Getting Started with DIMA

Sarah McCord

February 17, 2015

Today’s Topics

• Introduction to DIMA

• How to download

• How to set up your database for field collection

DIMA Database for Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment

• Access database

• Data collection and storage of the terrestrial monitoring data

• Developed and maintained by the Jornada Experimental Range

Advantages of Using DIMA

• Rapid data entry, in the field

• Quality assurance

-Catch errors before they are recorded

-Ensures adhesion to the protocols

Where to Use DIMA

• In the field – Data collection

– On the fly reports

• In the office – Data entry

– QA &QC

– Data summaries

DIMA Structure

DIMA Homescreen

Functions and

options for

DIMA Initial

Setup.

Toggle touch-

screen functions

on or off.

Tree-view of Sites,

Plots and transects

(lines) in the DIMA

database

Functions for

creating and editing

sites and plots.

Functions for

entering and editing

data for plots and

transects (lines)

Demonstrate

• Download DIMA

• Import species list

• Import Ecological Site names

• Import County names

• Add people

• Establishing method settings

• Setting up sites and plots

Downloading DIMA

• http://jornada.nmsu.edu/monit-assess/dima/download

Species Lists

• 3 ways to import

– from USDA Plants

– from another DIMA

– from an Excel Spreadsheet list

Import growth habit and duration

Ecological Site

Counties

Add People

Set up the Core Methods Settings

• Line-point Intercept

• Gap intercept

• Species Inventory

• Soil stability

• (IIRH)

• (Plant Density)

Line-point intercept

Gap intercept

Soil Stability

Plot Species Inventory

Establish Sites

Establish Plots: Information to Enter Prior to Data Collection

• Plot ID

• State

• County

• Old notes

• Weather

Other Resources

• DIMA website

http://jornada.nmsu.edu/monit-assess/dima

• DIMA Tutorials

– http://www.landscapetoolbox.org/training/resources/tutorials-for-using-dima/

• Landscape Toolbox

– www.landscapetoolbox.org

Contact Us

Sarah McCord

smccord@nmsu.edu

575-646-2961

Ericha Courtright

ericha@nmsu.edu