Agroecosystems /
Carbon Sequestration
Research Focus
Iowa Final Report
Appendix D: Iowa Carbon Potentials Database User Instructions
Installation and Use Instructions For
The 'Iowa Carbon Potentials' Database
March, 2001
(revised May, 2001)
A cooperative effort between the Colorado State
University, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory and
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
Fort Collins, CO 80523
IntroductionAppendix D: Iowa Carbon Potentials Database User Instructions
Installation and Use Instructions For
The 'Iowa Carbon Potentials' Database
March, 2001
(revised May, 2001)
A cooperative effort between the Colorado State
University, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory and
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
Fort Collins, CO 80523
The following section is intended as an overview of the basic hardware and software requirements for this database. We also try to provide a basic understanding of what kind of performance you can expect from your computer when running the database. Detailed installation instructions are provided in the next section.
System Requirements
In order to run this database, you will need a computer system that meets the following requirements:
- Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT version 4.0, or Windows 2000
- Pentium, Pentium II, or Pentium III class computer
- A minimum of 24 MB of RAM
- A minimum of 70 MB of hard drive space
Screen Size Limitations
The database is optimized to run with a screen size of at least 1152 x 864 pixels. You can use the database on screens having a smaller pixel resolution, however you may need to use the scroll bars on the right side and bottom of the screen to view the data. For information on how to change your screen size, look up “To change the size of the screen area” under your Windows operating system help.
Software Requirements
The database was written in Microsoft Access 97 and compiled for either Microsoft Access 97 or Microsoft Access 2000. We’ve provided separate files for either version, and installation instructions are provided for either version later in this document.
If you use Access 97, we strongly recommend that you install the Office 97 service release 2b or higher. For more information on how to download/receive by mail and install this service release, see the following Microsoft web site:
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/Articles/sr2fact.htm
If you use Access 2000, we also strongly recommend that you install Office 2000 service release 1a or higher. For more information on how to download/receive by mail and install this service release, see the following Microsoft web site:
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/2000/downloadDetails/O2kSR1DDL.htm
Performance Expectations
This database provides output by searching a large data table (consisting of 203,000 records) for the values that meet the county, soil type, and cropping history criteria selected by the user. This table and the queries that access these data are optimized for maximum performance. Query speed and performance limitations that you may experience will be due to limitations in processor speed, available cache memory, or RAM capacity and speed.
The database was developed on a two year-old desktop, running a Pentium II processor with 128 MB of RAM, 512K cache, operating at 400 MHz. It takes less than 5 seconds to open the database on this machine. It takes approximately 5 seconds to complete the very first query that is conducted in each session, and less than 2 seconds for all subsequent queries. These tests were conducted with no other software programs running. We saw substantial performance improvements when running the database on machines with faster processors. Increasing RAM memory above 128 MB did not improve performance substantially, whereas decreasing memory to below 32 MB did hamper performance very significantly. On machines that have at least 64-128 MB of RAM installed, users can roughly expect the query times to be inversely proportional to the speed of the processor being used. For example, a Pentium III class machine with 128 MB of RAM and a processor running at 733 MHz will access and display the data in about ½ of the time required by the Pentium II at 400 MHz. In a similar vein, running the database on machines with Celeron Processors can result in decreased performance, since the Celeron lacks cache memory and has less processing power. We wish to advise users that running the database on older Pentium-class machines with speeds less than 100 MHz can be somewhat frustrating. Our limited testing on older machines indicated that it can take up to 30 seconds for a query to run and results be displayed on the screen.
Some Tips On Running Microsoft Access
This database program was written and compiled using standard dynamic link libraries provided by Microsoft with Access 97, 2000, and the Visual Studio Development Environment. There are no user-defined or custom libraries used. It will not overwrite any system or locally defined libraries.
We have found, particularly with Office 97, that running applications in a multitasking environment can impede performance of this database. If you wish to maximize the performance of this database, we recommend you close most or all other concurrently running programs.
We have also found that Microsoft Access 97 and Access 2000 can be somewhat “buggy” when you run them in a multitasking environment. This is particularly true when running them with Netscape Communicator and/or Microsoft Internet Explorer open. Users may experience infrequent or seemingly random program crashes, during which Access abruptly warns the user of an operating system error and then closes the program. If you experience this only occasionally, we believe you should try to live with the system crashes. If this happens repeatedly or under circumstances that you can repeat, then you should consider seeking assistance from your system administrator or from Microsoft.
Installation Of The Database
The CD contains files capable of running on machines using operating systems Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows NT 4.0.:
- IowaCarbonPotentials97.mde: This is the database version that runs on Microsoft Access, version 7.0 (also called Access 97), which is distributed with Microsoft Office 97.
- IowaCarbonPotentials2000.mde: This version runs with Microsoft Access 2000, which is distributed with Microsoft Office 2000.
- IowaCarbonPotentials.ppt: This file is a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation which provides step by step procedures necessary to use the 'IowaCarbonPotentials' database.
To copy the database to your hard drive, follow these steps:
- Insert the CD containing the database into your CD-ROM device.
- Open the windows explorer and click on the CD-ROM icon in the “folders” window on the left side of the screen.
- Locate the database (97 or 2000) you wish to copy. Click once on the file to highlight it. Click on the “Edit” menu bar on the upper left corner of the screen, and then click on the “copy” option.
- Locate the hard drive folder to which you wish to copy the database. Click once on that folder to highlight it. Click on the “Edit” menu bar again, and then click on the “paste” option.
- Repeat steps 1-4 above to copy the (IowaCarbonPotentials.ppt) power point file to your hard drive. (Note: This has to be done so the tutorial will function properly).
The tutorial 'IowaCarbonPotentials.ppt' can be viewed directly from the database by clicking on the 'Tutorial' button on the main screen. In order to run the tutorial, you must first record where the power point file is located. The first time you open the database, the program will ask you if you would like to locate the tutorial. Click 'yes' and then locate the presentation. You won't be able to run the tutorial until this is completed.
The tutorial should be reviewed prior to using the database.
Change Read-Only Attributes Of Files After Copying To Your Hard Drive
When installing the database and tutorial program from CD to your hard drive, users will need to change the attributes of the files so that they are no longer read-only. Files that are written to CD’s are typically made read-only, and the file remains Read-Only when it is copied back to a hard drive. Following are instructions on how to change the read-only attributes of the files copied to your hard drive, so the database and tutorial will run:
- With “Windows Explorer” or the “My Computer” folder open, and after copying the files from the CD to the hard drive, click once on the IowaCarbonPotentials97.mde so that it is highlighted.
- With the file highlighted, click once on the “File” menu, and then click once on the “properties” option. In the window that opens, select the “General” tab and un-check the “Read-Only” box near the bottom of the window. You can un-check the box by clicking on it once.
- Click once on the “Accept” button to finalize the change, and then click once on the “OK” button to close the window.
- Repeat step (a) and (b) above for two other files: IowaCarbonPotentials2000.mde, and IowaCarbonPotentials.ppt
In order to extract data from the database, the user must specify the following input parameters:
- Iowa County
- Soil surface texture (e.g. SICL = silty clay loam, SL = sandy loam, etc.)
- Soil hydric condition (yes or no)
- Management History
The following procedure explains how to use the database. Assume that the user wants to compare growing a intensive tilled corn-soybean rotation with a no tillage system for the same rotation, on a non hydric silty clay loam in Bremer County, Iowa. The power point presentation ‘user instructions’ provides a step by step procedure on how to use the database.
- The user first specifies the county of interest in the County field.
- Use the mouse to click on the downward-pointing arrow in the Surface Texture box. This presents a list of the most common surface textures found in the county selected, based on information in the STATSGO database. Note that the database will not allow a user to specify a soil texture until a county is specified. The codes refer to the following surface textures:
- CL (clay loam)
- L (loam)
- LS (loamy sand)
- S (sand)
- SIC (silty clay)
- SICL (silty clay loam)
- SIL (silt loam)
- SL (sandy loam)
- The user then specifies whether the soil is hydric or not (Yes or No) in the hydric? field. Note that we have specified hydric condition according to information in the STATSGO database.
- Under rotation 1, 1974-1994, specify the rotation desired. They correspond to the following:
- continuous corn 10 yrs - CRP 10 yrs (100% grass)
- continuous corn 10 yrs - CRP 10 yrs (50% legume, 50% grass)
- continuous corn 20 yrs
- corn-bean 10 yrs - CRP 10 yrs (100% grass)
- corn-bean 10 yrs - CRP 10 yrs (50% legume, 50% grass)
- corn-bean 20 yrs
- corn-bean-oat-alf-alf 10 yrs - CRP 10 yrs (100% grass)
- corn-bean-oat-alf-alf 10 yrs - CRP 10 yrs (50% legume, 50% grass)
- corn-bean-oat-alf-alf 20 yrs
- oat-alf 10 yrs - CRP 10 yrs (100% grass)
- oat-alf 10 yrs - CRP 10 yrs (50% legume, 50% grass)
- oat-alf 20 yrs
- Under method 1, specify the tillage method. The codes correspond to the following:
- intensive tillage - multiple tillage operations every year
- moderate tillage - spring disk, harrow and planting, also included every other year tillage as in corn-bean rotation where the beans are planted into the corn residue and strip tillage.
- no tillage – no tillage operations except to inject N and to plant
- Specify rotation 2 and method 2 as done for #’s 4 and 5 above. Note that the options for the second rotation are slightly different. The rotations are offered in 20 year blocks only, with CRP offered as a separate block.
- Repeat steps 4-6 for the second scenario.
- When these data are entered into the fields as described above, the Show Data button will become active. Clicking on that button will execute a query that extracts the data requested from the database. It will then show the data in graphic format (one graph for each scenario). The differences between the two scenarios are shown in tabular format.
- Clicking on the View Data Table button brings up the database table that contains the data from the model runs. You can copy and paste data as needed from this table. Clicking on the Reset button clears the data input fields and sends the cursor back to the County field to start over.
Note that the graphs have several data lines. Units are specified in metric tonnes/hectare (1 hectare = 2.47 acres). The red line shows “business as usual”, or an intensively tilled corn-soybean rotation. The green line shows the carbon levels in the soil + residue category under the management scenario specified. The blue line shows soil carbon levels without residues included.
Tutorial Sometimes Fails To Load
We have found that on some machines, the tutorial fails to load completely after clicking on the “Tutorial” button on the upper right corner of the screen. The Tutorial is a powerpoint presentation, and the software is written to open powerpoint and then automatically load the tutorial presentation. The problem occurs when Powerpoint opens correctly but the presentation “IowCarbonPotentials.ppt” fails to load automatically. We acknowledge that this is a bug in the software and we are preparing a solution for future distributions of the database. If this problem occurs on your computer, use the following simple workaround to allow you to view the tutorial:
- With Powerpoint open, click once on the “File” menu. Then click once on the “Open” option.
- In the “Open” window that appears on the screen, locate the file “IowaCarbonPotentials.ppt” on your hard drive. Click once on the file to highlight it and then click once on the “Open” button button in the lower right corner of the window.
- After viewing the tutorial, close Powerpoint by selecting the “Exit” option from the “File” menu. The operating system should return directly to the database.
User errors generally arise from not understanding the assumptions and limitations placed upon the model used to generate the data. We have found in the initial testing that many users tried to specify rotations or soil types that did not exist in the database. Keep in mind that we limited the number of soil types and crop rotations used in the model to those most commonly found. Those not found in the list were left out of the model run for simplicity and manageability.
We wish to know about software bugs that arise, and to receive feedback from users about rotations, tillage practices, and soil textures that we should consider modeling for the database. Please report these items by e-mail to:
Mark Easter
Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, NESB-B252
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523
mark.easter@colostate.edu
(970) 491-7662 VOICE
(970) 491-1965 FAX
In your feedback, it is necessary that you provide the following information:
- Operating system (Win95, Win98, Win2000, NT4.0)
- Version of Access (7.0/97 or 2000)
- A complete description of the bug including examples.
- Please avoid using jargon.
- The circumstances that lead to the bug or error condition.
- An exact description of the error code and text that appears.