VegSpec Help

Site Description - defining your site

The Site Description section allows you to establish the location of your site, enter your soils and climate information, and select any additional landscape characteristics.

A list of corrections in red are displayed if you are using the site specific approach and have not entered the state, soils or climate information.

To identify your location (optional)

You may enter information in the optional site name, user name, and project location fields, which are displayed at the top of your vegetative reports.

To enter state information

If you have chosen the recommended site specific approach, you must select a state where the practice is performed, and choices are then populated in the drop-down Soil Survey Area Id field.

To enter soils information

Enter the Soil Survey Area Id and the Soil Map Unit fields, and the Soil Component field. This will populate the Plant Adaptation Zone field and specific soils data on the Soil Attributes Suboptions screen. Occasionally, not all of this data is available from the database. In this case it will not be included on the Soil Attributes Suboptions screen. You must completely fill in this data before moving to the Objectives screen.

Select a Soil Survey Area Id option from the drop-down field.
Select a Soil Map Unit option from the drop-down field, and the soil component field is automatically populated. The most predominate soil component is chosen. If your soil has multiple components, you may choose any component option.
After completing steps 1 and 2, you may click on the Soil Attributes Suboption link to view soil suboption fields populated with data from the soils database.
If the average soil slope is equal or greater than 15 percent, you must also enter aspect for your site in the Landscape Options at the bottom of the Site Description page.

To enter associated climate information

There are three options to enter climate data for the site. The climate station field is populated with choices from all 50 states and Puerto Rico if you have entered the State field. UTM coordinates or Latitude - Longitude can be entered for any location in the lower 48 continuous states.

Select the climate data method. The screen will redraw with appropriate entry blocks.
If Climate Station is checked, select a climate station from the drop-down field.
If UTM Coordinates is checked, UTM zone choices will default to zones in your state, enter correct zone, Easting, Northing and select Datum from drop down field. NAD 27, NAD 83 and WGS 84 datums are supported.
If Latitude - Longitude is checked, Latitude and Longitude must be entered.
When the climate station is entered, most of the climate attributes suboption fields are populated with data. When UTM Coordinates or Latitude - Longitude are checked, all fields in climate attributes suboption are populated in the lower 48 continuous states.
VegSpec normally uses minimum temperature and precipitation data based on 2 in ten years. You can modify these requirements by pulling down the choice lists or typing over existing data in climate attributes suboption screen.

To enter landscape options

Enter the optional landscape questions to further define your site. These values are all optional, except aspect when average soil slope is equal or greater than 15 percent.

Select an applicable aspect for your site. This is only applicable when the average land slope is 15% or more.
Select yes if your site receives additional water, such as runoff from adjacent areas.
Select the level of irrigation if your site is irrigated.
Select the level of sunlight exposure that your site receives.