Storing and Processing Data for Soil and Land Use Capability Surveys ¹

Summary Computer methods currently used at Aberystwyth for handling the many observations of soil and site during survey are described. While complex statistical analysis of the data is possible, the emphasis in this paper is on automatic sorting according to existing classifications and land–use, assessing the contents of map–units, and producing automatic dot distribution maps from grid data. Changes in class limits are easily made to give alternative maps. This is illustrated by land–use capability maps of Pembrokeshire. A feedback technique allows identification of sites like those growing particular crops or crop combinations, so that maps of potential crop land are produced. Provisional maps of potential barley and early potato land in Pembrokeshire illustrate the technique. Questions of computing strategy and the relevance of economic conditions are discussed.