CCISS Western North America BEC Tables

These data tables describe biogeoclimatic units for Western North America. These data were assembled as inputs to the Climate Change Informed Species Selection (CCISS) framework. The CCISS framework is built on Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC). CCISS uses spatial climatic analogs (BEC subzone/variants) to make inferences about future tree species suitability, known as biogeoclimatic projections. Creating species suitability projections for the future climates of British Columbia requires finding climate analogs in Alberta and the Western US. For Alberta, we adapted the Ecological Classification of Alberta (e.g., Archibald et al. 1996), with 21 natural subregions (Natural Regions Committee 2006) as the biogeoclimatic map units and 167 ecological sites as the site series units. For Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, northern California, and northwestern Wyoming, we use a draft biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification for the Western US developed by Del Meidinger and Will MacKenzie. Biogeoclimatic units are detailed in the: Western North America Biogeoclimatic Units Attribute Table. The CCISS tool predicts climate change implications to tree species environmental suitability at a site series level. We have compiled sites series information for Western North America biogeoclimatic units, detailed in; Site Series Information Table and Edatopic Space Table.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Last Updated April 17, 2026, 17:34 (UTC)
Created April 17, 2026, 17:34 (UTC)
contact_email Colin.Mahony@gov.bc.ca
contact_person {"en": "Forest Carbon and Climate Services Branch", "fr": "Forest Carbon and Climate Services Branch"}
criticality_level []
data_dictionary ["society"]
geographic_scope []
open_canada_collection federated
open_canada_date_published 2025-04-30 00:00:00
open_canada_keywords {"en": ["Forestry", "Future Forest Ecosystems Centre", "climate change", "climate change adaptation", "environmental suitability", "ffec", "tree species"], "fr-t-en": ["Foresterie", "Centre des écosystèmes forestiers du futur", "changement climatique", "adaptation au changement climatique", "adéquation environnementale", "ffec", "espèces d'arbres"]}
open_canada_subject ["society_and_culture"]
sensitivity_level unrestricted
title_fr
update_frequency irregular