The mapping of land capability for forestry is based on a national
classification system comparable with the other Canada Land Inventory
sectors. Land is rated according to seven classes on its capability to
grow commercial timber in areas stocked with the optimum number and
species of trees. This rating considers the land in its natural state,
without improvements such as fertilization, drainage, or amelioration
practices. This dataset contains Land Capability Ratings for the
surveyed portions of the province of Quebec.
Land ratings and classes may change, however, significant changes will
only be achieved through costly and continuing practices. The best lands
for tree growth are Class 1 while Class 7 land can not yield timber in
commercial quantities, these represent the extremes. Sub-class
attributes explain the specific limitations of the area, using a series
of codes. Explanation of these codes is found at: http://geogratis.cgdi.gc.ca/cgi-bin/geogratis/cli/forestry.pl
The capability mappings have a scale of 1:250,000 and are accomplished
through interpretation of air photographs and field surveys.