Natural Disturbance Type Map for British Columbia Based on BEC Classification

A geospatial map delineating natural disturbance types across British Columbia, based on the Provincial Biodiversity Guidebook (1995) and the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) map version 13. The map classifies processes like insect outbreaks, fire, and flooding to support ecosystem change and renewal analysis. It is produced by the Government of British Columbia and was last updated on May 27, 2026.

Use Cases

• Delineate Natural Disturbance Types for Landscape Unit Planning based on the classification of ecosystem change events.
• Define Seed Planning Zones based on the mapped natural disturbance regimes.
• Generate Predictive Ecosystem Mapping using the natural disturbance type as an input layer.
• Assess ecological representation for the Protected Areas Strategy based on the disturbance classification hierarchy.
• Classify Broad Ecosystem Units using the natural disturbance type as a level in the classification hierarchy.

Strengths

• Based on the approved corporate provincial Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) map, version 13.
• Deliberately extended across non-terrestrial features like oceans and glaciers to facilitate intersection with other landcover layers.
• Classification system is derived from the established Provincial Biodiversity Guidebook (1995).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and spatial resolution are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The underlying BEC map version is dated May 22, 2026, which may represent a future state not yet validated.

Provenance

Source

Government of British Columbia

Collection Method

Derived from the Provincial Biodiversity Guidebook (1995) and the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) Zone/Subzone/Variant/Phase map.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-27 19:01:48.223351; freshness should be verified.

Geography

British Columbia, Canada