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Uses of soil information systems
299
on alterations under temperate climate. The litterature cited is abundant and references are precisely inventoried especially for the period 1955--1971. One can regret that very few works quoted concern the period posterior to 1972. Mineralogical and geochemical analyses and interpretations are in this book not really original and are sometimes a little bit schematic. But, in the field of such low intensity alterations, the progresses were and will be made by accumulating simply good data as the one brought by Dejou, Guyot and Robert. The problem of the presence of gibbsite and kaolinite in the french granitic saprolites is discussed in terms of comparison between temperate and tropical climates. But, the marked influences of paleoclimates or the positions of the profiles studied in the paleo-topography are not really taken into account. The subject treated is difficult and this book represents a very important and careful work of the low intensity weathering characterizing the temperate climate. YVES TARDY (Toulouse)
Uses of Soil Information Systems. P:, oceedings of the Australian Meeting of the ISSS Working Group on Soi~ Ldormation Systems, Canberra, Australia, March 2--4, 1976. Eleven papers given at a workshop on Soil Information Systems held at Canberra, Australia, March 2--4, 1976 are published in these proceedings. There were 25 participants (mostly Australians) who met to discuss the use of computers in soil information systems. The meeting dealt not with what data should be collected or for what purposes but whether or how data can be collected and processed with computer assistance to meet defined objectives more efficiently than by manual handling. Experiences in the use of various techniques associated with information systems were exchanged. It became evident that many of the earlier technical difficulties in the development of machine based soil information systems have now been overcome~ The main ones remaining are now human ones. The meeting helped sort out some of these human problems and focused attention on ways of dealing with them. A point which was emphasized was the desirability of close cooperation between providers and users of information on the one hand, and computer scientists on the other, in the design and operation of information systems. Some of the uses to which computers may be put in soil information systems may be inferred from the topics of some of the papers presented: (1) input of land information data to a computer system in New South Wales, (2) computer assistance in the detailed soil survey of the Padthaway irrigation area, (3) storage and retrieval of soil profile classification and morphological data,
300
(4) data delineation and computer techniques for line printer mapping and tabulation, (5} the National Soil Fertility Data Bank and methods for data manipulation, (6) use of a computer in a commercial soil analysis service, and (7) use of a storage and retrieval system in soil fabric analysis. Some of the above papers gave quite specific information concerning the methodologies and computer hardware and software currently being used in these p~rticular applications. There were also some papers which were more general from an application point of view but which dealt primarily with data storage and retrieval techniques: (1) input methods and facilities available for land survey data; (2) data storage and retrieval. Some discussion was given to the development of an Australian national (centralized) soil data bank. It was concluded that the time was not ripe for establishment of such a system but there did exist the possibility of establishing regional data banks (at state or local levels). The need for good computing facilities was stressed at the meeting but cases were pointed out where useful work was being done in spite of poor facilities. The need for access to computing facilities and computing professionals was stressed. It was pointed out that it is n o t possible to develop a data base management system tailored to a small data bank and then scale it up for use with a large data bank. The use of microfiche was mentioned as a suitable means of publishing the large amounts of data that accumulate during resource surveys. It was concluded from discussions that some form of hard copy recording in the field with subsequent transcription to computer-compatible input is still the most practical way of collecting and inputting field data. The use of mark-sensing, OCR, field recording on tapes, etc. was considered largely impractical because of the difficult conditions usually encountered in field survey and the need for visual checking of records. Several methods of handling the data banks with which participants were working were discussed. Some discussion was given to grid-cell vs boundary approaches to storage of areal data. No conclusion was reached. Most participants seem to have accepted the need for overlaying maps of various attributes and thematic maps outside the computer (i.e. before input) rather than inside. The merits of various forms of display were discussed. Information should be presented in hard copy form to overcome initial resistance by users to computer assistance. For map display both line printer and line plotter output were described. Concerning costs, most users felt that even if there was no actual "economic" benefit computers had improved their efficiency. Computing costs were being substituted for the time of skilled staff. In the long run, computing costs have been rising more slowly than labor costs and the trend shows no sign of changing. The book should be useful to those planning the development of infor-
301
marion systems for soil and related data. Many technical as well as administrative aspects are covered. There are a number of usefu_! references concerning soil information systems created for several different applications. A sample of microfiche which contains examples from two different soil information systems is included. LARRY A. NELSON (Raleigh, N.C. )
Factual Data Banks in Agriculture. Proceedings of the Symposium Organized by the Commission of the European Communities Luxemburg, July 12--13, 1977, Pudoc, Wageningen, 1978, 115 pp. Dfl. 17,50. This symposium on data banks in agriculture within the European community was organized by the Directorate-General for Scientific and Technical Information and Information Management (DG XIII). This initial exchange of experience (both at the technical and the methodological levels) was intended to be a basis for consideration of the possibilities within the European Community and for avoidance of duplication of effort in the various countries. This was very important in connection with the creation of a network for data communication in Europe (Euronet). One other purpose was to provide an overall view of the data banks available in the community and to reflect on the question, "Is it desirable to carry out a deeper and more comprehensive survey of data banks existing in the Community?" The symposium dealt with three areas in agriculture to which group discussions were devoted: animal production and food technology, plant production and agricultural management information systems. The discussions which took place in the separate sessions involved principles common to all three areas. A common definition of data bank involved the following elements: (1) it should be a permanent system; (2) the data for the system should be derived from several sources; and (3) the data should be managed in such a way as to be put to many applications according to the wishes of the user. The following items were considered in the discussions: (1) need for data banks; (2) cost of setting up and maintenance; (3) rights of data bank owners and users; (4) validity and updating of contents of data banks; (5) interpretation of contents of data banks; (6) links and exchanges between data banks; (7) role of government and industry in use and support of data banks; and (8) training of experts and users of data banks. In general, it was agreed that the purpose of data banks was to satisfy needs to the user, not the data processors. Data banks often fulfill needs which were not possible to identify at the outset. The justification for continued existence of the data bank changed over time. Times for development of data banks from one year to six years were cited.
on alterations under temperate climate. The litterature cited is abundant and references are precisely inventoried especially for the period 1955--1971. One can regret that very few works quoted concern the period posterior to 1972. Mineralogical and geochemical analyses and interpretations are in this book not really original and are sometimes a little bit schematic. But, in the field of such low intensity alterations, the progresses were and will be made by accumulating simply good data as the one brought by Dejou, Guyot and Robert. The problem of the presence of gibbsite and kaolinite in the french granitic saprolites is discussed in terms of comparison between temperate and tropical climates. But, the marked influences of paleoclimates or the positions of the profiles studied in the paleo-topography are not really taken into account. The subject treated is difficult and this book represents a very important and careful work of the low intensity weathering characterizing the temperate climate. YVES TARDY (Toulouse)
Uses of Soil Information Systems. P:, oceedings of the Australian Meeting of the ISSS Working Group on Soi~ Ldormation Systems, Canberra, Australia, March 2--4, 1976. Eleven papers given at a workshop on Soil Information Systems held at Canberra, Australia, March 2--4, 1976 are published in these proceedings. There were 25 participants (mostly Australians) who met to discuss the use of computers in soil information systems. The meeting dealt not with what data should be collected or for what purposes but whether or how data can be collected and processed with computer assistance to meet defined objectives more efficiently than by manual handling. Experiences in the use of various techniques associated with information systems were exchanged. It became evident that many of the earlier technical difficulties in the development of machine based soil information systems have now been overcome~ The main ones remaining are now human ones. The meeting helped sort out some of these human problems and focused attention on ways of dealing with them. A point which was emphasized was the desirability of close cooperation between providers and users of information on the one hand, and computer scientists on the other, in the design and operation of information systems. Some of the uses to which computers may be put in soil information systems may be inferred from the topics of some of the papers presented: (1) input of land information data to a computer system in New South Wales, (2) computer assistance in the detailed soil survey of the Padthaway irrigation area, (3) storage and retrieval of soil profile classification and morphological data,
300
(4) data delineation and computer techniques for line printer mapping and tabulation, (5} the National Soil Fertility Data Bank and methods for data manipulation, (6) use of a computer in a commercial soil analysis service, and (7) use of a storage and retrieval system in soil fabric analysis. Some of the above papers gave quite specific information concerning the methodologies and computer hardware and software currently being used in these p~rticular applications. There were also some papers which were more general from an application point of view but which dealt primarily with data storage and retrieval techniques: (1) input methods and facilities available for land survey data; (2) data storage and retrieval. Some discussion was given to the development of an Australian national (centralized) soil data bank. It was concluded that the time was not ripe for establishment of such a system but there did exist the possibility of establishing regional data banks (at state or local levels). The need for good computing facilities was stressed at the meeting but cases were pointed out where useful work was being done in spite of poor facilities. The need for access to computing facilities and computing professionals was stressed. It was pointed out that it is n o t possible to develop a data base management system tailored to a small data bank and then scale it up for use with a large data bank. The use of microfiche was mentioned as a suitable means of publishing the large amounts of data that accumulate during resource surveys. It was concluded from discussions that some form of hard copy recording in the field with subsequent transcription to computer-compatible input is still the most practical way of collecting and inputting field data. The use of mark-sensing, OCR, field recording on tapes, etc. was considered largely impractical because of the difficult conditions usually encountered in field survey and the need for visual checking of records. Several methods of handling the data banks with which participants were working were discussed. Some discussion was given to grid-cell vs boundary approaches to storage of areal data. No conclusion was reached. Most participants seem to have accepted the need for overlaying maps of various attributes and thematic maps outside the computer (i.e. before input) rather than inside. The merits of various forms of display were discussed. Information should be presented in hard copy form to overcome initial resistance by users to computer assistance. For map display both line printer and line plotter output were described. Concerning costs, most users felt that even if there was no actual "economic" benefit computers had improved their efficiency. Computing costs were being substituted for the time of skilled staff. In the long run, computing costs have been rising more slowly than labor costs and the trend shows no sign of changing. The book should be useful to those planning the development of infor-
301
marion systems for soil and related data. Many technical as well as administrative aspects are covered. There are a number of usefu_! references concerning soil information systems created for several different applications. A sample of microfiche which contains examples from two different soil information systems is included. LARRY A. NELSON (Raleigh, N.C. )
Factual Data Banks in Agriculture. Proceedings of the Symposium Organized by the Commission of the European Communities Luxemburg, July 12--13, 1977, Pudoc, Wageningen, 1978, 115 pp. Dfl. 17,50. This symposium on data banks in agriculture within the European community was organized by the Directorate-General for Scientific and Technical Information and Information Management (DG XIII). This initial exchange of experience (both at the technical and the methodological levels) was intended to be a basis for consideration of the possibilities within the European Community and for avoidance of duplication of effort in the various countries. This was very important in connection with the creation of a network for data communication in Europe (Euronet). One other purpose was to provide an overall view of the data banks available in the community and to reflect on the question, "Is it desirable to carry out a deeper and more comprehensive survey of data banks existing in the Community?" The symposium dealt with three areas in agriculture to which group discussions were devoted: animal production and food technology, plant production and agricultural management information systems. The discussions which took place in the separate sessions involved principles common to all three areas. A common definition of data bank involved the following elements: (1) it should be a permanent system; (2) the data for the system should be derived from several sources; and (3) the data should be managed in such a way as to be put to many applications according to the wishes of the user. The following items were considered in the discussions: (1) need for data banks; (2) cost of setting up and maintenance; (3) rights of data bank owners and users; (4) validity and updating of contents of data banks; (5) interpretation of contents of data banks; (6) links and exchanges between data banks; (7) role of government and industry in use and support of data banks; and (8) training of experts and users of data banks. In general, it was agreed that the purpose of data banks was to satisfy needs to the user, not the data processors. Data banks often fulfill needs which were not possible to identify at the outset. The justification for continued existence of the data bank changed over time. Times for development of data banks from one year to six years were cited.