Help topics

Open the quick search toolbar by clicking on the search icon located in the upper right corner of most pages.

Search for a Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) or ecological site by entering its name or ID (or a portion of its name or ID) into the search bar. Including the MLRA in an ecological site search phrase can help narrow the results.

Press enter or click on the search (magnifying glass) button to retrieve a list of matching items.

Alternatively, click on the current location (pin) button to retrieve a list of MLRAs and ecological site ecological sites associated with your current location (location services must be enabled).

Click on the desired list item to navigate to the corresponding MLRA or ecological site description page.

Select a Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) of interest using one of several tools located on the esd catalog page. Tools can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate content menu tab. Standard options include MLRA list, MLRA map, and MLRA photos. Once a selection has been made, you will be redirected to the description page of the selected MLRA.

Select an ecological site of interest using one of several tools located on the description page of the selected MLRA. Tools can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate content menu tab. Standard options include ecological site list, ecological site keys, and ecological site photos. Once a selection has been made, you will be redirected to the description page of the selected ecological site.

Pages of frequently visited MLRAs and ecological sites can be bookmarked for rapid navigation in the future. Some browsers also allow ecological site description pages to be saved for offline viewing.

Quickly navigate to a Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) or ecological site of interest by adding the MLRA or ecological site to your briefcase. Items can be added by clicking on the briefcase icon wherever it occurs.

View your briefcase contents by selecting briefcase from the content menu of the catalog, MLRA description, ecological site description, or user dashboard page. Drag and drop briefcase items to reorder. Remove items by clicking on the remove icon in the upper right.

Click on the label of a MLRA briefcase item to navigate to the description page of that MLRA. Likewise, click on the label of an ecological site briefcase item to navigate to the description page of that ecological site.

Cookies are used to store briefcase items between browsing sessions. Because of this, the number of items that can be added to your briefcase is limited, and briefcase items added on one device and browser cannot be accessed from another device or browser. Users who do not wish to place cookies on their devices should not use the briefcase tool. Briefcase cookies serve no other purpose than described here and are deleted whenever browsing history is cleared.

Navigate to the description page of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) using methods described in other help topics.

Select ecological site keys from the content menu to display one or more single-access ecological site key, if available. Most keys require detailed information about a location that can only be acquired in the field. Keys can be downloaded in PDF format by clicking on the appropriate PDF icon.

To use ecological site keys in a more interactive fashion, choose ecological site list from the content menu. Click on the interactive key filter option, located above the ecological site list, to open a popup containing the interactive key. Select the appropriate criteria as they are made available. Close the filter window at any time to view which ecological sites in the list meet the selected criteria.

Navigate to the description page of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) using methods described in other help topics.

Select ecological site map from the content menu to display an interactive map centered on the selected MLRA. Zoom in to display soil survey map units if they are not currently visible.

Click on a location to identify the map unit and correlated ecological sites at that location. A popup will appear containing symbols, names, and approximate percentages of ecological sites correlated to (i.e., occuring in) the map unit.

Your current location can also be used to select a soil survey map unit. This is done by expanding the find me options located in the upper right corner of the map and clicking on the ecological site button (location services must be enabled).

View a brief description of a correlated ecological site by clicking on its name in the map popup.

Add all correlated ecological sites to your briefcase by clicking on the add to briefcase button.

This search option is currently only available for the Ecological Site Descriptions catalog. Users should note that there is no guarantee that all of the ecological sites actually present within a map unit have been accurately documented by the soil survey. Field sampling is typically the only reliable way to determine which ecological sites are represented at a geographic location.

Navigate to the description page of the desired ecological site using methods described in other help topics.

Select print from the content menu of the description page to display printing options.

Check the sections you wish to print and select the font you wish to use for printing. All description sections are checked by default.

Click on the print button to open your browser's printer controls. Modern Chrome browser's can print to PDF without the need for additional software. Other browsers do not have this functionality (although free software is available and can be installed on your computer to print to PDF). See the download an ecological site description in PDF format help topic to learn how to download PDF documents directly.

Navigate to the description page of the desired ecological site using methods described in other help topics.

Select general information from the content menu and look for the download full description link near the bottom of the page. Click on the link.

To customize the content and look of a PDF document, use the print options described in the print an ecological site description help topic or download documents using EDIT web services.

Navigate to the description page of the desired ecological site using methods described in other help topics.

Choose ecological dynamics from the content menu and then click on the view interactive models link located above the state and transition model diagram.

Navigate to the model page of the desired ecological site using methods described in other help topics.

Models can be viewed in a number of different formats (list model, circle-spoke model, and scenario model) by clicking on the appropriate content menu tab.

The list model displays the state and transition model as a vertical list of states. A state has the potential to transition to another state if there is an arrow linking the two states. Transition arrows, shown in red, are arranged along the left margin of the state list. Restoration pathway arrows, shown in green, are arranged along the right margin of the list.

Click on a state box to highlight those transitions pointing away from the selected state (when the from selected box option is selected) or towards the selected state (when the to selected box option is selected). Click on the box again to show all states and transitions.

Click on a box label or transition arrow to display more detailed information about that state or transition. Use the previous and next buttons to browse other states or transitions in the model.

Navigate to the model page of the desired ecological site using methods described in other help topics.

Models can be viewed in a number of different formats (list model, circle-spoke model, and scenario model) by clicking on the appropriate content menu tab.

The circle-spoke model displays the state and transition model in a circle-spoke arrangement, with one state positioned at the center of the diagram and all other states positioned along the periphery. The center state has the potential to transition to another state if there is an arrow radiating out toward the peripheral state. Likewise, a peripheral state has the potential to transition to the center state if there is an arrow leading from it toward the center.

Select the from hub option to view transition arrows pointing away from the center state. Select the to hub option to view transition arrows pointing toward the center state.

A peripheral state can be moved to the center of the diagram by clicking on the move to center icon of that state.

Click on a state label or transition arrow to display more detailed information about that state or transition. Use the previous and next buttons to browse other states or transitions in the model.

Navigate to the model page of the desired ecological site using methods described in other help topics.

Models can be viewed in a number of different formats (list model, circle-spoke model, and scenario model) by clicking on the appropriate content menu tab.

The scenario model consists of three boxes: the current ecosystem state, the target ecosystem state, and the management practices and/or drivers that are known to facilitate the transition between the two states.

Click on the box representing the current ecosystem state to view a list of all states represented in the model. Select the model state corresponding to the current state of your location of interest.

Click on the box representing the target ecosystem state to view a list of all states represented in the model (except the one selected as the current ecosystem state). Select the model state corresponding to the desired state of your location of interest. The management practices/drivers box will update with information about the transition from the current ecosystem state to the target ecosystem state.

Alternatively, click on the management practices/drivers box to view a list of all potential transitions from the current ecosystem state to another. The target ecosystem state will update each time a new transition is selected from the list.

Click on a state or transition label to display more detailed information about that state or transition. Use the previous and next buttons to browse other states or transitions in the model.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select catalog activity list from the content menu to view a list of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) you have permission to edit, review, view, or certify.

Choose a MLRA from the list by clicking on its name or image. New options for interacting with the MLRA will appear in the content menu.

Select MLRA users from the content menu to view user management tools.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select catalog activity list from the content menu to view a list of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) whose ecological sites you have permission to edit, review, view, or certify.

Choose a MLRA from the list by clicking on its name or image. New options for interacting with the MLRA will appear in the content menu.

Select MLRA activity list from the content menu to view a list of ecological sites you have permission to edit, review, view, or certify.

Choose an ecological site from the list by clicking on its name or image. New options for interacting with the ecological site will appear in the content menu.

Select ecological site users from the content menu to view user management tools.

Navigate to user management tools of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) or ecological site using steps described in the open MLRA user management tools or open ecological site user management tools help topic.

Select the desired user from the user list. Then select the role you would like the user to have (lead contributor, contributor, quality control, language editor, quality assurance, reviewer, or viewer). Users already assigned to the selected role will be listed in the user role table.

Click on the cell labeled all content to apply the selected user role to all content types. Alternatively, apply user permissions to a specific content type by clicking on the cell labeled with that type. The user role table will be updated with the change.

Double click on a user's name to remove that user from his or her current role.

Navigate to user management tools of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) or ecological site using steps described in the open MLRA user management tools or open ecological site user management tools help topic.

Click on the invite/add a new user option located below the user role table. Text boxes will appear for entering the user's name and email.

Click on the send invitation button to create a new user account and send login instructions to the provided email.

Navigate to user management tools of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) or ecological site using steps described in the open MLRA user management tools or open ecological site user management tools help topic.

Search the user list for the desired user. Click on the user's name and then click on the remove (trash) icon. The user will be removed from the current catalog upon confirmation.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select user profile from the content menu. Then click on the edit profile link to load a form for editing user profile information.

Enter your current password and new password and click save.

If you do not know your current password, click on the password reset button located at the bottom of the login window. Submit your email to receive additional instructions for resetting your password. All steps in the password reset process must be performed using the same device and web browser.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select catalog activity list from the content menu to view a list of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) you have permission to edit, review, view, or certify.

Choose a MLRA from the list by clicking on its name or image. New options for interacting with the MLRA will appear in the content menu.

Select MLRA management from the content menu to view tools for managing the selected MLRA. The revision status section indicates the current revision status of the MLRA. The quick links section displays available options for managing the MLRA based on its revision status and your user role.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select catalog activity list from the content menu to view a list of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) whose ecological sites you have permission to edit, review, view, or certify.

Choose a MLRA from the list by clicking on its name or image. New options for interacting with the MLRA will appear in the content menu.

Select MLRA activity list from the content menu to view a list of ecological sites you have permission to edit, review, view, or certify.

Choose an ecological site from the list by clicking on its name or image. New options for interacting with the ecological site will appear in the content menu.

Select ecological site management from the content menu to view tools for managing the selected ecological site. The revision status section indicates the current revision status of the ecological site. The quick links section displays available options for managing the ecological site based on its revision status and your user role.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select catalog activity list from the content menu to view a list of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) you have permission to edit, review, view, or certify.

Choose the desired MLRA from the list by clicking on its name or image. New options for interacting with the MLRA will appear in the content menu.

Select MLRA activity list from the content menu to view a list of ecological sites you have permission to edit, review, view, or certify.

Click on the add a new ecological site option located at the top of the list. A popup will appear for entering the name and symbol of the ecological site. If the add a new ecological site option does not appear, you do not have permission to create a new ecological site for the selected MLRA.

Provide a name for the ecological site and click next.

Provide a symbol for the ecological site and click create. The ecological site list will reload, with the new ecological site now included.

If you wish to immediately place the ecological site in revision status, check the place in revision status checkbox. The ecological site is placed in revision status by default.

Open the management tools of the desired ecological site as described in the open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Click on the delete button located near the bottom of the page. You will be asked to confirm that you wish to perform the deletion. Upon confirmation, the ecological site and all related data will be permanently deleted and cannot be retrieved. If the delete button does not appear, you do not have permission to delete this ecological site.

Open the management tools of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) or ecological site as described in the open MLRA revision management tools or open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on start revision to enable editing of the MLRA or ecological site description. Management tools will reload with new options for managing the MLRA or ecological site.

If an ecological site revision will not be edited for a long period of time, users are encouraged to publish the revision and specify its development stage as Draft. Draft documents are not publically viewable. The ecological site can be placed back in revision status when editing is required.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select pending tasks from the content menu to view a table of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) and ecological sites that are available for editing.

Click on the MLRA or ecological site you wish to edit, or open management tools as described in the open MLRA revision management tools or open ecological site revision management tools help topic. Lead contributors and contributors can only edit the revision at the revision started step of the revision workflow.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on edit description to navigate to the editing page of the desired MLRA or ecological site description. Other users will be unable to edit the MLRA or ecological site until it has been manually checked in or the revision has been submitted as complete.

Once editing is complete, click on the check in revision quick link to allow other users to access the MLRA or ecological site. Alternatively, scroll to the revisions section of the revision management tools and click on the check in button of the master revision.

Click on the submit completed revision quick link to indicate that edits are no longer being made to the revision and it is ready for quality control review. Only lead contributors and quality assurance can submit a completed revision.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select pending tasks from the content menu to view a table of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) and ecological sites that are available for editing.

Click on the MLRA or ecological site you wish to delete, or open management tools as described in the open MLRA revision management tools or open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Locate the master revision box located at the top of the revision section of the management tools. A delete button is located on the right side of the master revision box. Click on this button to permanently delete the revision and return the MLRA or ecological site description to inactive status. Any published data will not be effected.

Users who would like to prohibit revision editing, but maintain any edits that have already been made, should make the revision inactive. This is done by clicking on the inactive step of the revision status work flow. Editing can be enable again at a later date.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select pending tasks from the content menu to view a table of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) and ecological sites that are available for quality control approval.

Click on the MLRA or ecological site you wish to review, or open management tools as described in the open MLRA revision management tools or open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on review revision to preview edits made to the MLRA or ecological site description.

Comments can be submitted at the bottom of each description section. Enter comments as desired and click save. Comments can also be submitted for each subsection of the state and transition model description (i.e., for each state and transition). Select ecological dynamics from the content menu to view the state and transition model description. Any comments submitted by the reviewer are made available to quality assurance. They are also made available to contributors and lead contributors at the revision started step of the revision workflow (e.g., if the revision is reverted to the revision started step for additional editing).

Once the MLRA or ecological site has been reviewed, click on the submit satisfactory review quick link to submit a satisfactory review. Alternatively, click on the submit unsatisfactory review quick link to request that additional editing be considered. Once a decision is submitted, it will be displayed in the reviews section of the management tools. The reviewer can choose to change the review decision or delete the review completely using buttons located at the right of the relevant review entry.

Click on the submit quality control approval quick link to indicate that the revision has received quality control approval and is ready for language editing.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select pending tasks from the content menu to view a table of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) and ecological sites that are available for language editing.

Click on the MLRA or ecological site you wish to edit, or open management tools as described in the open MLRA revision management tools or open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on edit description to navigate to the editing page of the desired MLRA or ecological site description. Other users will be unable to edit the MLRA or ecological site until language editing approval has been submitted or the revision has been manually checked back in.

Click on the submit language editing approval quick link to indicate that edits are no longer being made to the revision and it is ready for quality assurance review.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select pending tasks from the content menu to view a table of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) and ecological sites that are available for quality assurance approval.

Click on the MLRA or ecological site you wish to review, or open management tools as described in the open MLRA revision management tools or open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on review revision to preview edits made to the MLRA or ecological site description.

Comments can be submitted at the bottom of each description section. Enter comments as desired and click save. Comments can also be submitted for each subsection of the state and transition model description (i.e., for each state and transition). Select ecological dynamics from the content menu to view the state and transition model description. Any comments submitted by the reviewer are made available to quality assurance. They are also made available to contributors and lead contributors at the revision started step of the revision workflow (e.g., if the revision is reverted to the revision started step for additional editing).

Once the MLRA or ecological site has been reviewed, click on the submit satisfactory review quick link to submit a satisfactory review. Alternatively, click on the submit unsatisfactory review quick link to request that additional editing be considered. Once a decision is submitted, it will be displayed in the reviews section of the management tools. The reviewer can choose to change the review decision or delete the review completely using buttons located at the right of the relevant review entry.

Click on the submit quality assurance approval quick link to indicate that the revision has received quality assurance approval and is ready for scientific review.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select pending tasks from the content menu to view a table of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) and ecological sites that are available for scientific review.

Click on the MLRA or ecological site you wish to review, or open management tools as described in the open MLRA revision management tools or open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on review revision to preview edits made to the MLRA or ecological site description.

Comments can be submitted at the bottom of each description section. Enter comments as desired and click save. Comments can also be submitted for each subsection of the state and transition model description (i.e., for each state and transition). Select ecological dynamics from the content menu to view the state and transition model description. Any comments submitted by the reviewer are made available to quality assurance. They are also made available to contributors and lead contributors at the revision started step of the revision workflow (e.g., if the revision is reverted to the revision started step for additional editing).

Once the MLRA or ecological site has been reviewed, click on the submit satisfactory review quick link to submit a satisfactory review. Alternatively, click on the submit unsatisfactory review quick link to request that additional editing be considered. Once a decision is submitted, it will be displayed in the reviews section of the management tools. The reviewer can choose to change the review decision or delete the review completely using buttons located at the right of the relevant review entry.

Click on the submit scientific review approval quick link to indicate that the revision has passed scientific review and is ready for publication.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select pending tasks from the content menu to view a table of Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) and ecological sites that are available for publication.

Click on the MLRA or ecological site you wish to publish, or open management tools as described in the open MLRA revision management tools or open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on publish all content to publish the MLRA or ecological site description. All data previously associated with the description will be replaced and cannot be retrieved. Changes to the description will become publically viewable once development stage is set to anything other than draft.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select pending tasks from the content menu to view a table of ecological sites that are available for certification.

Click on the ecological site you wish to certify, or open management tools as described in the open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on certify to certify the ecological site description for your organization. The certifications section of the management tools will be updated to display the certication. The certifier can choose to delete the certification by clicking on the delete button located at the right of the certification entry.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Open management tools as described in the open MLRA revision management tools or open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on view published description to navigate to the draft MLRA or ecological site description of interest. If the view published description button does not appear, you do not have adequate permissions to view the draft MLRA or ecological site description.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select pending tasks from the content menu to view a table of ecological sites that are available for editing.

Click on the ecological site you wish to edit, or open management tools as described in the open ecological site revision management tools help topic. Lead contributors and contributors can only edit the revision at the revision started step of the revision workflow.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on edit model to navigate to the model builder page of the desired MLRA or ecological site.

You can also navigate to the model builder page from the description editing page. Select ecological dynamics from the content menu and then click on the model builder link located near the bottom of the page.

Select model diagram from the content menu to view the model diagram if not already displayed. The state and transition model is represented as a simple box-and-arrow diagram. A maximum of four states can be displayed at once, in any arrangement, depending upon user preference. Change which state is displayed in a particular box by selecting from the state menu located in the upper right corner of the box. Transition arrows will be automatically updated.

Navigate to the model builder page of the desired ecological site (see the edit a state and transition model help topic). Select model diagram from the content menu to view the model diagram if not already displayed.

Click on the add state icon located above the box you wish to populate. Select the number of new states to add and click create. The model diagram will reload with the new states now included.

Edit data associated with an ecological state by clicking on the desired box label. A form will be displayed for editing state data. Save changes by clicking on the save button located in the upper right corner of the page.

Navigate to the model builder page of the desired ecological site (see the edit a state and transition model help topic). Select model diagram from the content menu to view the model diagram if not already displayed.

Click on the add transition icon located near the transition (arrow) you wish to create. The model diagram will reload upon confirmation, with the new transition now displayed in black rather than grey.

Edit data associated with a transition by clicking on the desired transition label. A form will be displayed for editing transition data. Save changes by clicking on the save button located in the upper right corner of the page.

Navigate to the model builder page of the desired ecological site (see the edit a state and transition model help topic). Select model diagram from the content menu to view the model diagram if not already displayed.

Each state in the model diagram can be associated with its own plant community submodel. Load a submodel diagram by clicking on the main body of the relevant box.

Alternatively, click on the desired box label to display an editing form for the state. Then click on the edit submodel link to load the submodel diagram.

Edit the submodel as described in the add a model state, add a model transition, edit a model state, and edit a model transition help topics.

Navigate to the model builder page of the desired ecological site (see the edit a state and transition model help topic). Select model diagram from the content menu to view the model diagram if not already displayed.

Click on a state box label or transition arrow label to display an editing form for the selected model element.

Click on the delete state, delete transition, delete restoration, delete community, or delete pathway button, depending on the type of element selected. The element and all related data will be deleted upon confirmation. The model diagram will reload, with the deleted element now omitted.

Navigate to the model builder page of the desired ecological site (see the edit a state and transition model help topic). Select model diagram from the content menu to view the model diagram if not already displayed.

Edit data associated with an ecological state by clicking on the desired box label. A form will be displayed for editing state data. Alternatively, select states from the content menu and browse to the desired edit form using the next and previous buttons.

Save changes by clicking on the save button located in the upper right corner of the page.

Saved changes are not immediately displayed in the model diagram. Click on the refresh button to load a new diagram containing all saved changes, if desired.

Do not add images for a land use or ecosystem state if a submodel has or will be created for that land use or ecosystem state.

Navigate to the model builder page of the desired ecological site (see the edit a state and transition model help topic). Select model diagram from the content menu to view the model diagram if not already displayed.

Edit data associated with a transition by clicking on the desired transition label. A form will be displayed for editing transition data. Alternatively, select transitions from the content menu and browse to the desired edit form using the next and previous buttons.

Save changes by clicking on the save button located in the upper right corner of the page.

Saved changes are not immediately displayed in the model diagram. Click on the refresh button to load a new diagram containing all saved changes, if desired.

Navigate to the editing page of the desired ecological site (see the edit a revision help topic) and select climatic features from the content menu. The climate station(s) table is located below the climatic features narrative and displays a list of stations that have been selected for the ecological site.

Add new stations to the table by clicking on the add station(s) button. A map of climate stations will load, and users can click on station locations to view information about each station. Stations intersecting the relevant MLRA are highlighted in green.

Add a selected station to the climate station table by clicking on the add station button.

Once the desired stations have been added, click on the back button. The climate station(s) table will be updated to include any additional stations.

Navigate to the editing page of the desired ecological site (see the edit a revision help topic) and select climatic features from the content menu. The climate station(s) table is located below the climatic features narrative and displays a list of stations that have been selected for the ecological site. Different types of summary information can be displayed by selecting from the menu located above the table.

Individual summary statistics can be applied to the ecological site using the apply button located at the end of each relevant row.

Alternatively, apply all summary statistics using the apply all data button located below the table.

Summary statistics will be copied to the relevant climatic features data entry fields, and contributors must click on the save button to permanently save changes. Copied data can be graphed by clicking on the plot all data button or removed by clicking on the clear all data button.

The clipboard provides a convenient way to copy data from one Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) to another or from one ecological site to another. Users can add various types of content to the clipboard, including public and draft MLRAs, public and draft ecological sites, public and draft model states, and public and draft model transitions.

Add a MLRA or ecological site to the clipboard by navigating to the appropriate description or model page. To add individual states or transitions to the clipboard, first navigate to the appropriate model page, and then open the description or edit form of target model element, as described in other help topics.

Open the clipboard by clicking on the clipboard button located in the upper right corner of the page.

Click on the add to clipboard button to add the selected MLRA, ecological site, model state, or model transition to the list of existing items.

Remove clipboard items by clicking on the remove from clipboard button located to the right of each item. Items will remain in the clipboard until manually removed.

Navigate to the description editing page of the Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) or ecological site you wish to copy clipboard content to. Then select the desired description section from the content menu (clipboard data must be copied to each description section individually). If you wish to copy content to a model state or transition, navigate to the model builder page of the desired ecological site and open the desired state or transition description as described in the edit a model state or edit a model transition help topic.

Open the clipboard by clicking on the clipboard button located in the upper right corner of the page.

Click on the copy data from this item button located to the left of the desired clipboard item. Incompatible items will be displayed on the clipboard but cannot be utilized. Upon confirmation, data associated with the selected item will be copied to the current context, and the page will reload with the new data.

Navigate to revision management tools of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) or ecological site using steps described in the open MLRA revision management tools or open ecological site revision management tools help topic.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on preview edits to navigate to the preview page of the MLRA or ecological site description.

While editing a MLRA or ecological site description, user can quickly preview their edits by clicking on the preview button located in the upper right corner of the page. They can return to the editing page using site map links located below the MLRA or ecological site title.

Navigate to revision management tools of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) using steps described in the open MLRA revision management tools help topic.

Enable editing of the MLRA as described in the Revise a MLRA or ecological site description help topic, if not already enabled.

Locate the quick links section of the management tools and click on edit keys to navigate to the key builder page of the MLRA.

Select general from the content menu and click on the add a key button to create a new key.

Provide a title for the ecological site key and briefly describe the criterion that can be used to distinguish this key from any others created for the MLRA.

Save changes to the key by clicking on the save button located in the upper right corner of the page.

Navigate to the key builder page of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) as described in the create an ecological site key help topic.

Select an existing key from the provided menu or create a new one using the add a key button.

Select tree diagram from the content menu to display the key as an interactive tree diagram. With a single-access key, users are asked to navigate a series of choices in order to determine the ecological site that best fits their particular scenario. These choices are commony referred to as leads, and they are depicted in the tree diagram as blue circles. Grey lines in the diagram depict the routes that users can take to arrive at an ecological site. Each route in the diagram must ultimately terminate at a single ecological site, and each lead must be associated with a criteria statement upon which users can base their choices.

Select the default popup radio option to edit information associated with an individual lead. Open the popup by clicking on the desired lead. Edit the label and criteria input boxes as desired. Attach a new lead directly below the selected lead by clicking on the add child button. Delete the selected lead and all of its children by clicking on the delete button.

Select the target popup radio option to specify which ecological site (or ecological sites) are associated with a particular lead. Open the popup by clicking on the desired lead. Toggle the checkmark icons of each ecological site you wish to associate with the selected lead.

The target popup can be used to associate ecological sites with non-terminal, as well as terminal, leads. This might be done to limit the ecological sites available for a particular set of child leads. Uncheck the show all checkbox to view only those ecological sites associated with the parent of the selected lead.

Changes to the tree diagram are not permanent until saved using the save button located in the upper right corner of the page. Unsaved changes can be discarded by clicking on the reset button located below the tree diagram, or by reloading the page.

Navigate to the key builder page of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) as described in the create an ecological site key help topic.

Select an existing key from the provided menu or create a new one using the add a key button.

Select text editor from the content menu to display the key as editable text.

Enter or paste text into the editor window to build a key. Each lead must be on a separate line and indented by tabs to indicated nestedness. Each lead should include a label, criteria, and (optionally) the symbol of the target ecological site, in that order. The label and criteria should be separated by a space. When applicable, the criteria and target symbol should be separated by three periods.

Changes to the key are not permanent until saved using the save button. Unsaved changes can be discarded by clicking on the reset button located below the tree diagram, or by reloading the page.

Navigate to the key builder page of the desired Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) as described in the create an ecological site key help topic.

Select an existing key from the provided menu or create a new one using the add a key button.

Select notes from the content menu to display a list of notes that have been added to the key.

Click on the last item in the list to create a new note, or edit an existing note by clicking on its note details box. A note title is optional, as is a note identifier that can used to reference the note within the key.

Changes to the note list are not permanent until saved using the save button. Unsaved changes can be discarded by clicking on the reset button located below the tree diagram, or by reloading the page.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select citation management from the content menu to view a list of all citations that have been added to date.

Click on the add a new citation button to load a form for manually creating a new citation. Populate the form as desired and click on the save button to make changes permanent.

Alternatively, create multiple citations at once using the load from RIS file or load from BibTex file button. Citations will be automatically extracted from the selected file.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select citation management from the content menu to view a list of all citations that have been added to date.

Edit an existing citation by clicking on the edit (pencil) icon that appears when hovering over a citation.

Populate the citation edit form as desired and click on the save button located at the bottom of the form to make changes permanent.

Navigate to the user dashboard page by clicking on the user dashboard link located near the bottom of most pages. Log in to the website if you have not done so already.

Select citation management from the content menu to view a list of all citations that have been added to date.

Select citations you wish to delete by clicking on the checkbox that appears when hovering over a citation. Delete selected citations by clicking on the delete selections button located at the bottom of the list.

Individual citations can also be deleted via the citation editing form. Open the citation editing form by clicking on the edit (pencil) icon that appears when hovering over a citation. Click on the delete citation button located at the bottom of the form.

Citations currently associated with one or more ecological site cannot be deleted.

Navigate to the editing page of the desired ecological site (see the edit a revision help topic). Select supporting information or citations from the content menu and look for the description citation list.

Click on the add citations button, located above the list, to open the citation manager popup.

Select one or more citation you wish to add to the description and click on the add button. Selected citations will be highlighted with a checkmark. Close the citation manager popup when you are finished adding citations.

The added citations will now appear in the description citation list. Remove citations from the description citation list by clicking on the remove citation button that appears when hovering over a citation.

Click on the save button to save changes to the description citation list.

Navigate to the editing page of the desired ecological site description or state and transition model as described in the edit a revision or edit a state and transition model help topic.

Locate the narrative you wish to modify and move the cursor to the location within the narrative where citations will be inserted.

Hover over the symbol icon above and to the right of the narrative text box. Select insert citation from the list of toolbar buttons to open the citation manager popup.

Select one or more citation you wish to add to the narrative and click on the add button. Selected citations will be highlighted with a checkmark. To display only those citations that have been previously added to the description, check the utilized citations only box. Close the citation manager popup when you are finished adding citations.

The added citations will now appear at the selected location within the target narrative. The citations will also be added to the description citation list, if not already present. Remove citations from the description citation list by clicking on the remove citation button that appears when hovering over a citation.

Click on the save button to save changes to the both the target narrative and the description citation list.