Risk to soil and water quality from agriculture indicator: data sources and methods, chapter 3

3. Data

3.1 Data source

The Soil and Water Quality Agri-Environmental Performance Indices are taken from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Agri-Environmental Indicator Report Series - Report #4.

3.2 Spatial coverage

All indicators used in the Soil and Water Quality Agri-Environmental Performance Indices are calculated at a national scale except for the Risk of Soil Salinization Indicator, which is only calculated for the three Prairie Provinces where salinization is a major issue.

The underlying data for the indices originate from the Soil Landscapes of Canada map, the Census of Agriculture, provincial agencies, the private sector and remote sensing data sources.

3.3 Temporal coverage

Because some indicator data are drawn from the Census of Agriculture, the Soil and Water Quality Agri-Environmental Performance Indices are updated every five years on census years.

3.4 Data timeliness

The data presented in the indicators are the most current available at the time of production of these indicators. The indicator is published every 5-years following the publication of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Agri-Environmental Indicator Report Series report.