BEC Map: Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification for British Columbia

Version 13 of the approved corporate provincial digital Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) map, updated on May 22, 2026. This geospatial dataset from the Government of British Columbia provides the most detailed classification of zones, subzones, variants, and phases. The mapping is extended across non-terrain features like oceans and glaciers to facilitate intersection with terrestrial landcover layers.

Use Cases

• Perform GIS analysis at any scale based on the detailed BEC classification mentioned in the description.
• Intersect ecosystem zones with other landcover layers based on the mapping's deliberate extension over water and ice.
• Conduct provincial-scale environmental planning based on the official biogeoclimatic classification.

Strengths

• Most detailed version (version 13) of the approved BEC map.
• Explicitly designed for GIS analysis at any scale.
• Mapping is extended to facilitate intersection with other terrestrial layers.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Government of British Columbia | Gouvernment de la Colombie-Britannique

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-27 19:01:45.100881; freshness should be verified.

Geography

British Columbia, Canada