This phase of crop plan design deals with using the Visualize event to debug the complex layout of an understory protection harvest system.
1. Activate the first Visualize event (bring the yellow highlight to it) by right- or double-clicking or using the MGM Move buttons.
2. On the MGM Toolbar, click on (Execute only the current Crop Plan up to and including the current event). If all goes well, MGM should establish six stand strata using the stand and tree-list specifications and the coordinates of the strata corners.
1. Go to the MGM2009 directory and investigate the SVS –MGM Image files in the subdirectory of that name. The *.bmp file contains an image of the six stand strata within the block; however double-clicking the *.svs file will open SVS and render the block, allowing you to change the view specifications. These are found in the SVS Options menu under the Screen layouts and the Perspective/overhead/profile view options sub-menus. For example, under SVS options – Perspective view options, changing the lens focal length will zoom the view of the stands in or out.
2. At this pre-harvest stage, the six strata are not obvious since all the tree-lists are identical. What you can observe is the size structure of the deciduous and conifer components. The Stand worksheets show the numerical details and summaries, but the Visualization gives you an indication that the stands look as you expect.
3. Activate the second Visualize event.
4. Click on (Execute only the current Crop Plan up to and including the current event). This time, the stands will established and the strip harvests will be applied to the appropriate strata.
1. View the *.svs files in the MGM2009SVS – MGM Image files directory. Two visualize events were run. The naming convention for both *.bmp and *.svs files is Crop Plan ID_--_MSS_CP_--_StandAge. If you Visualize events are called in the same year (this case), a sequence number (e.g. _(2)) is also added.
2. In the postharvest images, you will see the effects of the harvest on the individual strata. This is a useful first confirmation that your harvest was implemented the way you intended. The Stand worksheets will show the numerical outcome of the harvests on the tree-lists.
5. On the MGM Toolbar, click on to run the entire Crop Plan, including all four Visualize events.
1. View the *.svs files in the MGM2009SVS – MGM Image files directory. The main events (harvest, regeneration, growth) can be seen in the *.bmp or *.svs. files corresponding to the stand age.
2. Note that the yields of the regenerating strata (MC in particular) are likely overestimated due to failure of this projection to account for the proximity of much larger competitors in adjacent strata. We will now look at a way to account for this adjacent stand effect.