Ecological Regions of North America

Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Entity_and_Attribute_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Publication_Date: unpublished

Title: Ecological Regions of North America

Edition: draft 1

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

Online_Linkage: <ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/cec_na/>

Description:

Abstract:

These draft files of of Level I, II, and III ecological regions of North America are an update and revision of files developed by Canada, the United States, and Mexico in the late 1990's in a cooperative project for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC 1997). The CEC was created under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) to address regional environmental concerns, help prevent potential trade and environmental conflicts and promote the effective enforcement of environmental law. The Agreement complements the environmental provisions established in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

These revised ecological regions were developed in a meeting between representatives of the three nations and CEC in April 2006 in Newport, Oregon. They are considered draft and subject to further refinements.

Commission for Environmental Cooperation. 1997. Ecological regions of North America: toward a common perspective. Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 71pp.

Purpose:

REQUIRED: A summary of the intentions with which the data set was developed.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date:

REQUIRED: The year (and optionally month, or month and day) for which the data set corresponds to the ground.

Currentness_Reference:

REQUIRED: The basis on which the time period of content information is determined.

Status:

Progress: REQUIRED: The state of the data set.

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency:

REQUIRED: The frequency with which changes and additions are made to the data set after the initial data set is completed.

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -180.000000

East_Bounding_Coordinate: 180.000000

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 84.132633

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 6.630919

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus:

REQUIRED: Reference to a formally registered thesaurus or a similar authoritative source of theme keywords.

Theme_Keyword:

REQUIRED: Common-use word or phrase used to describe the subject of the data set.

Access_Constraints:

REQUIRED: Restrictions and legal prerequisites for accessing the data set.

Use_Constraints:

REQUIRED: Restrictions and legal prerequisites for using the data set after access is granted.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Instructions:

For additional information, contact James M. Omernik, USGS, c/o U.S. EPA, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis,OR 97333, phone (541) 754-4458, email: omernik.james@epa.gov; or Glenn Griffith, Dynamac Corporation, US Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 phone: (541) 754-4465, email: griffith.glenn@epa.gov; or for GIS and map information, Brian Moran, Indus Corporation, c/o U.S. EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory (NHEERL), 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333; phone: (541) 754-4361; email: moran.brian@epa.gov.

Native_Data_Set_Environment:

Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.1.0.722

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector

Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: G-polygon

Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 2088

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Planar:

Map_Projection:

Map_Projection_Name: Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area

Lambert_Azimuthal_Equal_Area:

Longitude_of_Projection_Center: -100.000000

Latitude_of_Projection_Center: 45.000000

False_Easting: 0.000000

False_Northing: 0.000000

Planar_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair

Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 0.016384

Ordinate_Resolution: 0.016384

Planar_Distance_Units: meters

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: D_Sphere_ARC_INFO

Ellipsoid_Name: Sphere_ARC_INFO

Semi-major_Axis: 6370997.000000

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: infinity

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: na_ecoregions

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: FID

Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain:

Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Shape

Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: OBJECTID

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: AREA

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: PERIMETER

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: LEVEL2

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: LEVEL1

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: LEVEL3

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: NAME

Overview_Description:

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

LNTYPE = item representing the Level I, II or III Ecoregion boundary type

1 = level I ecoregion boundary

2 = level II ecoregion boundary

3 = level III ecoregion boundary

8 = coastline

Polygon Attributes:

Level1 = CEC Level I Ecoregion code

Level2 = CEC Level II Ecoregion code

Level3 = CEC Level III Ecoregion code

Distribution_Information:

Resource_Description: Downloadable Data

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Transfer_Size: 21.968

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20060501

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:

REQUIRED: The organization responsible for the metadata information.

Contact_Person: REQUIRED: The person responsible for the metadata information.

Contact_Address:

Address_Type:

REQUIRED: The mailing and/or physical address for the organization or individual.

City: REQUIRED: The city of the address.

State_or_Province: REQUIRED: The state or province of the address.

Postal_Code: REQUIRED: The ZIP or other postal code of the address.

Contact_Voice_Telephone:

REQUIRED: The telephone number by which individuals can speak to the organization or individual.

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time

Metadata_Extensions:

Online_Linkage: <http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html>

Profile_Name: ESRI Metadata Profile