Description: CANADA LAND INVENTORY (CLI) LEVEL-I DIGITAL DATA: SOIL CAPABILITY FOR AGRICULTURE1. Coverage specificationsORIGINAL SCALE: 1:250,000, except for British Columbia where the original scale was 1:125,000MAP PROJECTION: None, i.e. latitude/longitude co-ordinates RESOLUTION: .00024412 of a degree, which corresponds to approximately 25 metersDATUM: NAD27SPHEROID: Clarke 1866UNITS OF MEASURE: decimal degrees2. CLI Level I Latitude/Longitude Digital DataCLI Level I thematic data is intentionally extended past the shoreline and as such does not contain the properdefinition of shoreline. The data are not projected and coordinates, areas and perimeters are in decimal degrees.DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DERIVE AREA STATISTICS FROM THESE DATA UNTIL THEY ARE INTEGRATED WITH A PROPER SHORELINE AND THE RESULTS PROJECTED TO A SUITABLE MAP PROJECTION.3. Attribute Schemaa) CLI Rating Table (*_CMP.DBF):CLI Key field used to join summaries of this table to the PATCMP Component numberPERCENT Percent of the polygon occupied by the componentCLASS CLI classSUBCLASS1 CLI limitation subclass (first)SUBCLASS1 CLI limitation subclass (second)IRRIGATED Indicates if irrigation was present, where Y = Yes and N = Nob) Original Digital Data (*.OLDPAT):For NON-IRRAGATED LANDS, at the time of the inventoryCLASS_A The primary and/or dominant CLIclassPERCENT_A The proportion (% base 10) of thepolygon in Class_A (blank = 100%)SUBCLAS_A1 The primary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_ASUBCLAS_A2 The secondary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_ACLASS_B The secondary CLI classPERCENT_B The proportion (% base 10) of thepolygon in Class_B (blank = 0%)SUBCLAS_B1 The primary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_BSUBCLAS_B2 The secondary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_BCLASS_C The tertiary CLI classPERCENT_C The proportion (% base 10) of thepolygon in Class_C (blank = 0%)SUBCLAS_C1 The primary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_CSUBCLAS_C2 The secondary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_CFor IRRIGATED LANDS, at the time of the inventoryCLASS_D The primary and/or dominant CLIclassPERCENT_D The proportion (% base 10) of thepolygon in Class_D (blank = 100%)SUBCLAS_D1 The primary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_DSUBCLAS_D2 The secondary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_DCLASS_E The secondary CLI classPERCENT_E The proportion (% base 10) of thepolygon in Class_E (blank = 0%)SUBCLAS_E1 The primary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_ESUBCLAS_E2 The secondary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_ECLASS_F The tertiary CLI class classPERCENT_F The proportion (% base 10) of thepolygon in Class_F (blank = 0%)SUBCLAS_F1 The primary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_FSUBCLAS_F2 The secondary limitation for theproportion of the polygon inClass_FNote(s):i) To classify the data in a manner similar to theway the CLI paper maps were printed, use fieldClass_A.ii) For a better understanding of what factor(s) limitthe land for agriculture, use field Subclas_A1.iv) For the location of specific land unit types, usea combination of classes and limitationsubclasses.v) For maps in Alberta which have a combinednon-irrigated/irrigated classification, andnamely maps 72e,72l,82h and 82i, the percentagesacross all non-irrigated/irrigated classes add upto exactly 100%.vi) For maps in British Columbia which have a combinednon-irrigated/irrigated classification, and namelymaps 82e,82g,82j,82k,92c,92f,92g,92h,92k,92o,92p,93a,93b,103i and 103p, the percentages across allnon-irrigated/irrigated classes add up to 200%.4. Valid CLI Classes1 . No Significant Limitations2 . Moderate Limitations; moderate conservation practicesrequired.3 . Moderately Severe Limitations; range of cropsrestricted or special conservation practicesrequired.4 . Severe Limitations.5 . Forage Crops - Improvement practices feasible6 . Forage Crops - Improvement practices not feasible7 . No Capability for arable culture or permanent pasture0 . Organic Soils8 . Unclassified areas; see note belowW . WaterNote: Unclassified areas (Class_A=8) make use of theSubclas_A1 field to indicate why the area was notclassified, as follows:Class_A=8, Subclas_A1= BLANK - Unmapped AreaClass_A=8, Subclas_A1= Z - Water AreaClass_A=8, Subclas_A1= T - Forest ReservesClass_A=8, Subclas_A1= O - National ParksClass_A=8, Subclas_A1= B - Urban AreasClass_A=8, Subclas_A1= W - Provincial ParksClass_A=8, Subclas_A1= I - Irrigated Rating Only5. Valid Limitation SubclassesC . Adverse climateD . Undesirable soil structure and/or low permeabilityE . ErosionF . Low fertilityI . Inundation by streams or lakesM . Moisture limitationN . SalinityP . StoninessR . Consolidated bedrockS . Cumulative adverse soil characteristicsT . Topography limitationW . Excess waterX . Cumulative minor adverse characteristics6. Narrative Description of CLI ClassificationIn this classification the mineral soils were groupedinto 7 classes on the basis of soil survey information.Soils classed as 1,2,3 or 4 were considered capable ofsustained use for cultivated field crops;those in classes2 and 6 for perennial forage crops; those in class 7 forneither.Some of the important factors on which the classificationwas based are:The soils would be well managed and cropped, under alargely mechanized system.Land requiring improvements, including clearing, thatcould be made economically by the farmer himself, wasclassed according to its limitations or hazards in useafter the improvements had been made. Land requiringimprovements beyond the means of the farmer himselfwas classed according to its present condition at thetime of the inventory.The following were not considered: distances to market,kind of roads,location,size of farms,type of ownership,cultural patterns, skill or resources of individualoperators, and hazard of crop damage by storms.The classification did not include capability of soilsfor trees, tree fruits, small fruits, ornamental plants,recreation or wildlife.The classes were based on intensity, rather than kind, oftheir limitations for agriculture. Each class includedmany kinds of soil, and many of the soils in any classrequired unlike management and treatment.For provinces other than Saskatchewan, Alberta andBritish Columbia, only Class A to C fields are coded,with no distinction made between irrigated andnon-irrigated land.In Saskatchewan and Alberta, land was again classifiedaccording to its use at the time of the inventory, but afurther differentiation was provided for irrigated andnon-irrigated land. If a land unit was entirelynon-irrigated, the classification for this land was codedin Classes A to C. If a land unit was completely irrigatedthe classification for the land was coded in Classes D toF. If a land unit was comprised of both irrigated andnon-irrigated land, then a complex classification wasrequired to represent the area. The portion of theclassification that applied to the non-irrigated area inthe land unit was coded in classes A to C while theportion pertaining to the irrigated land was coded inClasses D to F. Up to three of the Classes A to F may havebeen coded for such land unit and the percentages add upto a total of 10.Land given a capability classification of 6 or 7 did notwarrant irrigation since the benefits derived fromirrigation would have been negligible. For this reason,capability classes 6 and 7 always appeared in thenon-irrigated portion (classes A to C) of a land unitclassification.On the Canada Land Inventory paper maps, the symbolspertaining to an irrigated land area was printed in red.7. CLI Agriculture Class DescriptionsClass 1 Soils in this class have no significantlimitations in use for crops. The soils are deep,are well to imperfectly drained, hold moisturewell, and in the virgin state were well suppliedwith plant nutrients. They can be managed andcropped without difficulty. Under goodmanagement they are moderately high to high inproductivity for a wide range of field crops.Class 2 Soils in this class have moderate limitationswhich restrict the range of crops or requiremoderate conservation practices. The soils aredeep and hold moisture well. The limitations aremoderate and the soils can be managed and croppedwith little difficulty. Under good managementthey are moderately high to high in productivityfor a fairly wide range of crops.Class 3 Soils in this class have moderately severelimitations which restrict the range of crops, orrequire special conservation practices. Thelimitations are more severe than for Class 2soils. They affect one or more of the followingpractices: timing and ease of tillage, plantingand harvesting, choice of crops, and method ofconservation. Under good management they are fairto moderately high in productivity for a fairrange of crops.Class 4 Soils in this class have severe limitations whichrestrict the range of crops, or require specialconservation practices, or both. The limitationsseriously affect one or more of the followingpractices: timing and ease of tillage, plantingand harvesting, choice of crops, and method ofconservation. The soils are low to fair inproductivity for a fair range of crops but mayhave high productivity for a specially adaptedcrop.Class 5 Soils in this class have very severe limitationswhich restrict their capability to producingperennial forage crops, and improvement practicesare feasible. The limitations are so severe thatsoils are not capable of use for sustainedproduction of annual field crops. The soils arecapable of producing native or tame species ofperennial forage plants, and may be improved byuse of farm machinery. The improvement practicesmay include clearing of bush, cultivation,seeding, fertilizing or water control.Class 6 Soils in this class are capable only of producingperennial forage crops, and improvement practicesare not feasible.The soils provide some sustainedgrazing for farm animals, but the limitations areso severe that improvement by use of farmmachinery is impractical, terrain may beunsuitable for use of farm machinery, the soilsmay not respond to improvement, or the grazingseason may be very short.Class 7 Soils in this class have no capability for arableculture or permanent pasture. This class alsoincludes rock land, other non-soil areas andbodies of water too small to show on maps atmapping scale.Class 0 Organic soils.(Not placed in capability classes).8. CLI Subclass Descriptions'C' Adverse climate - This subclass denotes asignificant adverse climate for crop production as"median" climate which is defined as one withsufficiently high rowing-season temperatures tobring crops to maturity.'D' Undesirable soil structure and/or low permeabilityThis subclass indicates soils that are difficultto till or soils where water is absorbed veryslowly or where the depth of rooting zone isrestricted by conditions other than a high watertable or consolidated bedrock.'E' Erosion This subclass includes soils where damagefrom erosion is a limitation to agricultural use.Damage is assessed on loss of productivity and onthe difficulties in farming with gullies.'F' Low fertility - Included are soils having lowfertility that either is correctable with carefulmanagement in the use of fertilizers and soilamendments, or is difficult to correct by anypractical means. The limitations may be due tolack of plant nutrients, high acidity oralkalinity, low exchange capacity, high levels ofcarbonates or presence of toxic compounds.'I' Inundation by streams or lakes - This subclassincludes soils subjected to inundation causingcrop damage or restricting agricultural use.'M' Moisture Limitations - This consists of soilswhere crops are affected by drought owing toinherent soil characteristics. These soilsusually have low water-holding capacity.'N' Salinity - Soils of this subclass possessexcessive soluble salts which adversely affectcrop growth or restrict the range of crops thatmay be grown.'P' Stoniness - These soils are sufficiently stony tohinder tillage, planting and harvesting operations.'R' Consolidated bedrock - This subclass includessoils where the presence of bedrock near thesurface restricts their agricultural use.Consolidated bedrock at depths greater than 3 feetfrom the surface is not considered as a limitationexcept on irrigated lands where a greater depthof soil is desirable.'S' There are two interpretations accorded to subclass S.In the case of maps generally produced before1969, subclass S will be used in place ofsubclasses D,F,M or N. If two or more ofsubclasses D,F,M or N are applicable to the samearea, then again subclass S will be substituted.On most of the maps subsequent to 1969, theapplicable subclass D,F,M or N will appear if anarea is classified with a single subclass. Forareas classified with two or more of D,F,M or Nthen subclass S will appear, denoting acombination of subclasses.'T' Topography = This subclass is made up of soilswhere topography is a limitation. Both the percentof slope and the pattern or frequency of slopes indifferent directions affect the cost of farmingand the uniformity of growth and maturity of cropsas well as the hazard of erosion.'W' Excess water - This subclass includes soils whereexcess water other than that brought about byinundation is a limitation to agricultural use.Excess water may result from inadequate soildrainage, a high water table, seepage or fromrunoff from surrounding areas.'X' This subclass is comprised of soils having alimitation resulting from the cumulative effect oftwo or more adverse characteristics.For full details see 'The Canada Land Inventory, SoilCapability Classification for Agriculture' Report No. 2,1969.9. AccreditationCanadian Soil Information Service (CanSIS)Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)Room 1135, K.W. Neatby BuildingCentral Experimental FarmOttawa, OntarioK1A 0C6http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/10. AcknowledgmentsThe Canada Land Inventory data is managed by:The Canada Centre for Remote SensingNatural Resources CanadaGovernment of CanadaRoom 650 - 615 Booth StreetOttawa, ON, CanadaK1A 0E9Based on significant research and development by:The National Archives of CanadaStatistics CanadaAgriculture and Agri-Food CanadaData processing completed by:SpatialanalysisOttawa, Ontario,Canada K1Y ON3The National Archives of Canada retainsintellectual property.(Copyright) Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 1999.