The following tutorial provides a step-by-step description of a typical DMS work session. During the tutorial we will utilize the landscape map image (SAMPLE.IMG), documentation (SAMPLE.DOC) and boundary (SAMPLE.VEC) files included with the distribution diskettes. These sample files were copied to the \DMS\SAMPLE subdirectory on the drive where you installed the DMS system. During this tutorial session you will learn how to create a study area work file ( *.DIS extension), a deer population file (*.POP extension), and a census/treatment mask (for use with the Simulation Module). Later, these files will be utilized to generate a deer spatial response map in the Data Evaluation Module, and to simulate a management scenario in the Simulation Module. Throughout this tutorial we attempt to highlight the flexibility of the DMS, and to alert you to potential pitfalls. The time needed to complete the tutorial will depend on the speed of your computer, but you should probably allow 2 hours.
The landscape map image file we will use in this tutorial (i.e., SAMPLE.IMG) is of Saratoga National Historical Park, a relatively small (<1200 ha) Revolutionary War Battlefield commemorating the Colonial Army's victory over the British on October 7, 1777, located in upstate New York. The park has experienced land-use changes over the decades similar to many areas of the Northeast following colonial expansion. From 1984-87, the park's vegetation and deer population was researched in an effort to provide guidance on the restoration of the cultural landscape experienced by the visiting public. Details of the research and other aspects of the park's management can be found in Underwood et al. (1994).
The IDRISI documentation file (SAMPLE.DOC) accompanying our sample map contains important information about the characteristics of our map image file, and we will review its contents to help you to better understand these various components before proceeding (Table 1). The document file is essentially a list of information relating to a map image file; some of this information is required while other entries are merely descriptive information. In Table 1, we've inserted an asterisk (*) in front of required information (i.e. must be included with all map image document files used with the DMS).
First, understand that SAMPLE.IMG is a "raster" map image, meaning that it is made up of a matrix of individual pixels (grid cells). The number of pixels comprising the map image is defined in the documentation file by the number of columns (width) and rows (height). This 300 x 300 matrix means our map image contains 90,000 individual pixels. Each pixel on the map contains an integer value corresponding to a particular habitat type. The DMS requires that pixel data values be integers (i.e., no real or floating-point numbers are permitted). Second, note that our image file is in ASCII format, which also is required by the DMS (i.e., binary images are not supported).
Because the DMS utilizes the pixels on your computer monitor for storing information, map image files must be able to fit within the limits of the computer's screen. Therefore, if the map image file for your study area contains more than 400 rows and 500 columns, the DMS will automatically re-scale it to fit within this constraint. Our sample image was digitized in Universal Trans Mercator System units as reflected in the minimum and maximum X (i.e., width) and Y (i.e., height) coordinates. While maps utilizing other coordinate systems may be used in the DMS, they were not extensively tested during the debugging of the DMS program files.
The minimum pixel value in this map is 0, which technically defines null areas on the map (i.e., no classification). This should be interpreted as "no value" to white-tailed deer. The maximum pixel value is 4, meaning that there are 4 different habitat cover types on this map represented by the integer values 1, 2, 3 and 4. Note, although they are not required, our sample document file also includes legend text for each of the habitat types (i.e., category 1, category 2, etc., ) on our map image file. This legend text can be helpful when using the "view map" feature available on several of the DMS menus. The current version of the DMS supports up to 10 habitat types on map image files. Thus, if your map image contains more than 10 habitat cover types, it will have to be reclassified before it can be utilized with the DMS. Here we use habitat in its most general context, subject to definition by the user. That is, habitats can represent vegetation cover types, topography, cost surfaces, or any combination of features that can be expressed in a spatially- explicit manner. However, we urge users to carefully consider their decisions when delineating habitats for use with the DMS, and to insure that these features have importance to white-tailed deer biology.
Creating Study Area Work Files
To start the DMS program make the \DMS directory your current directory, then type DMS at the prompt and press ENTER or RETURN. At the Study Area Selection Menu you are asked to create or select a Work File for use with the DMS. We recommend that you create work files within the same subdirectories where their map image files are stored. For this tutorial we will be using sample files residing in the \DMS\SAMPLE subdirectory. Use your mouse cursor to make this your current directory. Position the mouse cursor over the down-arrow on the scroll-bar on the right side of the directory tree box. Click your left mouse button on the down arrow several times until the SAMPLE subdirectory becomes visible inside the box. Position the mouse over the word SAMPLE and double-click the left mouse button to make this your current directory. Next, move the mouse cursor inside the horizontal file selection window, click the left mouse button, and key in a name (we suggest using SAMPLE.DIS, in keeping with the convention of this Tutorial session). Then point and click on the OPEN button on the right side of the screen. The DMS will recognize that this file does not yet exist and will ask you to confirm that you wish to create it. Point and click on "YES" to create the work file.
Because this is a "new" file, the DMS automatically proceeds to the Landscape Map Image Selection Menu where you are asked to input the name of the map image file you wish to use with this work file. The SAMPLE.IMG file we will be using with this tutorial resides in the \DMS\SAMPLE subdirectory. If \DMS\SAMPLE is not your current directory, follow the same instructions described above to make it so. If this already is your current directory, then SAMPLE.IMG will be visible inside the Select File window on the left side of the menu. Select this file, by positioning the mouse cursor over the file name SAMPLE.IMG in the Select File box and clicking the left mouse button once. The name of the selected file will appear in the horizontal box above the Select File window. Point and click once on the ENTER button to proceed to the next menu.
At next menu, provide the name of the study area boundary file to be used with the selected landscape map image file. The boundary file contains a referenced vector line that delineates the limits of your study area on the landscape map image file. If your current directory is \DMS\SAMPLE then the file we will use with this tutorial, SAMPLE.VEC, should be visible inside the Select File box. If \DMS\SAMPLE is not your current directory, follow the same procedure described above to make it so. Select SAMPLE.VEC by pointing at the file name in the Select File box and clicking the left mouse button once. The file name should appear in the horizontal name box. Point and click on the ENTER button to proceed to the next menu.
At the next menu, you are asked to provide a "short title" describing your study area. Position the mouse cursor over the horizontal Study Area name box, click the left button once and key in "Saratoga National Historical Park" (do not include quotation marks). The number of habitat cover types on our map image file is automatically detected by the DMS (4 in this case) and is shown in a box near the center of the menu. This is provided for your information and is confirmatory only. No user input is required here.
Near the bottom of the Study Area Description Menu you are asked to specify the number of seasons occurring at your study area location. This number should reflect the number of periods having significance to deer at this study area, and should be based on your knowledge of the biology of deer at this specific location. Use the mouse to select and click once on this box, then key in the number "5". Select ENTER to proceed to the next menu.
Because you indicated there were 5 seasons in the previous menu, next you are presented with 5 near-identical screens in sequence (one for each season), and asked to input the starting and ending dates (in Julian day equivalents) for each season and to assign habitat affinity values for each habitat type on your map image. Note that within each season, the relative habitat affinity values you assign must sum to 1.0. We will use the information provided in Table 2 to complete the entry for each season. To input data, point and click inside the desire box then key in the value. If you need to correct or delete extraneous values already in a box, point and click on the entry and use either the "delete" or "backspace" key. Once you have completed each screen, point and click on the ENTER button to proceed to the next screen.
There are two important elements to recognize as you examine these example seasonal periods and habitat affinity values. First, note that in this work file the seasons happen to be contiguous (i.e. the next season starts the day after the previous season ends). This is not a requirement of the DMS. Ending dates for the prior season do not have to be succeeded immediately by the beginning date for the next season. For example, Season 1 could start on Julian day 1 and end on day 120, and Season 2 could begin on day 140 and end on day 220, etc. When gaps occur, the DMS interpolates the relative habitat affinity values so that they transition between seasons. This may be useful when data on deer use of habitats is available only for a couple of seasons of the year. Beginning and ending dates cannot overlap between seasons. Second, note that in this example seasons 1 and 5 have the same relative habitat affinity values. This was done intentionally to allow a "biological" season (i.e., winter) to continue uninterrupted into the next Julian calendar year. When you design seasons for simulating conditions at your study area, keep in mind that it may be necessary to add an additional season as we've done here to accommodate a season like "winter" that spans two separate calendar years.
Creating A Deer Population File
Our next task involves creating a deer population file for use with the
DMS. In the DMS, deer population files normally reside in the \DMS\POPULATI
subdirectory. If this is not your current directory, you should use your
mouse cursor to make it so. Position the mouse cursor over either the up
or down arrow on the scroll-bar on the right side of the directory tree
box and click the left mouse button as needed until the \DMS\POPULATI becomes
visible. Then reposition the mouse over POPULATI inside the directory box
and double-click with the left mouse button. Next, provide the name you
wish to use for this new deer population file. Point
inside the horizontal window just below the menu instructions, click the
left mouse button once, and key in the file name SAMPLE.POP so later you
will be able to recognize this file as belonging to this tutorial. Finally,
point and click on the OPEN/CREATE button. The DMS will recognize that this
file does not yet exist, and will ask you to confirm that you wish to create
it. Click on "YES" to create the file and to continue to the next
menu.
The next series of menu screens ask you to provide specific information
regarding the demographics of the deer population you want to create (i.e.,
SAMPLE.POP). This is required information, and if you do not provide input
in each of the boxes on these 3 screens, you will receive an error and the
DMS will not be able to create the file. Table 3 summarizes the deer population
parameter values to be used during the DMS tutorial.
To input information, position your mouse cursor inside a box, click
the left mouse button once and key in the appropriate value. Notice that
several boxes give users the option of providing input in different formats
(e.g., a number, a ratio, or percentage). Where these options exist, insure
that you've also selected the correct unit type corresponding to the input
you
keyed into the box. For example, to change the unit type associated with
the "Population Size" box, position the mouse cursor inside the
brackets corresponding to the correct unit type on the right side of the
Population Size box and click the left mouse button once. An "X"
will appear inside the brackets of the current selected unit type. Note
that several boxes on these menus require that your input not exceed a certain
value. For example, input in the 3 boxes (fawns, yearlings, adults) relating
to population "Age Structure" cannot exceed 100%.
For purposes of this tutorial, and to help familiarize you with the input formats for deer population files, please complete the following steps in their numbered sequence. [Note for each of the population parameters below, key in a value as instructed, but not the quotation marks.]
1. Population Size. For simplicity, we will use a hypothetical value of "400" for our estimate of deer population size during this tutorial. Position your mouse cursor inside the population size box on the menu, click the left mouse button once, and key in the value "400". Because this is a numerical estimate, also be certain there is an "X" inside the brackets corresponding to the "Number" unit type. When you use a numerical population estimate, it is important to recognize that this numerical estimate corresponds to the entire map coverage represented by your map file and not just the area inside the study area boundary. Thus, if your map coverage extends beyond the study area boundary, but the numerical population estimate you entered represents only deer within the study area boundary, then the your initial deer population you will be creating may be below your desired value. This problem can be remedied by converting your numerical estimate into an estimate of deer density (i.e., deer/mile2 , deer/1000 acres, acres/deer), and allowing the DMS to estimate the size of the deer population for the entire map coverage by interpolation. The DMS automatically makes unit conversion in the likelihood that your landscape map image file was digitized in metric units.
2. Sex Ratio. This value sets the sex ratio to be applied to the adult segment of the initial deer population. Notice again, that the user has the option of using different data formats. First set the correct unit type by clicking with the left mouse button inside the bracket corresponding to "Males/100 Females". Next, point and click inside the sex ratio box and key in the value "10" to indicate there are 10 males/100 females in the population. Note, in this case, the value of 10 produces the same sex ratio regardless of the unit type.
3. Age Structure. Specify the percentage of the initial deer population in each of the three age groups. Note that the total of all three boxes must sum to 100%. Point and click with the left mouse button in the "% Fawns" box, and key in the value "25". Follow this same procedure to assign values of "10" to the Yearling and "65" to the Adult age groups. Point and click on the CONTINUE button to proceed to the next menu screen.
4. Pregnancy Rate. Assign pregnancy rates (i.e., the percentage of individuals conceiving) each to the three female age groups recognized by the DMS. Note that values are percentages and that they can range up to 100%. Use the mouse to assign values of "5" for Fawns, "60" for Yearlings, and "90" for Adults.
5. Fawning Rate. Assign fawning rates (i.e., average number of fetuses born to each pregnant female) for each female age group recognized by the DMS. Use the mouse and assign values of "1" to Fawns, "1.5" to Yearlings, and "2.0" to Adults. Point and click on the CONTINUE button to proceed to the next menu screen.
6. Mortality Rate. Assign an annual, non-treatment related mortality rate (i.e., percentage dying) to each of the sex-age groups. For this parameter, the DMS assigns yearlings the same values users assign to adult sex-age classes. Use the mouse to assign values of "35" for Fawns, and values of "5" to both adult male and adult female boxes.
7. Mating Period. Specify the period of the year (in Julian calendar days) when the majority of the breeding takes place. Point and click in the "Day start" box and key in "274" then assign an ending day of "335".
8. Displacement Distance. Point and click inside the Displacement distance box and key in a value of "1000" meters. This value represents the maximum, straight-line distance (meters) a foraging deer is likely to be displaced during a 24-hour period. Note that this is not the same as the actual distance traveled a deer per 24-hours. Rather, it is the maximum linear distance a deer is likely to be "displaced" from its initial location through its normal activities (e.g., foraging) during a 24-hour period. This may be easier to visualize as the maximum distance between two sets of map X and Y coordinates representing animal location on successive days. This number cannot be smaller than the pixel resolution (size) of your map image (shown in blue text just above this box if it was interpretable from your landscape map file). We recommend that this number be relatively large to permit animals to respond to the composition and spatial interspersion of habitat types within their vicinity. Too small a number may constrain the spatial response of deer to landscape features. After keying in this value, point and click on CONTINUE to proceed. The DMS asks you to confirm that you wish to save these settings in your deer population file. Click on "OK" to continue. Next, the DMS asks if you want to continue with the initialization of your deer population file. Click on "OK" to proceed.
The initialization procedure that follows includes the creation of the individual deer comprising the population, as well as determining their initial placement on the landscape map. To insure that their placement is realistic and related to the spatial interspersion of habitats and assigned seasonal affinity values, the DMS simulates animal movements over the landscape for one calendar year. This initialization process should be repeated each time you edit and change any deer population parameter, or modify your landscape map. However, this can be a time- consuming process and may take up to an hour to complete if your deer population is large (e.g., >1,000 animals) and if you are using an older computer without a math co-processor. Please be patient.
When the initialization process has completed you will be returned to the Deer Population Selection Menu. Point and click on "DONE" to proceed to the DMS Main Options Menu. The Main Options Menu is the centerpiece of the DMS program. From this menu the user can gain access to the major components of the DMS including: Map Utilities, the Data Evaluation Menu, the Main Simulation Menu as well as the Deer Population Menu (accessed using the "Edit/Modify" button). Point and click on the Map Utilities button to proceed.
Our next task will be to create a census mask for use with the Data Evaluation and Simulation Modules. Point and click on the button labeled "Delineate an Area for Treatment or Census". Position the cursor inside the horizontal box associated with "New Mask File Name", click the left mouse button and key in the name BOUND.MSK. Point and click on CREATE to proceed to the Draw Utilities on the next screen.
Once inside the Draw Utilities program you will be presented with the
current landscape map (SAMPLE.IMG). Overlaying the map image will be the
current boundary file (SAMPLE.VEC) shown as a solid white line. To demonstrate
how this module works we will create a mask which represents essentially
the same area that is delineated by our study area boundary file. Such a
mask has great utility because it facilitates our being able to ascertain
the number of deer actually within the study area boundary (using the "Data
Evaluation Module" -- see below), and also allows the user to design
and implement treatments directed specifically at that segment of the deer
population residing in their study area. Create the mask, by pointing and
clicking on "Draw" at the bottom of the screen, and then positioning
the mouse pointer at one of the corners of the white line which is the study
area boundary. Click once with the left mouse button, then reposition the
mouse along the boundary and click again to connect these points. Continue
this process until you have delineated a polygon that closely mirrors the
white boundary line. Insure the polygon you created is "closed"
by clicking on the right mouse button once. Next, select "Paint"
from the bottom menu, position the pointer inside the delineated mask and
click the left mouse button once (the mask area will turn black in color).
Next, click on "Save" to complete the process. At any time you
can click on "Restart" to clear the screen and to begin again.
Select "Help" to receive instructions on how to use the Draw utilities,
or "Exit" to leave the Draw Utilities program and to return to
the previous menu. Point and click on DONE to return to the Map Utilities
Options Menu. Select DONE once more to return to the Main Options Menu.
Data Evaluation
Next we will use the Data Evaluation Module to observe the movements and spatial responses of deer to the seasonal values we assigned to habitats on the landscape map. Point and click on the "Data Evaluation" button from the Main Options Menu. At the Data Evaluation Menu, use the mouse to point and click inside the brackets to the left of the "Observe seasonal movements and census deer within a pre-defined mask" option. Then, from the Current directory box below point and click on the census mask file BOUND.MSK that you created. The name of the selected mask file will appear in the horizonal census mask name window. [Notice that unless you select the second view option, the names of existing mask files remain in "ghost" form and the DMS will not allow you to select them]. Select CONTINUE to confirm your choices. At this point, your census mask will appear on the screen as a blue polygon. After some additional processing, the current landscape map image file will be loaded, and the initialized deer population will appear on as black dots on the map image. In the upper left portion of your screen you will see a counter that indicates the current Julian calendar day of the simulation. Once the counter has reached day 365, it will simply roll over and begin at 1 again. At any time during the simulation, pressing the F1 key will return a census of the current population using the entire landscape map image and will indicate their relative use of the available habitat types. Below this summary will be a similar report indicating the deer occurring within the area delineated by your census mask (i.e., BOUND.MSK). Note that some deer may exit your map image and enter the space surrounding the map, and so the number of deer visible on the screen at any point in time may vary. This module and the habitat use information is intended to allow the user to evaluate how the relative habitat affinity values they assigned for each season are influencing the distribution and use of habitats by deer on the landscape map. If these observations yield unexpected results, you may want to re-evaluate the basis for your assignments of these seasonal relative habitat values. Pressing F1 returns you to the animation screen. Pressing the F2 key will pause the animation and provide information on the relative composition of habitats on the landscape map. Press F2 again to return to the animation screen. Press the Escape key (i.e., Esc) at any time to end the animation and to return to the Data Evaluation Menu. Once there, point and click on the BACK button to return to Data Evaluation Menu.
Next we will generate a deer spatial response map to provide you with a better appreciation of the temporal patterns of landscape use. Point and click on the "Generate a Deer Spatial Response Map" button. At the next menu, notice that the default values for the "Starting" and "Ending" dates for the simulation are "1" and "365", respectively. These dates represent the continuous period in Julian calendar days over which deer residence times will be accumulated on the screen. Thus, if you were particularly interested in how deer use the landscape during a particular season of the year, then the starting and ending dates should coincide with the starting and ending dates you provided to define that season. For the tutorial we will leave these settings as the default values in order to generate a spatial response map indicating how deer utilize the landscape over the entire annual cycle. Notice that the user also has the option of specifying the number of years the simulation will run. Again, for the tutorial we will leave this setting at the default value of 1 year. If more than one year is indicated, the DMS will open and close the temporal window to accumulate additional data on deer landscape use during the specified period.
Point and click on the horizontal Output File Name box and key in the name TEST-SR (no extension necessary) to allow you to later identify this output as generated from the Tutorial. [Note: we strongly suggest that the user develop their own naming scheme to allow them to recognize the conditions used to generate the response maps at a later time. We also recommend that users keep a log of all simulations to help keep track of these files and to facilitate hard disk maintenance (see the section below on File Maintenance). Click on ENTER to proceed with generating the spatial response map. Once again, be aware that the generation of response maps involves intensive calculations by your computer, and depending upon the population size, width of temporal window, and duration of the simulation, that this procedure may require up to 30 minutes or more to complete. The user may monitor progress in the simulation by observing the rate of change on the "Year" and "Day" indicators located at the lower left corner of their screen. Pressing the escape key (Esc) at any time will abort the simulation procedure. At the end of this simulation, additional processing will be performed on the response maps generated and this may take considerable time. Please be patient.
When the processing has been completed, you will be returned to the "Generate a Deer Spatial Response Map" menu. Press BACK to return to the Data Evaluation Menu, and then DONE to return to the Main Options Menu. You may view the spatial response map by clicking on "Map Utilities" then selecting "View Treatment Masks and Deer Response Maps". From this menu select the "Deer Response Map" button, and point and click inside the File list box in the lower left portion of the menu and select the file named TEST-SR.QMP. [Note: If there are many files in this directory, you may have to use the arrows on the scroll bar to locate your file within this list]. Point and click on CONTINUE to view your response map. The spectral values displayed on the map represent relative use by deer during the specified simulation period and/or temporal window. Spatial response maps are especially helpful for identifying areas of high use and for assessing the connectivity of suitable habitat on your landscape map image. Type "q" and then press ENTER or RETURN to return to the previous menu. Click on DONE to return to the Map Utilities Menu, and then click on DONE again to return to the Main Options Menu.
In this portion of the tutorial we will utilize the files you just created to simulate a deer management scenario. Point and click on the "Simulation" button from the Main Options Menu to proceed to the Simulate Management Scenarios Menu. To familiarize you with the options available on this menu, we will design and implement a "treatment" aimed at reducing the size of the deer population inside our study area boundary. First, click inside the horizontal window at the top of the menu and key in "Removal Inside (50% of males and females)". [Note: we recommend that users utilize short titles and file names to help them identify the conditions used to generate output files and for future reference.]
Next, review the various treatment options that are available on this menu (shown in blue text below the title box). Available treatment options include: 1) Do nothing or control; 2) Removal inside a mask; 3) Removal outside a mask; 4) Install a barrier to animal movements; and 5) Sterilization. Simulated removals can represent a variety of potential management activities including the culling of animals by managers, hunter harvest, or trapping and removal. Likewise, barriers could represent the construction of deer-proof fencing, a canal, or any other physical feature of the landscape that precludes movement by deer. Sterilization may involve capturing or darting animals and administering drugs or implants that render those individuals incapable of reproduction. Additional treatment options can be created by combining one of the options in the left column with one of the options in the right column of options (e.g., removal inside a mask and install a barrier). To select an option simply point and click inside the brackets and an "X" will appear to indicate the currently selected option. This menu also contains options that permit users to set the duration of the simulation period (up to 10 consecutive years) and to set the number of replicates to be conducted for each year (up to 30) of the simulation. This flexibility makes the DMS a useful tool for sensitivity analysis and for designing and testing deer management strategies.
As suggested by our short title, in this tutorial we will be simulating the removal of animals from inside a treatment mask. We will utilize the BOUND.MSK mask we created earlier in this tutorial to remove 50% of the adult deer population inside the boundary of our study area. How will this management scenario impact the size of our overall deer population? How will this removal affect the spatial dispersion of deer on our landscape map? To find out, point and click inside the brackets corresponding to "Removal inside mask." To conserve time during this tutorial, we will simulate this removal experiment for only 1 year. Note that this is the default value for simulation duration on this menu. In order to be able to demonstrate several additional features of the DMS, we will run 3 replicates of this treatment scenario. Point and click inside the "Number Replicates" box and key in the number "3".
Next, provide a name to be used as a "root" for labeling the series of output files that will generated from this simulation. This name cannot exceed 6 characters to allow the DMS to append numbers to the name for the identification of individual replicate files. Click inside the Output file name box and key in TUTOR (no file extension is required) so that these output files can be identified later as having been generated by the tutorial. Finally, examine the contents of the "Deer Population File" window to insure that you are using the correct deer population file for this simulation (the name SAMPLE.POP should already be visible in this box). To select an alternate deer population file, point at one of the file names listed in the Select File window and press the left mouse button once. Point and click on the CONTINUE button to proceed to the next menu. You will receive a message informing you that simulations can take considerable time to complete, and asking you for confirmation that you wish to continue. Click on OK to proceed to the next menu.
At the next menu, set both the male and female removal rates at 50% by pointing and clicking inside each box in turn and keying in the value of "50". Next, set the rate of removal by specifying both the starting and ending dates (in Julian calendar days) for the removal period. Be aware that a long temporal window of treatment reduces the rate of treatment. For example, if 100 deer were present inside our mask the day our 50% removal treatment was to begin, then 50 deer would be scheduled for removal by the DMS. However, this removal is applied at a rate determined by the temporal window specified by the user. If this treatment window was 1 day, then 50 animals would be selected and removed on that day (50 deer/1 day). However, if the treatment window spanned 100 days, then 50 deer would be removed at a rate of 1 per every 2 days (50 deer/100 days or 0.5 deer per day). This subtle difference can greatly influence how treatments influence deer spatial dispersion. For this tutorial, we will schedule the removal to occur during a 5-day period beginning on January 10th. Point and click on the "Day Start" box and key in the value "10" then click on the "Day End" box and type in the value "15." Next, select the mask to be used with this treatment. Point and click once on BOUND.MSK which should be visible from inside the "Select file" window. Click on CONTINUE to begin the treatment simulation. You may monitor progress by checking the "Iteration", "Year" and "Day" indicators located in the lower left portion of the screen.
Once the simulation has completed, the Review Simulation Results Menu will appear. At this menu you are given the opportunity to review both the numerical and spatial output files generated by your simulation. Click on the "Numerical Response" button to display the contents of the numerical output file (TUTOR.NUM). This file is a simple DOS flat text file that can be opened and viewed using any DOS or Windows text editor. This file format also can be imported into most statistics and spreadsheet programs. The results are arrayed as a series of columns which correspond to Year, Reps (replicate number), AM (adult male), AF (adult female), Y (yearlings), F (fawns), and Total (Total population size). The first line, (i.e., Year 0) represents the composition of your initial population prior to treatment. How did this 50% removal treatment impact the size of the deer population? How variable were the results for the 3 replicates? Did it produce the results you expected? Point and click on DONE to return to the previous menu.
Next, click on the "Spatial Response Image" button to review the deer response map files generated by the simulation. Each replicate image will be shown in sequence followed by an image showing the "average" individual pixel values for your replicates. In addition to this quick- viewing format, response maps also are stored as IDRISI images with associated documentation files. The spectral values displayed on these map images represent accumulations of deer use during the specified simulation period and/or temporal window. Spatial response maps are especially helpful for identifying areas of high use and for assessing the connectivity of suitable habitat on your landscape map image. How did the 50% removal treatment impact the spatial dispersion of deer within the study area boundary? Are the results what you expected? Type "q" and then press ENTER or RETURN to return to the previous menu. Point and click on the button returning you to the Main Options Menu.
Graphical results generated by simulations also can be reviewed at any time by selecting "Map Utilities" from the Main Options Menu, and then selecting "View Treatment Masks and Deer Response Maps". First, select the file type you wish to view, then point and click on the desired file name appearing in the file list box in the lower left portion of the window. The selected file will appear in the horizontal window, then click on CONTINUE to view the contents of the file. The types of files that can be viewed from this menu are briefly described below.
[Note: If the file you wanted to view does not appear in the File list window, then it probably has not yet been rendered into a quick-viewing image. This module was designed only for displaying files in the quick-viewing format created and utilized by the DMS. The DMS is "image type aware" and will automatically switch to the subdirectory containing the specific type of image file selected for viewing.]
This completes the Tutorial session for the Deer Management Simulator. Select EXIT from any menu to quit the current DMS session.