Public Health Ontario's data inventory lists datasets and notes whether each is open, being prepared for release, or exempt.
Dataset
The National Soil DataBase
Canada’s National Soil Database archives geospatial soil, landscape, and climate datasets collected through surveys and land-data projects.
About The National Soil DataBase
The National Soil Database (NSDB) is a collection of geospatial datasets containing soil, landscape, and climatic data for all of Canada. It serves as the national archive for land resources information collected by federal and provincial field surveys or created by land data analysis projects. It includes GIS datasets at a variety of scales and characteristics of each named soil series. Superseded datasets are available in the National Soil Database Archive.
Principal holdings include soil name and layer data, the National Pedon Database, 100m Soil Landscape Grids, Detailed Soil Surveys, Canada Land Inventory, Soil Landscapes of Canada, and the National Ecological Framework. Coverage and digital availability vary by dataset; Detailed Soil Surveys cover much of the significant agricultural areas of Canada, and Canada Land Inventory data was produced in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.
Key features
- Archives geospatial soil, landscape, and climatic datasets for all of Canada
- Includes soil name and layer data for named Canadian soils
- National Pedon Database has standardized data for over 100 soil properties
- Soil Landscape Grids offer 100m national coverage with seven soil properties
- Detailed Soil Surveys range from 1:20,000 to 1:250,000 scale
- Canada Land Inventory maps capability for agriculture, forestry, wildlife, recreation, and ungulates
Best for: Researchers and analysts who need Canadian soil, landscape, and climatic geospatial datasets.
Good for
- Serves as the national archive for federally and provincially collected land resources information.
- Provides multiple dataset scales, from 1:20,000 Detailed Soil Surveys to 1:1 million Soil Landscapes of Canada.
- Includes national coverage datasets such as 100m Soil Landscape Grids and Soil Landscapes of Canada.
Watch out for
- Detailed Soil Surveys have varying data content and digital data availability.
- Canada Land Inventory data was produced in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.
- National Ecological Framework data is available from other federal and provincial agencies.
The National Soil DataBase at a glance
- Official website
- sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/nsdb/index.html
- Category
- Research & Data › Open Data in Canada
- Type
- Dataset
- Platforms
- Web
- Language
- English
- Country
- CA
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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The National Soil DataBase FAQ
What types of data does the NSDB hold?
It holds geospatial soil, landscape, and climatic datasets, including soil name and layer data, the National Pedon Database, Soil Landscape Grids, Detailed Soil Surveys, Canada Land Inventory, Soil Landscapes of Canada, and the National Ecological Framework.
Does the NSDB cover all of Canada?
Several datasets provide national coverage, including 100m Soil Landscape Grids and Soil Landscapes of Canada. Detailed Soil Surveys cover much of the significant agricultural areas of Canada, and their scale and content vary.
Are superseded datasets still available?
Yes. Datasets that have been superseded are available in the National Soil Database Archive.
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