Local-Scale Biophysical Mapping for Integrated Resource Management, Watson Lake Yukon

Local-scale 1:50,000 biophysical mapping integrates terrain and ecological factors for resource management in southeastern Yukon. The project was conducted in 2004 by Yukon Environment, Yukon Geological Survey, and Cryogeographic Consulting. It involved aerial photograph analysis, four weeks of summer field work for ground truthing, and digitization using Microstation Diap Viewer and ArcGIS 9.0.

Use Cases

• Model vegetation distribution based on abiotic terrain conditions described in the mapping.
• Assess permafrost and drainage conditions for infrastructure planning based on terrain mapping.
• Classify ecosystem units for conservation planning based on integrated terrain and ecological factors.
• Ground truth and refine ecological classification systems using field-validated aerial photograph interpretation.

Strengths

• Mapping was conducted at a detailed local scale of 1:50,000.
• Methodology involved four weeks of summer field work for ground truthing.
• Project integrated analysis from multiple organizations: Yukon Environment, Yukon Geological Survey, and Cryogeographic Consulting.

Limitations

• Data is from 2004; ecological and terrain conditions may have changed.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Government of Yukon | Gouvernement du Yukon

Collection Method

Analysis of 1:40,000-scale aerial photographs, field ground truthing, digitization in Microstation Diap Viewer, and GIS manipulation in ArcGIS 9.0.

Time Range

2004

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-20 16:41:13.631066; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Watson Lake area (NTS 105A/2), Yukon, Canada