Release notes for program WETLAND 1.0

28 July 1994

This program was written in 1987 using Borland's Turbo-Pascal compiler, version 3.0. Random number generators written by Loesl, Ltd., copyright 1986.

This program was designed to use the Intel 8086 microprocessor (CPU) with the 8087 math co-processor; the compiled code is known to be compatible with the Intel 80286 CPU working with the 80287 co-processor. Compatibility with 32-bit CPU's (Intel 80386, 80486, 80586 [Pentium]) is unknown.

The program is provided 'as is'; given advances in hardware and software technology in the last 8 years, I cannot assume any responsibility for successful operation of the program at this time, but will answer any questions and help with debugging to the best of my ability (see contact address at the end of this file).

The program is supplied on one diskette as compiled code (subdirectory \wetland) and as source code (subdirectory \source). This file is called readme, and resides in the root directory. The compiled program consists of three files (WETLAND.COM, WETLAND.000, WETLAND.001) and a sample data-entry file called COMPUTER.DAT. To create your own species parameter file, run the program and select user-entry for species characteristics.

Source code is in 9 files: WETLAND.PAS, WETSET.PAS, WETUTIL.PAS, WETSEED.PAS, WETGROW.PAS, ARNIRSWO.TR, SETARRSP.TR, TYPEDECL.TR, EMPTY87.TR. The *.pas files are pascal code; WETLAND.PAS is the main driver, and calls the other *.pas files. The *.tr files contain the random-number generation routines and associated files (also pascal code). These files all conform to Borland Turbo-Pascal v. 3.0 specifications, but there have been a number of changes to include and use syntax in the intervening years (see Borland pascal manuals for details). The source code files are commented throughout, and you are welcome to modify them and play with them as you see fit. I cannot be responsible for failure of the program to run following any alterations to the source code.

Known bugs:

1. The program will not exit nicely from the 'computer sets up the wetland' option. Choosing exit at this point will simply continue the program. Workaround: alter the exitprog subroutine in wetland.pas and recompile.

2. The program will send output only to a connected printer (not to the display). To get output to the display, uncomment (remove the braces) around the writeout subroutine in wetland.pas. Then, change the call to printout to a call to writeout in the wetgrow.pas. Recompile.

3. This version does not support explicit competition among species (see Ellison & Bedford 1995. Ecological Applications 5(1). When entering species characteristics, always enter 'n' when prompted for 'competition between species permitted?' There is no workaround for this, as the competition routines do not exist in any of the subprograms.

Questions and comments can be addressed to:

Aaron M. Ellison
Department of Biological Sciences
Mount Holyoke College
50 College Street
South Hadley, MA 01075-6418, USA
email: aellison@mhc.mtholyoke.edu