Spectrum provides the analytical capability to address ecosystem management issues; and is currently available in Release 1.5. The primary role of Spectrum is to model alternative resource management scenarios applied to landscapes through time in support of strategic and tactical planning. This includes scheduling vegetation manipulation activities to achieve ecosystem management objectives; modeling resource effects and interactions within management scenarios; and exploring tradeoffs between alternative management scenarios in support of informed decision making.
The windows-like user interface component of Spectrum presents sophisticated analytical capability for complex ecosystem management problem analysis. The model data is in xBase format and additional model data can be easily imported.
Model highlights include; flexible spatial and temporal problem dimensions; multiple mathematical programming options; flexible objective function specification; ecological simulation and natural disturbance modeling; and nonlinear approximation.
Spectrum requires a 386 or better PC with 12 megabytes of memory, 10 megabytes of free hard disk space for the software and additional space as needed depending on model size, and a mouse. A math coprocessor is required for 386 machines. C-WHIZ from Ketron Management Science is needed for solving models, but is available free under site license to Forest Service users from the Analysis Center. The mixed integer programming option requires the MIP module of C-WHIZ, which must be purchased separately from Ketron.
For additional information on Spectrum, please contact Kathy Sleavin:
Instructions for installing Spectrum Release 1.5 software is available in the README.TXT file. (7,775 bytes)