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Projects & Initiatives

Biodiversity Mapping and Assessment Tool  Use

Informed decision-making is grounded in science. Learn to identify biodiversity hotspots on your landscape.

Dave Hoefler

How to Use the Prairie Biodiversity Mapping and Assessment Tool

Access the Prairie Biodiversity Mapping and Assessment Tool for data at your fingertips!

No need to download any programs – follow the steps below to launch and navigate the tool.

Launch the Prairie Biodiversity Mapping and Assessment Tool

Biodiversity Mapping tool screenshot

Get to know the icons

Search bar

- Enter the place name, address or legal land description (e.g. NW28-7-27-W2 OR NW-33-07-15-W) in the ‘Search Bar’.
- Click to select the desired search result to automatically zoom to your location of interest. Your location of interest will be highlighted in blue.
- Click the X to the right of the ‘Search Bar’ to deselect and clear the search.

Layer list and eye icon

Toggle on/off data layer visibility by clicking the eye icon next to the layer name.

Legend

Defines what the colours of the data layers represent.

Yellow = high
Purple = low

Zoom

Click the +/- icons or use your computer mouse wheel to zoom in and out. Left click and drag your mouse cursor to pan around the map.

Default view

Return to the default map view by clicking this icon.

Change Basemap

Select the ‘Basemap’ icon to change the underlying basemap from satellite imagery to a different style.

Change Basemap

The Pop-up Window

After clicking the map over your desired quarter section or placename search result, you’ll see a pop-up window appear displaying biodiversity data of the underlying grid cell.
You can choose to dock this pop-up window to the side of your screen by selecting the icon indicated by the red box.

Popup window

How to use the tool

Tool main screen

Launch the tool

Click here to Launch the tool (may take a few seconds to load).

Explore the map

Once you are familiar with the icons, ensure you have the Predicted Number of Species and Species List data layer selected.
Click anywhere on the map (within the boundary of the Prairies Ecozone) to view the Predicted Number of Species and Species List pop-up.
Click “zoom to” in the pop-up for an up-close view of the data.
Close the pop-up or right click the grid cell to clear your selection.

Search for a location

Use the search bar to enter a place name, address or legal land description and click the search result to zoom to your location of interest.

Review your results

Your location of interest is highlighted in blue.

Left click anywhere within the highlighted feature to see a pop-up of the Predicted Number of Species and Species List at that location.

About the Prairie Biodiversity Mapping and Assessment Tool

About the Prairie Biodiversity Mapping and Assessment Tool

New resource maps biodiversity hotspots to guide Prairie conservation.

How to use the tool

How to use the tool

Steps to identify and predict biodiversity hotspots.

Biodiversity Mapping Assessment Tool  FAQ

Biodiversity Mapping Assessment Tool  FAQ

Find information, guidance and troubleshooting tips.

Data request form

Data request form

Complete the Data Request Form to request access to the Prairie Biodiversity Mapping and Assessment Tool data (non-commercial use only).