Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool (EDIT)
Published by Natural Resources Conservation Service
About this dataset
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool (EDIT) provides a standard framework for cataloging knowledge about the characteristic soil and vegetation properties of distinctive ecosystem classes throughout the United States. The knowledge contained in EDIT is a foundational resource for interpreting the effects of land use, management practices, and natural phenomena on the critical services that ecosystems provide to the American people (such as crop, forage, and timber productivity; fire, flood, and disease mitigation; soil, wildlife, and water quality; recreational, cultural, and spiritual enrichment). EDIT serves as the primary repository of Ecological Site Descriptions (ESDs) produced by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and partners. Each ESD contains a box and arrow diagram depicting ecosystem change in response to land use and management history (known as a state-and-transition model) and the effects of ecosystem change on the services they provide. The organization of EDIT follows the NRCS land resource hierarchy. Keys are available within EDIT to help users identify different ecological sites within each major land resource area (i.e., ecoregion) nationwide. ESDs can be downloaded as PDFs, explored directly within the interactive EDIT web application, or analyzed via the Application Programming Interface (API). EDIT integrates with other NRCS software systems to ensure conservation planners, NRCS partners, and the public have easy access to reliable ecosystem knowledge throughout the country.