments, coarse lacustrine sediments, or glaciofluvial deposits.OOrganic deposits: peat, muck and minor inorganic sediments; large bog, fen, and swamp areas where organic fill masks underlying surficial materials; generally >2 m thickbCColluvial Blocks: Blocks, and rubble with sand and silt; derived from crystalline bedrock, medium grade metamorphic substrate, and cemented sandstone.rCColluvial Rubble:Rubble and silt; derived from carbonate and consolidated fine classic sedimentary rock substrate. Includes highly weathered tillsfCColluvial Fines: Silt, clay, and fine sand: derived from substrate weakly consolidated shale and siltstone substrate. Includes highly weathered tillssCColluvial Sand: Sand and gravel; derived from poorly lithified sandstone and conglomerate substrate. Includes highly weathered tills.L:fMLacustrine Fine Grained: Fine grained silt and clay, locally containing stones: deposited as quiet water sediments.L:cLLacustrine Coarse Grained: sand, silt, and gravel: deposited as deltas, sheet sands and lag deposits.M:fMMarine Fine Grained: Dominantly silt and clay, locally containing stones; deposited as a quiet water sediment.M:cMMarine Coarse Grained: Sand and gravel: deposited as sheet sands, deltas, and extensive flights of beaches.M:MvLag: Sand, gravel, and pockets of fine sediment; thin to discontinued sediment veneer and residual lag developed during marine submergence; includes areas of washed till and rock.GpGlaciofluvial Plain: Sand and gravel: deposited as outwash sheets, valley trains, and terrace deposits.GxGlaciofluvial Complex: Sand and gravel and locally diamicton: undifferentiated ice contact stratified drift, and outwash; locally includes till and rock.TbTill Blanket: Thick and continuous till.TvTill Veneer: Thin and discontinuous till: may include areas of rock outcrop.TvbTill veneer and blanket complex:VQuarternary Volcanics: consolidated lava, breccia and tephra: dominantly basaltic and andesitic in composition; includes flows, volcanic piles and cinder conesRaAlpine Complexes: rock, colluvium, and till: rock and Quarternary deposits complex in an area, characterized by alpine and glacial landforms.RUndivided: rock with minor Quaternary deposits. Includes unweathered and weathered rock.RWWeathered bedrock – usually shales and sandstones.Surface materialsTwo attribute fields (Surfmat1, Surfmat2) are included under the general category of surface materials. This category is very general and reflects surficial geology categories. Refer to the table below.SURFACE MATERIALSAttribute ValueDESCRIPTIONICICE and SNOWGlacial ice and permanent snowORORGANIC SOILContains > 30% organic matter as measured by weightROROCKRock undifferentiatedSOMINERAL SOILPredominantly mineral particles: contains 3%. Examples are morainal plains and hill lands.LLevelA flat or very gently sloping, unidirectional surface with a generally constant slope unbroken by marked elevations and depressions. Slopes are generally 5% but may be less. This surface form is usually controlled by the underlying bedrock.RRidgedA long, narrow elevation of the surface, usually sharp crested with steep sides; ridges may be parallel, subparallel, or intersecting. Examples are eskers, crevasse fillings, washboard moraines and some drumlins. Includes pronounced terrain associated with rugged bedrock-controlled hill and mountain systems.SSteepErosional slopes of greater than 70% (35°), present on both consolidated and unconsolidated materials. The form of a steep erosional slope on unconsolidated materials is not related to the initial mode of origin of the underlying material. An example is an escarpment.TTerracedScarp face and the horizontal or gently inclined surface (or tread) above it. An example is an alluvial terrace.SURFACE FORM(cont.)Attribute ValueDESCRIPTIONUUndulatingA very regular sequence of gentle slopes that extends from rounded and, in some places, confined concavities to broad, rounded convexities producing a wavelike pattern of low local relief. Slope length is generally less than 0.8 km and the dominant gradient of slopes is usually 2-5%. The terrain lacks an external drainage pattern. Examples are some ground moraines and lacustrine material of varying textures.B04Domed bogA large bog (diameter usually >500 m) with a convex surface rising several metres above the surrounding terrain. The centre usually drains in all directions; small crescentic pools commonly form around the highest point; a concentric pattern is formed if the highest point is in the centre, while an eccentric pattern is formed if the highest point is off-centre. Peat development is usually >3 m.B05Polygonal peat plateau bogA perennially frozen bog rising approximately 1 m above the surrounding fen. The surface is relatively flat, scored by a polygonal pattern of trenches that developed over ice wedges. The permafrost and ice wedges developed in peat originally deposited in a nonpermafrost environment.B07Peat plateau bogA bog composed of perennially frozen peat rising abruptly about 1 m from the surrounding unfrozen fen. The surface is relatively flat and even, and commonly covers large areas. The peat was originally