Natural Heritage Information Centre

Geographic Query Instructions

Natural Areas and Element Occurrence data can be accessed through the Geographic Query. To use the Geographic Query the user must first zoom-in (using the magnifying icon) to the area in Ontario for which they are seeking information. To display the NHIC data, make the Natural Areas, Rare Species and/or Vegetation Community themes active in the legend on the left side of the map. The Natural Areas are displayed as stars and the Rare Species are represented by 1 km by 1 km boxes. The detailed information can be obtained by selecting the features (one left click) on the map, and then right-clicking on the selection to see the available options. To view information on a Natural Area, select 'Natural Areas Report' from the menu. A new window appears on the screen with information for the selected natural area.

Information on rare species is accessible in a similar manner. Left click on the occurrence(s) of rare species for which you would like information. By right-clicking over the selected features the user is presented with two options on the menu for accessing information (see figure below). The 'Species Info' option generates a window that contains a report of generalized information on the occurrence. The rank of the species is reported along with the observation date, generalized UTM coordinates, the county and the NTS map sheet number. The 'Detailed Species Info' is only accessible to qualified persons who have completed the NHIC Sensitivity Training Workshop. This detailed information includes the species name and conservation rank, the UTM coordinates (Zone, Easting and Northing), locational information and UTM accuracy.

To search for specific records, pick 'Select" from the right-mouse-click record. The 'Select' menu also provides the user with the option of digitizing a polygon on-screen and viewing the enclosed records. Multiple records with the same EO-ID may display on the web page as observation points for and EO are also displayed.

The UTM accuracy is an important factor to consider in the geographic query. All Element Occurrences are assigned a level of accuracy for the Easting and Northing data. The descriptions of the accuracy codes are listed in the table below.

UTM Accuracy Code and Description of the Accuracy
0     Accurate to within 1 metre
1     Accurate to within 10 metres
2     Accurate to within 100 metres
3     Accurate to within 1 km
4     Accurate to within 10 km
5     Accuracy is greater than 10 km (unmappable)

Sensitive species are not included in the dataset of EOs nor displayed in the Geographic Query. It was decided that posting the generalised locations of these species could potentially cause the species to be at further risk.