The City of Edmonton has secured an extensive network of natural areas that include the North Saskatchewan River Valley, associated ravines, tableland wetlands and upland forests.

These natural areas, in combination with semi-natural areas, are the foundation of Edmonton’s ecological network – a key natural City asset that conserves both the region’s natural biodiversity and local ecological services.

In order to effectively manage this natural areas network, the City uses a vegetation database called the “urban Primary Land and Vegetation Inventory (uPLVI).” Edmonton recently developed this natural asset inventory to establish a baseline against which future land cover and land use change can be measured and evaluated through time.