Ecology and Access

[Tim K.]

Howdy,
I'm looking for only a few hints - I need to figure as much of this out on
my own as possible so I'll learn it.

I'm doing a field study on a mosquito impoundment on some mangrove islands
in Florida and instead of taking the easy way out and just using Excel I'd
like to do this in Access. What I'm doing is doing belt transects across a
dike and sampling vegetation, stem diameters and line intercept.
Here's the physical data: Transect Number, Transect Length, 2 sets of GPS
coordinates, a water depth reading. I'm thinking that in one table and link
it to another by Transect Number. Then another table for line intercept
data with plant species in a dropdown and then pairs of lengths along a tape
measure, say black mangrove goes from 20cm to 45cm and also from 355cm to
500cm. I need it to subtract to determine each intercept and then sum them
(15+145=150 in the above example). Yet another table for stem densities for
each species, each stem diameter is measured twice and averaged. Then that
will need to be summed.

Any hints/suggestions would be greatly appreciated - not the answer, enough
where I can (hopefully) figure out the answer for myself.
Thanks!

[salad]

Re: Ecology and Access

Tim K. wrote:
[color=blue]
> Howdy,
> I'm looking for only a few hints - I need to figure as much of this out on
> my own as possible so I'll learn it.
>
> I'm doing a field study on a mosquito impoundment on some mangrove islands
> in Florida and instead of taking the easy way out and just using Excel I'd
> like to do this in Access. What I'm doing is doing belt transects across a
> dike and sampling vegetation, stem diameters and line intercept.
> Here's the physical data: Transect Number, Transect Length, 2 sets of GPS
> coordinates, a water depth reading. I'm thinking that in one table and link
> it to another by Transect Number. Then another table for line intercept
> data with plant species in a dropdown and then pairs of lengths along a tape
> measure, say black mangrove goes from 20cm to 45cm and also from 355cm to
> 500cm. I need it to subtract to determine each intercept and then sum them
> (15+145=150 in the above example). Yet another table for stem densities for
> each species, each stem diameter is measured twice and averaged. Then that
> will need to be summed.
>
> Any hints/suggestions would be greatly appreciated - not the answer, enough
> where I can (hopefully) figure out the answer for myself.
> Thanks![/color]

I doubt if many people here know what a belt transect is. Same with a
line intercept. You state "I need to figure as much of this out on my
own as possible so I'll learn it." That may be very correct....to much
forest, not many trees.

You need to look at table structures. I believe that in your case the
key to all tables should be an autonumber field (I rarely create a key
in a table that is not autonumber). I recomment you never use spaces in
your field name. I recomment that you create field names with each word
capitalized. Ex: Transect Number is TransectNumber is the table field name

Now, figure out where the fields go. You might have TNID (autonumber),
then TransectNumber, then water depth. I guess I'd also store the GPS
coordinates in the record since it is related to that TNID.

I would create a table, lookup, to store the various types of
vegetation. VeggieID and VeggieName.

I would create a table, lookup, to store the various types of Species.
SpeciesID (autonumber) and SpeciesName.

Then I'd have a TransectVegetat ion table. This would store your. TVID,
TNID, VeggieID, and the 4 line intercepts.

Then I'd have a TransectSpecies table. This would store your species
info. TSID, TNID, StemInfo fields.

I think that's what you need. Just guessing. You get the gist.

Now create a form based on the Transect number table.

Next, create a form based on the Transect vegetation table.

The VeggieID field would be a combo box linked to the Veggie lookup table.

Next, create a form based on the Transect Species table.

The SpeciesID field would be a combo box linked to the Species lookup table.

Now, open the main form for Transect table and select from the toolbar
the subform control. Select the form TransectVeggie. Link the two
forms to the TNID. Do the same for TransectSpecies .

You now have a form/subform. You enter the transect table info and then
select the vegetation from the combo in the subform and enter the 4 line
intercepts.

[Tim K.]

Re: Ecology and Access


"salad" <oil@vinegar.co m> wrote in message
news:fPcyf.2635 $ee6.2378@newsr ead3.news.pas.e arthlink.net...

snip

Thanks for your reply. I did have some of that figured but got some
valuable input as well. Basically what this thing is, is you lay a tape
measure across the dike (it's about 25' across) and wherever a plant crosses
the tape you measure it - think of it as casting a shadow on the ground and
measuring the shadow. I've linked three tables by Transect_Number , the
tables are Physical_Data, Intercept and Stem_Diameter. The part I'm having
trouble with is setting it up so I have a place to enter the two numbers for
each measurement - say 20 cm and 45cm so it'll spit out 25cm on a report.
I'm guessing two separate columns and subtract them? Once I figure out one
the rest will be easy.

[salad]

Re: Ecology and Access

Tim K. wrote:
[color=blue]
> "salad" <oil@vinegar.co m> wrote in message
> news:fPcyf.2635 $ee6.2378@newsr ead3.news.pas.e arthlink.net...
>
> snip
>
> Thanks for your reply. I did have some of that figured but got some
> valuable input as well. Basically what this thing is, is you lay a tape
> measure across the dike (it's about 25' across) and wherever a plant crosses
> the tape you measure it - think of it as casting a shadow on the ground and
> measuring the shadow. I've linked three tables by Transect_Number , the
> tables are Physical_Data, Intercept and Stem_Diameter. The part I'm having
> trouble with is setting it up so I have a place to enter the two numbers for
> each measurement - say 20 cm and 45cm so it'll spit out 25cm on a report.
> I'm guessing two separate columns and subtract them? Once I figure out one
> the rest will be easy.
>
>[/color]
Yes. I would have those two fields and subtract them. The difference
is nothing more than a calcalation. In a report or form you can enter
something like
=[Text1] - [Text2]
as the control source.

Or...in the query enter something like
Result : ToCM - FromCM

Now, where to place them? I wish you hadn't cut your original stuff
out. Couldn't that go in the Veggie table.? Put in 4 fields; the Froms
and the Tos? Or will you sometimes have more than 4 fields? Or will it
be based on the result of the Veggie and Species tables? I can't help
you there since I don't fully understand your problem.

[Tim K.]

Re: Ecology and Access


"salad" <oil@vinegar.co m> wrote in message
news:X_jyf.5197 $WY5.151@newsre ad2.news.pas.ea rthlink.net...[color=blue]
> Tim K. wrote:
>[color=green]
>> "salad" <oil@vinegar.co m> wrote in message
>> news:fPcyf.2635 $ee6.2378@newsr ead3.news.pas.e arthlink.net...
>>
>> snip
>>
>> Thanks for your reply. I did have some of that figured but got some
>> valuable input as well. Basically what this thing is, is you lay a tape
>> measure across the dike (it's about 25' across) and wherever a plant
>> crosses the tape you measure it - think of it as casting a shadow on the
>> ground and measuring the shadow. I've linked three tables by
>> Transect_Number , the tables are Physical_Data, Intercept and
>> Stem_Diameter. The part I'm having trouble with is setting it up so I
>> have a place to enter the two numbers for each measurement - say 20 cm
>> and 45cm so it'll spit out 25cm on a report. I'm guessing two separate
>> columns and subtract them? Once I figure out one the rest will be easy.[/color]
> Yes. I would have those two fields and subtract them. The difference is
> nothing more than a calcalation. In a report or form you can enter
> something like
> =[Text1] - [Text2]
> as the control source.
>
> Or...in the query enter something like
> Result : ToCM - FromCM
>
> Now, where to place them? I wish you hadn't cut your original stuff out.
> Couldn't that go in the Veggie table.? Put in 4 fields; the Froms and the
> Tos? Or will you sometimes have more than 4 fields? Or will it be based
> on the result of the Veggie and Species tables? I can't help you there
> since I don't fully understand your problem.[/color]

In each transect I'm measuring the diameter of plant stems - here's the rub:
each stem gets two measurements which are averaged. The way I've started
this is that down the column in design view it goes
Transect number
species
diameter A1
diameter A2
diameter B1
diameter B2
and so on. I need to average each "1" and "2" and then average them and
divide by transect area. I also need to build the form for data entry but
the trouble there is that I don't know how many entries I'll have for each
species. I guess what I need to do is make the table with room for many
entries and then show them as progressive subforms?

[salad]

Re: Ecology and Access

Tim K. wrote:[color=blue]
> "salad" <oil@vinegar.co m> wrote in message
> news:X_jyf.5197 $WY5.151@newsre ad2.news.pas.ea rthlink.net...
>[color=green]
>>Tim K. wrote:
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>"salad" <oil@vinegar.co m> wrote in message
>>>news:fPcyf.2 635$ee6.2378@ne wsread3.news.pa s.earthlink.net ...
>>>
>>>snip
>>>
>>>Thanks for your reply. I did have some of that figured but got some
>>>valuable input as well. Basically what this thing is, is you lay a tape
>>>measure across the dike (it's about 25' across) and wherever a plant
>>>crosses the tape you measure it - think of it as casting a shadow on the
>>>ground and measuring the shadow. I've linked three tables by
>>>Transect_Num ber, the tables are Physical_Data, Intercept and
>>>Stem_Diamete r. The part I'm having trouble with is setting it up so I
>>>have a place to enter the two numbers for each measurement - say 20 cm
>>>and 45cm so it'll spit out 25cm on a report. I'm guessing two separate
>>>columns and subtract them? Once I figure out one the rest will be easy.[/color]
>>
>>Yes. I would have those two fields and subtract them. The difference is
>>nothing more than a calcalation. In a report or form you can enter
>>something like
>>=[Text1] - [Text2]
>>as the control source.
>>
>>Or...in the query enter something like
>>Result : ToCM - FromCM
>>
>>Now, where to place them? I wish you hadn't cut your original stuff out.
>>Couldn't that go in the Veggie table.? Put in 4 fields; the Froms and the
>>Tos? Or will you sometimes have more than 4 fields? Or will it be based
>>on the result of the Veggie and Species tables? I can't help you there
>>since I don't fully understand your problem.[/color]
>
>
> In each transect I'm measuring the diameter of plant stems - here's the rub:
> each stem gets two measurements which are averaged. The way I've started
> this is that down the column in design view it goes
> Transect number
> species
> diameter A1
> diameter A2
> diameter B1
> diameter B2
> and so on. I need to average each "1" and "2" and then average them and
> divide by transect area. I also need to build the form for data entry but
> the trouble there is that I don't know how many entries I'll have for each
> species. I guess what I need to do is make the table with room for many
> entries and then show them as progressive subforms?
>
>[/color]
Yes. You could have a subform to the species. And species should be a
continuous form or datasheet. A1,A2 should be contained in 1 record,
B2/B2 in another or in the same record.

[Tim K.]

Re: Ecology and Access


That worked! Thanks a ton!