COVERAGE TITLE : WILDLIFE COVERAGE CODE : 405 COVLIB STATUS: ENTERED SCALE : 1:250,000 CLASS. LENGTH: 28 S_FACTOR : 12 F_FACTOR : 5 7. COVERAGE - LAND CAPABILITY FOR WILDLIFE UNGULATES - 405 PL/1 DECLARATION (COVLIB ENTRY) 2 C405R 3 CLASS_A CHAR (1), 3 MODIFIER_A CHAR (1), 3 PERCENT_A CHAR (1), 3 SUBCLASS_A1 CHAR (1), 3 SUBCLASSS_A2 CHAR (1), 3 SUBCLASS_A3 CHAR (1), 3 SPECIE_A CHAR (3), 3 CLASS_B CHAR (1), 3 MODIFIER_B CHAR (1), 3 PERCENT_B CHAR (1), 3 SUBCLASS_B1 CHAR (1), 3 SUBCLASS_B2 CHAR (1), 3 SPECIE_B CHAR (3), 3 CLASS_C CHAR (1), 3 MODIFIER_C CHAR (1), 3 PERCENT_C CHAR (1), 3 SUBCLASS_C1 CHAR (1), 3 SUBCLASS_C2 CHAR (1), 3 SPECIE_C CHAR (3), 3 SPARE CHAR (3), 'R' = REGION NOTE: THIS COVERAGE HAS CAPABILITIES IN WATER. VALID CLASSES 1 LANDS HAVING NO SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. 1W LANDS IN THIS SPECIAL CLASS ARE CLASS 1 AREAS THAT ARE WINTER RANGES ON WHICH ANIMALS FROM SURROUNDING AREAS DEPEND. 2 LANDS HAVING VERY SLIGHT LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. 2W LANDS IN THIS SPECIAL CLASS ARE CLASS 2 AREAS THAT ARE WINTER RANGES ON WHICH ANIMALS FROM SURROUNDING AREAS DEPEND. 3 LANDS HAVING SLIGHT LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. 3W LANDS IN THIS SPECIAL CLASS ARE CLASS 3 AREAS THAT ARE WINTER RANGES ON WHICH ANIMALS FROM SURROUNDING AREAS DEPEND. 4 LANDS HAVING MODERATE LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. 5 LANDS HAVING MODERATELY SEVERE LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. 6 LANDS HAVING SEVERE LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. 7 LANDS HAVING LIMITATIONS SO SEVERE THAT THERE IS LITTLE OR NO UNGULATE PRODUCTION. 8 SPECIAL CASES - SEE NOTE. VALID LIMITATION SUBCLASSES CLIMATE A - ARIDITY C - COMBINATION OF CLIMATIC FACTORS Q - SNOW DEPTH, PROLONGED PREDIODS OF SNOW U - EXPOSURE LAND F - LOW FERTILITY G - POOR LANDFORM I - INUNDATION, EXCESSIVE WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATION M - EXCESSIVE OR DEFICIENT SOIL MOISTURE N - ADVERSE SOIL CHARACTERISTICS R - RESTRICTIVE SOIL DEPTH T - ADVERSE TOPOGRAPHY, EXCESSIVE STEEPNESS, FLATNESS UNGULATE SPECIES INDICATOR A - ANTELOPE C - CARIBOU D - DEER E - ELK G - GOAT M - MOOSE S - MOUNTAIN SHEEP NOTE: IN THIS SPECIAL CASE WHERE CLASS_A IS CODED AS '8', THE FIRST CHARACTER OF SUBCLASS_A1 MAY BE CODED AS FOLLOWS: BLANK UNMAPPED AREA Z WATER AREA T FOREST RESERVES O NATIONAL PARKS B URBAN AREAS W PROVINCIAL PARKS NARRATIVE IN GENERAL, THE NEEDS OF ALL UNGULATES ARE MUCH ALIKE: EACH INDIVIDUAL AND SPECIES MUST HAVE A SUFFICIENT QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF FOOD, PROTECTIVE COVER, AND SPACE TO MEET ITS NEEDS FOR SURVIVAL, GROWTH, AND REPRODUCTION. THE ABILITY OF THE LAND TO MEET THOSE NEEDS IS DETERMINED BY THE INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS OF SPECIES OR GROUP OF SPECIES UNDER CONSIDERATION, THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAND, AND THOSE FACTORS, SUCH AS CLIMATE, THAT INFLUENCE THE PLANT AND ANIMAL COMMUNITIES. THE DEGREE OF LIMITATION ASSOCIATED WITH EACH AREA DETERMINES ITS CAPABILITY CLASS. THE SUBCLASS DENOTES THE PRIMARY FACTOR THAT CAUSES THE LIMITATION. THIS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM IS BASED ON TWO IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS: CAPABILITY RATINGS ARE ESTABLISHED ON THE BASIS OF THE OPTIMUM VEGETATIONAL STAGE (SUCCESSIONAL STAGE) THAT CAN BE MAINTAINED WITH GOOD WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. CAPABILITY RATINGS ASSIGNED DO NOT REFLECT PRESENT LAND USE (EXCEPT IN EXTREME CASES SUCH AS HEAVILY POPULATED URBAN AREAS), OWNERSHIP, LACK OF ACCESS, DISTANCE FROM CITIES, OR AMOUNT OF HUNTING PRESSURE. CLASS DESCRIPTIONS CLASS 1 LANDS IN THIS CLASS HAVE NO SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. CAPABILITY ON THESE LANDS IS HIGH. THEY PROVIDE A WIDE VARIETY AND ABUNDANCE OF FOOD PLANTS AND OTHER HABITAT ELEMENTS. CLASS 1W LANDS IN THIS SPECIAL CLASS ARE CLASS 1 AREAS THAT ARE WINTER RANGES ON WHICH ANIMALS FROM SURROUNDING AREAS DEPEND. CLASS 2 LANDS IN THIS CLASS HAVE VERY SLIGHT LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. CAPABILITY ON THESE LANDS IS HIGH BUT LESS THAN CLASS 1. SLIGHT LIMITATIONS ARE DUE TO CLIMATIC OR OTHER FACTORS. CLASS 2W LANDS IN THIS SPECIAL CLASS ARE CLASS 2 AREAS THAT ARE WINTER RANGES ON WHICH ANIMALS FROM SURROUNDING AREAS DEPEND. CLASS 3 LANDS IN THIS CLASS HAVE SLIGHT LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. CAPABILITY ON THESE LANDS IS MODERATELY HIGH, BUT PRODUCTIVITY MAY BE REDUCED IN SOME YEARS. SLIGHT LIMITATIONS ARE DUE TO CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAND THAT AFFECT THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF HABITAT, OR TO CLIMATIC FACTORS THAT LIMIT THE MOBILITY OF UNGULATES OR THE AVAILABILITY OF FOOD AND COVER. CLASS 3W LANDS IN THIS SPECIAL CLASS ARE CLASS 3 AREAS THAT ARE WINTER RANGES ON WHICH ANIMALS FROM SURROUNDING AREAS DEPEND. CLASS 4 LANDS IN THIS CLASS HAVE MODERATE LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. CAPABILITY ON THESE LANDS IS MODERATE. LIMITATIONS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE IN CLASS 3, BUT THE DEGREE IS GREATER. CLASS 5 LANDS IN THIS CLASS HAVE MODERATELY SEVERE LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. CAPABILITY ON THESE LANDS IS MODERATELY LOW. LIMITATIONS ARE USUALLY A COMBINATION OF TWO OR MORE OF CLIMATE, SOIL MOISTURE, FERTILITY, DEPTH OF BEDROCK OR OTHER IMPERVIOUS LAYERS, TOPOGRAPHY, FLOODING, EXPOSURE, AND ADVERSE SOIL CHARACTERISTICS. CLASS 6 LANDS IN THIS CLASS HAVE SEVERE LIMITATIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF UNGULATES. CAPABILITY ON THESE LANDS IS VERY LOW. LIMITATIONS ARE SO SEVERE THAT THEY ARE EASILY RECOGNIZED; FOR EXAMPLE, SOIL DEPTH MAY BE NEGLIGIBLE OR CLIMATIC FACTORS SO EXTREME THAT UNGULATE POPULATIONS ARE SEVERELY REDUCED. CLASS 7 LANDS IN THIS CLASS HAVE LIMITATIONS SO SEVERE THAT THERE IS NO UNGULATE PRODUCTION. SUBCLASS DESCRIPTIONS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CLASS 1, THE CLASSES ARE DIVIDED INTO SUBCLASSES ACCORDING TO THE NATURE OF THE LIMITATIONS, WHICH DETERMINE THE CLASS. IN MOST CASES THE LIMITATIONS DO NOT AFFECT THE ANIMALS THEMSELVES, BUT RATHER THE ABILITY OF THE LAND TO PRODUCE SUITABLE FOOD AND COVER PLANTS. FOR CONVENIENCE THE SUBCLASSES ARE PLACED IN TWO MAIN GROUPS: THOSE RELATING TO CLIMATE AND THOSE RELATING TO INHERENT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAND. CLIMATE THE FOLLOWING ARE USED TO DENOTE SIGNIFICANT CLIMATIC FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT EITHER THE ANIMALS OR THE ABILITY OF THE LAND TO PRODUCE SUITABLE FOOD AND COVER. 'A' ARIDITY - DROUGHT OR ARIDITY THAT ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE HABITAT. 'C' CLIMATE - A COMBINATION OF CLIMATIC FACTORS ACTING TO REDUCE FAVOURABLE HABITAT, AND THE PRODUCTION AND SURVIVAL OF UNGULATES. 'Q' SNOW DEPTH - EXCESSIVE SNOW DEPTH THAT REDUCES THE MOBILITY OF UNGULATES AND AVAILABILITY OF FOOD PLANTS. 'U' EXPOSURE OR ASPECT - SPECIAL CLIMATIC FACTORS, SUCH AS EXPOSURE TO PREVAILING WINTER WINDS, THAT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ANIMALS OR THEIR HABITAT. LAND THE FOLLOWING SUBCLASSES ARE USED TO DENOTE SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS OF LAND THAT LIMIT ITS USEFULNESS FOR PRODUCING SUITABLE FOOD AND COVER. SOME MAY ALSO HAVE A SLIGHT ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE ANIMALS. 'F' FERTILITY - LACK OF NUTRIENTS IN THE SOIL FOR OPTIMUM PLANT GROWTH. 'G' LANDFORM - POOR DISTRIBUTION OR INTERSPERSION OF LANDFORMS NECESSARY FOR OPTIMUM UNGULATE HABITAT. 'I' INUNDATION - EXCESSIVE WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATION OR TIDAL ACTION THAT ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE HABITAT OR SURVIVAL OF UNGULATES. 'M' SOIL MOISTURE - POOR SOIL MOISTURE, EITHER EXCESSIVE OR DEFICIENT. 'N' ADVERSE SOIL CHARACTERISTICS - EXCESSIVE SALINITY, LACK OF ESSENTIAL TRACE ELEMENTS, OR ABUNDANCE OF TOXIC ELEMENTS IN THE SOIL. 'R' SOIL DEPTH - RESTRICTION OF THE ROOTING ZONE BY BEDROCK OR OTHER IMPERVIOUS LAYERS. 'T' ADVERSE TOPOGRAPHY - EITHER STEEPNESS OR FLATNESS OF THE LAND. EXAMPLES AN AREA OF CLASS 5 LAND WITH TOPOGRAPHY AND SOIL FERTILITY LIMITATIONS TO DEER PRODUCTION AS SHOWN: 5**TF*D AN AREA OF WHICH 70% IS CLASS 4 FOR DEER WITH LIMITATIONS DUE TO SNOW DEPTH AND TOPOGRAPHY AND 30% IN CLASS 3 WINTERING AREA FOR ELK AND MOOSE WITH SLIGHT LIMITATIONS DUE TO SNOW DEPTH: 4*7QT**3W3Q*EM AN IMPORTANT WINTERING AREA FOR DEER AND MOUNTAIN SHEEP OF WHICH 60% IS CLASS 1 AND 40% IS CLASS 1 WITH SLIGHT LIMITATIONS DUE TO EXPOSED BEDROCK AS SHOWN: 1W6***DS*2W4R*DS ASTERISKS (*) REPRESENT BLANKS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION SEE 'THE CANADA LAND INVENTORY LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION FOR WILDLIFE', REPORT NO. 7, 1970.