MLRA REGION 10 NEWSLETTER--MAY 1, 1998 NASIS 4.0 UPDATE The NASIS 4.0 Beta test will begin May 11th and end May 29th. The five beta test sites are MO16, MO12, MO5, MO4, and NSSC. NASIS 4.0 will be released July 31st. More NASIS 4.0 information is available on the NASIS home page at: http://pestilence.ftc.nrcs.usda.gov. NASIS Hotline ######################################################################### NASIS PLANS IN MLRA REGION 10 NASIS 2.0 and NASIS 3.1 are currently both supported. Most data editing is currently being performed in NASIS 3.1. NASIS 2.0 currently serves two functions: 1) to import data from SSSD, and 2) to edit data for a handful of survey areas. Plans are to finish with the SSSD conversions and imports by June 1. After that, all data in 2.0 will be migrated to NASIS 3.1. The NASIS 2.0 site at MLRA Region 10 will them be decommissioned. During the months of May and June, MLRA Region 10 will receive from the states it serves data to be imported directly into its NASIS 3.1 system. The goal is to have the data for 317 counties and national forests (the survey areas for which MLRA Region 10 is responsible) in NASIS 3.1 by July 1. That goal accomplished, the NASIS 4.0 software upgrade can then be loaded. Submitted by John Handler ######################################################################### MLRA DATA DEVELOPMENT IN NASIS The MLRA Region 10 Staff is putting the finishing touches on procedures to use in the correlation of soils data on an MLRA basis in NASIS. Some project leaders and correlators started MLRA correlation procedures prior to the NASIS era. SSSD was used in many of these instances to manage the data. Unfortunately, SSSD was not designed to handle this task well, so the data base management chores, despite good intentions, had limited success. However, these good intentions can now be used very successfully in NASIS. These prior experiences with MLRA correlation were put to good use in developing the procedures we hope to now use in NASIS. Your MLRA Region 10 correlator will explain these NASIS procedures at field reviews this summer. Or, if you wish advance information, please contact any of the staff at the MLRA Region 10 Office. ######################################################################### LAN WAN COMMUNCATIONS From the MLRA Region 5 office in Salina: "It is becoming a common complaint that some of you are having difficulty establishing a connection to the NASIS machine. And, you are being kicked off after a connection is established. "Those of you who are using LAN/WAN for a connection are connecting to the internet through the Kansas City Computer Center. The reason for these problems is that there are more offices using LAN/WAN than there are modems in Kansas City." So, as you can see, project offices in other parts of the country (not just in MLRA Region 10) are having difficulties doing NASIS work using the Kansas City connection. Speed of the connection (while still an issue) seems to have taken a back seat to the two issues of efficiency amd productivity in using LAN WAN communications in getting the NASIS data editing accomplished. These difficulties were discussed during a national teleconference with State Soil Scientists, MLRA Region Team Leaders, Regional Office staff, NSSC Staff, Ft. Collins Staff, and NHQ staff. Now that the agency's decision makers are aware of the problem, hopefully a workable solution can be in place soon. Submitted by: John Handler ######################################################################### MANUSCRIPT REVIEW REQUIREMENTS Submitted by Lynn DesLauriers, SDQS (Manuscripts and Interpretations) Patti West (Editor) In the past 6 years I have reviewed manuscripts of varying formats. This has included narrative to semi-tabular to MUG (map unit generator) format. For the most part the manuscripts that have been submitted have been well organized and well written. There have been occasions where necessary parts of the manuscript have been omitted for one reason or another. Lately, I have had manuscripts that have not included all of the correlation amendments for the correlation document. It is essential to know the existence and content of all correlation amendments when reviewing a manuscript. This article will review what is required for the submission of a manuscript for technical review and English edit. 1. One hard copy and the electronic files of the completed manuscript (the files should not be merged, but be left separate). The electronic files can be sent via electronic transfer (uucp) or on a disk. This should be submitted to Lynn DesLauriers. 2. The electronic files of the MUIR data base if the manuscript and/or tables were generated from SSSD. If the manuscript was generated using NASIS, no files are needed, since the database is accessible by everyone with access to NASIS. MUIR database files should submitted to John Handler, SDQS (Databases). 3. A copy of the correlation document and all accompanying amendments. 4. Any checklists used to maintain consistency within the manuscript. 5. A cartographic check print of the block diagrams and a draft of the general soils map. The MLRA Office will order final proofs of the block diagrams, and the general soils map and accompanying legends from NCG. Generally, you should submit one block diagram for every two general association descriptions. 6. A list of the references for the manuscript (or bibliography) identifying where in the manuscript they are used. 7. All photographs to be used in the manuscript and their captions. Please list where in the manuscript they are used. 8. Captions on the photographs should do a good job of describing what you are trying to illustrate with the photo. For profile photos discuss the horizons of the soil and characteristics of the soil visible on the photo, i.e., color, lime content, redox features, rock fragments, etc. Landscape and cover photos captions should describe position of the soils on the landscape, visible soil characteristics, use and management, etc. Please say more than, "Corn on an area of Alpha loam, 6 to 12 percent slopes." Instead say, "An area of Alpha loam, 6 to 12 percent slopes. Corn is suited to these soils, but there is a moderate hazard of water erosion." Please make sure that any statements you make in the captions do not contradict statements that you make in the use and management sections or in the tables. 9. Color photographs can be used for cover pictures and soil profile pictures. An original slide of each color photograph should be submitted with the manuscript. It is best to use slide film to photograph soil profiles, because making a slide from a print or print negative does not normally produce a good slide. A minimum of four slides of soil profiles should be submitted, but more are preferred. 10. Landscape photographs must be black and white. Please submit two glossy 8 X 10 prints for each black and white photograph used. ######################################################################### MLRA REGION 10 WEB SITE The MLRA Region 10 staff is currently developing a web site. We have borrowed ideas from other sites, and even have a few of our own! If you wish to contribute to the design and layout, or have ideas on what should be included for content and subject matter, please send those to John Handler. ######################################################################### INTERESTING (SOILS RELATED) WEB SITES http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nssc/field_gd/field_gd.htm The "Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils" is at this site. It is currently in PDF format and you need Adobe Acrobat 3.0 (free software) to obtain the Guide from this site. The field book will be published in a 4x7" loose leaf format to fit in a six punch loose binder (similar in size and format to the Munsell Soil Color Charts). http://www.nv.nrcs.usda.gov/mlra/p1/mlrapg1.htm MLRA Region 3 (Northern Basin and Range Region) home page. http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/soildiv/sslists/sslist.html National list of published soil surveys. http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nssh National Soil Survey Handbook http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/keytax Keys to Soil Taxonomy, seventh edition, 1996 http://www.usda.gov/servicecenter/lwv_index.html LAN-WAN_Voice Project home page. http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nssc National Soil Survey Center home page. http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/soils_data.html USDA-NRCS Data Resources site. This site contains links to OSDs, MUIR, NASIS, Keys to Taxonomy, National Hydric Soils lists, Soil Survey Handbook, Soil Survey Manual, Soils Data Dictionary, State Soil Geographic Database (STATSGO), and others. http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/cgi-bin/sc/sclist.cgi This site can be used to view a list of soil series with the same classification, which in turn can be used to develop the Competing Series part of an OSD. Reports can be created for viewing, printing, or downloading. ######################################################################### CHANGED ADDRESSES Rod Kyar and Mike Walczynski have finished their duties with the Hubbard County, Minnesota soil survey, and have joined the St. Louis County, Minnesota soil survey. Rod is stationed in Virginia, Mike in Duluth. Lenora Lemke (Soil Scientist, Student Trainee) and Trudy Pink (Soil Scientist), have joined the Swift County Update soil survey in Minnesota. Thomas Neuenfeldt was selected for the Soil Scientist position located at Fond Du Lac Community College in Cloquet, Minnesota effective April 12, 1998. Tom recently finished the Hubbard County Minnesota soil survey. ######################################################################### Last month, the following x3780 files were sent to offices having SSSD: x3780.415frig on Apr 3 (10 updated OSDs) @ x3780.416mes on Apr 6 ( 9 updated OSDs) * x3780.417frig on Apr 8 ( 7 updated OSDs) @ @ Sent to offices using soils in the frigid soil temperature regime. * Sent to offices using soils in the mesic soil temperature regime. # Sent to all offices. ######################################################################### ACTIVITY SCHEDULE (through June 15--subject to change) May 18-22 Codington Cty SD subset of MLRA 102A Initial Field Rev Giencke May 18-22 Blackhawk Cty IA subset of MLRA 104 Initial Field Rev Hempel Handler Jun 8-9 MLRA Region 10 Board of Directors Meeting McCloskey Giencke Jun 15-16 North Central Region 3 (NCR3) Meeting McCloskey Giencke ######################################################################### CONTRIBUTIONS, IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, AND QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME. Please submit your items at least five days before the end of the month for inclusion in that month's newsletter. Otherwise it will appear the following month. Thanks to those individuals who participated this month. This newsletter is intended to be a forum to distribute information of a general nature that will benefit soil scientists in soil survey project offices. It is hoped that it will foster communications and sharing of knowledge among those soil scientists in MLRA Region 10. The format of this newsletter is intentionally simple so that it can be received, printed, and read by the project office having the least sophisticated computer setup. #########################################################################